Grains

This baked green rice casserole is adapted from a 1967 edition of "The Joy of Cooking." Instead of the original white rice called for, use brown. In place of parsley, add plenty of fresh spinach. Frozen, thawed spinach works just as well; in either case, thoroughly dry the spinach before using it (a salad spinner for fresh spinach and a sieve for thawed). With brown rice, there are few shortcuts. It takes 40 minutes to cook it until tender, and after you add spinach, eggs, milk, and cheese, the casserole bakes for up to an hour, so plan accordingly.

To achieve white rice and brown rice with perfect textures, cook them separately. If you prefer to serve them separately, you'll have about 6 cups of white (to serve 6) and 3 cups of brown (to serve 3).

Saffron gives the couscous a gorgeous yellow color. 

Homemade stock will make any risotto fabulous. Here, the delicate, springlike combination of leeks and peas is given texture and heft with the addition of calamari, turning it into a main course.

Double this recipe if you want leftovers for rice bowls.

Rice has pride of place at the Korean table, but Koreans have also long embraced the healthful properties of other whole grains like millet, barley, and oats. This combination is fragrant and delicious.

Fresh fennel and fennel seeds infuse the couscous with a subtle anise flavor. 

Pilaf is usually made with rice plus nuts, fruit, vegetables or even meat. In this version we use couscous instead of rice, so it’s nearly instant, and add a sweet accent of orange and currants.