R

Rice
The staple grain of most whole foods diets, rice is low in fat and rich in vitamins and minerals,
like calcium, protein, iron and B vitamins. Rice as we know it, was reportedly cultivated in
India, spreading from there to Asia and the Middle East.
In its whole form, rice is a near perfect food. High in moisture, rice acts as a gentle diuretic,
balancing the moisture content of the body and encouraging the elimination of any excess.
Polished or white rice, while delicious on occasion, is pretty much devoid of nutrition and
should be enjoyed occasionally, with whole rice as the staple grain.
The most common strains of rice include short grain, medium grain and long grain. Short
grain, the hardest and most compact variety is best suited to cooler, temperate climates, while
medium and long grain rice are used in warmer climates and during the summer months.
Other gourmet varieties of rice have become popular in today's cooking include arborio,
basmati, texmati, wehani, black japonica and red rice. Sweet brown rice, a glutenous variety
of brown rice is commonly used not only as a grain dish, but in "mochi," a cake formed by
pounding and drying cooked sweet rice.
There are limitless uses for rice in daily cooking--it can be pressure cooked, steamed, boiled,
fried, baked, roasted, sauteed, used in breads, sushi, casseroles, sautes, pilafs or stuffings.  

Rice syrup
The Japanese call this "liquid sweetness." Rice syrup is a tick, amber syrup made by
combining sprouted barley with cooked brown rice and storing it in a warm place.
Fermentation begins and the starches in the rice convert to maltose and some other complex
sugars, making this a wonderfully healthy sweetener. Complex sugars release slowly into the
bloodstream, providing fuel for the body, rather than wreaking havoc on the blood sugar.
Rice syrup's wonderful, delicate sweetness makes it ideal for baked goods and other desserts.

Risotto
A generic term for a creamy, almost soupy rice dish native to Northern Italy. Traditionally
made with a specific short grain white rice called Arborio rice, the perfect risotto is creamy
and soupy, while the rice retains a bit of chewy texture.  
 
Rye
The Romans began cultivating this Asian grain thought to be a weed by the Greeks. By the
Middle Ages, rye was a staple grain in most of Europe.
As opposed to use in its whole form, rye is most commonly used in flour form to make rich,
hearty breads. Similar to wheat in composition, rye is a bit less glutenous, and like wheat,
can be used by itself to make breads.
Rye is, however, completely delicious when cooked with rice and makes a great whole
grain dish.