# Congee: A billion people can't be wrong



## outRIAAge (Jun 27, 2016)

This is what I eat, when I'm not entertaining. I mean that literally: this is ALL I eat when I'm not entertaining. It doesn't bore me, and is impossibly-easy. I make a big pot and it changes as the week goes on. This is about the loosest-ever recipe imaginable.

*Congee*​
Here are the ingredients: Rice, good stock, whatever.

It's typically made with short-grain white rice, but I prefer brown basmati. Grab anything and you won't go wrong. It needs good stock, so if you don't want to make your own, get a jar of Better 'n Bullion, which comes in chicken, beef, ham, seafood, mushroom, and some other vegan flavour I haven't tried. It's better than any canned or boxed stock I've had, and is almost shelf-stable. (The ham and seafood ones are particularly good.)

Make it with four times as much stock as the rice needs. Green onions are a natural. If you throw in more fat ginger slices than make any sense, it will even cure anorexia. (Pick them out before serving.) If you can find smoked haddock you are in heaven. (It freezes well, so ask at your supermarket fish counter. If you grab some, know that it stays fresh for a month in the fridge once defrosted.) Smoked salmon would not be a disgrace. Tofu is brilliant, but serve it in bowls and pour the congee over it.

I like to add caramelized onions and carrots, and throw in some foraged mushrooms while it bubbles. This is a recipe that is impossible to get wrong, and can be a complete balanced diet.


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## Kayelle (Jun 27, 2016)

Whatever floats yer boat I guess, but for someone who proclaims himself to be a cooking fool, why on earth would you eat rice porridge every single day when you don't have to? I don't get it.


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## GotGarlic (Jun 27, 2016)

Kayelle said:


> Whatever floats yer boat I guess, but for someone who proclaims himself to be a cooking fool, why on earth would you eat rice porridge every single day when you don't have to? I don't get it.



+1. A billion people are poor. They can't afford anything else.


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## medtran49 (Jun 27, 2016)

+2.  When I'm on my own, I'll make 2 or 3 things and eat off them for a week or so, lunches and dinners, but not the same thing all the time.


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## Cheryl J (Jun 27, 2016)

outRIAAge said:


> This is what I eat, when I'm not entertaining. I mean that literally: this is ALL I eat when I'm not entertaining. It doesn't bore me, and is impossibly-easy. I make a big pot and it changes as the week goes on......


 (snipped)

Gosh...even if I entertained 4 nights of the week with a different meal each time, I don't think I could handle rice porridge the other 3 days - no matter what I added to it.  

OutRRIAge, by now you've probably seen the daily "What's for Dinner" thread - have you thought about sharing some of your daily dinners/pics? Not all of us claim to be cooking fools, but we do enjoy a thread where we can share our dinners - sometimes with pics, sometimes not.  It's all good and I for one am continuously inspired by the meals of our everyday home cooks.


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## outRIAAge (Jun 27, 2016)

I only now got here and I must seem rather like an enthusiastic bull in a china shop, with perhaps too many strong opinions. That is a fair description, unfortunately.

I don't recommend a congee diet to anyone, unless you absolutely, positively have to thrive on $30/month for food. It's a great occasional breakfast, and the reason it works for me 24/7 is that most days, I cannot smell or taste anything. I cook purely from imagination, and my guests tell me I have a great imagination (mostly 

On those days, a bowl of hot ricey goodness is still deeply satisfying. Thanks for the "What's for Dinner" recommendation. In fact I think I'll barge in there right now and do a show 'n tell


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## GotGarlic (Jun 27, 2016)

Most days you can't smell or taste anything? Why not? What about the other days? 

We are generally a pretty friendly and welcoming group. You are coming on a little strong, though


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## outRIAAge (Jun 27, 2016)

Thank you for the correction. I'll take a chill-pill. To answer your question, it's a sinus thing. Cleveland Clinic twice, three operations, sigh... Taste and smell were completely gone for years, but these days they sometime show up in full glory for a day or two. 

For a complete food-nut like myself, it sounds like a disaster, but it honestly doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that hyacinths are completely gone but cat-pee always comes through loud and clear: God will have his little jokes...


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## GotGarlic (Jun 27, 2016)

Argh. Nothing worse than cat pee  Well, not much anyway


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