Seductions of Rice

Not so long ago, the range of rices on supermarket shelves ran from white (plain) to white (converted). Today we can choose from among the hundreds of rice varieties now available of which Thai jasmine and Chinese black are just two. From China and Japan, Thailand and India, to the Mediterranean, Senegal and the Americas, rice is a way of eating day to day for millions of people. But because rice has not been a staple of most Western diets, many of us do not appreciate the multitude of aromas, flavours and the simple ways of preparing meals for which rice is the essential ingredient.

Seductions of Rice reintroduces this ancient grain and explores its fascinating and exotic world. Visit rice growers on China's Li River, order a meal in a South Indian rice stall, and observe harvesting techniques in a Thai paddy. The traditions of each region covered are captured in nearly 200 nutritious, simple and versatile recipes along with vivid essays and stunning photographs. To delight the senses and satisfy the palate, cook up such fabulous dishes as Thai Grilled Beef, Turkish Yogurt Sauce or Cucumber-Sesame Salad, Jamaican Rice and Peas or Rhubarb Lamb Stew. With a pot of rice cooking on the stove, all you need is something to serve with it, on it or in it.

Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid won their first James Beard Award with Flatbreads & Flavours in 1996. Seductions of Rice won the Cuisine Canada Cookbook Award in 1998. And in 2000 they won the James Beard Award again with their third book, Hot Sour Salty Sweet. Their work appears frequently in magazines in Canada and the US, including Gourmet, Bon Appétit and Food & Wine. They live in Toronto with their two sons.