Rice Rush

I was desperate for ideas, so I forced the issue: Instead of eating rice at a natural pace and letting leftovers accumulate, I boiled a batch specifically for fried rice.

This is tricky. A night in the refrigerator prepares rice to be fried, letting some of its moisture evaporate and steeling it from soaking up too much of the oils and flavorings that it's about to meet in the pan. A soft, fresh grain will stay that way: soft.

I did put today's rice in the fridge for a few hours. Yet as I later scooped it into a hot pan full of onion, garlic, ginger, and, of course, bacon, I felt like I was pushing the baby bird out of the nest before it was ready to fly.

The texture was off a bit, but the flavor was there (thank you, bacon). Margy didn't complain. Plus she'll have leftovers for lunch -- hopefully by then the rice will be more al dente.