Trendy Bits: Black Rice

Courtesy of Epicurious.com

White or brown rice? White, please. White or wheat bread? White, of course. Ice cream or sorbet? Ice cream, always. I am definitely not a health nut. And I don’t even aspire to change my ways.  Still the recent number of black rice related articles had me wondering – So what’s the deal? Why is black rice being dubbed the “new super food?”

I’ve heard of black rice once or twice before on some episode of Top Chef or on the Food Network maybe. At the time, I probably just as casually dismissed it as I would the possibility of adding whole grain pasta to my repertoire. But now, I’ve seen black rice headlines twice this week and I decided there might be something to this trend.

Grill It: Chorizo Burgers with Manchengo and Paprika Slaw

This recipe (courtesy of SeriousEats contributor Kerry Saretsky) had me at Manchengo and Paprika! Think you’ve seen and tried some creative burgers? My mouth is watering at the thought of this creative flavor combo served up in an exceedingly American form.

Recipes: Homemade Hot Sauce?

New York Times Homemade Hot Sauce

As I discover that more and more of my friends are deeply committed to hot sauce, it never occurred to me that this increasingly used condiment might be better homemade. Tobasco has long had a dedicated group of devotees, and recently srirachi chili paste has surged to the forefront of spicy condiment greatness.

I was introduced to the now famous red “rooster sauce” when I tried Pho (vietnamese beef noodle soup) for the first time in Seattle. By the time I was done adding the chili sauce and sweet plum sauce to my soup, the broth was undeniably red and formidable looking. (Thank goodness for mango bubble tea to cool the burn!) Since then, I now add Sriracha to every sauce I make.  It’s my go-to “secret” ingredient. If gastropubs, with their fancy truffle fries and signature burgers, can make homemade ketcup a gourmet achievement, maybe chili sauce is also better fresh?

The New York Times posted the results of one such hot sauce experiment in a recent article. Related recipes include Tangy Salted Green Chilis and the Sriracha inspired Garlicky Red Chili Hot Sauce. Time for a taste test of my own!