Iron Chef had a secret ingred. of rice on a show we watched the other night - Mario Batali made a Mexican/Spanish drink called Horchata that he served with a spicy dish and the judges just loved it. Of course this sent me to googling Horchata
I'm anxious to try these out with some good Mexican food - soon!
Here's some of what I found, if anyone's interested.
Mexican Horchata
A refreshing cold drink made of rice, almonds, cinnamon (canella), lime zest and sugar. This drink is rumored to be a cure for a hangover and is frequently served at breakfast time. Even though the drink has a milky appearance it is completely dairy-free.
History
According to Sophie Coe in America's First Cuisine's, horchata was an old-world drink brought to the new world by the Spaniards and later enjoyed too by the Aztecs. In Spain horchata was made with with ground melon seeds but given the seeds were not available in the new world the Spaniards substituted the readily available squash seeds. Later almonds and rice were brought to the new world and incorporated into the drink as it is prepared today.
Serves: 6 - 7
6 tablespoons rice
6 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) blanched almonds
1 inch cinnamon stick (canella)
3 "2-inch" strips of lime zest (rind only, not the white pithy part) 3/4" long
1 cup white granulated sugar
The traditional way to make horchata is with a metate y mano. For those of us less adventurous, or simple those with less time, we can use a blender.
Pulverize the rice using a metate y mano or your blender. Grind the mixture as smooth as possible. Combine the rice with the almonds, cinnamon and lime zest. Let this mixture stand overnight (minimally 6 hours).
Place the mixture in the blender jar and blend for at least 3 - 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and no long has a gritty texture. Add 2 cups of water and blend again for just a few seconds. Place a large sieve over a mixing bowl. Line the sieve with 3 layers of damp cheesecloth. Pour in the rice mixture, a little at a time and keep stirring to help the mixture go through the sieve. Once all the liquid has passed through to the bowl gather the cloth together at the top, give it a twist and squeeze out any additional liquid.
Now add 2 more cups of water and stir in as much sugar as you'd like, to taste. If the mixture is too thick, add some additional water.
Cover and refrigerate. The drink should keep several days, refrigerated.
Serve in a tall glass over ice.
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Horchata (Cinnamon Rice Milk)
"Recently had homemade rice milk in a Mexican restaurant in San Francisco. I talked to a few friends and they told me a few different ways to make it. Here is a simple version (I like to add vanilla, but it is optional). Seriously, it is the best ever - and, it costs just pennies to make!"
• 1 cup long grain rice, rinsed
• 2 quarts water
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
1. In a large saucepan, combine rice, water and cinnamon stick. Set aside for 3 hours.
2. After 3 hours, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
3. Puree rice mixture in a blender until smooth. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine sieve. Flavor with vanilla and sugar to taste. Chill, and serve over ice.
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Cinco de Mayo: Horchata
Before we get into Happy Hour recipes for the celebrations this weekend, I wanted to draw attention to this non-alcoholic Mexican drink that admittedly sounded strange to me until I tried it - now I am hooked.
Though there are drinks under the name Horchata in other cultures, the Mexican version is made from blended rice. It looks (and even tastes) like a milky drink, but there is absolutely no dairy in the recipe. It is rumored that this drink helps to cure hangovers, so you may want to whip up a batch if you plan on indulging at all this weekend.
If you want to try the drink but don't want to go to all the effort of making it yourself, Rice Dream apparently makes a version that is already prepared, though I've never tasted that myself. You can find the full recipe after the jump.
Horchata
1 cup long grain rice
1/2 cup skinless almonds (optional)
1 tsp lime zest
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
6 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
Instructions:
Grind rice in a blender or a coffee / spice grinder until smooth. Combine with almonds, lime zest, vanilla extract, and cinnamon stick. Add 3 cups of water, place in sealed container and let rest overnight.
In the morning, blend the mixture until smooth, adding 2 cups more water. Strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth until no particles remain. Add sugar and remaining cup of water to final product, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Serve over ice.
-----
Has anyone tried this??
I'm anxious to try these out with some good Mexican food - soon!
Here's some of what I found, if anyone's interested.
Mexican Horchata
A refreshing cold drink made of rice, almonds, cinnamon (canella), lime zest and sugar. This drink is rumored to be a cure for a hangover and is frequently served at breakfast time. Even though the drink has a milky appearance it is completely dairy-free.
History
According to Sophie Coe in America's First Cuisine's, horchata was an old-world drink brought to the new world by the Spaniards and later enjoyed too by the Aztecs. In Spain horchata was made with with ground melon seeds but given the seeds were not available in the new world the Spaniards substituted the readily available squash seeds. Later almonds and rice were brought to the new world and incorporated into the drink as it is prepared today.
Serves: 6 - 7
6 tablespoons rice
6 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) blanched almonds
1 inch cinnamon stick (canella)
3 "2-inch" strips of lime zest (rind only, not the white pithy part) 3/4" long
1 cup white granulated sugar
The traditional way to make horchata is with a metate y mano. For those of us less adventurous, or simple those with less time, we can use a blender.
Pulverize the rice using a metate y mano or your blender. Grind the mixture as smooth as possible. Combine the rice with the almonds, cinnamon and lime zest. Let this mixture stand overnight (minimally 6 hours).
Place the mixture in the blender jar and blend for at least 3 - 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and no long has a gritty texture. Add 2 cups of water and blend again for just a few seconds. Place a large sieve over a mixing bowl. Line the sieve with 3 layers of damp cheesecloth. Pour in the rice mixture, a little at a time and keep stirring to help the mixture go through the sieve. Once all the liquid has passed through to the bowl gather the cloth together at the top, give it a twist and squeeze out any additional liquid.
Now add 2 more cups of water and stir in as much sugar as you'd like, to taste. If the mixture is too thick, add some additional water.
Cover and refrigerate. The drink should keep several days, refrigerated.
Serve in a tall glass over ice.
----------
Horchata (Cinnamon Rice Milk)
"Recently had homemade rice milk in a Mexican restaurant in San Francisco. I talked to a few friends and they told me a few different ways to make it. Here is a simple version (I like to add vanilla, but it is optional). Seriously, it is the best ever - and, it costs just pennies to make!"
• 1 cup long grain rice, rinsed
• 2 quarts water
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
1. In a large saucepan, combine rice, water and cinnamon stick. Set aside for 3 hours.
2. After 3 hours, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
3. Puree rice mixture in a blender until smooth. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine sieve. Flavor with vanilla and sugar to taste. Chill, and serve over ice.
---------
Cinco de Mayo: Horchata
Before we get into Happy Hour recipes for the celebrations this weekend, I wanted to draw attention to this non-alcoholic Mexican drink that admittedly sounded strange to me until I tried it - now I am hooked.
Though there are drinks under the name Horchata in other cultures, the Mexican version is made from blended rice. It looks (and even tastes) like a milky drink, but there is absolutely no dairy in the recipe. It is rumored that this drink helps to cure hangovers, so you may want to whip up a batch if you plan on indulging at all this weekend.
If you want to try the drink but don't want to go to all the effort of making it yourself, Rice Dream apparently makes a version that is already prepared, though I've never tasted that myself. You can find the full recipe after the jump.
Horchata
1 cup long grain rice
1/2 cup skinless almonds (optional)
1 tsp lime zest
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
6 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
Instructions:
Grind rice in a blender or a coffee / spice grinder until smooth. Combine with almonds, lime zest, vanilla extract, and cinnamon stick. Add 3 cups of water, place in sealed container and let rest overnight.
In the morning, blend the mixture until smooth, adding 2 cups more water. Strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth until no particles remain. Add sugar and remaining cup of water to final product, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Serve over ice.
-----
Has anyone tried this??
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
www.achefsjourney.com