My Cookbook of the Week: ‘The Simple Art of ...

Welcome to “Cookbook of the Week.” It is a sequence the place I spotlight cookbooks which are distinctive, straightforward to make use of, or simply particular to me. Whereas discovering a specific recipe on-line serves a fast goal, flipping by a really glorious cookbook has a magic all its personal. 

After I go searching for cookbooks to characteristic for this column, I favor to go to an actual bookstore. I prefer to flip by the guide and see what the aim is, if it’s straightforward to make use of or complicated, and if it’ll be helpful to you all—this takes some looking. However there’s the uncommon cookbook that I nearly instantly tuck beneath my arm as a result of I do know in my bones that it’s coming dwelling with me. 

This week’s cookbook is The Easy Artwork of Rice. It solely took a number of page-flips for me to suppose fondly of my dwelling and household, and some extra to pique my starvation. A cookbook that appreciates this grain as a lot as I do belongs in my kitchen, and possibly in yours too. 

A bit in regards to the guide

The Simple Art of Rice, written by chef JJ Johnson together with graphic novelist Danica Novgorodoff, was revealed in 2023. The cookbook begins off with a little bit of historical past and housekeeping—primary rice cooking methods, easy methods to retailer rice, and data on frequent varieties of rice—earlier than diving into about 100 rice-centric recipes complemented by lovely illustrations. 

The quilt of the cookbook says “Recipes from world wide for the center of your desk,” and it’s straightforward to see that intention displayed in every part of this cookbook. Every chapter comprises quite a lot of rice dishes from completely different international locations and cultures, like Filipino garlic rice Sinangág, Ghanaian Waakye, or Cuban Black Beans and Rice, and infrequently a dish named after a beloved member of the family who clearly makes that heart-warming dish higher than anybody else, like Nice-auntie Lane’s Curry Rice. 

That is greater than a group of rice recipes. It’s a considerate, loving ode to rice, and its function in nourishing communities all through human historical past. Additional, it’s a private account the place rice is a conduit for love and care.

A terrific cookbook for a broad palate

I’ve bother not being apparent typically, so I needed to cease myself earlier than I wrote “a superb cookbook for rice lovers.” I do suppose it’s vital that this guide get into the arms of rice lovers, nevertheless if that individual doesn’t take pleasure in all kinds of flavors then they could solely flip by to the “Cooking a primary pot of rice” part and historical past elements. (These are actually nice sections too.) 

JJ Johnson can have you cooking your rice with coconut milk, lime juice, tomatoes, crabs, hen livers, and raisins, so it definitely helps for those who welcome new taste mixtures. This cookbook is one thing I’ll constantly come again to as a result of there are such a lot of dishes from different cultures that I’m not conversant in and excited to strive. Whereas I’ve a reasonably good thought about what Johnson has in retailer with the Thai curry dishes with jasmine rice, there are a variety of rice dishes that I’ve by no means tried, like these from the Gullah Geechee, Persian, and Israeli cultures. Get this guide for the one who could be as excited to make Lebanese basmati rice as they’d be to make rice crêpes with Nutella.

The recipes you’ll be able to anticipate

Whereas having a broad palate may really feel intimidating, making these recipes requires no specialised talent set. Johnson has managed to maintain the recipes easy sufficient and the ingredient lists accessible sufficient the place I feel the typical dwelling prepare dinner would achieve success meal after meal. After all rice is commonly your fundamental ingredient, so if in case you have that you then’re nicely in your approach to victory. 

In actual fact, a number of the recipes are one-pot wonders or will be utterly made within the rice cooker—as in, throw all of the elements into the rice cooker and press “begin,” just like the Geelrys recipe. As a reader, I like this as a result of if one recipe is past my talent set, style desire, or consideration span, I do know that there are different recipes on this guide that may work for me. 

The dish I made this week

I’ve been craving herb-y mixtures this week. I blame the awful climate making me miss the greenery of summer time. The Herbed Shrimp with Cilantro Lime Rice appeared like the right treatment for my winter woes. At first, I used to be postpone by the prolonged ingredient listing, however quickly realized that there have been repeated elements. The primary part was for the shrimp marinade and the cilantro lime rice merely displays these flavors. (Lesson: all the time learn the total recipe earlier than giving up or plowing full steam forward.)

This recipe was one which Johnson modeled after the boxed cilantro lime rice his mother would make for him. Although I’ve by no means had that boxed rice, I might take this model any day. The shrimp marinade was a easy combination of chopped herbs, olive oil, lime zest and juice, and the rice will get a lightweight toast in butter earlier than you add the cooking water. After 20 minutes, the rice was completed and I pan-fried the shrimp for barely a minute earlier than serving. It felt like a fairly glamorous lunch for a way fast and straightforward it was to make, and I look ahead to extra recipes prefer it.

Methods to purchase it

The hardcover of The Simple Art of Rice is obtainable on-line, however for those who’re like me, then go have a superb old school bookstore browse. In case your native bookstore would not have it on their cabinets, see if they will order it to their location. I am positive they’re going to be pleased to assist.