Berry Breakfast Risotto

Several years ago my daughter bought me a rice cooker. (I know. She is the best daughter ever!) Some people would say that the expense of this appliance didn't warrant the occasional use. Although mine was a gift, I would argue the point. It makes perfect rice every time! And the beauty of it is it's a walk away and forget it kind of machine.

So when I had the opportunity to review a cookbook that utilized the rice cooker, I had to give it a go. Let me tell you that the book 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes is full of wonderful recipes such as:
Red Lentil and Rice Patties with Aioli
Moroccan Bean Dip
Tuscan Wheat Berry Soup
Wild Rice and Pork Stew
Bombay Turkey
Lemony Risotto with Shrimp
Rocky Road Polenta Pudding

Berry Breakfast Risotto
Ingredients:
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups water
1 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup raspberries (I omitted this)
1 cup sliced strawberries

Directions:
1. In the rice cooker bowl, combine rice, sugar, water, cream and vanilla. Set the rice cooker for the Porridge cycle. Stir thoroughly two or three times while the risotto is cooking.

2. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, fold in raspberries and strawberries. Serve immediately.

300 BEST RICE COOKER RECIPES

Also Including Legumes and Whole Grains

Chef Katie Chin

400 pg / full color / 7x10” / 16 pages of photos / index / 9780778802808 / 27.95 CA, 24.95 US, 16.95 UK / OCTOBER 2011

The rice cooker is an amazingly versatile appliance.
When is a rice cooker not a rice cooker? When it becomes one of the most versatile and useful tools in any contemporary cook’s kitchen. We all know that you can make perfect rice in a rice cooker, but whole grains and beans are also perfectly suited to it. Discover a collection of recipes for a broad range of grains and legumes, including barley, quinoa, polenta, oatmeal, lentils, black beans and more.

These wonderful recipes, created specifically to be made in a rice cooker, are inspired by flavors from around the corner and around the world. You can prepare everything from breakfast, appetizers and snacks to soups and salads to full meals and side dishes — and even dessert! So if you’re in the mood for a hearty stew or paella, a heavenly risotto or some authentic homemade dim sum, look no further than your rice cooker for perfect results every time.

Also included is valuable information on the various types of rice cookers and their features; tips on how to use your rice cooker; and comprehensive guides to the many varieties of rice, grains and legumes, including details on purchasing, storage and cooking techniques, as well as handy cooking charts. Packed with great meal ideas, easy-to-master methods, helpful tips and ingredient information, this is truly the definitive collection of rice cooker recipes—a book home cooks will find themselves turning to over and over again.

Chef Katie Chin has made numerous appearances on national television including demos on The Today Show as well as Specials for The Food Network and Fine Living. She co-hosted the 2003 national PBS cooking series, “Double Happiness,” in conjunction with her mother, Leeann. Katie has been featured in Glamour, Family Circle, Cooking Light, Bon Appetit, Self Magazine, Angeleno Magazine, Hampton Magazine, Elle Magazine, Daily Candy, Daily Variety, Real Simple and The Los Angeles Times. She currently serves as national spokesperson for Thai Kitchen /Simply Asia Foods. Katie recently served as a guest judge on Food Network’s Iron Chef America and will appear on Cooking Channel’s Food(ography) this Fall.