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Good Eats: Do The Rice Thing
Rice is one of the most common food grains grown. In the United States, most folks think of the long grain variety, but in fact there are five thousand different kinds of rice that fall into three broad categories: long, medium and short grain. The medium and short grain varieties contain more amylopectin, so they cook softer and (properly handled) creamier. That leads Alton right to the a classic Italian short grain rice dish, Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto. But members of the crew descend on that like they’re starving, and so Alton must cook again. This time, he tackles brown rice, the highly nutritious form of rice that still has a bran coat. He turns that into Baked Brown Rice (in the oven, yes, the oven) and then Brown Rice Salad.
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Episode Info
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Episode number: 8x22 Production Number: EA1H19 Airdate: Wednesday May 04th, 2005 |
Recap
The episode opens at a wedding, where Alton is discussing the storied tradition of throwing white rice on the newly married couple. Most people only know that kind of long grain rice but it is far from the only sort of rice there is. One of the best rice dishes, risotto, is made from shorter grain rice. When he was a lad Alton’s aunt and uncle took him to an Italian restaurant where he sampled risotto for the first time. The creamy texture and varied flavors proved to be a long time favorite and certainly... Good Eats...Read the full recap
Episode Notes
Cards
- Rice is now cultivated in over 110 countries, in many different climates and environments.
- In a number of Asian languages, the same word designates both "rice" and "food."
- Legend has it that master glassmaker Valerius invented risotto in 1574 in Milan.
- Brown rice is not only better looking that white, but is better for you.
After the production logo, Alton gently mocks his “rice grains” by suggesting that if they had arms, they could try his brown rice salad.
Episode Quotes
Woman at Wedding: Why aren’t you throwing rice? Don’t you know it’s good luck?
Alton: Well, I...I...I know that throwing rice as a symbol of fertility and abundance and happiness and all that, but you gotta think about it, I mean – the rice that we throw at American weddings... it’s all long rain white rice, you know? And that stuff just cooks up light and fluffy and dry and separate and bland – and why would you wish that on somebody, especially newlyweds!
Woman at Wedding: Oh, you’re so weird...
Alton: Well, I...I...I know that throwing rice as a symbol of fertility and abundance and happiness and all that, but you gotta think about it, I mean – the rice that we throw at American weddings... it’s all long rain white rice, you know? And that stuff just cooks up light and fluffy and dry and separate and bland – and why would you wish that on somebody, especially newlyweds!
Woman at Wedding: Oh, you’re so weird...
Alton: Believe me, Holy Matrimony may bring you eternal bliss, but right here (holds up a grain of rice) is eternal... (Good Eats theme plays)
Alton: In order to justify the construction of high end props like this, I have to use them over and over again.
Alton: Here in the United States, any medium grain rice can be labeled and packages as “risotto” rice, okay, so just because you see an Italian word on the box doesn’t mean you’re getting Italian rice inside the box.
Alton: When it comes to risotta, nothing matters more than technique.
Alton: (about flavoring risotto) My only two rules are: one, I never add more than two ingredients, chunky at least, and number two, I never use vegetation that hasn’t already been cooked, unless it’s herbal – you know, parsley, oregano, something like that.
Alton: By sweat, of course, we mean to cook over low or medium heat just to soften and cook the food – not to color it, not to make it jump around. That would be sautéing and that would be bad.
Alton: The challenge to cooking brown rice is time. It takes a long time to cook this stuff. Why? Well, it’s the little bran coats. They almost act, uh... (a staff member dressed as a grain of rice in a rain slicker walks on set) ...yeah, like little rain outfits. C’mon, smile, you look good. Because of that the cooking liquid just has to take a really, really long time to fight its way in.
Episode Goofs
Alton uses the phrase begs the question in a way that means that the some fact (sometimes the answer to a question) suggests another question. This variation is coming somewhat into common usage but in logic, begging the question actually means that the conclusion restates one of the premises, as in, “The belief in God is universal. After all, everyone believes in God.” Such arguments are logically true but fairly worthless as they prove nothing.
Cultural References
The episode title is a pun on the title of Spike Lee’s 1989 film Do The Right Thing.
Analysis
Alton covers less commonly used forms of rice in this episode: medium and short grain rice and the very nutritious brown rice that has become more popular in recent years. The episode serves as a nice exploration of the basic cooking techniques that apply when preparing any dish using these varieties. Alton’s dishes certainly stand alone, but they also demonstrate these techniques, which is a strength of his approach.
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