I stayed up too late editing these photos last night and woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Self-doubt crept in overnight; I was suffering from a bad case of not enoughs. Fortunately, I’ve learned to surround myself with wonderful friends and family members who confirm that I am “plenty”—plenty pretty, thin, productive, smart, talented, whatever. I’m not seeking affirmation or fishing for compliments; I only bring the subject up because I know a lot of girls like me, especially us perfectionists, suffer from these debilitating feelings from time to time. I could go on about societal pressures, the media and the fact that my lifestyle of plenty leaves me with enough time and energy to devote to such unhealthy thoughts, but I’ll stop here. So today, when I was feeling very much not enough, I was glad to hear that my friend Emily could meet me for lunch. We’re starting a weekly tradition of driving or biking to lunch together on Wednesdays. We pretend that we’re “ladies who lunch” for an hour or two and leisurely enjoy a good meal (and perhaps a drink) at a local establishment. It’s really nice to look forward to lunch with one of my favorite people in the middle of the week.
You’ll probably want to make this baked rice dish for dinner, too. It’s everything that I want my recipes to be: flavorful, healthful, versatile, unfussy and satisfying. It’s a one-pot meal that does take some time to cook, but it’s not complicated and a guaranteed winner. I bought The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook a couple of months ago and dog-eared a ton of recipes, but this is the first one I’ve actually made. It was such a success that I’m eager to try more. I love reading the Test Kitchen’s explanations of how and why they determined the best techniques for cooking things, too. They say it’s best to bake brown rice because the tough coating of the bran makes it difficult for liquid to permeate the grain, which leads to uneven cooking. Baking rice provides greater temperature control and steady, even heat, which means that you’re going to get consistently great rice every time. I loved the creamy (but not mushy) texture of the baked rice; combined with Parmesan, it’s almost as comforting as a risotto. It’s a feel-good meal that makes plenty. No matter which herbs or vegetables you decide to add, please enjoy it with a friend, family or at least a sweet furry companion like Cookie.
