LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS - Arkansas Rice has released a new cookbook that shines the spotlight on U.S.-grown rice with 17 recipes inspired by those who farm, mill, and eat Arkansas rice every day. Eat Real Rice was created by Tisha Gribble, who does marketing and promotions for Arkansas Rice, in collaboration with Favorite Recipes Press, and contains essential facts and information about rice in addition to delicious recipes for every meal of the day.
One of the most unique things about this book is that each recipe can be removed and used as an individual recipe card, a concept developed by Gribble and Favorite Recipes. "You can pull the recipe cards out to put in your recipe box. There's really nothing like it on the market," said Gribble. "You could even make the recipe for someone and give them the recipe card along with it."
From the traditional Spanish rice with sausage to the comforting chicken and rice casserole, many of these recipes are fresh spins on well-loved classics, dishes that will please the entire family-even picky eaters. But the range of recipes is broad, and this little book isn't afraid to get a little adventurous. The spinach and rice quiche is a French staple with a twist, and the beef stroganoff with tarragon rice is a lighter variation of a meal usually served with heavy egg noodles.
This writer is personally most excited about trying the pesto and pea oven-baked risotto, which somehow manages to walk the line between decadent and garden fresh.
So what inspired Eat Real Rice?
Gribble has wanted to create a rice cookbook for years. She hopes that the book will be practical, but also informative. She's particularly proud that the first four pages are dedicated to Arkansas rice facts, including statistics, maps, nutrition, and a sustainability story. There's also a handy guide to cooking the perfect pot of rice, so the recipes couldn't be easier.
But the book isn't just for those who love Arkansas rice. It's for everyone who loves U.S.-grown rice, period. The first two copies Gribble sold went to Texas and Georgia. "It makes a great Christmas gift for friends near and far, whether they've got Arkansas roots or if they're from another rice state."
The title of the book, Eat Real Rice (with "real" emphasized), is a gentle jab at rice pretenders such as riced cauliflower. Gribble wants people to know that the recipes call for real, honest-to-goodness U.S. rice, and that any kind of substitute or imposter would detract from the heart and soul of the dishes themselves.
Arkansas Rice has printed 3,000 copies of Eat Real Rice and is considering creating more cookbooks in the future. With the removable recipe card format, home chefs can add as many recipes as they want to their own collection, and rice is so versatile it's a limitless source of inspiration. If you want a copy of Eat Real Rice, you can find it on www.ArkansasRice.org along with other merchandise bearing the Eat Real Rice logo. They'd fit perfectly in a Christmas stocking, and several of the recipes would be right at home on a Thanksgiving table.