Some years ago, when I first experimented with a Zone diet, I came up with this delicious rice pilaf made with short grain brown rice, spinach, and pinto beans. For whatever reason, my daughter Sara dubbed this “Chunky Soup” and the name stuck in our household.
I know it’s redundant, but I am an Italian foodie. My two sisters and I grew up in a thoroughly Italian household with a Sicilian mom and a Neopolitan dad—both equally good cooks. My dad and uncle owned a small Italian restaurant together, and it was the place to go for great home style Italian food, including wonderful homemade pizza. My dad has passed on; but, to this day, even if my 80-plus-year-old mom doesn’t know you’re coming, she’ll pull a 5-course meal out of the fridge in no time flat.
