Rice is Life: Recipes and Stories Celebrating the World’s Most Essential Grain is a new cookbook out from Caryl Levine and Ken Lee, founders of Lotus Foods. It’s hard to disagree with a title like that. I mean, my rice cooker is among my most used kitchen appliances.
But Rice is Life goes far beyond what I anticipated. Aside from recipes, it includes a lot of information about rice varieties and especially about rice cultivation that was new to me. Sure, part of that is the origin story and genesis of the author’s company, Lotus Foods, but it’s also about how rice is grown and what SRI means, how it benefits women and global farming communities. Mouthwatering images of the food are accompanied with images of farmers and the many places that rice is grown.
I also really appreciated how the authors incorporate global recipes and even recipes adapted from the farmers that the company works with — such as the Central Javanese Nasi Goreng (which having tried, I can assure you, is good). The recipes are generally straight forward and seem easy to make. And the authors often add suggested possible adjustments, such as for complexity and spice, in the head notes. Classics, like Ken’s Fried Rice (I mean, you gotta have a recipe for fried rice in a rice cookbook) are accompanied with innovative takes, like a version of shakshuka with rice.
Next on my list to try? Black rice risotto with dashi, scallops, and furikake butter.
- Excited
- Fascinated
- Amused
- Disgusted
- Sad
- Angry
