Resurrection Rice: Bringing Old Rice Back From the Dead

Rice is a ubiquitous food - relatively inexpensive, and highly versatile, we cook with it a lot. We have rice with black beans, rice with red beans, rice with cashew chicken, rice with chili, rice with scrap soup and so forth. Sometimes, though, our rice exceeds our grasp and we end up with more rice than we can finish off in a meal. When we remember it a couple of days later*, it can look decidedly unappetizing - cold, clumped together, not at all that nice steamy hot dish we enjoyed fresh out of the pot.

But all is not lost. There's still life in that rice! While it might not look ready for prime time, there's some easy RPR (Rice Plumping Resuscitation) that can bring those cold gritty grains back from the dead.

*Important Note: As always, adhere to basic, common sense food safety practices. We're talking 2 3 day old rice here, not weeks. For the definitive authoritative guide, check out this USDA Guide on Leftovers and Food Safety. Essentially, refrigerate quickly the first time around, and reheat within 2-3 days to a safe temperature. While we've got your attention, consider, however, that in the US, we tend to throw food out way too often, and way too early. Some more good reading: Don't Be So Quick To Toss It - and Spoiled Food.

Old cold rice

Butter

Add about 1 tablespoon of butter per each cup of leftover rice.

Loosely cover your dish, and microwave on high for 45 seconds.

Stir and reheat, if needed, up to another 30 seconds.

Your rice will taste rich, moist and sweet again,and can be a stand alone side dish, or the base for your next culinary invention. Throw in some cilantro and a little lime, add beans or pour that soup over it, and enjoy!