Rice Blends Shine at Cisco

The flavor, convenience and healthfulness of packaged rice blends come in handy for Ingrid Rohrer, a chef at Cisco Systems, Inc...

The flavor, convenience and healthfulness of packaged rice blends come in handy for Ingrid Rohrer, a chef at Cisco Systems, Inc., a Bon Appetit Management Company foodservice account in San Jose, Calif. With 2,000 high-tech employees to feed at the Market Cafe each day, Rohrer uses the mixtures of assorted rices and grains to create tasty side dishes and rice salads with minimal effort.

One of the blends she favors is a medley of U.S.-grown red rice, parboiled long-grain white rice, barley and whole grain rye. Another example mixes parboiled long-grain rice, wild rice and wheat berries. She says they work well both as pilafs served alongside entrees and as warm rice salads dressed with vinaigrette and garnished with pine nuts, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries.

Not only do they taste great, but they satisfy customers who are eating more grains for health. “People don’t want plain-tasting rice anymore,” says Rohrer. “They want rice with flavor and texture.”