Rice, Pasta and Bread
There are thousands of varieties of rice on the planet, “long grain” is sort of nothing really. There’s nothing wrong with it as such, but Basmati and Jasmine are worth the little bit extra. Short-grain rice (“risotto” rice like Carnaroli and Arborio; Bomba is the classic Spanish paella rice; and there are all sorts of Asian varieties – “sticky” rice and so-called sushi rice). It’s all good.
Pasta is a lot less complicated – its’ just always the same stuff in different shapes: Eggs, flour and, oh yeah, nothing else at all. Cheap shop-bought pasta sometimes just uses water instead of eggs but don’t panic – the good stuff isn’t expensive.
You pay over the odds for fresh pasta, but it is nice for some things. Recipes assume dried packet stuff unless fresh is specified.
This is a version of Puttanesca.
A puttana is a sex worker in Italian and it is thought to have been named because it was quick and easy for people with a "busy schedule" to cook and eat between appointments.
Sometimes you just need to make stuff
This is it, no need to mess with it at all, but you can obviously
Everyone thinks their recipe is the best.
But they’re wrong. This is.
The beginning and the end of civilisation
Yuval Noah Harari in his book Sapiens explains how this is where it all went wrong for us.
Like porridge but nice!
When I had it in Hong Kong it seemed as though the rice had been broken up which made it smoother. I just use rice
We all just love this! Just do it!
This is the original and easiest version using shop-bought pesto. It’s really nice and easy but not as nice as fresh pesto.
Rice. Lovely, sticky, deeply-flavoured rice. Lick the plate
Risotto is sold to cooks as a dark art that normal people can’t do – it’s all about timing, hot stock and standing around for 20 minutes while it comes together.
This is what keeps the world turning!
This is the basis of pretty much every long-grain rice recipe. If you measure the rice and the water you don't need to drain it so it retains its nutrients and flavour
Yes, I know it sounds weird: Bonkers but beautiful
This is adapted from a recipe in Sophie Grigson's Eat Your Greens - the only book on cooking vegetables anyone needs
Anything but plain - you've got to love them Mexicans!
This is the same principle as Plain Rice where you measure the rice and liquid beforehand and cook it until the liquid is gone.
Can I have some more please?
Gruel? Really? That’s what this translates as? Blimey, I’ll have some of that!
Not that yellow stuff, this is much, much better
Don't get me wrong, I love standard paella; the yellow one with seafood, saffron, chorizo and tomatoes. It tastes of sun, sangria and sex
What a Pulava!
This started as a conversation with Meg about rice (I know).