• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Lock on the lid according to the manufacturer’s instructions; bring the cooker to high pressure. Adjust the heat so that the cooker releases steam at a steady rate (this will be indicated by the pressure valve or another feature listed in the manufacturer’s instructions); cook at high pressure for 7 minutes.

Release the lid using the quick-release method—that is, placing the sealed pressure cooker under cold running water until the locking mechanism releases or until another signal for released pressure happens.

Uncover the cooker and return to medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until creamy and somewhat thickened but just until the rice still has some tooth left, about 1 minute. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

Traditional method:

Bring the milk to a very low simmer in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Reduce the heat so the milk stays this hot but does not boil.

Ladle ¾ cup hot milk into a large saucepan just now set over medium-low heat; stir in the rice, raisins, maple syrup, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, salt, and cloves. Cook, stirring constantly, until the rice’s outer shell turns translucent, about 2 minutes.

Add ¾ cup warm milk and cook, stirring constantly, until it has been absorbed, about 3 more minutes.

Reduce the heat even further so that the rice cooks very slowly; add ¼ cup milk. Cook, stirring constantly, adding more milk in ¼-cup increments only after the pan is almost dry from the last addition, until very creamy and thickened. The total cooking time for this step should be about 30 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

Variations: Substitute 1 cup finely chopped dried fruit, such as apricots or pears, for the raisins.

Substitute honey or packed light brown sugar for the maple syrup.

* * *

Eggs Every Which Way

Nature’s nutritional miracle, an egg is a tight pack of protein, amino acids, fat, vitamins, and minerals—a pack so tight that many cultures find eggs too big a wallop for breakfast and save them for later in the day. In the United States, we like our protein early and often. The myth about old-timers and eggs may be shopworn (“My grandfather started every day with two fried eggs and…”), but there’s no doubt that eggs have long provided the spark that gets our bodies running.

* * *

Scrambled Eggs

It’s easy to make good scrambled eggs. As with most things, simpler is better. Makes 1 serving (see Note)

1 teaspoon unsalted butter, olive oil, or nonstick spray

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon milk (regular, low-fat, or fat-free), half-and-half, or heavy cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Either heat the butter or olive oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat or spray the skillet with nonstick spray and set it over medium heat.

While the skillet heats, crack the eggs into a small bowl. Use a fork to whisk in the milk, half-and-half, or cream until almost uniformly yellow.

Pour the mixture into the skillet, tilting it so that the mixture coats the bottom. Set the pan over the heat, count to ten, then use a heat-safe rubber spatula to lift the fluffy bits off the pan’s bottom, working gently so as not to break up these cloudlike curds.

Tilt the skillet to bring more of the unset egg into contact with the hot surface. Once almost all the unset egg has come into contact with the pan and the moment it has set enough to look like loose pudding, gently scoop the curds onto a serving plate; season with salt and pepper.

Note: You can make two, three, or four servings at one time. Use a larger skillet, but don’t be fooled by the greater quantity of egg mixture: it’s fragile and should be treated gently.

* * *

Tips for Success

• Use a seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet.

• Lift the curds gently off the skillet’s bottom in long, slow arcs with a heat-safe rubber spatula designed for use on nonstick cookware.

• Take the curds out of the pan the moment they lose their runniness. Eggs