Vegetarian Star

Roger Ebert is proving no disability will stop his passion for critique and advice. Although complications from oral cancer robbed him of the ability to speak, he’s turned this hardship into a motivator. After writing a cookbook on rice cookers, The Pot and How To Use It, Ebert continues to guide people’s decisions in the kitchen through a recent New York Times column where he answers questions readers have left for him about cooking and life in general.

One reader was looking to replace boxed Zatarain’s beans and rice with a slow cooked, homemade version, but was unsure of what goes best in The Pot.

“I love a rice cooker meal of Zatarain’s rice with vermicelli, black beans and frozen vegetables (and turmeric)! I have unsuccessfully tried to duplicate the texture of the rice mix with rice and broken vermicelli. I am wondering if you have experimented with this. I am considering using orzo.Thanks Roger!”

Ebert’s recommended a mix of legumes, grains and seeds called Soo Foo.

Soo Foo contains Barley, Black Lentils, Brown Lentils, Buckwheat, Green Lentils, Long Grain Brown Rice, Oats, Rye Berries and Wheat Berries. Soo Foo was created by veteran food developer Maurice Kanbar, who also invented a distillation process for vodka that reduces impurities in the cocktails.

“I’m think it would work well with black beans and veggies,” Ebert wrote. “Maybe sauté some onion and garlic in The Pot first. Put in onion with a little oil and watch it like a hawk before adding grains and water. Garam masala never does harm.”

Mmm…Advice like this must be the reason vegetarian cookbook author Anna Thomas gave The Pot a thumbs up by writing a forward for the book.

Photo: PR Photos

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