Pilaf

It seems only appropriate that I should start with the following recipe.  A friend of mine put it on the web back in 1995; I used to tell people, "I don't have a web page, but my rice does."  When I was a kid, I didn't know what plain rice was, we ate this all the time.  Just about everyone I have served it to has loved it.  It is a staple in my house, just as it was in my mother's and both my grandmothers'.

Ingredients:

• 2-4 Tbs Butter. 
• 1/2 c Orzo
• 1 c Long Grain Rice
• 2 c Chicken Broth.

Melt the butter in a small pot over medium to medium-high heat.  When it starts to foam, add the Orzo.  Stir regularly until the orzo turns a light brown.  Add the Rice and stir to mix.  Add the Chicken Broth.  Once the broth begins to simmer, cover and reduce the heat to as low as possible.  Remove from the heat in 20 minutes.

Notes:

1. Feel free to adjust the butter depending on your preferences or dietary needs.  I have used as little as 1 tablespoon with good results.  More butter will obviously give a richer flavor.
2. If using canned chicken broth, use one can (14 1/2 oz) "plus a little water."  That's exactly how I was taught.  These days, I use a lot of chicken broth, so I usually use the tetra pack quarts and measure out 2 cups.
3. This can be made with margarine and vegetable stock, but the results just aren't the same.  Its still good though. 
4. Depending on how low you can set your heat, this may be done in as short as 15 minutes, or may take a bit longer than 20.
5. If the end result is too dry (rice is crunchy) just add a bit more water and let it cook a few minutes more.
6. Don't bother the rice while its cooking.  At most, give it one stir about 10-12 minutes in, and then another to fluff it when you remove it from the heat.

Some people like to let it cook an extra few minutes after the liquid has evaporated to get a bit of burnt rice on the bottom.  You can also add some peas (frozen or fresh) at the last few minutes.  Or add chopped onion after the orzo has browned and saute a few minutes before adding the rice.

Welcome

Just to introduce myself, Ive been an enthusiastic amateur chef for over 20 years. I suppose longer really, I was making cakes since I was a small child, but it wasn't until later that I got into cooking. Most of my friends and relatives seem to like my food, at least they tell me so. That might be the food, or it might be the chef's knife I threaten them with.

As Ive experimented, and as my repertoire has expanded, I find myself sometimes making the same dish three months later and halfway through Ill remember that the last time I did this I added such and such an ingredient at the beginning or tried doing something another way and it turned out great. But of course, I remember that too late to do it again, sometimes even after I have completed the dish. So it would seem that some sort of journal would be in order. Since Im a bit of a geek, why not do the journal online?

Additionally, over the years, people have asked for various recipes and techniques, so I thought having a place to put my favorites might be of interest. So over time, when Im not trying to remember what I did, Ill probably be posting the recipes Ive found most sucessful. Or at least the ones others are asking for.