Wild Rice Jambalaya

In this episode of Kitchen Essentials, we visit sushi master Nozomu Abe at his celebrated omakase restaurant, Sushi Noz in NYC. Noz has been perfecting his craft for over 20 years, and it shows in his obsessive attention to detail when it comes to his food and the exclusive dinner experiences he offers. At Sushi Noz you will find Edomae sushi, a style that focuses on the treatment of ingredients through preservation of the fish, and a particular preparation of the rice. These processes are all part of the performance Abe puts on for his diners at his counter every night. When it comes to his favorite tools, he shows us both his prep and counter knives; His binchōtan coals and gril,l which he brings out to show customers how he sears and smokes delicate morsels of tuna or eel. After that he talks to us about the most important element of sushi, and the tool that is essential for him to make it: the rice and his traditional hagama. Setting the stage for his performance, is a space carefully curated to look, smell and feel like a traditional omakase in Japan, complete with a traditional hinoki refrigerator that he specifically commissioned for the restaurant, and a beautiful collection of Japanese ceramics both old and new, that lend the final touches to this unique food experience.

In this episode of Chow-To, Guillermo visits Sarah Lee, founder of Kimbap Lab, and expert in Korean home cooking, to learn how to make Dduk Guk, a rice cake soup traditionally eaten to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Korea. This is a perfect winter soup beyond the holiday. Loaded with soft pillowy rice cakes, delicious garnishes, and a rich beef broth, this is comfort in a bowl.

In this episode, Guillermo visits Chef Pierre Thiam at his fast casual restaurant, Teranga, where he serves Senegalese-inspired grain bowls— AKA, the ultimate power lunch. Chef Thiam's goal is to educate health-conscious American consumers on these superfoods, while also improving the lives of producers by restoring biodiversity to the planet through highly sustainable ancient crops. Together they make a Yassa Bowl using West African red rice, one of the super grains highest in nutritional value today.

No matter how you celebrate Fat Tuesday, we have a cocktail for you. Nothing says parade, like the Mardi Gras. When it's time to go wild, go for the Purple Hurricane. End in a classy note, with a French 75.

We visited Alan Cumming at his eponymous bar in NYC Club Cumming, for a little mixology class. Here's one of their signature cocktails, the Wild Ginger.

Roasted acorn squash is a hearty, relatively low-effort meal that's easily adapted to whatever ingredients you prefer (or happen to have on hand). The wild rice stuffing here is enhanced with sauteed onions, shallots, and celery, plus dried cranberries and toasted pecans for crunch. Replace the butter with vegetable oil and it's also vegan! Or go meaty and add crumbled sausage to the mix. Get the recipe.