Yellow Rice with Raisins

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                            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's an oldie but goodie from Sharon Mitcheltree:

There was a poor old Irish cobbler whose shop was next door
to a very upscale French restaurant. Every day at lunch time,
Mike, the Irish gent, would go out the back of his shop and eat
his soda bread and maybe a kipper or piece of cheese while
smelling the wonderful odors coming from the restaurant's kitchen.

One morning, the Irishman was surprised to receive an invoice
in the mail from the adjoining restaurant for "enjoyment of food"

Mystified, he marched right over to the restaurant to point out
that he had not bought a thing from them. The manager said,
"You're enjoying our food, so you should pay us for it." The
Irishman refused to pay and the restaurant took him to court.

At the hearing, the judge asked the restaurant to present their
side of the case. The manager said, "Every day, this man comes
and sits outside our kitchen and smells our food while eating his.
It is clear that we are providing added value to his poor food and
we deserve to be compensated for it."

The judge turned to Mike and said, "What do you have to say
to that?" The old Irishman didn't say a thing but smiled and
stuck his hand in his pocket and rattled the few coins he had
inside. The judge asked him, "What is the meaning of that?"

The Irishman replied with a mile-wide grin, "I'm paying for the
smell of his food with the sound of my money."

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                            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This dish is an interesting variation on the old yellow rice concept
that is found all over the world, and the combination of sweet
and savory seasonings make it as versatile as it is delicious.

Yellow Rice with Raisins

2 Tbs (30 ml) butter or olive oil
1 cup (250 ml) uncooked long-grain white rice
2 cups (500 ml) boiling water
One 2-inch (5 cm) piece of cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp (2 ml) ground turmeric
1/2 tsp (2 ml) ground cumin
A pinch of crumbled saffron threads or ground saffron
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
1/2 cup (125 ml) seedless raisins
1 tsp (5 ml) sugar or more, to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan over moderate heat. Add the rice
and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the remaining
ingredients except for the sugar and simmer, tightly covered,
until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from
the heat and discard the cinnamon. Sprinkle the sugar on top
of the rice and fluff the rice with a fork. Cover and allow to stand
for 15 minutes. Fluff the rice again prior to serving.
Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Sun Jul 18 19:31:22 2010