Toasted Rice Powder (Page 166)

RECIPE #854

• Date: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 -- 9pm
• Location: Bloomington, IN
• Kitchen: My Apartment
• Recipe Rating: A-

I chose this recipe last week because it was super, super fast. This recipe had just one ingredient: rice. Typically, the recipes in The Book that only call for rice (and, usually, water) tend to receive some mockery from my friends (see, for instance, this). However, this recipe called for the rice to be prepared in a way that was completely new to me. I took the raw rice and put it in a dry skillet, carefully toasting it until it was a deep golden. I let the rice cool and then ground it in the blender. The result: toasted rice powder. You might ask, "What would one do with such a thing?" Well, this recipe is a component of a beef and noodle salad I haven't made yet, and the idea is to sprinkle the rice powder on top to give the salad some crunch and nuttiness. Indeed, this powder is crunchy. It's hard to imagine, actually, that powder could be this crunchy -- it's pretty cool actually. And the toasting did add a wonderful nuttiness to the rice. I liked this powder a lot -- enough that I ate some of it plain after failing to think of anything quick I could serve it on. I think salad is probably the way to go with this stuff -- if you are looking for a unique way to give your salad some textural contrast, give this rice powder a try!

Here is the recipe.

After six months of training, it is now T-minus two days on the half marathon! Today was my last day of training -- Yay!! I am feeling optimistic about my ability to finish the half marathon on Saturday. I ran 12 miles last week and felt pretty good, I am hoping I can pull off 13.1 miles with no problems. The one thing that has me a little concerned is the weather. It has gotten quite cold here. I ran five miles last night in 45 degree weather and I realized something: I don't like running in the cold. I trained mostly in the hot and humid Boston summer, and I learned how to deal quite well with the heat. But the cold is a new thing for me. It's unpleasant, and I haven't yet figured out the right amount of clothing to wear to be warm enough without being too hot (layers seem like the answer, but then what do you do with them when you take them off?). The weather forecast predicts it will be a chilly 46 degrees Saturday morning at 8am when I start running. Brrrr.... On the other hand, the real problem last night was that it kept getting colder as I ran. The sun was setting, and it was rapidly getting chillier and chillier, which was offsetting my body's ability to warm itself. At the half marathon it should be getting warmer and warmer as I am running, which sounds much more appealing!

In any event, I am looking forward to it. I am also looking forward to it being over -- after so many months of training, I am eagerly anticipating having a couple weeks with no running at all!