Rice Rice Baby!

Unless you’re on a low-carb diet, or are a Kearneyite, odds are you like a nice serving of rice now and then. Rice is universal and ancient, a staple of some of the oldest cultures on this planet. What you may not know though, is that California, especially the Sacramento Valley, produces more rice than just about anywhere else on Earth.

This isn’t news to too many of you. If you’ve been calling Sacramento home for more than a few years you’ve caught on to the fact that rice grows here in more abundance than genital warts on Lindsey Lohan. What may be new to you, though, is the new, revolutionary, healthy, and tasty Sacramento product, Rice Expressions.

Grown in the Sac valley and packaged in Pacific Palisades, Rice Expressions aren’t just boxes of rice, they’re boxes of cooked rice. Wait, they’re not just boxes of cooked rice, they’re boxes of frozen, cooked rice. Wait, they’re not just boxes of frozen, cooked rice, they’re boxes of frozen, cooked, brown rice. Yes that’s right, that signaler of healthy dieting and new age obnoxiousness, brown rice.

Have you ever tried to make brown rice at home? I’ll put this generously and say that it’s a pain in the gluten. Brown rice takes forever to cook, is easy to ruin, and winds up tasting like sawdust when you’re done. Rice Expressions, however, are pre-cooked, microwaveable (3 minutes and you’re done), and delicious. I don’t even bother with the San Francisco treat anymore, dear friends. I prefer the Sacramento taste explosion.

Look for Rice Expressions in the frozen section of the natural food aisle of your local mega-mart.

16 thoughts on “Rice Rice Baby!”

  2. If you want to make homemade brown rice, (I use the Mahatma brand) if you use a double boiler, it comes out fluffy (well as fluffy as rice with hulls still on it can possibly be) and takes only about 1/2 the time. (Aa bout 30-40 minutes, with occasional checks to make sure there’s still water in it.) Something about the double boiler method seems to eliminate the “eww!” factor and speed up the process….

    Like

  3. I happened to glimpse a bag o’ rice this morning while reaching for my daily dose of Grape Nuts mixed with Crunchberries, and couldn’t help but think of Lindsey Lohan’s genital warts. I may never be able to eat rice again.

    Like

  4. Does anyone else think the name “Rice Expressions” is funny? What exactly could rice be used to express?

    Like

  5. It is absolutely a strange name. I can’t quite pinpoint what makes me feel weird about it, perhaps eating some of the rice will help me be able to express it.

    Like

  7. Thank you RG. I can’t put my finger on it exactly, but it’s just funny to me. Maybe I am sleep deprived or something.

    Like

  8. HeyMeg said on 01/31/08 at 10:21 AM (link):
    Does anyone else think the name “Rice Expressions” is funny? What exactly could rice be used to express?

    Maybe because brown rice has so much fiber, it’s on the “express” train out of your body? (OMG now I am on the same plane as Sac-Eats’ “Linday’s genital warts” comments!)

    Yes, I know I need to get a hobby!

    Like

  10. Here’s the foolproof way to cook brown rice: do it pasta-style. Use a ton of water, boil until done (feel free to skim off any foam that may appear), and pour into a big strainer. Then put in a big bowl and let it sit, stirring occasionally, for a couple minutes to steam off excess water. Easy. (This won’t work with white rice, which will get too mushy/sticky, but brown rice doesn’t have that problem.)

    Like

  11. Oh, yeah, the name “Rice Expressions” bugs me, too. It sounds like it should be a pun, but it’s not. It’s also sounds sarcastic, somehow. Maybe “Express Rice” sounded too low-class, or too much like “Success Rice”, that dehydrated parboiled stuff.

    Like

  12. Mr. Eats,

    You said, “Pain in the gluten?” My girlfriend is alergic to gluten. I have been dealing with having to be careful with cooking, choosing restaurants, etc. for over a year now and if you have any suggestion or possible helpful tips on dealing with it, let me know. RIght now we have PF Changs, french fries from Mac D’s, and burger raps at Carls Jr’s and Riverside Bar & Grill.

    Aside from ordering a salad and bring our own salad dressing, our choices for eating out as you can see are limited.

    So cooking at home seems to be our thing.

    I dunno what I am asking other then if you have any good stuff for me regarding good non-gluten dishes, etc., that are not obvious, I would love to hear them. One can only eat so much red meat and potatos…

    Like

  13. I know, from going to the Tower Cafe with a gluten-allergic person, that they do have one or two entrees that are gluten-free and also not cooked in the same oil. They also have a gluten-free Chocolate Decadence cake specifically for the allergic types.

    Take a trip there during a slow hour and see if you can quiz a cook. Take notes.

    Like

  14. Thanks B. I have no experience nor expertise in the gluten-free arena. So, sorry John, I don’t think I’m going to be much help on this one. Although there’s always the Hof Brau for meat, meat, and more meat.

    Like

  16. I’ve been dining ‘Gluten Free’ in Downtown Sacramento for 5 years now and there are several options available besides PF Changs. There is Kru Sushi (as long as you don’t show up on Monday – but specifications are required), Ink (during the slow time you can order Chicken Marsala and artichoke hearts – specify no flour), Spaghetti Factory (has gluten free pasta), Paesano’s (Risotto – NO BREAD!!!), Crepeville (Omlets, Salads and sometimes special dishes – NO BREAD!!!), Beach Hut Deli (lettuce wraps – Clean Knife Please!), and Nationwide Burgers (no bun- fries are safe), Thai Basil (yellow curry, coconut soup & some salads). Plus you can always visit me at Gluten Free Specialty, 3319 J Street, Sacramento CA 95816. Our phone number is: 916-441-5199. We provide bulk discounts on gluten free foods.

    Like

Comments are closed.

%d bloggers like this: