How to Cook Japanese Rice

By Sandy Hu
A new video for Video Friday

My friend Kay remembers going home from school and having to scrub potatoes and put them on to boil for dinner. I had a similar experience with the Asian version: making rice.

It’s been years since I’ve made rice in a pot – I always use my electric rice cooker, where it’s as simple as measuring out rice and water, pressing a button and walking away until the rice is done.

But recently, in trying to help out people on Twitter wanting to know how to make rice, I thought of the technique my mom taught me years ago. This is not the definitive way to cook rice and I’ve only tried it for white, short-grain rice – the sticky rice you get in Japanese restaurants. But for this type of rice, the method works like a charm.

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Corned Beef and Cabbage Leftovers

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

As mentioned before, my mom’s a Murphy so when St. Patty’s Day rolls around, we all get cooking some corned beef and cabbage.

I’m lucky enough to have a store up the road that corns its own beef and even luckier that I got the last piece they had. Only problem was that it was a five-pound piece and not really conducive for one or two bites.

I do love great leftovers and this dish just gets better with age. Only thing is, after two nights of the same, I needed to change it up a bit. I confess I did freeze part of it to make some old-fashioned corned beef hash for a great weekend breakfast or brunch, but what to do with the rest of the bits such as the little bit of corned beef and then the broth, cabbage, carrots and potatoes?

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A Last Hurrah for Apples

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

Now that winter is finally on its way out, and spring is almost upon us (quite literally, both in calendar time and with daylight savings time in effect), I wanted to make a last-ditch effort to save the last load of apples I’d gotten from the market and kept around all winter. Because while it’s getting warmer, we’ve still got plenty of cold days and nights ahead, as mother nature likes to remind us this time of year.

My favorite thing to make with apples, and there are many, is a simple apple butter. Although it’s name says so, there is actually no butter in this sweet preserve, best served on biscuits or scones, spread across hot pancakes and waffles, or eaten as a complement to peanut butter on a sandwich.

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Home Again

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

I’m fortunate that my business takes me to extraordinary cities and provides an opportunity to enjoy sensational meals. But after a trip that includes a few days of fine dining, I’m ready for something simple when I get home. That was my culinary state of mind when I returned Friday night from New York City.

Japanese home cooking is a good antidote for fancy meals and one of my favorites is Oyako Donburi. “Donburi” means “bowl,” and donburi meals consist of a big bowl of rice with seasoned toppings. So that is what I made for dinner Saturday night.

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St. Patty’s Shamrock Shortbread Cookies

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

St. Patty’s Day makes me think of all things Irish, such as corned beef and cabbage, champ and brown bread. But let’s not forget some sweet treats that are so simple and simply delicious.

A friend of mine, Carole E., who lives in the Hudson Valley, made batches of these cookies in the form of small heart shapes for Valentine’s Day. I was lucky enough to be able to get a couple sent my way…they are the BEST shortbread cookies I have ever tasted!

That says a lot, as I have had my fair share of shortbread cookies over the years. These have the best short-like texture with the perfect balance of sweet with a touch of salt. I only wished that I had more of them so I asked Carole for her recipe and, low and behold, she was gracious enough to pass it along to me and now to you…of course with appropriate credit to Carole.

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