"Janet B" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 12 Feb 2016 03:45:35 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>"Janet B" > wrote in message
. ..
>>> On Thu, 11 Feb 2016 19:51:40 -0600, "cshenk" > wrote:
>>>
>>>>Julie Bove wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> "cshenk" > wrote in message
>>>>> ...
>>>>> > Julie Bove wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>>>> >
>>>>> > >
>>>>> > wrote in message
>>>>> > > ...
>>>>> >>> I like canned spanish rice.
>>>>> > >
>>>>> > > I bought some many years ago that was good. Can't remember the
>>>>> > > brand or where I was living when I bought it. But the only kind
>>>>> > > I can find now in a can isn't good.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > I have never noticed canned rice. Could be they don't sell it
>>>>> > here. I *do* recall a rather nice small can at HEB in San Antonio
>>>>> > Texas that was a premade 'spanish rice' seasonings. You added it
>>>>> > to cooked rice.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Fortunately for me I have a rice machine (small unit) so even if I
>>>>> > don't feel like cooking, that one is easy. If I'm really lazy, I
>>>>> > ask my daughter to make it (grin).
>>>>>
>>>>> I most likely bought it at the military commissary and as I'm sure
>>>>> you know, they often sell things that you can't get elsewhere. But
>>>>> how can you do Spanish rice in a rice machine? How would you brown
>>>>> it?
>>>>
>>>>Smile, you make the rice then brown it if that particular recipe calls
>>>>for browning at all. Fact is there are so many varieties of 'spanish
>>>>or mexican rice' that it's very possible you are used to making it
>>>>almost rice-a-roni ish where you brown the rice in butter then add the
>>>>water and seasonings?
>>>>
>>>>Others use fresh cooked rice which is then lightly stir fried in butter
>>>>and olive oil then added spices and tomatoes are added.
>>>>
>>>>A simple sort that is soft and works well is to make a batch of rice
>>>>(you'd want about 3 cups yield at least) then add Ro-Tel (or a store
>>>>knock off) and heat then serve. Some heat the ro-tel separate in the
>>>>microwave then use it to top the rice. While not haute cuisine, it's
>>>>simple and fast and in your house may be more effective since people
>>>>could chose to top the rice with that or something else.
>>>
>>> The dish is a pilaf and is thousands of years old. Pilaf exists every
>>> where in the world and is made according to local traditions Generally
>>> the basics are rice is 'browned' in a fat, cooked in a broth and
>>> meats/vegetables are added. Rice a Roni, a rice and pasta dish is
>>> still a pilaf.
>>> Janet US
>>
>>Not according to this:
>>
>>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilaf
>
> It is the style of the dish as opposed to cooking the rice in water
> and eating plain or cooking the rice and then adding to other
> ingredients to the rice. The rice, broth and other ingredients are
> cooked together. I investigated pilaf years and years ago when I
> noticed the likeness of several recipes
> Carol's cooked rice with Rotel added to the cooked rice is not pilaf.
> Arroz con Pollo is pilaf because the broth, chicken and vegetables are
> cooked together.. As far as I can tell, Mexican/Spanish rice is pilaf
> I very carefully said 'made according to local traditions' and
> 'generally the basics'. There are huge variations in the dish. Read
> some recipes. Quite a few include pasta and some even include
> potatoes.
> Sorry, I didn't want to be "teachy", I'm just fascinated by how few
> actual different 'recipes' there are. There are base methods that
> have been adjusted to reflect available food stuffs, climate,
> religions.
> Photos of huge differences:
> http://tinyurl.com/gvfmclx
> Janet US

But you said that the rice was browned in fat. I suppose some recipes might
be but my mom always made hers in the oven and it wasn't browned in fat. I
did look it up and didn't see any that was browned in fat either. I once
made a Greek rice and spinach dish where not only was the rice browned in
fat to start with but it was made in a skillet with no lid. You added broth
to it as it cooked, stirring all the while. I only made it once as nobody
else liked it. I did. But it wasn't called pilaf.