A New Cookbook

I have found a new cookbook that I really like and wanted to share it with you. When I was in Louisiana at the Avery Island Tabasco Factory, I found a book in the gift shop called "Rice Cooker Meals" by Neal Bertrand. The caption at the top of the book read "Fast Home Cooking for Busy People", and that appealed to me right away, as I am a busy person.

I had bought a rice cooker several years ago while I was in Louisiana, but had not used it very much. It was sitting in a cabinet, pretty much forgotten. This book intrigued me with its easy, spicy, wonderful sounding recipes, and the new (to me) idea of cooking something besides rice in it. I bought it right away and proceeded to read it through a couple of times. I couldn't wait to get home to try it.

The day after arriving home I made the Red Beans and Rice dish. It involved getting a package of sausages out of my freezer and taking a can of red beans and a can of chili beans out of the pantry. I did have to go to the market and buy a bell pepper, onion and some green onions, but this dish was so easy to put together and mix in the rice cooker, I couldn't believe it. My husband and I both loved the dish, needless to say, and the next day I made another one for a weekly neighborhood gathering. I put the dish together and took the whole thing to our clubhouse, plugged it in, and went about my business until it finished cooking. Everyone loved it and it made a great addition to our combined meal.

As a photographer who spends a lot of time on the computer, I have to admit that in spite of an overabundance of cookbooks in my house, for the past six months or so my husband has been subjected to a series of frozen dinners and frozen pizzas. Now these are great for emergencies, but do not qualify as good home cooked meals. Since I found my wonderful "Rice Cooker Meals" cookbook, there has been a good meal on the table every night. I just chop the ingredients when I have time, store them in the refrigerator, then when it's time for dinner I put everything in the rice cooker, plug it in and fix a salad. What could be easier?

The book can be found on Amazon.com for under $10 -- buy a couple more books and it ships free. You can also check out Neal's website at http://www.ricecookermeals.com/