Rice Pilaf

One of the most requested recipes from the Yanko's menu has been rice pilaf. Our pilaf was not a traditional middle eastern style. Rather it was adapted to a taste and style that Nick and his customers liked. The original recipe makes about 9 gals. of base and contains 24 lbs of butter and margarine. This might be enough to scare anyone who is at all health conscious. So here is the way we make it at home. If you like it richer you can add more butter or margarine. Play with the recipe and do what Nick did. Make it the way you like it.
Mark (Dad)

1 med onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tbsp olive or veg oil
1 stick butter
3 chicken bullion cubes or 2 Tbsp chicken base
1 tsp crushed red pepper seeds
2 cups water
1 cup long grain or basmati rice

in a med sauce pan heat the oil on med heat, add celery and onion, saute until tender, add the garlic, stir for 1 min then add pepper seeds and chicken base stirring for 1 more min, add the butter and stir until melted, add water and stir occasionally, when base comes to a boil add the rice and stir briefly, cover pan and reduce heat to low, when liquid has been absorbed (approx 20 min) stir the rice, recover the pan and allow to sit 5 min before serving