Process pieces is a series for paid subscribers that explores my writing and cooking processes, and I encourage you to comment with your own processes if you feel so called. I hope you enjoy!
As I see that last flush of color, the yellows, golds, and oranges of autumn, outside my window, I’ve been feeling called to bring more color in my kitchen. Maybe it’s the knowledge that soon we’ll be deepening into a more muted season: less colorful, less fast, less vibrant.
Maybe my body is resisting the period of rest, or wants to carry some color forward into the restfulness of winter. Or maybe I just need to eat more turmeric. Who knows.
On a whim, I’ve started dumping colorful ingredients into my rice as I cook it. It makes for some really bright, fun meals and brings me such delight to do it.
Sometimes I just stick with one color (see above), sometimes I go into a manic frenzy of sorts, making several different batches of colorful rice then piling them next to each other on my plate for a real party. I’ve been looking at colorful rice traditions from around the world, too, from turmeric basmati rice in India (which got me down this rabbit hole in the first place) to colorful mix-ins like shredded carrot.
I think we tend to view cooking staples as mundane: Simply a support system, a foundation for the main course that’s the real star of the show.
But I’ve been challenging that assumption with my own cooking practice lately, encouraging myself to see the art in cooking the starches and sides, or selecting and arranging the greens for the base of a salad.
It’s added a layer of mindfulness to the kitchen, but the intentionality pays dividends with flavor too: When my grains are treated with the care they deserve, rather than an afterthought, the flavor really shines. I know many people who cook rice multiple times a day have had this revelation well before I have but I, only eating rice 5-6 times a week, am just jumping on that bandwagon.
Exploring color also means exploring flavors, and I’ve been amazed how I can influence both with my favorite colorful ingredients.