Dill Rice

when things get hard, lean into what makes you feel certain and steady

things you’ll need: rice, dill, a little fat (butter, coconut oil, vegetable oil, etc), salt, a little lemon, water or broth/bouillon, and whatever else you are making for dinner.

I’m lucky to have grown up in an area with a lot of delicious Persian, Palestinian, and Afghani foods, to name a few. This is akin to a Persian rice dish called Sheveed Polo. Because I am not Persian and didn’t learn this dish from anyone Persian, I will not speak to its authenticity. However, I do make this all the time to eat with fish, shawarma seasoned chicken, dill roasted carrots, or whenever I want a starchy side dish that isn’t plain rice.

incidentally gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan (without the butter)

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Chapter 228

You’ve been dealing with some heavy shit lately. It’s the Big Stuff. You manage to distract yourself while your brain keeps working on it in the background of everything. When people ask you how you are doing, you say “fine” because it’s so much less dramatic. Anyway, it’s not like they can fix it. There is no fixing. There is only tomorrow and whatever self is forged in this particular crucible.

You’ve been here before, or somewhere much like it. You recognize the worn furniture and the empty drawer of spoons. If you’ve learned anything from these pivotal moments, it’s that you will make room for the gravitational shifts in the vast universe of your brainscape. Even though things may not get “better”, you will change. You will reshape yourself. You will wake up in the morning, every morning, and keep making yourself.

There are things that bring you comfort, solutions you lean on that make all the other decisions easier. Like, taking a walk or a bath or whatever activities fill in the blank after When In Doubt.

For you, these things are often food related. You know you need to eat, even when you don’t want to. Maybe you keep Depression Boyardee in the cabinet or Just in Case Pizza in the freezer. Maybe you ate more Comfort Take-Out than your belly or bank account could manage this week and are ready to make something fresh and unprocessed.

Whatever you cook, serve with dill rice. In fact, pick what to eat based on what goes well with dill rice. Dill rice is the only thing you feel sure about. Lean into whatever makes you feel certain and steady.

Rinse a cup of basmati rice. Rinse it in a bowl, draining and filling at least three times or in a strainer under running water until the water runs clear.

Fill a pot with 1 ¾ cups of water, season with salt, and add a Tablespoon of fat like butter or a good oil. Add rice and bring to a boil. Cover, lower to simmer, and let it steam for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and leave covered while you make the rest of your dinner.

Chop some fresh dill. Add some to a salad or a yogurt sauce. Reserve a few tablespoons or a whole ¼ cup, depending on how dilly you like your rice.

When the rest of your dinner is done, fold the chopped dill into your rice. Squeeze in a little lemon because you love lemon and you need more of what you love right now.

Whether it’s heartbreak, grief, or wrestling with whatever prognosis currently beseeches your peace, you persevere. You must. You always have. It will be hard but also necessary. So, don’t forget to eat.

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I’d love to get to know you better.

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