AGAINST THE GRAIN

Several of you were so inspired by the grilled eggplant salad and have asked for more recipes. Here is a menu idea and not so much a recipe. Back on September 18th, 2006 I remembered reading on Bev Smiths (bafflesblog) a post on ODE TO RICE. I had commented that I would like to try and find FORBIDDEN BLACK RICE. I loved having the Black Thai rice from RICE in NYC. While in NYC I looked and looked for this rice without luck. So here I am in Maui and I run into MANA FOODS in Paia where I find the long sought after rice. I boiled up a batch for dinner the other night and threw in some shaved coconut and dried cranberries. The coconut can be added while the rice is boiling, but add the cranberries at the end. This rice is treat! Unlike white rice, it retains a certain amount of crunch and firmness which adds to the sweet nutty flavor. When cooked, forbidden rice has the smell of freshly popped popcorn (not the microwave kind) and turns the water that it is boiling in a brilliant purple color. It was served with the remaining roasted eggplant salad from the night before and grilled orange beef. I would have prefered a slightly better presentaion, but I was lucky to get this far after unpacking all day. John and I deemed it one of the best meals we have had in quite some time. (pat on the back).