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Welcome to “Cookbook of the Week.” This is a series where I highlight cookbooks that are unique, easy to use, or just special to me. While finding a particular recipe online serves a quick purpose, flipping through a truly excellent cookbook has a magic all its own.
When I look around for cookbooks to feature for this column, I prefer to go to a real bookstore. I like to flip through the book and see what the purpose is, if it’s easy to use or complex, and if it’ll be useful to you all—this takes some browsing. But there is the rare cookbook that I almost immediately tuck under my arm because I know in my bones that it’s coming home with me.
This week’s cookbook is The Simple Art of Rice. It only took a few page-flips for me to think fondly of my home and family, and a few more to pique my hunger. A cookbook that appreciates this grain as much as I do belongs in my kitchen, and probably in yours too.
A bit about the book
Table of Contents
The Simple Art of Rice, written by chef JJ Johnson along with graphic novelist Danica Novgorodoff, was published in 2023. The cookbook starts off with a bit of history and housekeeping—basic rice cooking techniques, how to store rice, and information on common types of rice—before diving into about 100 rice-centric recipes complemented by beautiful illustrations.
The cover of the cookbook says “Recipes from around the world for the heart of your table,” and it’s easy to see that intention displayed in each section of this cookbook. Each chapter contains a variety of rice dishes from different countries and cultures, like Filipino garlic rice Sinangág, Ghanaian Waakye, or Cuban Black Beans and Rice, and often a dish named after a beloved family member who clearly makes that heart-warming dish better than anyone else, like Great-auntie Lane’s Curry Rice.
This is more than a collection of rice recipes. It’s a thoughtful, loving ode to rice, and its role in nourishing communities throughout human history. Further, it’s a personal account where rice is a conduit for love and care.
A great cookbook for a broad palate
I have trouble not being obvious sometimes, so I had to stop myself before I wrote “a good cookbook for rice lovers.” I do think it’s important that this book get into the hands of rice lovers, however if that person does not enjoy a wide variety of flavors then they might only flip through to the “Cooking a basic pot of rice” section and history parts. (Those are really great sections too.)
JJ Johnson will have you cooking your rice with coconut milk, lime juice, tomatoes, crabs, chicken livers, and raisins, so it certainly helps if you welcome new flavor combinations. This cookbook is something I’ll continuously come back to because there are so many dishes from other cultures that I’m not familiar with and excited to try. While I have a pretty good idea about what Johnson has in store with the Thai curry dishes with jasmine rice, there are a number of rice dishes that I’ve never tried, like those from the Gullah Geechee, Persian, and Israeli cultures. Get this book for the person who would be as excited to make Lebanese basmati rice as they would be to make rice crêpes with Nutella.
The recipes you can expect
While having a broad palate might feel intimidating, making these recipes requires no specialized skill set. Johnson has managed to keep the recipes simple enough and the ingredient lists accessible enough where I think the average home cook would be successful meal after meal. Of course rice is often your main ingredient, so if you have that then you’re well on your way to victory.
In fact, some of the recipes are one-pot wonders or can be completely made in the rice cooker—as in, throw all the ingredients into the rice cooker and press “start,” like the Geelrys recipe. As a reader, I love this because if one recipe is beyond my skill set, taste preference, or attention span, I know that there are other recipes in this book that can work for me.
The dish I made this week
I’ve been craving herb-y mixtures this week. I blame the bleak weather making me miss the greenery of summer. The Herbed Shrimp with Cilantro Lime Rice sounded like the perfect remedy for my winter woes. At first, I was put off by the lengthy ingredient list, but soon realized that there were repeated ingredients. The first section was for the shrimp marinade and the cilantro lime rice simply reflects those flavors. (Lesson: always read the full recipe before giving up or plowing full steam ahead.)
This recipe was one that Johnson modeled after the boxed cilantro lime rice his mom would make for him. Though I’ve never had that boxed rice, I would take this version any day. The shrimp marinade was a simple mixture of chopped herbs, olive oil, lime zest and juice, and the rice gets a light toast in butter before you add the cooking water. After 20 minutes, the rice was finished and I pan-fried the shrimp for barely a minute before serving. It felt like a rather glamorous lunch for how quick and easy it was to make, and I look forward to more recipes like it.
How to buy it
The hardcover of The Simple Art of Rice is available online, but if you’re like me, then go have a good old-fashioned bookstore browse. If your local bookstore doesn’t have it on their shelves, see if they can order it to their location. I’m sure they’ll be happy to help.