Rice Is Life: Recipes and Stories Celebrating the World’s Most Essential Grain

Levine and Lee began importing black rice from China to the United States in 1993, and in this solid if not groundbreaking compendium, they gather mostly plant-based recipes that showcase the grain. The authors lay the groundwork with a primer on varieties and their origins (such as “delicious and delicate” Bengali kalijira rice) and a list of basic preparation methods. Recipes range from a Japanese rice omelet with ketchup, to broccoli soup thickened with jasmine rice and spiced with coriander. Beyond Asian dishes, the authors include chicken soup with red rice from France, and West African jollof rice. They freely cross-pollinate, stuffing roasted poblano peppers with risotto or a risotto itself made with dashi. The black rice that started it all is smartly employed: it features in an onion-rich mujadara and in stunning combination with beets. A chapter of homey desserts includes several versions of rice pudding, one of which is flavored with green tea. As is often the case with brand-based volumes, it can read rather like a catalogue: such entries as a carbonara with corn made with Lotus brand rice noodles, for instance, feel wedged into the proceedings. On balance, though, the deep rice expertise will go a long way in helping home cooks go around the world at the table. (Oct.)