May 23, 2006
Wouldn't you know, the very first time I don't read other reviews, I pay dearly and publicly! I made this for a dinner party and followed the recipe exactly. It was AWFUL--bland, too watery (even after cooking with the lid off for about 30 minutes), too oily. Thanks to some creativity by my boyfriend, it was salvageable and not too embarassing, but it took a LOT of tweaking. Here's our recommendations/rescue methods: 1) cut the oil WAY down, 2) we ended up adding another 1/3 cup of rice because it was too liquid, 3) we then added another tablespoon of tomato paste and a can of diced tomatoes (we were running out of time!), 4) While cooking the orignal version and being able to see it was going to be quite bland, I had already added fresh oregano and winter savory. In the rush-to-finish, we added about a tablespoon of dried oregano, a teaspoon of thyme, and lots and lots of salt and pepper, 5) Even after all that, we still had to dip it into the serving bowl with a slotted spoon, and when we got to the party, there was a layer of oil resting atop the mush. But, the guests loved it.
—AWHD