I dumpster-dived a twenty-pound bag of Basmati rice on Sunday.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Fri Aug 18, 2017, 08:00 PM - Edit history (2)

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Royal-Basmati-Rice-20-0-LB/45791914



There I was, walking along, minding my own business, when, wouldn't you know it?, a dumpster shows up, right out of nowhere. Okay, so maybe I've helped myself to a few things from it and the pile next to it before. And there was that time in 2014 when an iPod Nano fell from my pocket into it. I didn't notice until a few blocks later. Fortunately, the dumpster had just been emptied, so I could lean in and quickly recover my Nano without having to worry about what it might else be in there.

Technically, I didn't have to dive into this one. It had a door on the side. At first, I saw the rice and kept on walking. It was right up on top of the pile. It couldn't have been in there more than a few minutes. Then I thought, you know, I bet the birds would like that. (S-u-u-u-r-e.) I turned around, reached in, grabbed it, and kept on walking. Broad daylight. No shame. I thought it was ten pounds. It's not as if I wanted to stand there and study it.

After I turned a corner, I transferred the bag into my backpack. That's when I saw it was twenty pounds' worth of rice. The inner plastic bag had been opened, but it was practically full. As time went on, I figured that you boil the stuff for a good half-hour, so what's the risk?

It's delicious. Mmmmmmmmmm.

My check from George Soros is late this month, so I have to economize the best I can.

Back in the days of Usenet, there was a forum called alt.dumpster. It was a hoot.

[Tanuki]

1. And you can use the cloth bag for a tote after you eat all the rice!

[procon]

2. Good score! That's worth at least $20, I just bought a big bag. nt

[Kleveland]

3. That is really good rice.

I use that brand exclusively anymore. I always buy the 20lb bag at Costco. Lasts several months.

They have several other varieties, including a brown Basmati.

The trick is to immerse it into water at least twice and drain.

I do it three times.

See their web site for more correct water/rice ratios.

After soaking, I toss it into a pot with 1 Tbs of Olive oil per cup, plus a little salt, and toast it for a few minutes.

Then add the water, or broth, bring to a boil. Turn off heat.

I then cover it, and put it into a 350 degree oven, and cook it for 20-30 mins.

Usually about 30, you have to experiment a little. With that much rice, there is plenty of room for experimentation

It works much better than on the stove top. Fluff it carefully, or you will break the rice.

When I was in the restaurant biz, this is how they made large quantities of rice pilaf, in the oven.

Enjoy!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. Rinse and drain twice? Why?

I saw the instructions, but I never pay attention to instructions.

The biggest problem I've had so far is that I can't stop eating it. It is so yummy. I eat the whole pot's worth of it.

[Kleveland]

5. It removes the excess starch.

Helps it stay fluffy and separated.

I hate a sticky rice, unless it is needed, as for Sushi.

There is a lot of starch dust on the rice out of the bag, the water gets quite cloudy.

Yes! It is yummy.

I have been buying the Royal Sona Masoori. Also at Costco.

The instructions on the bag actually say to let the water/rice/oil mixture set for 15 mins before boiling, but I never do that.

I am very fond of Basmati, but the Masoori has a tad more nutrition, and being a shorter grain is not damaged as easily. I use it a lot for fried rice (after cooling of course), and Mexican rice etc.

In a bowl plain with a splash of soy sauce is also delicious!

I find that toasting it a bit before boiling/steaming helps add a slight nutty flavor to it.

Cheers!

[trof]

10. Cut rice calories in half:

"What we did is cook the rice as you normally do, but when the water is boiling, before adding the raw rice, we added coconut oil—about 3 percent of the weight of the rice you're going to cook," said Sudhair James, who presented his preliminary research at National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) on Monday. "After it was ready, we let it cool in the refrigerator for about 12 hours. That's it."

"The oil interacts with the starch in rice and changes its architecture," said James. "Chilling the rice then helps foster the conversion of starches. The result is a healthier serving, even when you heat it back up."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/03/25/scientists-have-figured-out-a-simple-way-to-cook-rice-that-dramatically-cuts-the-calories/

[SethH]

16. wow

that is a seriously amazing trick, thanks!

[trof]

19. I have no way to know if it's true, but weird, hunh?

[safeinOhio]

6. Last week I scored 35 lbs of free meat.

I was following a lady and her kids in an SUV, when out of nowhere a small doe ran out in front of her.
Not wanting to see the poor deer suffer, I dug through the van and came up with a box cutter. Slit her throat and she quickly passed.

Cop came and asked I wanted her as I was the only one who stopped. I said sure and went on the gut it. Not easy with a box cutter.

Pretty much hit in the head and there was little lost.

[lunasun]

8. You didn't expect that . That is small but you helped the deer pass and got some meat

[Warpy]

7. If it had been opened, someone returned it

Either it was full of miller moths or someone just didn't realize basmati smells like old gym shoes while it's cooking and has a distinctive flavor when it's done.

If there are miller moth larvae in it, your kitchen might be in trouble soon. Miller moths are Satanic.

If not, great score!

[pansypoo53219]

13. my grandpa accidentally got cracked corn instead of sunflower seeds for birds we had moths

for ages. CAT TOYS!

[Warpy]

14. My cat got bored quickly

and would only take a halfhearted swipe if one buzzed her nose.

Pheromone traps got rid of them.

Bird seed is the worst. If I don't have room in the freezer, it lives on the porch.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

15. The dumpster was at an apartment complex, not

Last edited Sat Aug 19, 2017, 02:00 PM - Edit history (1)

a retail grocery store. Please, I have standards.

I'm keeping the bag in my car, just in case there is something in there. I've seen flour infested with critters, and I don't want anymore of that.

I just had some more for dinner, and I'm still aliiiiiiiiiiii....

"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" is starting on the tube. It's not my favorite movie, and it's quite dated, but it's that or "Walker, Texas Ranger." Oh, never mind. The station is showing it in 4:3 format. That makes it just about unwatchable.

Thanks for writing.

[Warpy]

17. Mankiewicz is stuck in the 50s

and he shows that turkey every five weeks or so. He loves 50s and early 60s movies. I find his taste utterly foul.

Robert Osborne had me totally spoiled. Yes, some of those old movies had plots that were just as silly, but one or two performances in them made them worth watching, and black and white was greatly preferable to garish early technicolor. Those old movies, shot on a shoestring and cranked out like sausages by the studio system of stabled actors, were often great. After blacklisting got rid of all the decent talent, movies sucked.

I'm bouncing between old Star Trek and the Science Channel. Friday night TV doesn't offer much else.

[Tanuki]

18. .....

https://m.

[R B Garr]

9. I knew someone who despised that stuff. She probably ran it out to the trash.

We used to talk about cooking all the time. I couldn't believe she made such a stink about hating Basmati rice. She hated the smell, and hated the taste. It's just rice. I couldn't figure it out.

[left-of-center2012]

11. I'd be happy just having the bag n/t

[Yonnie3]

12. Usenet?

that wasn't me.

[tblue37]

20. Raw rice is very dangerous for birds. Better eat it all yourself. nt

[mopinko]

21. no its not

that is a dumb urban myth. many birds pester rice farmers.

[TomVilmer]

22. I dumpster ALL my food...

... from two local supermarkets. But they also give me other stuff