The Ultimate Rice Cooker
Page 33
2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch of salt
3 firm ripe pears, peeled, cored, diced, and drizzled with the juice of 1 small lemon to prevent discoloration
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill the rice cooker bowl about one-quarter full of hot water. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
2. Coat the steamer basket with nonstick cooking spray and place the yams in the basket. When the water comes to a boil, place the steamer basket in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until soft enough to mash, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Transfer the yams to a large bowl. With a fork, coarsely mash the yams with the ginger, cardamom, and salt. Fold in the pears. Spoon into a shallow 1½-quart gratindish and smooth the top. (At this point, you can cover the dish and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.) Bake until heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
artichokes with caper aioli
Aioli is an infamous garlic mayonnaise that is an integral part of the cuisine of Provence in southern France. There exist some knock-you-out versions made with what seems the equivalent of heads of garlic, but a delicious, and not so deadly, aioli is made here with simply one clove. It is an appetizer supreme, stuffing a giant artichoke with the aioli and letting guests nibble on the leaves. Aioli is great on all steamed vegetables, room temperature or cold.
Because the aioli contains raw egg, make sure you use the freshest egg possible, that you keep it refrigerated until ready to serve, and that you eat this the day you make it. Also, because of the possibility of salmonella, it’s best not to serve this to small children, the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 6 to 8 ( 1 1/ 2 cups aioli)
6 to 8 medium-size artichokes, plus 1 very large artichoke
AIOLI
1 large clove garlic, peeled
1 cold large egg
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1. Set the steamer plate into the bottom of the rice cooker bowl and fill the bowl about one-quarter full of hot water. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
2. Cut off the stems and break the largest leaves off the artichoke bottoms. Cut off the top of the leaves with the thorns. Snip the tips of the leaves with kitchen shears.
3. Coat the steamer basket with nonstick cooking spray. When the water comes to a boil, place the largest artichoke on the steamer plate; there will be 2 to 3 inches of boiling water around it (this artichoke is slightly submerged). Place the other artichokes on their sides in the steamer basket. Place the basket on top of the cooker, over the large artichoke, and close the cover. Steam until the leaves easily pull off, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the artichokes from the cooker and cool to room temperature.
4. While the artichokes are steaming, make the aioli. In a food processor with the motor running, drop the garlic in through the feed tube to chop. Stop the machine and add the egg and capers; pulse a few times to combine. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the oil through the feed tube; the mixture will thicken and become smooth. Transfer the aioli to a covered container and refrigerate until serving.
5. To serve, pull open the inner leaves on the large artichoke and remove them, leaving the outer leaves intact like a shell. Scrape the choke clean. Fill the artichoke with the aioli and place in the center of a serving platter. Cut the remaining artichokes in half and clean out the chokes, or pull off all the leaves and arrange them around the aioli artichoke. Clean the artichoke bottoms, cut them in half, and arrange with the leaves.
himmel und erde
Himmel und Erde is German for “heaven and earth.” It is a traditional holiday side dish that combines turnips, potatoes, and apples—stalwart fresh winter food that is delicious served with Thanksgiving turkey or pork roast.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 8 to 10
1 pound turnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 pound tart cooking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into uneven chunks
3 tablespoons unsalted butter Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, drained on paper towels, and crumbled, for garnish
1. Fill the rice cooker bowl about one-quarter full of hot water. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
2. Coat the steamer basket with nonstick cooking spray and place the turnips, potatoes, and apples in the basket. When the water comes to a boil, place the steamer basket in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until tender enough for mashing, 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl. Mash them with the butter, using a potato masher or electric mixer, or process until smooth in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with the bacon, and serve immediately.
steamed kabocha squash with ginger dressing
From Elizabeth Schneider, exotic vegetable and fruit maven, we learned that steaming winter squashes is the best way to cook them. The flesh turns out like velvet, with no tough skin to peel off the cut side, wasting the precious innards. The green kabocha is one of the nicest tasting squashes; you can prepare butternut and acorn in this same manner. All winter squashes taste great with just butter and a wedge of fresh lemon, a compound butter, or butter and pure maple syrup, but here the squash is served hot, with a Japanese-style dressing.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 4
DRESSING
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons tamari (a thick, strong soy sauce)
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons dry sherry or sake
1 or 2 kabocha winter squashes (2 to 2½ pounds total)
1. Make the dressing. Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature for an hour or refrigerate for a few hours.
2. Fill the rice cooker bowl about one-quarter full of hot water. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
3. Meanwhile, wash the squashes and halve with a cleaver or large, heavy knife. Scoop out the seeds and fibers. Peel or partially peel, as desired. Cut into quarters or eighths.
4. Coat the steamer basket with nonstick cooking spray and place the squash cut side down in the basket. When the water comes to a boil, place the steamer basket in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until tender when pierced, 12 to 16 minutes.
5. Transfer the squash to a serving plate and serve hot, drizzled with the dressing.
spaghetti squash alfredo
Beth learned this recipe in the 1980s from Louise’s Pantry Cooking School in Menlo Park, California. Spaghetti squash had just hit the market and no one knew quite what to do with the football-shaped squash with a stringy interior. People who are allergic to wheat and can’t eat pasta go for this rendition in a big way. Steaming is the best way to cook this squash that ends up looking so very much like spaghetti, so the delicate insides don’t get mushy. Spaghetti squash is also good with a tomato vinaigrette, or mixed with half spinach or plain angel hair pasta.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 2
1 spaghetti squash (2 to 2½ pounds)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup heavy cream
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Fill the rice
cooker bowl about one-quarter full of hot water. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
2. Meanwhile, wash the squash and halve with a cleaver or large, heavy knife. Scoop out the seeds and fibers. Halve each piece again.
3. Coat the steamer basket with nonstick cooking spray and place the squash cut side down in the basket. When the water comes to a boil, place the steamer basket in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until your finger leaves an indentation when pressed into the squash, 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Remove the basket from the cooker. Gently pull the strands from the shell with a large spoon until only the thin skin remains. Place the squash in a warm serving bowl and toss with the butter, cream cheese, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
cold vegetable platter with sauce verte
For summer entertaining or an extra-special vegetable dish. The creamy green sauce is easy to make, and perfect paired with all sorts of cold steamed vegetables. Serve with fresh crusty French or Italian bread and butter.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 8 (about 1¾ cups sauce)
SAUCE
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
One 3-ounce package cream cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 sprigs fresh Italian parsley, leaves only
2 green onions, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon seasoned salt-free blend, such as Parsley Patch
½ teaspoon dried tarragon, crumbled
¾ cup frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry before measuring
VEGETABLES
1 head cauliflower, broken into equal-size florets, steamed, and chilled
1 pound baby carrots, steamed and chilled
1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed, steamed, and chilled
1 pound baby zucchini, steamed and chilled
1 pound fresh asparagus, bottoms snapped off, steamed, and chilled
1½ pounds baby creamer potatoes or purple potatoes, whole if small, cut in half if larger, steamed, and chilled
6 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
1. Make the sauce. Place all the sauce ingredients in a food processor. Pulse to combine and coarsely puree. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until serving. Can be made a day ahead.
2. Arrange the vegetables on a serving platter. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl and place it in the center of the vegetables. Diners serve themselves.
fondutta with vegetables
When Beth was learning about Italian cuisine thirty years ago, pasta was spaghetti or ravioli and sauce was red. On a visit to her friend and gourmand Robert Barker, who lived in San Francisco’s North Beach, she was treated one evening to an Italian take-out meal. Out of the carry-out containers came four different shapes of pasta, including angel hair and bows of tortellini, and myriad sauces, all in different colors. There was alfredo cream sauce, smooth red marinara, green pesto, and a yellowish Italian fontina cheese sauce called fondutta. This northern Italian version of Swiss fondue, using milk instead of wine, was the first new sauce she mastered. It is beautifully simple, tastes divine, and is a snap to make. Here is the recipe she has been making for what seems centuries. Serve over a pile of hot steamed vegetables and fresh cooked rice (or polenta) for a spectacular meatless meal with crusty bread, or as a side dish with simple roast chicken.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 6 (4 cups fondutta)
FONDUTTA
1 pound Italian fontina cheese, diced (about 4 cups)
1½ to 2 cups whole milk, as needed
6 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Salt
Ground white pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
VEGETABLES
4 baby leeks, washed well and cut in half lengthwise
1 head broccoli, broken into equal-size florets
4 stalks celery, cut into chunks
1 pound fresh asparagus, bottoms snapped off
1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed
1 pound zucchini, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch-thick rounds
One 12-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
Your favorite rice (such as basmati, jasmine, short-grain brown, Japanese-style medium-grain, Wehani, or Jasmati) to serve 6, freshly cooked
1. Make the fondutta. In a large bowl, combine the cheese with 1½ cups of the milk. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours to soak.
Place the cheese-milk mixture, egg yolks, and butter in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Slowly cook, stirring occasionally, until the cheese is melted and the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes. Thin with the extra milk, if a thinner sauce is desired. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Keep hot.
2. Meanwhile, fill the rice cooker bowl about one-quarter full of hot water. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
3. Coat the steamer baskets with nonstick cooking spray and arrange the leeks, broccoli, and celery in the bottom tier of the baskets. Arrange the asparagus, green beans, zucchini, and artichoke hearts in the top tier. When the water comes to a boil, place the baskets in the cooker and close the cover. Set a timer and steam for 12 to 15 minutes. Check for doneness.
4. Arrange the vegetables on a serving platter, place the rice in a mound in the center, drizzle all over with the hot fondutta, and serve immediately. Serve the extra fondutta with a ladle.
steamed vegetables with port beurre rouge
The New York Times ran a story about a four-star French chef who serves only vegetables in his restaurant. “The taste!” he exclaimed. “The scent! It is so satisfying and delicious.” Here is a dish you might encounter in this type of establishment, with the thick and luscious port beurre rouge, the red butter sauce, combining vinegar and port wine, that is a variation of one of the foundations of the French saucier art. We first had this dramatic-tasting sauce at Greens Restaurant, in the Fort Mason complex of San Francisco, where it is served with grilled vegetables during the fall and winter.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 8 (1½ cups sauce)
SAUCE
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
⅓ cup port wine
2 shallots, minced
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
VEGETABLES
1 pound baby carrots
8 baby beets, stems trimmed 2 inches above the beet, leaves reserved
1 pound baby creamer potatoes or purple potatoes, whole if small, cut in half if larger
2 pounds baby winter squashes, such as delicata or yellow acorn (4 squashes), halved and seeded
1 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
¾ pound fresh haricots verts, green beans, or sugar snap peas, ends trimmed
⅓ pound shallots or pearl onions, peeled and left whole
4 stalks celery, cut into 3-inch lengths and lengths cut into thin strips
1. Make the sauce. Combine 1.3 cup of the vinegar, the port, and shallots in a medium-size, heavy-bottomed nonaluminum saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half; this happens quite quickly, within a few minutes, so keep a close eye. Turn the heat down to medium, add the cold butter pieces, one at a time, and whisk, waiting until each piece is melted and incorporated before adding the next one. The sauce will thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar. Pour into a deep container that can stand in a water bath until serving.
2. Fill the rice cooker bowl about one-quarter full of hot water. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
3. Coat the steamer baskets with nonstick cooking s
pray. Arrange the carrots, beets, potatoes, and 4 squash halves in the bottom tier of the baskets. Arrange the mushrooms, haricots verts, shallots, remaining squash halves, and the celery in the top tier. When the water comes to a boil, place the steamer baskets in the cooker and close the cover. Set a timer and steam for 18 to 25 minutes. Check for doneness. (Or steam the vegetables in two batches if you have a single steaming tray.)
4. Arrange the vegetables on a serving platter, drizzle with the hot sauce, and serve immediately. Serve the extra sauce with a ladle.
CLICK TO SEE DRESSING UP YOUR VEGETABLES
STEAMING IN THE RICE COOKER
Steaming, cooking with moist heat, is probably the oldest type of cooking. It is possible that it predates fire, which makes it the cooking method of choice in a cold world. Along with being cooked on hot sunbaked rocks, foods could be cooked over hot springs or steamed in pits. The ancient cuisines of the Asian continent all use steaming as a primary cooking method, since firewood was often in short supply and regular enclosed ovens were rare.
Rice, and many of its accompanying foods, were cooked in this manner and steaming is still a popular cooking method to this day. Carefully steamed vegetables are known for their color, texture, and flavor, far superior to methods like boiling and blanching. The tender outcome is the result of the food being exposed to gentle moist heat rather than intense dry heat. In the rice cooker, food can be steamed in a steamer basket or tray over boiling water or over rice while it is cooking in the rice cooker bowl below it.
The Chinese steamer basket has been in use for approximately 3,000 years; archaeologists have unearthed stoneware steamers in the Yunnan province to prove it. Around the eighth century, steamers were first made of thin strips of cypress, an evergreen wood noted for its ability to retain its shape as it absorbs water.
The steamer basket was later made from bamboo, a tree-like plant found in tropical and semitropical regions, which also has nonwarping properties. The round, multitiered woven and slatted bamboo design with a tight-fitting, solid woven cover, and bottoms that fit tightly into one another (in sets of twos and threes) is a classic design still in use today. It sets over a wok or soup kettle that is one to two inches wider than the base of the steamer and the food never touches the boiling water below. The evaporating hot water, building up in the cooking vessel to create moist steam, does all the work. In addition to the bamboo steamer, there is also the aluminum Chinese steamer, which has a chimney through the center, distributing the steam heat quickly through the multitude of tiers, and French gourmet shops boast tin-lined copper versions of the same. Italian stainless steel steamers are popular, as are ones made of Calphalon and enamel.