Big Name Chefs Choose a North Woods Staple
by Juli Kellner
You may not realize it, but there is a North Woods celebrity who sometimes works along side such recognized television cooking stars as Martha Stewart, Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, Emeril Lagasse, Paula Deen and Rachael Ray.
Wild rice appears in several recipes used or created by these chefs and food experts. Many tout the benefits of rice that’s truly wild.
“It is worth the extra cost to buy more flavorful hand-harvested lake- or river-grown wild rice,”the online Martha Stewart recipe for wild rice cakes notes.
I contacted Shira Bocar, deputy food editor of Whole Living, a sustainable lifestyle magazine by Martha Stewart Omnimedia, to ask about wild rice. She’s a fan of this Lake Superior-region grain. “Wild rice adds a wonderful nutty, chewiness to dishes. It works well in stuffings, pilafs, salads, and soups.”
As deputy food editor, Shira develops recipes for Whole Living and styles food for photographs used in the magazine. Before joining Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 2004, she cooked in restaurants and worked as a recipe tester. She finds that wild rice makes a nice complement in recipes.
“Wild rice with dried fruit and nuts is one of my favorite side dishes. It pairs well with chicken or turkey, and it also makes a great stuffing for roasted vegetables. I also like to substitute wild rice for traditional rice in recipes.”
Wild rice actually isn’t a rice at all. It’s more of a particularly giving wild grass. It is, however, healthy.
“Wild rice is high in fiber, protein and minerals,” according to Shira. “Wild rice is an excellent option for people who are looking to incorporate healthy whole grains into their diet.”
We give you five fine options here, printed with permission of the Food Network. And you can link to Martha Stewart’s Wild Rice Cakes, too.
Then go ahead, go wild for wild rice.
Julie Kellner is host of the WDSE-Cooks series.
This month's recipes are featured in Lake Superior Magazine's June/July issue. You can see the recipes at these links. Plus, we've added two more favorites, one from the Food Network and one from Martha Stewart.
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Wild Rice and Goat Cheese Dressing Serves 6-8. Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay from the Food Network. Click HERE. |
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Chicken in Tarragon Cream Sauce, White and Wild Rice with Walnuts Serves 4. Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray from the Food Network. Click HERE. |
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Creamy Wild Rice Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri from the Food Network. Click HERE. |
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Baked Wild Rice Recipe courtesy Paula Deen from the Food Network. Click HERE. |
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Smoked Sausage, Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Soup Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse from the Food Network. Click HERE. |
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Editor's pick:Wild Rice Cakes Recipe courtesy Martha Stewart at Martha Stewart Living. Click HERE. |
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