Beauty in Simplicity

It's rare today to see recipes that keep things simple, but when you do, you realize that these are some of the most satisfying of all. Trendy foodies and Instagram Influencers typically have way too many ingredients. How about a handful of ingredients, sourced from responsible growers and providers? How about preparing such a basic dish that every ingredient shines? Take a look at my recipe.

Basic Greek. My mother prepared such a basic dish as part of her dinner repertoire. While it wasn't considered a traditional Greek recipe, her pilafi (pilaf) was included in almost all "fancy" dinners, and indeed, my sister and I thought it was quite special to have such a simple rice dish molded and then released onto each plate. This made it extra special to us. You can find my recipe in printable format here.

Pillafi is a variation on a theme of pilaf, a rice dish infused with aromatics and toasted in oil before being cooked in broth. There are variations of the variation throughout Greece and into Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. My retelling of my mother's pilafi recipe, uses Carolina Gold rice from Marsh Hen Mill in Edisto Island, South Carolina. This simple rice dish is usually served with a stewed meat or vegetable dish with a hearty sauce.