Sticky Rice

I'm sure that many of you out there know what sticky rice is, but do know how it is prepared?? To many, the sticky rice that you know is probably the sushi rice correct? Well the sticky rice that I grew up with in Thailand is a whole different breed. The sticky rice that the Thais eat is a medium grain rice that to the untrained eyes looks just like any regular rice. But the method of preparation is quite different. The traditional way of cooking sticky rice is to first soak the rice in water over night, then you drain it and put it into what looks like it could be an upside down woven bamboo hat. The "hat" is then put on top of a metal vase-like pot with boiling water inside to create the necessary steam needed for the cooking of the rice. The length of time needed for the rice to cook is not really known, you just have to keep checking and testing the rice for doneness.

Nostalgia

This dish was inspired by what i used to eat for breakfast while I was growing up in Thailand. The original dish that I had in Thailand were consisted of a bowl of rice porridge, 3 minute egg, ground pork, scallion and some Maggie sauce. The dish was a staple while growing up since it was so cheap to buy, but it was very filling as well.

The picture above is a 64*C poached egg with soba groats in a shitake broth, scallion and crispy shitake. It was on one of my nightly tasting menus, very simple and very delicious.