All About Rice

ontrary to popular belief, rice is not designed by nature to be instant. It is not made a man named Ben and while it takes more than a minute to prepare, it's not a difficult process to do it yourself. If cooking rice from scratch scares you (no pre-prepped boxed stuff, just right out of the bag), read on--your days of scorched rice are over.

Estimates are that more than half the world's population subsists wholly or partially on rice. The largest producers are China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Thailand; most is consumed domestically. Brown rice has greater food value than white, since the outer coatings, which are polished away to yield white rice, contain protein and minerals, while the white endosperm is primarily carbohydrate. (And by the way, wild rice isn't rice at all; it's a completely unrelated plant native to North America.) As a food, rice is low in fat and (compared to other grains) protein.

Rice may or may not be sticky. It all depends on the length of the grain. If you prefer a drier, less sticky style, I recommend a long grain or wild rice. If, like me, you prefer that sticky style grain that stays where you put it on a plate, I recommend a short grain. (Some cuisines, especially Asian, mix the two at times.)

There are so many different ways to prepare rice and I will show you some basics that you can then alter to your style. If you bought a large bag of rice and think the texture is too sticky, sauté rice in small amount of butter before cooking. Add liquid, cook as directed.

Basic Rice
2-1 water to rice (ie, if you've got 1 cup of rice, use 2 cups of water)
Saucepan with tight lid or a plate can be used as a lid in a pinch

Add rice to water and bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat to lowest heat on your stove Set timer for 15 minutes.

That's it. This method works with brown or white rice (though you may want to add a little more water for brown; experiment). The only way to make it simpler is to use a rice cooker! As long as you turn the heat down low, DON'T TAKE THE LID OFF and pay attention to your timer, you'll get great rice every time.

When you feel brave enough, add bits of anything to the rice before you cook it. I like onion, garlic and shredded carrot. You can saute them all together with the rice in a little butter or olive oil before adding the water for a different taste. And consider using broth instead of water to cook the rice--delicious!

When making plain rice, always make extra and put it in a covered dish in the fridge. In the morning, it is great with raisins, milk and sugar for a warm, healthy cereal.

You can reheat it in the microwave and serve it with leftover vegetables and even leftover meat that you have cut into bite sized pieces. Add some soy sauce and call it stir fry (No, this isn't authentic but it is delicious.)

Here is a sweet recipe I found that will be wonderful for the holidays.

Eggnog Rice Pudding
2 1/4 cups eggnog
5 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cups cooked long grain rice
1/2 cup finely chopped red and green candied cherries
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Place 2 cups of eggnog in a heavy saucepan. Combine the cornstarch and remaining eggnog until smooth; add to pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; boil for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in rice, cherries, vanilla, and salt. Spoon into dishes. Chill 2-3 hours.

Related items:

• If you end up cooking a lot of rice, you may want to invest in a Rice Cooker. They're so versatile we'll be following this article with one on using your rice cooker to make one-pot meals.
• 366 Delicious Ways to Cook Rice, Beans, and Grains focuses on ways to get more healthful whole foods like brown rice into your life.
• One way to get more rice in your life is to develop a taste for sushi--and no, it doesn't have to have raw fish in it! You can wrap almost anything in rice and call it sushi, and it's so good for you. Here's a collection of basic sushi recipes to get you started. It's easy and fun!

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Amy Rawson is a freelance writer, and is the attachment parent leader at http://www.herplanet.com. She also runs a home-based business making homemade salves, oils and balms for babies and mamas at http://www.welcome.to/lvmyboysessentials. This article © 1999-2005 Amy Rawson. Used by permission.