A Bowlful of Ginger and Tahini on Rice

In a dizzingly whirl of motion this Saturday, my brother and I joined the area Southeast Asians in celebrating Hmong New Year. I We soaked in the happy roar of voices, the constant jangle of hundreds of coins hanging from the traditional costumes, and the deafening, heart-pounding music blaring across the huge speakers. . .the air was charged with excitement, and oh, how we loved it!

In the midst of all this colorful exuberance, we felt right at home -- despite the fact we could not understand a word of the enthusiastic announcements being shouted over the loudspeakers -- when we saw posters exclaiming: "Register to Win! 25 lb., 50lb., and 100 lb. Bags of Rice!"

This made us smile broadly -- and smiles are universally understood, no matter the language barrier.

You see, we always have rice in our fridge. We have burlap sacks of Thai Hom Mali rice on the landing going downstairs. We have gallon jars of asian brown rice in the pantry, and tupperwares of sweet rice on the lazy susan. We have idli rawa ground rice on the shelf, and white, brown, and glutinous rice flours under the counter. Not to mention the selection of rice sticks and rice vermicelli in a converted cookie jar. The traditional Chinese greeting Have you had your rice today? would inevitably be met with an answer of 'yes' in this family.

That said, this ginger and tahini combination tastes just as divine on bean threads (also called cellophane/glass noodles or mung bean vermicelli). It is a comfort snack, after all -- so swirl it onto whatever will make your tummy smile -- brown rice, bean threads, or fragrant rice.

Yes, this is a selfish recipe; only for one. Stir up a bowlful on a chilly afternoon -- and, curling up on the couch with the sounds of James Taylor, go to Carolina in [Your] Mind.

1 spoonful MaraNatha Raw Sesame Tahini
chopped fresh ginger, to taste
sea salt

Spoon leftover rice into a small sauce pan. Mix in tahini and ginger, adding a splash of water to ease the blending of the tahini into the rice. Heat through. Salt generously with a sea salt.