Paul Prudhomme's San Francisco Rice

Jenise - I shall look for this recipe as a side on this year's terrine entry......

Shows how regional food identifiers change meaning over time.

Any idea what the 'San Fransisco' is supposed to signify? There were Italian communities there and something about the 'spices' in the recipe might seem vaguely Italian (as opposed to tasteless Anglo Saxon rice). But if one wanted to add a regional label to signify Italian influence, it would not be SF.

Today of course, SF ____ evokes very different images. Fresh, vegetarian, maybe Asian inspired, and most definitely overpriced.

[Robin Garr]

Any idea what the 'San Fransisco' is supposed to signify?

Well, you're probably right that it's been diluted with time, but even back in the Rice-A-Roni era, North Beach was a famous Italian neighborhood, San Francisco's "Little Italy." Joe DiMaggio was one of its native sons, and so was SF Mayor Joseph Alioto. Back in the day, at least, the idea of an Italian San Francisco treat didn't seem odd at all to me.

Any idea what the 'San Fransisco' is supposed to signify?

Well, you're probably right that it's been diluted with time, but even back in the Rice-A-Roni era, North Beach was a famous Italian neighborhood, San Francisco's "Little Italy." Joe DiMaggio was one of its native sons, and so was SF Mayor Joseph Alioto. Back in the day, at least, the idea of an Italian San Francisco treat didn't seem odd at all to me.

There are still remnants of North Beach left in the form of a few old Italian butcher shops, restaurants, and such. That's not much compared to the thriving community of earlier days.

When I think of old school San Francisco food, the first thing that comes to mind is cioppino, which came out of San Francisco's Italian-American community.

Ok, so that makes sense.

I might have thought that NY or NJ were easier associations with Italians in the US, but that could be my Nyc bias!

Any idea what the 'San Fransisco' is supposed to signify?

Rice-a-Roni was derived from an Armenian pilaf recipe. I think the "San Fransisco Treat" slogan is just leveraging the fame of the location where the dish was invented. With its steep hills and cable cars, San Fransisco evokes a certain mystique in the Midwestern and Eastern US.

San Fransisco has such a big diversity of ethnic neighborhoods that I don't think there is a unique "San Fransisco cuisine" in the mode of New Orleans. But just as Boston is noted for its baked beans and clam chowder, San Fransisco is famous for its cioppino and sourdough bread.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

How interesting, thanks for those facts Robin.

I actually really like the flavor, in particular when flavored with curry powder or mushrooms. I even bought some of the Uncle Ben's pre-flavored mixes to take on our next camping trip. Really handy, since we don't have the space for a lot of seasoning.

How interesting, thanks for those facts Robin.

I even bought some of the Uncle Ben's pre-flavored mixes to take on our next camping trip.

With Aunt Jemima's syrup for Plantation Pancakes you'd have the complete set of politically incorrect foodstuffs!

I took a look at their site and was surprised to see the range of products - guess I haven't been watching. I was also pleased to see that they were aware of the non-PC nature of their brand and attempted to soften it by promoting old Ben to chairman of the board!

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/30/busi ... a5&ei=5070

[Jenise]

To be clear, I bought the mixes you have to cook (the parmesan/butter and spanish rice are both quite good). I believe I've seen they make pre-cooked stuff, too, just heat and eat--won't go there.

Your recipe left off the measurement for oil. I guessed 2 Tbsp when I made this as a side with Sunday dinner. It was well seasoned, but I thought it was a little pepper forward. Next time I will add a few more herbs. Tasted to me like something was missing.

[Jenise]

I typed it straight from the book, but I'd say that's about right. Pepper-forward is probably a good description of Paul's seasoning in general. My friend's version didn't strike me that way, but your pepper might be fresher.