Festive Rice -- The Bowl That Carries the Lineage

Hispanic Heritage Month, year three of my classroom appearances. Lucas is in first grade now. Ms. Alvarez, the bilingual teacher. She asked me to come in again. She also asked me to come to Isabella's pre-K — same school — on Friday. Two classroom visits in one week.

Monday I went to Lucas's first-grade class. Twenty-one kids. I brought mini bowls of arroz con pollo. Lucas introduced me this time — he is in first grade, he is articulate, he is proud — and he said, "This is my Abuela. She is a Delgado chef. She runs La Cocina at the food bank." He had heard me talking about the food bank with Eduardo. He had heard me say I run the lunch kitchen Monday and Thursday. He used the phrase "La Cocina" which is not what I call the food bank kitchen but which he had decided was the proper name.

I talked for six minutes about Puerto Rican food. I served the bowls. The kids ate. Ms. Alvarez held me back at the end and said, "Carmen, I want to talk to you about something." She said, "Have you ever considered teaching cooking classes? For adults. Adult learners. I run a volunteer teaching program on weekends at the community center in Parkville. We are looking for teachers for a cultural cooking series." I said, "Ms. Alvarez, I am running the food bank kitchen twice a week." She said, "This would be once a month, Saturdays." I said, "Let me think."

I thought about it all week. I am fifty-nine. I am retired. I have the food bank twice a week. I have Mami. I have the notebook. I have Sunday dinners. Do I want to add one more commitment?

Yes. I do. I will. I told Ms. Alvarez Wednesday. She connected me with the program coordinator, who called me Thursday, who said I could start in October. Once a month. A Saturday afternoon. Puerto Rican cooking for adult learners. I said yes.

Isabella's pre-K visit Friday. Fifteen four-year-olds. I brought mini cups of arroz con leche (they were easier to serve). Isabella introduced me as "the woman who taught my grandma to cook." She meant Luz María. She meant Mami taught me. She meant that I taught her mother. She meant the chain. She stated it in the flattening logic of a four-year-old. The teacher said, "Isabella, your grandmother taught your grandmother?" Isabella said, "Yes." The teacher looked at me. I said, "She is saying the lineage of women in her family cook together." The teacher laughed. She said, "I love you." She meant Isabella. She might have also meant me. Wepa.

The bowls I brought to those classrooms — twenty-one first graders on Monday, fifteen four-year-olds on Friday — were my arroz con pollo, and watching Isabella try to explain the lineage of women who cook together made me want to write the recipe down properly, the way Mami would have wanted it written. This Festive Rice is the foundation: the sofrito base, the seasoned broth, the color that tells you something is happening in that pot. It is what I will teach in October at the community center, and it is what I served this week to children who ate every grain.

Festive Rice

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups long-grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon sazón seasoning (with achiote)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Build the sofrito base. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and green bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
2. Toast the rice. Add the dry rice to the pot and stir to coat every grain with the oil and sofrito. Toast for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice begins to smell nutty and turns slightly golden at the edges.
3. Season and add liquid. Stir in the tomato sauce, sazón, cumin, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Pour in the chicken broth and stir everything together. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. Simmer covered. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and cook for 18 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time.
5. Add peas and olives. After 18 minutes, uncover and scatter the frozen peas and sliced olives over the top. Replace the lid and cook an additional 5 minutes on low, or until the liquid is fully absorbed and the rice is tender.
6. Rest and fluff. Remove from heat and let the pot rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork, folding the peas and olives throughout. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
7. Serve. Transfer to a serving bowl or plate directly from the pot. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve warm as a main alongside roasted chicken, or as a hearty side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 56g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 480mg