Rice & Grains

This soup, known as congee or jook, is found in one form or another in many Asian countries and is eaten at all times of day. At breakfast plain congee is the norm, served with a variety of strongly flavored accompaniments — such as pickled turnips, salted fish, and peanuts — to awaken the palate. We love the flavor and color the pumpkin gives the soup. Those who like oatmeal for breakfast might enjoy this with just a touch of sugar; or leave it plain and top it with the recommended accompaniments.

Tabbouleh is made with bulgur, but we decided to shake things up a bit by mixing tabbouleh flavors (parsley, tomato, and lemon) with rice and lentils, a common Middle Eastern pairing. Served chilled or at room temperature, the salad is terrific with any meat, poultry, or fish. You could add chickpeas, corn, or more lentils for a vegetarian main course. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 40 min

"Imagine my surprise when, while waiting at a beauty salon, I opened an October 1994 issue of gourmet and noticed 'Gwen Bradford’s Ranger Cookies," begins Bonnie Donalson of San Diego, California. "'Impostor!' I cried. With all due respect to Ms. Bradford, as I am sure her cookies are delicious, it's hardly worth the trouble of baking cookies if you leave out the chocolate chips. I have a friend who literally fights with her husband over my ranger cookies. Others start hinting in October for their traditional bag of Christmas rangers."

By cooking the rice and toasting the walnuts ahead, you can take this dish from skillet to table in a very short time.

These bran muffins bake up moist and chewy. They're so good that my in-laws, Reed and Nancy, make a batch every couple of days for snacking. This is another recipe that shows how buttermilk works to tenderize and lighten many baked goods. Bran retains much of its natural oil and can quickly turn rancid, so always store it in the refrigerator or freezer. I like to use unprocessed sugar crystals (don't confuse this with brown sugar) to complement the bran's whole grain taste. Each muffin has over 2 grams of fiber.

"An Indian friend of my mother's gave her this recipe for beef curry back in 1936," writes Bill Goodhue of Chino, California. "The recipe has been passed on to me, so I can still enjoy the sweet-spicy flavors of this stew more than 60 years later."

If you can't find sorghum syrup, a combination of honey and molasses works nicely.

Summer's luscious cherries topped with oats, almonds, brown sugar and cinnamon.

There are many versions of special-occasion green rice in Mexico. My current favorite is this one, green with the richness and welcoming spiciness of poblano chiles, backed up by herbal cilantro and sweet onion and garlic. This full-flavored rice can accompany a simple grilled fish or chicken or any dish that weaves a little green chile into its sauce. The rice is made pilaf style, like most Mexican rices, meaning that the raw rice is fried first so that the grains will be separate when cooked. Dependable as that method is, this rice comes out a touch sticky because of all the poblano pureed into the broth. I make it ahead, spread it onto a baking sheet to cool and allow excess moisture to evaporate, so the rice will fluff up into separate grains. Then I reheat it in a steamer.

This low-fat rendition of the classic dish comes from Gil Martínez Soto of Restaurante Virrey de Palafox in El Burgo de Osma, Spain.

Serve this main-course salad with some crusty bread, and offer fresh fruit for dessert. To prepare the dish, use leftovers from the Roast Pork Loin with Garlic and Rosemary , or broil two 4-ounce boneless pork loin chops until cooked through and then dice. Note that nutritional numbers are for either cut of pork.

The mix of flavors in this side dish is great with broiled lamb chops or roast chicken.

Tamale pie, made with a cornmeal-mush crust, dates back to 1911. In this recipe, we use ready-made polenta packaged in a roll. The spicy beef filling takes advantage of the excellent bottled salsas and canned refried beans now crowding market shelves.