Brown rice, I love to hate you. I don't know how many pots of brown rice I have thrown away because it comes out either not cooked enough or so mushy it's more like gruel.
On the flip side, it is so much better healthwise than white rice, which is little more than empty calories.
Brown rice, on the other hand, has more flavor, more texture and a lot more nutritive value.
Considered a whole grain, brown rice is less processed than white rice, which has had its hull, bran and germ removed.
Brown rice only has the hull removed, leaving the nutrient-packed bran and germ.
As a result, brown rice retains the nutrients that white rice lacks, such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
With all those benefits, the only negative is cooking it. Thank goodness for the internet - I didn't realize how easy it was to make good brown rice until I happened upon directions at Saveur. At first I thought there had been some kind of mistake. Twelve cups of water for one cup of rice? That just couldn't be right. But it was, and now that I've been cooking brown rice this way, I will never go back to cooking it the way I did before. It comes out perfect every time.
Perfect Brown Rice
1 cup uncooked brown rice, well rinsed
12 cups water
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Combine the rinsed rice, water and olive oil in a pot, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 35 minutes. Sample, and if it's not to your liking, let it simmer another 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat, drain the water from the rice and return the rice to the pot. Let it sit, covered with a kitchen towel and lid, for 10 more minutes. Fluff with a fork, and it's ready to serve.
Barnsley Halloween
Barnsley Resort will be celebrating Halloween with a huge celebration Oct. 30-31. It's Swine and Wine Supper Club, a weekend that will include three main events, featuring a full pig roast prepared by Nashville's renowned Peg Leg Porker pitmaster Carey Bringle, along with John Helfrich of Southern Soul Barbeque on St. Simons Island.
And that's not all. The weekend will also include fire-kettle cooking demonstrations; multiple wine pairings from Heath Porter, an advanced sommelier for Heathen Wine Tours; elaborate charcuterie boards prepared by the resort's executive chef; plus live music, games and flame dancing. It'll be a weekend filled with great food and fun, the perfect way to spend a splendid autumn weekend surrounded by the nature of the Appalachian foothills.
Check out details on the weekend happenings at https://www.barnsleyresort.com/swine-and-wine and make your reservations as soon as possible.
Email Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.
Anne Braly