Hoover Dam (sh) and Wild mushroom pilaff (recipes)

Hoover Dam (sh)

formerly Boulder Dam

Highest concrete arch dam in the U.S., built on the Colorado River at the Arizona-Nevada border.

It impounds Lake Mead. The dam, completed in 1936, is used for flood and silt control, electric power, irrigation, and domestic and industrial water supplies. It is 726 ft (221 m) high and 1,244 ft (379 m) long (along the crest), has a power capacity of 1,345 megawatts, and a volume of 4.4 million cu yd (3.36 million cu m).

Wild mushroom pilaff (recipes)

Serves 4-6

Preparation time

30 mins to 1 hour

Cooking time

30 mins to 1 hour

Ingredients

3 tbsp vegetable oil1 tsp cumin seeds2 bay leaves1 large piece cinnamon stick2 black cardamom pods, lightly crushed6 black peppercorns 6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed4 cloves1 small onion, roughly choppedlarge handful raw cashew nuts, whole200g/7oz fresh wild mushrooms (girolles, morels, ceps, oyster mushrooms, etc, wiped clean with damp kitchen towel, and cleaned of any grit)2 garlic cloves, finely choppedsalt, to taste300g/10½oz basmati rice, washed well and soaked (soak the rice while you chop the mushrooms)390ml/13¾fl oz water1 tsp lemon juice, or to taste

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large wide saucepan. Add the whole spices, cook for 20 seconds then add the onion and cashew nuts. Be careful as they may splater a bit. Fry for about 4-5 minutes, until the onions are soft and browning at the edges.2. Add the mushrooms, garlic and salt and sauté over a high heat for 4-5 minutes. Drain the rice that' s been soaking and add to the pan along with the 390ml/13¾fl oz water, bring to the boil then cover and lower the heat to very low and cook for ten minutes. 3. After ten minutes, check a grain of rice to see if it is tender. If not, leave for another minute. Take off the heat, remove the lid and allow any excess moisture to evaporate. Gently stir in the lemon juice, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary and stir gently with a fork.

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