Puebla-Style Rice

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Here's something to think about, courtesy of Anna Welander:

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in
front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a large
empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about 2"
in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into
the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into
the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if
the jar was full. They agreed it was. The students laughed.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of
course, the sand filled up everything else. "Now," said the professor,
"I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the
important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children
- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your
life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter
like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else, the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the
pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your
time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the
things that are important to you."

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Take
care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set your
priorities. The rest is just sand."

But then a student then took the jar which the other students and the
professor agreed was full, and proceeded to pour in a glass of beer. Of
course the beer filled the remaining spaces within the jar making the jar truly full.

The moral of this tale is:
No matter how full your life is, there is always room for beer.

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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Rice was introduced to the Americas by the Spanish, but the corn and
chiles in this dish are traditional Central American ingredients.

Puebla-Style Rice (Arroz a la Poblana)

2 Tbs (30 ml) vegetable oil
1 cup (250 ml) long-grain rice
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cups (500 ml) chicken or vegetable stock or water
Salt to taste
3 fresh poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into strips
1 cup (250 ml) fresh or frozen kernels sweet corn
3/4 cup (180 ml) crumbled Mexican queso fresco or similar cheese such as feta or farmer's cheese

Heat the oil in a pot over moderate heat and saute the rice and onion,
stirring frequently, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the
remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and
simmer covered for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit covered
for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork immediately before serving.
Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Tue Jan 15 18:34:08 2008