Dondero: Middle Eastern rice pilaf easy to cook

Rice is something many Americans cook poorly.

I was reminded of that recently by some mushy-surfaced, eggshell-centered rice in the jambalaya at a normally good Decatur restaurant. Even some Tex-Mex restaurants stumble on rice, despite serving tons of it as plate filler.

But cooking rice is easy. Half the world does it daily! If a few rules are observed, including water quantity, rice is successful on the stove top and even easier with a rice cooker.

Last week I wrote a column about grilling kebabs.

Those sizzling savories cry out for rice pilaf, their soulmate from the Mediterranean to Central Asia.

Pilaf - rice cooked with seasonings plus meats, seafood, vegetables or fruits and nuts - is ancestrally Persian.

But under various names, even including paella and arroz con pollo, pilafs are enjoyed wherever there has been Turkish or Arab culinary influence.

Here is a recipe for a sure-fire fruit and nut pilaf that will enhance many foods. This particular style is Turkish. It is vegetarian, elegant and easy. The dried cranberries replace Persian barberries, which are rarely imported here these days.

Pilaf goes well with grilled or stewed meat and chicken dishes. It also makes a great snack on its own, especially when topped with a large dollop of yogurt - whole milk-type preferred (like the magnificent Greek "Fage" brand yogurt).

Rice Pilaf with Dried Fruits and Nuts

2 cups basmati or long grain rice

2 3/4 cups water

1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium-small onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons red bell pepper, minced

1 clove garlic, crushed and minced

1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup yellow raisins

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ci