~Bona Vita~

I love cooking with wine.  It enhances the flavor of so many dishes: stews, soups, sauces, rice and even breads.  It can transform a flat recipe into a fabulous one.  I generally substitute some of the liquid in a recipe with wine.

I  keep a versatile selection of red and white wines on hand.  I am always on the look-out for a great buy on a nice wine.  Remember,  you really don’t want to cook with any wine that you wouldn’t drink.  I have been able to take advantage of specials that my butcher periodically has on the wine that he stocks.   Sam’s Club and Costco always have great buys on wine and they offer a terrific selection.  I usually spend  $5.00 to $7.00 on a bottle of wine.  This is less expensive than the unsavory liquid labeled ”cooking wine” found on the grocery store shelves.

Cheers!

White Rice with Chardonnay and Herbs

2      Cups white rice

4      Cups liquid – always utilize a 1/2  ratio of rice to liquid; this will allow you to easily multiply the recipe

1/2-1 Cup finely chopped onion

1      Clove garlic, crushed

6-8  Tablespoons of butter

5      Tablespoons fresh herbs:  I usually use thyme and oregano, but experiment.

1      Tablespoon fresh ground pepper

Juice of 1/2 lemon

In a 2-3 quart pan with a well-fitting lid saute the  onion and garlic in the butter.  Add the rice and brown it for about 4 minutes or until it becomes transparent.   Meanwhile, prepare the liquid:  you need a mixture of chicken broth and wine.  I usually use 3 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of chardonnay.  You can adjust this to suit your taste.  Now, slowly add the liquid to the rice.  Add the herbs, pepper, and lemon juice and gently mix.  Cover the rice and cook over medium heat until the liquid is absorbed.  This takes about 20 minutes.

You can really be creative with rice.  Try varying your herbs or the wine to change the flavor of this dish.