Mushroom Fried Rice

Summer 2025. The pattern: Marcus home from Morehouse, Jasmine at Berklee, Isaiah at basketball camp, Zoe at art camp. The house breathes in and breathes out with the arrivals and departures of children who are becoming adults who are becoming people who cook and sing and draw and argue and the becoming is the whole story and the story doesn't end.

I am writing the second book. "Set the Table: Recipes and Life Lessons for Young Women Finding Their Way." The writing is easier than the first book — not less emotional, but easier, because the material is not grief. The material is hope. The material is twenty-five girls at three locations who walk into kitchens scared and walk out knowing they matter. The recipes are simpler than Mama's — beginner recipes, foundational, the scrambled eggs and cornbread and chicken that start a cook's journey. The stories are the girls' stories: Destiny at culinary school. Diamond designing curriculum. Tasha teaching in East Point. Monique, who moved to Savannah and started her own Saturday cooking class. The stories are the line multiplying. The line is not a line anymore. The line is a web. A network. A system of kitchens connected by a can and a woman and the words "you made this."

Made summer gumbo — the recipe that is mine alone, that belongs to no tradition except the one I invented. Dark roux, shrimp, andouille, okra, served over rice with Jasmine's cornbread (made by Zoe in her absence, who has adopted the cornbread while Jasmine is at Berklee, and the adoption is the family working exactly as it should). The gumbo was perfect. The summer was long and hot and mine.

Gumbo gets the glory, but the rice beneath it is what holds everything together — quiet, steady, doing the work without needing the credit. That’s what this mushroom fried rice reminds me of: the foundational dish, the one that doesn’t belong to any single cook but becomes whoever makes it that day. Zoe didn’t invent Jasmine’s cornbread, but she made it hers this summer — and that’s exactly how kitchens grow. If you’re looking for a place to start, or a place to return to, this is that dish.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

3 cups cooked long-grain white rice, preferably day-old
2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 oz cremini or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
3 green onions, sliced (whites and greens separated)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce (or hoisin for vegetarian)
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
Salt to taste

Instructions

Prep the rice. If using freshly cooked rice, spread it on a sheet pan and let it cool for at least 15 minutes. Day-old rice works best — drier rice fries without steaming.
Heat the wok or skillet. Place a large wok or heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil. You want the pan smoking slightly before anything goes in.
Cook the mushrooms. Add the sliced mushrooms in a single layer. Let them sear undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until golden brown on one side, then stir and cook another 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt and transfer to a plate.
Sauté aromatics. Add the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil to the pan. Add the garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the green onions. Stir-fry for 30–60 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
Scramble the eggs. Push the aromatics to one side of the pan. Pour the beaten eggs into the open space. Let them set for about 20 seconds, then scramble gently with a spatula until just cooked through. Break into small pieces and mix into the aromatics.
Add the rice. Add the cooked rice to the pan, pressing it against the hot surface. Let it sit undisturbed for 1 minute to develop a slight crust, then toss everything together. Repeat once more for good texture.
Season and finish. Drizzle the soy sauce and oyster sauce over the rice. Add the white pepper and peas. Toss everything together over high heat for 2 minutes until the rice is evenly coated and fragrant.
Return the mushrooms. Add the seared mushrooms back to the pan and toss to combine. Taste and adjust salt or soy sauce as needed.
Serve. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter. Top with the green parts of the sliced green onions. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Mushroom Fried Rice — The Rice Beneath Everything, Made by Whoever Shows Up