I'm putting 2 cups basmati in a rice cooker today, which is the way I make
it more often than not. (I soak it 30 minutes first.) Today I'm putting in
some saffron. I won't use any other spice in it today, but it got me to
wondering if there is anything else that anyone has tried that I might add.
I have added one of these at one time or another, in combination, or only
one ingredient, cardamon pods, cardamon poweder, coriander seeds or
coriander powder, fresh coriander when finished, tumeric, garam masala, but
I've never had the right amount or combination for 2 cups of basmati. I
don't care for chicken stock in basmati. There isn't an Indian spice I've
tried that I don't like.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Dee

Dee Randall wrote:

> I'm putting 2 cups basmati in a rice cooker today, which is the way I
> make it more often than not. (I soak it 30 minutes first.) Today
> I'm putting in some saffron. I won't use any other spice in it
> today, but it got me to wondering if there is anything else that
> anyone has tried that I might add. I have added one of these at one
> time or another, in combination, or only one ingredient, cardamon
> pods, cardamon poweder, coriander seeds or coriander powder, fresh
> coriander when finished, tumeric, garam masala, but I've never had
> the right amount or combination for 2 cups of basmati. I don't care
> for chicken stock in basmati. There isn't an Indian spice I've tried
> that I don't like. Any suggestions? Thanks. Dee
>


You didn't mention anything about salt. Hopefully, a little salt is
just assumed.

Crumble in some dried dundicut peppers, seeds and all.

A cinnamon stick might be interesting, but I've never tried it.

Bob

"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
...
> Dee Randall wrote:
>
>> I'm putting 2 cups basmati in a rice cooker today, which is the way I
>> make it more often than not. (I soak it 30 minutes first.) Today
>> I'm putting in some saffron. I won't use any other spice in it
>> today, but it got me to wondering if there is anything else that
>> anyone has tried that I might add. I have added one of these at one
>> time or another, in combination, or only one ingredient, cardamon
>> pods, cardamon poweder, coriander seeds or coriander powder, fresh
>> coriander when finished, tumeric, garam masala, but I've never had
>> the right amount or combination for 2 cups of basmati. I don't care
>> for chicken stock in basmati. There isn't an Indian spice I've tried
>> that I don't like. Any suggestions? Thanks. Dee
>>
>
>
> You didn't mention anything about salt. Hopefully, a little salt is just
> assumed.
>
> Crumble in some dried dundicut peppers, seeds and all.
>
> A cinnamon stick might be interesting, but I've never tried it.
>
> Bob
Thanks, Bob. I used to not use salt when cooking rice, but now I do and
it's MUCH better. I'd never thought of dried dundicut peppers -- that, I
will do.

Dee

I've thrown cumin seeds in when cooking basmati rice.

The other day at a local Indian restaurant I had lemon rice which was
basmati with lemon juice, various nuts/seeds, cilantro (fresh
coriander) and other veggies. I'll have to pay closer attention next
time I'm there to what was in it. It was a nice change.

Heidi

"Heidi" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> I've thrown cumin seeds in when cooking basmati rice.
>
> The other day at a local Indian restaurant I had lemon rice which was
> basmati with lemon juice, various nuts/seeds, cilantro (fresh
> coriander) and other veggies. I'll have to pay closer attention next
> time I'm there to what was in it. It was a nice change.
>
> Heidi
>

Some coconut milk and/or shredded unsweetened coconut can be nice.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

Dee Randall wrote:
> I'm putting 2 cups basmati in a rice cooker today, which is the way I
make
> it more often than not. (I soak it 30 minutes first.) Today I'm
putting in
> some saffron. I won't use any other spice in it today, but it got me
to
> wondering if there is anything else that anyone has tried that I
might add.
> I have added one of these at one time or another, in combination, or
only
> one ingredient, cardamon pods, cardamon poweder, coriander seeds or
> coriander powder, fresh coriander when finished, tumeric, garam
masala, but
> I've never had the right amount or combination for 2 cups of basmati.
I
> don't care for chicken stock in basmati. There isn't an Indian spice
I've
> tried that I don't like.
> Any suggestions?
> Thanks.
> Dee

If it's real Basmati (imported) just be sure to wash it very well...
only rice harvested in the US is fit for human consumption as packaged.

Sheldon

"Peter Aitken" > wrote in message
om...
> "Heidi" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > I've thrown cumin seeds in when cooking basmati rice.
> >
> > The other day at a local Indian restaurant I had lemon rice which was
> > basmati with lemon juice, various nuts/seeds, cilantro (fresh
> > coriander) and other veggies. I'll have to pay closer attention next
> > time I'm there to what was in it. It was a nice change.
> >
> > Heidi
> >
>
> Some coconut milk and/or shredded unsweetened coconut can be nice.

Add a bit of turmeric and some lemon grass to the above and it takes on a
bit of a Thai feeling.

A.

"Sheldon" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Dee Randall wrote:
>> I'm putting 2 cups basmati in a rice cooker today, which is the way I
> make
>> it more often than not. (I soak it 30 minutes first.) Today I'm
> putting in
>> some saffron. I won't use any other spice in it today, but it got me
> to
>> wondering if there is anything else that anyone has tried that I
> might add.
>> I have added one of these at one time or another, in combination, or
> only
>> one ingredient, cardamon pods, cardamon poweder, coriander seeds or
>> coriander powder, fresh coriander when finished, tumeric, garam
> masala, but
>> I've never had the right amount or combination for 2 cups of basmati.
> I
>> don't care for chicken stock in basmati. There isn't an Indian spice
> I've
>> tried that I don't like.
>> Any suggestions?
>> Thanks.
>> Dee
>
> If it's real Basmati (imported) just be sure to wash it very well...
> only rice harvested in the US is fit for human consumption as packaged.
>
> Sheldon

Sheldon, yes, I do wash my rice pretty well. I've seen travel pictures of
the rice piled in the road, and I've been to Nepal where people sit for
hours picking lice off the top of each other's heads. Yuk! Look what you've
done now!
However, do you have any suggestions other than just 4-5 washings?
On all my veggies, I usually spray vinegar on them after rinsing off, and
let them sit on the counter for a while.
Dee
>

Anita Amaro wrote:
>
> Add a bit of turmeric and some lemon grass to the above and it takes
on a
> bit of a Thai feeling.

Hmm, a Thai feeling... I know how a Thai feels... you got any
ingredients makes rice take on the mouth feel of Titty? hehe

Sheldon

Dee Randall wrote:
> "Sheldon" > wrote in message
> >
> > If it's real Basmati (imported) just be sure to wash it very
well...
> > only rice harvested in the US is fit for human consumption as
packaged.
>
> Sheldon, yes, I do wash my rice pretty well. I've seen travel
pictures of
> the rice piled in the road, and I've been to Nepal where people sit
for
> hours picking lice off the top of each other's heads. Yuk! Look what
you've
> done now!
> However, do you have any suggestions other than just 4-5 washings?
> On all my veggies, I usually spray vinegar on them after rinsing off,
and
> let them sit on the counter for a while.

Lice nothing... did you ever notice how there are no toilets within a
hundred miles of those rice paddys... the rice paddy IS the toilet...
not just for the water buffalo, all that human waste too.

I wash Basmati until the water runs clear, I use a fine mesh sieve set
into a pot. Then I soak it about a half hour. Drain, rinse, and cook.
Soaked you only need one cup water to each cup dry rice. I find
Basmati cooks up better if soaked. There are at least a zillion
ingredients you can add to Basmati, or any rice for that matter.

Sheldon

"Sheldon" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> Dee Randall wrote:
>> "Sheldon" > wrote in message
>> >
>> > If it's real Basmati (imported) just be sure to wash it very
> well...
>> > only rice harvested in the US is fit for human consumption as
> packaged.
>>
>> Sheldon, yes, I do wash my rice pretty well. I've seen travel
> pictures of
>> the rice piled in the road, and I've been to Nepal where people sit
> for
>> hours picking lice off the top of each other's heads. Yuk! Look what
> you've
>> done now!
>> However, do you have any suggestions other than just 4-5 washings?
>> On all my veggies, I usually spray vinegar on them after rinsing off,
> and
>> let them sit on the counter for a while.
>
> Lice nothing... did you ever notice how there are no toilets within a
> hundred miles of those rice paddys... the rice paddy IS the toilet...
> not just for the water buffalo, all that human waste too.
>
> I wash Basmati until the water runs clear, I use a fine mesh sieve set
> into a pot. Then I soak it about a half hour. Drain, rinse, and cook.
> Soaked you only need one cup water to each cup dry rice. I find
> Basmati cooks up better if soaked. There are at least a zillion
> ingredients you can add to Basmati, or any rice for that matter.
>
> Sheldon
>
Finally!! A person who only uses one cup water to each cup dry rice!! I
thought I am the only person in the universe that uses 1-1.

One winter we camped at Cocoapah Bend, Yuma, Arizona, next to the lettuce
fields. We would occasionally see the planes spraying the fields; but for
some reason early in the morning a few dogs would run up and down the rows
of lettuce, one set of the dog's legs on each side of the lettuce head,
dragging their 'bottoms' all the complete row. It was the silliest sight
and still stays in my mind when I'm shopping for lettuce.
Dee

On Fri 08 Apr 2005 11:18:21a, Sheldon wrote in rec.food.cooking:

>
> Dee Randall wrote:
>> "Sheldon" > wrote in message
>> >
>> > If it's real Basmati (imported) just be sure to wash it very well...
>> > only rice harvested in the US is fit for human consumption as
>> > packaged.
>>
>> Sheldon, yes, I do wash my rice pretty well. I've seen travel
>> pictures of the rice piled in the road, and I've been to Nepal where
>> people sit for hours picking lice off the top of each other's heads.
>> Yuk! Look what you've done now!
>> However, do you have any suggestions other than just 4-5 washings?
>> On all my veggies, I usually spray vinegar on them after rinsing off,
>> and let them sit on the counter for a while.
>
> Lice nothing... did you ever notice how there are no toilets within a
> hundred miles of those rice paddys... the rice paddy IS the toilet...
> not just for the water buffalo, all that human waste too.
>
> I wash Basmati until the water runs clear, I use a fine mesh sieve set
> into a pot. Then I soak it about a half hour. Drain, rinse, and cook.
> Soaked you only need one cup water to each cup dry rice. I find
> Basmati cooks up better if soaked. There are at least a zillion
> ingredients you can add to Basmati, or any rice for that matter.
>
> Sheldon

Sheldon,

Does the soak first, then cook in an equal amount of water also apply to
most other white rices?

Thanks...

--
Wayne Boatwright
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

>
> Sheldon,
>
> Does the soak first, then cook in an equal amount of water also apply to
> most other white rices?
>
> Thanks...
>


I've done that with brown rice. It cooks a lot faster that way.

Bob

On Fri 08 Apr 2005 12:20:49p, zxcvbob wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>>
>> Sheldon,
>>
>> Does the soak first, then cook in an equal amount of water also apply to
>> most other white rices?
>>
>> Thanks...
>>
>
>
> I've done that with brown rice. It cooks a lot faster that way.
>
> Bob
>

Thanks, Bob. Good to know about the brown rice, one of my favorites.

I've only ever tried soaking wild rice before cooking. It cooks faster,
but the added benefit with wild rice is the grain not "exploding" before it
gets tender.

--
Wayne Boatwright
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri 08 Apr 2005 11:18:21a, Sheldon wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
>>
>> Dee Randall wrote:
>>> "Sheldon" > wrote in message
>>> >
>>> > If it's real Basmati (imported) just be sure to wash it very well...
>>> > only rice harvested in the US is fit for human consumption as
>>> > packaged.
>>>
>>> Sheldon, yes, I do wash my rice pretty well. I've seen travel
>>> pictures of the rice piled in the road, and I've been to Nepal where
>>> people sit for hours picking lice off the top of each other's heads.
>>> Yuk! Look what you've done now!
>>> However, do you have any suggestions other than just 4-5 washings?
>>> On all my veggies, I usually spray vinegar on them after rinsing off,
>>> and let them sit on the counter for a while.
>>
>> Lice nothing... did you ever notice how there are no toilets within a
>> hundred miles of those rice paddys... the rice paddy IS the toilet...
>> not just for the water buffalo, all that human waste too.
>>
>> I wash Basmati until the water runs clear, I use a fine mesh sieve set
>> into a pot. Then I soak it about a half hour. Drain, rinse, and cook.
>> Soaked you only need one cup water to each cup dry rice. I find
>> Basmati cooks up better if soaked. There are at least a zillion
>> ingredients you can add to Basmati, or any rice for that matter.
>>
>> Sheldon
>
> Sheldon,
>
> Does the soak first, then cook in an equal amount of water also apply to
> most other white rices?
>
> Thanks...

> Wayne Boatwright

Wayne, I don't soak my Japanese rice. For me, it makes it too mushy. And
it's mushy enough without soaking. However, other's might.

I almost always go 1-1; sometimes 1-1/4 cup water to 1 cup rice; depending
on the rice; for instance, I would go 1-1/4 with Tex-Mex without soaking,
and perhaps 1-1 WITH soaking.
I usually use a rice cooker, although I am capable of cooking rice on the
stove.
Today I put the rice cooker outside to 'cook.' Seems like a reasonable thing
to do.
Dee

Dee Randall wrote on 08 Apr 2005 in rec.food.cooking

>
> "Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Fri 08 Apr 2005 11:18:21a, Sheldon wrote in rec.food.cooking:
> >
> >>
> >> Dee Randall wrote:
> >>> "Sheldon" > wrote in message
> >>> >
> >>> > If it's real Basmati (imported) just be sure to wash it very
> >>> > well... only rice harvested in the US is fit for human
> >>> > consumption as packaged.
> >>>
> >>> Sheldon, yes, I do wash my rice pretty well. I've seen travel
> >>> pictures of the rice piled in the road, and I've been to Nepal
> >>> where people sit for hours picking lice off the top of each
> >>> other's heads. Yuk! Look what you've done now!
> >>> However, do you have any suggestions other than just 4-5
> >>> washings? On all my veggies, I usually spray vinegar on them
> >>> after rinsing off, and let them sit on the counter for a
> >>> while.
> >>
> >> Lice nothing... did you ever notice how there are no toilets
> >> within a hundred miles of those rice paddys... the rice paddy
> >> IS the toilet... not just for the water buffalo, all that human
> >> waste too.
> >>
> >> I wash Basmati until the water runs clear, I use a fine mesh
> >> sieve set into a pot. Then I soak it about a half hour.
> >> Drain, rinse, and cook.
> >> Soaked you only need one cup water to each cup dry rice. I
> >> find
> >> Basmati cooks up better if soaked. There are at least a
> >> zillion ingredients you can add to Basmati, or any rice for
> >> that matter.
> >>
> >> Sheldon
> >
> > Sheldon,
> >
> > Does the soak first, then cook in an equal amount of water also
> > apply to most other white rices?
> >
> > Thanks...
>
> > Wayne Boatwright
>
> Wayne, I don't soak my Japanese rice. For me, it makes it too
> mushy. And it's mushy enough without soaking. However, other's
> might.
>
> I almost always go 1-1; sometimes 1-1/4 cup water to 1 cup rice;
> depending
> on the rice; for instance, I would go 1-1/4 with Tex-Mex without
> soaking, and perhaps 1-1 WITH soaking.
> I usually use a rice cooker, although I am capable of cooking rice
> on the stove.
> Today I put the rice cooker outside to 'cook.' Seems like a
> reasonable thing to do.
> Dee
>
>
>

Before I was diagnosed type 2 diabetic, I would cook a cup of Basmati
rice in the rice cooker. I would use a can of cream of chicken soup and
enough water/chicken stock to make 2 cups liquid. I also would chuck in
some chunked chicken thighs and a bit of mushrooms, onions and/or
whatever other veggies I had on hand and felt like using. After the
rice cooker turned to warm; I'd also chuck in a handfull of frozen peas
then stir and serve. I am a working stiff and I am hungry when I get
home...I don't/can't wait the additional soaking time required to go
the other way. This was a good, fairly cheap, fast 1 pot meal and
depending of what I added to the rice... enough leftovers for lunch the
next day.

--
No Bread Crumbs were hurt in the making of this Meal.
Type 2 Diabetic Since Aug 2004
1AC- 7.2, 7.3, 5.5, 5.6 mmol
Weight from 265 down to 219 lbs. and dropping.
Continuing to be Manitoban

On Fri 08 Apr 2005 02:52:48p, Dee Randall wrote in rec.food.cooking:

>
> "Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Fri 08 Apr 2005 11:18:21a, Sheldon wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>
>>>
>>> Dee Randall wrote:
>>>> "Sheldon" > wrote in message
>>>> >
>>>> > If it's real Basmati (imported) just be sure to wash it very
>>>> > well... only rice harvested in the US is fit for human consumption
>>>> > as packaged.
>>>>
>>>> Sheldon, yes, I do wash my rice pretty well. I've seen travel
>>>> pictures of the rice piled in the road, and I've been to Nepal where
>>>> people sit for hours picking lice off the top of each other's heads.
>>>> Yuk! Look what you've done now!
>>>> However, do you have any suggestions other than just 4-5 washings?
>>>> On all my veggies, I usually spray vinegar on them after rinsing off,
>>>> and let them sit on the counter for a while.
>>>
>>> Lice nothing... did you ever notice how there are no toilets within a
>>> hundred miles of those rice paddys... the rice paddy IS the toilet...
>>> not just for the water buffalo, all that human waste too.
>>>
>>> I wash Basmati until the water runs clear, I use a fine mesh sieve set
>>> into a pot. Then I soak it about a half hour. Drain, rinse, and
>>> cook.
>>> Soaked you only need one cup water to each cup dry rice. I find
>>> Basmati cooks up better if soaked. There are at least a zillion
>>> ingredients you can add to Basmati, or any rice for that matter.
>>>
>>> Sheldon
>>
>> Sheldon,
>>
>> Does the soak first, then cook in an equal amount of water also apply
>> to most other white rices?
>>
>> Thanks...
>
>> Wayne Boatwright
>
> Wayne, I don't soak my Japanese rice. For me, it makes it too mushy.
> And it's mushy enough without soaking. However, other's might.

Thanks, Dee. Well, I don't ever buy Japanese rice. I actually find it too
"delicate" for my taste.

> I almost always go 1-1; sometimes 1-1/4 cup water to 1 cup rice;
> depending
> on the rice; for instance, I would go 1-1/4 with Tex-Mex without
> soaking, and perhaps 1-1 WITH soaking.
> I usually use a rice cooker, although I am capable of cooking rice on
> the stove.
> Today I put the rice cooker outside to 'cook.' Seems like a reasonable
> thing to do.
> Dee

I don't own a rice cooker, probably never will, not because I wouldn't want
one, but I cook rice rarely enough that it doesn't warrant the cost or the
storage space. I will definitely try some various ratios and try pre-
soaking. I've tried plenty of methods using non-soaked rice.

Unless I'm planning on using the rice in another dish, I really prefer rice
the way one most often gets it in Chinese restaurants, on the dry side and
rather "clumpy". I've never really been able to recreate that.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

On Fri 08 Apr 2005 04:12:40p, Monsur Fromage du Pollet wrote in
rec.food.cooking:

> Dee Randall wrote on 08 Apr 2005 in rec.food.cooking
>
>>
>> "Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > On Fri 08 Apr 2005 11:18:21a, Sheldon wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>> >
>> >>
>> >> Dee Randall wrote:
>> >>> "Sheldon" > wrote in message
>> >>> >
>> >>> > If it's real Basmati (imported) just be sure to wash it very
>> >>> > well... only rice harvested in the US is fit for human
>> >>> > consumption as packaged.
>> >>>
>> >>> Sheldon, yes, I do wash my rice pretty well. I've seen travel
>> >>> pictures of the rice piled in the road, and I've been to Nepal
>> >>> where people sit for hours picking lice off the top of each
>> >>> other's heads. Yuk! Look what you've done now!
>> >>> However, do you have any suggestions other than just 4-5
>> >>> washings? On all my veggies, I usually spray vinegar on them
>> >>> after rinsing off, and let them sit on the counter for a while.
>> >>
>> >> Lice nothing... did you ever notice how there are no toilets
>> >> within a hundred miles of those rice paddys... the rice paddy
>> >> IS the toilet... not just for the water buffalo, all that human
>> >> waste too.
>> >>
>> >> I wash Basmati until the water runs clear, I use a fine mesh
>> >> sieve set into a pot. Then I soak it about a half hour.
>> >> Drain, rinse, and cook.
>> >> Soaked you only need one cup water to each cup dry rice. I find
>> >> Basmati cooks up better if soaked. There are at least a
>> >> zillion ingredients you can add to Basmati, or any rice for
>> >> that matter.
>> >>
>> >> Sheldon
>> >
>> > Sheldon,
>> >
>> > Does the soak first, then cook in an equal amount of water also
>> > apply to most other white rices?
>> >
>> > Thanks...
>>
>> > Wayne Boatwright
>>
>> Wayne, I don't soak my Japanese rice. For me, it makes it too
>> mushy. And it's mushy enough without soaking. However, other's might.
>>
>> I almost always go 1-1; sometimes 1-1/4 cup water to 1 cup rice;
>> depending
>> on the rice; for instance, I would go 1-1/4 with Tex-Mex without
>> soaking, and perhaps 1-1 WITH soaking.
>> I usually use a rice cooker, although I am capable of cooking rice
>> on the stove.
>> Today I put the rice cooker outside to 'cook.' Seems like a
>> reasonable thing to do.
>> Dee
>>
>>
>>
>
> Before I was diagnosed type 2 diabetic, I would cook a cup of Basmati
> rice in the rice cooker. I would use a can of cream of chicken soup and
> enough water/chicken stock to make 2 cups liquid. I also would chuck in
> some chunked chicken thighs and a bit of mushrooms, onions and/or
> whatever other veggies I had on hand and felt like using. After the
> rice cooker turned to warm; I'd also chuck in a handfull of frozen peas
> then stir and serve. I am a working stiff and I am hungry when I get
> home...I don't/can't wait the additional soaking time required to go
> the other way. This was a good, fairly cheap, fast 1 pot meal and
> depending of what I added to the rice... enough leftovers for lunch the
> next day.
>

I've made virtually the same concoction many times with the same ratios,
but I've always cooked it in the oven. Very tasty. With two of us eating
it, there were never any leftovers. <g>

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri 08 Apr 2005 02:52:48p, Dee Randall wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
>>
>> "Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> On Fri 08 Apr 2005 11:18:21a, Sheldon wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> Dee Randall wrote:
>>>>> "Sheldon" > wrote in message
>>>>> >
>>>>> > If it's real Basmati (imported) just be sure to wash it very
>>>>> > well... only rice harvested in the US is fit for human consumption
>>>>> > as packaged.
>>>>>
>>>>> Sheldon, yes, I do wash my rice pretty well. I've seen travel
>>>>> pictures of the rice piled in the road, and I've been to Nepal where
>>>>> people sit for hours picking lice off the top of each other's heads.
>>>>> Yuk! Look what you've done now!
>>>>> However, do you have any suggestions other than just 4-5 washings?
>>>>> On all my veggies, I usually spray vinegar on them after rinsing off,
>>>>> and let them sit on the counter for a while.
>>>>
>>>> Lice nothing... did you ever notice how there are no toilets within a
>>>> hundred miles of those rice paddys... the rice paddy IS the toilet...
>>>> not just for the water buffalo, all that human waste too.
>>>>
>>>> I wash Basmati until the water runs clear, I use a fine mesh sieve set
>>>> into a pot. Then I soak it about a half hour. Drain, rinse, and
>>>> cook.
>>>> Soaked you only need one cup water to each cup dry rice. I find
>>>> Basmati cooks up better if soaked. There are at least a zillion
>>>> ingredients you can add to Basmati, or any rice for that matter.
>>>>
>>>> Sheldon
>>>
>>> Sheldon,
>>>
>>> Does the soak first, then cook in an equal amount of water also apply
>>> to most other white rices?
>>>
>>> Thanks...
>>
>>> Wayne Boatwright
>>
>> Wayne, I don't soak my Japanese rice. For me, it makes it too mushy.
>> And it's mushy enough without soaking. However, other's might.
>
> Thanks, Dee. Well, I don't ever buy Japanese rice. I actually find it
> too
> "delicate" for my taste.
>
>> I almost always go 1-1; sometimes 1-1/4 cup water to 1 cup rice;
>> depending
>> on the rice; for instance, I would go 1-1/4 with Tex-Mex without
>> soaking, and perhaps 1-1 WITH soaking.
>> I usually use a rice cooker, although I am capable of cooking rice on
>> the stove.
>> Today I put the rice cooker outside to 'cook.' Seems like a reasonable
>> thing to do.
>> Dee
>
> I don't own a rice cooker, probably never will, not because I wouldn't
> want
> one, but I cook rice rarely enough that it doesn't warrant the cost or the
> storage space. I will definitely try some various ratios and try pre-
> soaking. I've tried plenty of methods using non-soaked rice.
>
> Unless I'm planning on using the rice in another dish, I really prefer
> rice
> the way one most often gets it in Chinese restaurants, on the dry side and
> rather "clumpy". I've never really been able to recreate that.
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright *¿*
> ____________________________________________
Wayne, I like rice this way, too. I'm pretty sure the restaurants use large
rice cookers to make their rice, not by pot on top of the stove. But I
think to get this dry, clumpy rice, you could get it only by cooking in a
rice cooker. Otherwise, you would really have to watch your stove burner to
make sure it didn't dry out and burn. Also, this dry, clumpy rice comes
about -- I think -- by it sitting around a while, not being served right
away. Let us all know if, when you get your dry, clumpy rice -- just try a
little less water, first. Also, I don't think restaurants use very much
oil/butter, which inclines soy sauce just to run off instead of soak up.

By the way, does anyone know why Canadians use mushroom soy sauce -- I'm
sure not all do, but every Chinese restaurant I've eaten in in Canada has
used the mushroom soy sauce.

Dee

We usually use Basmati to make Plain / Steamed rice or Polau (aka
Pilaf). For Plain Rice no seasoning or spice (not even Salt). For Polau
the "siple" recipe that we follow is:

* melt some butter or ghee
* add some ginger (fresh is prefered, but powder can be substituted)
* add cardamon & cinnamon
* add the washed & drained rice to the butter and ginger
* constantly stir the rice to make sure every individual rice grain
has a chance to be coated with the butter / ghee on mid to mid-hi heat
* after ~10 minutes, add liquid and salt
* stir very gently once or twice, but no more
* wait for a boil
* immediately turn heat to med to med-low
* cover for about 25 - 35 min

The liquid would be approximately 1.5 times the amount of rice. So, for
2 cups of rice there would be ~3 cups of liquid. The liquid is mostly
water with very little whole milk. For 3 cups of liquid there would be
about a quarter of a cup of milk.

We almost never ever soak the rice in water. In tends to break the
rice. Many of our friends use the cooker, but we haven't tried it yet.

- manzoor

On Sat 09 Apr 2005 08:43:22a, Manzoorul Hassan wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> We usually use Basmati to make Plain / Steamed rice or Polau (aka
> Pilaf). For Plain Rice no seasoning or spice (not even Salt). For Polau
> the "siple" recipe that we follow is:
>
> * melt some butter or ghee
> * add some ginger (fresh is prefered, but powder can be substituted)
> * add cardamon & cinnamon
> * add the washed & drained rice to the butter and ginger
> * constantly stir the rice to make sure every individual rice grain
> has a chance to be coated with the butter / ghee on mid to mid-hi heat
> * after ~10 minutes, add liquid and salt
> * stir very gently once or twice, but no more
> * wait for a boil
> * immediately turn heat to med to med-low
> * cover for about 25 - 35 min
>
> The liquid would be approximately 1.5 times the amount of rice. So, for
> 2 cups of rice there would be ~3 cups of liquid. The liquid is mostly
> water with very little whole milk. For 3 cups of liquid there would be
> about a quarter of a cup of milk.
>
> We almost never ever soak the rice in water. In tends to break the
> rice. Many of our friends use the cooker, but we haven't tried it yet.
>
> - manzoor

That sounds delicious!

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

On Sat 09 Apr 2005 07:29:46a, Dee Randall wrote in rec.food.cooking:

>> Unless I'm planning on using the rice in another dish, I really prefer
>> rice the way one most often gets it in Chinese restaurants, on the dry
>> side and rather "clumpy". I've never really been able to recreate
>> that.
>>
>> --
>> Wayne Boatwright *¨*
>> ____________________________________________
> Wayne, I like rice this way, too. I'm pretty sure the restaurants use
> large rice cookers to make their rice, not by pot on top of the stove.
> But I think to get this dry, clumpy rice, you could get it only by
> cooking in a rice cooker. Otherwise, you would really have to watch
> your stove burner to make sure it didn't dry out and burn. Also, this
> dry, clumpy rice comes about -- I think -- by it sitting around a while,
> not being served right away. Let us all know if, when you get your dry,
> clumpy rice -- just try a little less water, first. Also, I don't think
> restaurants use very much oil/butter, which inclines soy sauce just to
> run off instead of soak up.
>
> By the way, does anyone know why Canadians use mushroom soy sauce -- I'm
> sure not all do, but every Chinese restaurant I've eaten in in Canada
> has used the mushroom soy sauce.
>
> Dee

Thanks, Dee. All points well taken, and I wil experiment.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

Manzoorul Hassan wrote:
> We usually use Basmati to make Plain / Steamed rice or Polau (aka
> Pilaf). For Plain Rice no seasoning or spice (not even Salt). For Polau
> the "siple" recipe that we follow is:
>
> * melt some butter or ghee
> * add some ginger (fresh is prefered, but powder can be substituted)
> * add cardamon & cinnamon
> * add the washed & drained rice to the butter and ginger
> * constantly stir the rice to make sure every individual rice grain
> has a chance to be coated with the butter / ghee on mid to mid-hi heat
> * after ~10 minutes, add liquid and salt
> * stir very gently once or twice, but no more
> * wait for a boil
> * immediately turn heat to med to med-low
> * cover for about 25 - 35 min
>
> The liquid would be approximately 1.5 times the amount of rice. So, for
> 2 cups of rice there would be ~3 cups of liquid. The liquid is mostly
> water with very little whole milk. For 3 cups of liquid there would be
> about a quarter of a cup of milk.
>
> We almost never ever soak the rice in water. In tends to break the
> rice. Many of our friends use the cooker, but we haven't tried it yet.
>
> - manzoor
>

Yes, this is about how we make it at our house. The plain rice, cooked
with just water and without soaking, is eaten with the wet "curries"
like dhal/kadhi/plain yogurt with a pickle/papad. For a pilaf/pilau, we
wash and soak the basmati in water for 30 minutes, then drain the rice
and saute in ghee with fresh ginger and/or onions/cardamon/cinnamon
stick/cloves/bay leaf. Water is added in the ratio of 1.5 cups of water
to every cup of rice and optionally vegetables(julienned
carrots/potatoes/green bean/peas,etc.) are added. We let everything come
to a boil, stir and then cover tightly and let it finish cooking in a
325F oven for 30 minutes. We serve it garnished with cashew nuts and
fresh cilantro accompanied with plain yoghurt or raita on the side. One
can also make the more elaborate biryani, reserved for special occasions.

By the way, 1:1 rice to water must cook things up really dry. Do you
guys prefer it that way? A good Indian pilau is usually cooked up tender
and moist, athough each grain of rice must stay separate and not clump.

- Kamala.

Kamala Ganesh wrote:
>
> this is about how we make it at our house. The plain rice, cooked
> with just water and without soaking. For a pilaf/pilau, we
> wash and soak the basmati in water for 30 minutes, then drain

Why soak for one and not the other? I soak regardless how cooked and
obtain better results than not soaked. But if I had to choose but one
to soak it would be for plain rice (opposite of you) since pilaf
requires toasting the rice in fat. For pilaf I drain well after
soaking and then pour the rice onto a paper towel to blot and then fry
gently, just till the rice acquires a slight chalky hue, then add other
ingredients and proceed. For plain rice, since it's not toasted I'm
not careful to drain well. And I should hope you wash in either case.

Sheldon

Sheldon wrote:
>
> Why soak for one and not the other? [snip]

One possibility: when you fry the rice in oil for pilaf the grains are
coated and will absorb less water when it cooks, so you soak it first;
when you have plain rice it absorbs more water in cooking and so there
isn't as much need to soak it first. In either case, it depends on the
rice crop and the texture you like. With the current bag we have of
jasmine rice I found that soaking it first makes it softer than we
like, so I don't soak it. The bag of regular long grain rice, though,
clearly benefits from a pre-soak.

Madhur Jaffrey recommends in one of her books that rice for pilaf get a
three-step preliminary treatment: 30 minutes of soaking, then 30
minutes of draining in a sieve, then the preliminary cooking in ghee or
oil. Comes out tender with separate grains. -aem

My ex would, while the water was coming to a boil, put some ghee in a
small cast iron skillet, add some cumin and once whole cardi pod, some
very thinly sliced onions, and cook the whole mess until the onions were
good and brown. He'd add that to the cooking rice, and it would float at
the top, landing attractively on the surface when the rice was done.
Madhur Jaffrey has a nice version with chopped dill weed, which she said
mimincked an herb from her childhood, and the stuff is baked in the
oven. I can't remember where I stashed that recipe....I believe it was
from a cooking show where she was a guest of J. Childs.
HTH
blacksalt

On Sat, 9 Apr 2005 10:29:46 -0400, Dee Randall > wrote:
>> ____________________________________________
> Wayne, I like rice this way, too. I'm pretty sure the restaurants use large
> rice cookers to make their rice, not by pot on top of the stove. But I
> think to get this dry, clumpy rice, you could get it only by cooking in a
> rice cooker. Otherwise, you would really have to watch your stove burner to
> make sure it didn't dry out and burn. Also, this dry, clumpy rice comes
> about -- I think -- by it sitting around a while, not being served right
> away. Let us all know if, when you get your dry, clumpy rice -- just try a
> little less water, first. Also, I don't think restaurants use very much
> oil/butter, which inclines soy sauce just to run off instead of soak up.
[snip]

LOL, Chinese restaurants shouldn't be using ANY oil or butter if it's
plain steamed rice. ;D And they definitely use a rice cooker. I find that
drier, fluffier texture to be the norm when using a cooker, and it seems to
help to rinse the rice several times before cooking, too. When the rice
is done, I usually pop open the lid, fluff the rice a bit with the
plastic paddle, and snap the lid back down for a few more minutes, too. The
"warm" feature will usually continue to dry it out just a bit. The fluffing
technique is also helpful when cooking rice on the stovetop.

Ariane

Ariane Jenkins wrote:
> On Sat, 9 Apr 2005 10:29:46 -0400, Dee Randall >
wrote:
> >> ____________________________________________
> > Wayne, I like rice this way, too. I'm pretty sure the restaurants
use large
> > rice cookers to make their rice, not by pot on top of the stove.
But I
> > think to get this dry, clumpy rice, you could get it only by
cooking in a
> > rice cooker. Otherwise, you would really have to watch your stove
burner to
> > make sure it didn't dry out and burn. Also, this dry, clumpy rice
comes
> > about -- I think -- by it sitting around a while, not being served
right
> > away. Let us all know if, when you get your dry, clumpy rice --
just try a
> > little less water, first. Also, I don't think restaurants use very
much
> > oil/butter, which inclines soy sauce just to run off instead of
soak up.
> [snip]
>
> LOL, Chinese restaurants shouldn't be using ANY oil or butter if
it's
> plain steamed rice. ;D And they definitely use a rice cooker.

I don't know why you say "definitely". I've never seen any Chinese
restaurant in NYC that uses a rice cooker. I'm pretty observant when
it comes to kitchen stuff, and every kitchen I've observed the rice was
cooked in an ordinary aluminum pot, a huge pot, but ordinary
nevertheless... and not just Oriental, Hispanic restaurants as well,
and they eat a lot of rice too, although they tend to use cast aluminum
of a wide but shallow configuration.

Just because one is Chinese is no recomendation one can cook Chinese...
I beleive those who don't cook very well are who use rice cookers, of
any ethnicity.

Sheldon.

On 10 Apr 2005 08:44:06 -0700, Sheldon > wrote:
>
> I don't know why you say "definitely". I've never seen any Chinese
> restaurant in NYC that uses a rice cooker. I'm pretty observant when
> it comes to kitchen stuff, and every kitchen I've observed the rice was
> cooked in an ordinary aluminum pot, a huge pot, but ordinary
> nevertheless... and not just Oriental, Hispanic restaurants as well,
> and they eat a lot of rice too, although they tend to use cast aluminum
> of a wide but shallow configuration.

I would be very surprised if that were the case. It simply makes more
sense to use a rice cooker. It frees up space on the stovetop, it requires no
watching/timing, keeps warm well and rice cookers can have very large
capacities fitting for the amount of rice a Chinese restaurant would require.
And the results are excellent.

> Just because one is Chinese is no recomendation one can cook Chinese...

That's pretty rich, coming from you. As I've mentioned before, your
track record for advice on Chinese cuisine is hardly a recommendation for your
skills or knowledge, either. Maybe you should follow aem's advice about
not digging yourself any deeper.

> I beleive those who don't cook very well are who use rice cookers, of
> any ethnicity.

You're free to think that if it makes you feel better, but I hope you
realize that most sensible people know you have no basis in reality for
thinking so.

Ariane
--
Incompetence: When you earnestly believe you can compensate for a lack of
skill by doubling your efforts, there's no end to what you can't do.
http://www.despair.com/demotivators/incompetence.html

Sheldon wrote:

>
> I don't know why you say "definitely". I've never seen any Chinese
> restaurant in NYC that uses a rice cooker. I'm pretty observant when
> it comes to kitchen stuff, and every kitchen I've observed the rice was
> cooked in an ordinary aluminum pot, a huge pot, but ordinary
> nevertheless... and not just Oriental, Hispanic restaurants as well,
> and they eat a lot of rice too, although they tend to use cast aluminum
> of a wide but shallow configuration.

I have seen a number of Chinese restaurants in NYC using ricecookers. We
had lunch in NYC Chinatown a few weeks ago and the restaurant had one
that looked like this:

http://www.centralrestaurant.com/Aut...&st3=-31699471

or

http://shorterlink.com/?VD48MX

I have also seen this type in use a number of times:

http://www.yourdelight.com/panasonic...ice_cooker.htm


I have also seen those ricecookers in common use in restaurants in Asian
countries. They are just too practical not to use.

It is pretty much impossible not to find one similar to this in a
Japanese restaurant:

http://www.livingincomfort.com/zonycoricoan.html



>
> Just because one is Chinese is no recomendation one can cook Chinese...
> I beleive those who don't cook very well are who use rice cookers, of
> any ethnicity.

Using a rice cooker simply indicates that the chef has chosen to use a
more convenient device for preparing rice and in no way indicates a lack
of competence. Some of the best Asian meals I have ever had were served
with rice that was prepared in a ricecooker.

>
> Sheldon.
>

Manzoorul Hassan wrote:
> We usually use Basmati to make Plain / Steamed rice or Polau (aka
> Pilaf). For Plain Rice no seasoning or spice (not even Salt). For
Polau
> the "siple" recipe that we follow is:
>
> * melt some butter or ghee
> * add some ginger (fresh is prefered, but powder can be
substituted)
> * add cardamon & cinnamon
> * add the washed & drained rice to the butter and ginger
> * constantly stir the rice to make sure every individual rice grain
> has a chance to be coated with the butter / ghee on mid to mid-hi
heat
> * after ~10 minutes, add liquid and salt
> * stir very gently once or twice, but no more
> * wait for a boil
> * immediately turn heat to med to med-low
> * cover for about 25 - 35 min
>
> The liquid would be approximately 1.5 times the amount of rice. So,
for
> 2 cups of rice there would be ~3 cups of liquid. The liquid is mostly
> water with very little whole milk. For 3 cups of liquid there would
be
> about a quarter of a cup of milk.
>
> We almost never ever soak the rice in water. In tends to break the
> rice. Many of our friends use the cooker, but we haven't tried it
yet.
>
> - manzoor

While I'm toasting the rice in fat I heat the liquid to the boil in a
saucer covered Pyrex measure, in the nuker... then it's all ready to
bring back to a boil in like under two minutes. By your method by the
time you bring the cold water to a boil with the rice in it you are in
effect indeed soaking your rice. I add veggies (onion, celery, garlic,
carrot, etc.) to my pilaf so I decrease liquid accordingly... practice
gives one a sense for how much. I don't add meat to pilaf, the meat
would become tough. You cook your rice about three times longer than I
do, it's no wonder soaked rice would break up, I think even unsoaked
the rice would turn to paste after cooking a half hour. I think you
work very hard to cook rice, and yours doesn't sound very inspiring
either, perhaps for you your procedure is more a ritualistic religious
experience than something culinarily practical.

Sheldon

aem wrote:
> Sheldon wrote:
> >
> > Why soak for one and not the other? [snip]
>
> One possibility: when you fry the rice in oil for pilaf the grains
are
> coated and will absorb less water when it cooks, so you soak it
first;

I don't think so, oil will quickly float to the surface in hot water...
I think the oil is stricty to impart flavor during (toasting)

> when you have plain rice it absorbs more water in cooking and so
there
> isn't as much need to soak it first. In either case, it depends on
the
> rice crop and the texture you like. With the current bag we have of
> jasmine rice I found that soaking it first makes it softer than we
> like, so I don't soak it. The bag of regular long grain rice,
though,
> clearly benefits from a pre-soak.
>
> Madhur Jaffrey recommends in one of her books that rice for pilaf get
a
> three-step preliminary treatment: 30 minutes of soaking, then 30
> minutes of draining in a sieve, then the preliminary cooking in ghee
or
> oil. Comes out tender with separate grains. -aem

That's essentially how I described my method... and I never read
anything she has written, I suppose because I really don't much care
for the stench of Indian coozine. I cook my rice Puerto Rican style.

Sheldon

Sheldon wrote:

>
> That's essentially how I described my method... and I never read
> anything she has written, I suppose because I really don't much care
> for the stench of Indian coozine. I cook my rice Puerto Rican style.
>
> Sheldon
>

It is ironic that you chose basmati for cooking considering you don't
care for the stench of Indian cuisine; basmati rice is from the Indian
subcontinent and literally means "Queen of smells"... It does not go
well with all types of Indian dishes either...

"Ariane Jenkins" > wrote in message
...
> On 10 Apr 2005 08:44:06 -0700, Sheldon > wrote:
>>
>> I don't know why you say "definitely". I've never seen any Chinese
>> restaurant in NYC that uses a rice cooker. I'm pretty observant when
>> it comes to kitchen stuff, and every kitchen I've observed the rice was
>> cooked in an ordinary aluminum pot, a huge pot, but ordinary
>> nevertheless... and not just Oriental, Hispanic restaurants as well,
>> and they eat a lot of rice too, although they tend to use cast aluminum
>> of a wide but shallow configuration.
>
> I would be very surprised if that were the case. It simply makes
> more
> sense to use a rice cooker. It frees up space on the stovetop, it
> requires no
> watching/timing, keeps warm well and rice cookers can have very large
> capacities fitting for the amount of rice a Chinese restaurant would
> require.
> And the results are excellent.
>
>> Just because one is Chinese is no recomendation one can cook Chinese...
>
> That's pretty rich, coming from you. As I've mentioned before, your
> track record for advice on Chinese cuisine is hardly a recommendation for
> your
> skills or knowledge, either. Maybe you should follow aem's advice about
> not digging yourself any deeper.
>
>> I beleive those who don't cook very well are who use rice cookers, of
>> any ethnicity.
>
> You're free to think that if it makes you feel better, but I hope you
> realize that most sensible people know you have no basis in reality for
> thinking so.
>
> Ariane

but but but...Sheldon knows everything! Especially about the Chinese
community dontcha know...................) I mean you are Chinese.. but
heck.. what do you know??????? )

Ophelia
Scotland

raj raj wrote:
> Sheldon wrote:
>
> >
> > That's essentially how I described my method... and I never read
> > anything she has written, I suppose because I really don't much
care
> > for the stench of Indian coozine. I cook my rice Puerto Rican
style.
> >
> > Sheldon
> >
>
> It is ironic that you chose basmati for cooking considering you don't

> care for the stench of Indian cuisine

I don't particularly choose it. I occasionally cook it. I have a good
friend on Lung Island who happens to own an Indian grocery there. When
I moved he prepared a huge gift package of some of his wares, like sego
pearls, various lentils, etc. He included a 36 Kilo gunny sack of
Basmati, enough for the rest of my life. I don't cook Indian style,
it's the spice blends I don't care for, mainly because when the meal is
over I don't want to still smell it for months later. Anyway, my
favorite way to prepare Basmati is Rice-A-Roni style, half rice, half
orzo... with various herbs, spices, and vegetables, but no Indian spice
blends. After cleaning the kitchen I don't want the entire
neighborhood to know what I had for dinner, and for two months
afterwards. For the same reason I don't cook fish at home either,
didn't need to on Lung Guyland. But now it's good I know how to cook,
because so far I've not found even one decent restaurant of any kind up
here in NY's capital district. Here in hillybilly country the best
seafood is at the Friday Fish Fry at the local firehouse, and that's
only previously frozen cod, but it's properly cooked, served hot, and
the batter they use is pretty good. It's served with fries and slaw.
The fries are good, they ruin the slaw with onions. It's all you can
eat for $10, supposedly a fund raiser, so I attended three times last
summer. They alternate with an all you can eat Pasta Party, went once,
awful, I'll save yoose the details.

Sheldon

On Mon, 11 Apr 2005 10:56:06 GMT, Ophelia > wrote:
>> You're free to think that if it makes you feel better, but I hope you
>> realize that most sensible people know you have no basis in reality for
>> thinking so.
>>
>> Ariane
>
> but but but...Sheldon knows everything! Especially about the Chinese
> community dontcha know...................) I mean you are Chinese.. but
> heck.. what do you know??????? )

LOL, of course, you are right, Ophelia. Who am I to argue with such
an expert?

Tonight's dinner: Baked chicken thighs rubbed with olive oil, Penzey's Bangkok
Blend (great stuff) and lime juice, with steamed rice (made in a rice cooker!)
and broccoli. Not feeling particularly inspired, and this is fairly easy to do.

Ariane
--
Dysfunction: The only consistent feature of all your dissatisfying
relationships is you.
http://www.despair.com/demotivators/dysfunction.html

Sheldon wrote:
>[snip]
> I beleive those who don't cook very well are who use rice cookers, of
> any ethnicity.
>
A silly over-generalization. Restaurants and good home cooks use them,
too. I know you like good tools, so you should check out the Zojirushi
brand of cookers. Very sophisticated and versatile technology that
lets you select among many settings for different kinds of rices.

I'm using a pot now for rice because I'm back where I have a gas stove
and limited counter space. A couple of years ago I had to cope with an
electric stove but I had a lot of counter space. Under those
circumstances the rice cooker was clearly the better way to go.

It was a $20 barebones model that did fine. Didn't need all the
capabilities of the Zojirushi but admired its technology nonetheless.
-aem

"aem" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Sheldon wrote:
>>[snip]
>> I beleive those who don't cook very well are who use rice cookers, of
>> any ethnicity.
>>
> A silly over-generalization. Restaurants and good home cooks use them,
> too. I know you like good tools, so you should check out the Zojirushi
> brand of cookers. Very sophisticated and versatile technology that
> lets you select among many settings for different kinds of rices.
>
> I'm using a pot now for rice because I'm back where I have a gas stove
> and limited counter space. A couple of years ago I had to cope with an
> electric stove but I had a lot of counter space. Under those
> circumstances the rice cooker was clearly the better way to go.
>
> It was a $20 barebones model that did fine. Didn't need all the
> capabilities of the Zojirushi but admired its technology nonetheless.
> -aem
>

It is not really an over-generalization, is it just plain wrong, at least
when referring to oriental cooking.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

aem wrote:
> Sheldon wrote:
> >[snip]
> > I beleive those who don't cook very well are who use rice cookers,
of
> > any ethnicity.
> >
> A silly over-generalization. Restaurants and good home cooks use
them,
> too. I know you like good tools, so you should check out the
Zojirushi
> brand of cookers. Very sophisticated and versatile technology that
> lets you select among many settings for different kinds of rices.
>
> I'm using a pot now for rice because I'm back where I have a gas
stove
> and limited counter space. A couple of years ago I had to cope with
an
> electric stove but I had a lot of counter space. Under those
> circumstances the rice cooker was clearly the better way to go.
>
> It was a $20 barebones model that did fine. Didn't need all the
> capabilities of the Zojirushi but admired its technology nonetheless.
> -aem

I wouldn't use any rice cooker, even if given for free. I don't care
how techy, it's just another gadget. It's very, very rare I cook more
than 2 cups of rice but just as rare that I cook plain rice. Mostly I
make pilaf, and know exactly what/how to prepare each of many, many
varieties in an ordinary pot, and effortlessly. To *me* a rice cooker
has the same value as a crock pot, pressure pot, or food processor,
ZERO.

Sheldon

On 11 Apr 2005 12:22:16 -0700, "aem" > wrote:

>Sheldon wrote:
>>[snip]
>> I beleive those who don't cook very well are who use rice cookers, of
>> any ethnicity.
>>
>A silly over-generalization. Restaurants and good home cooks use them,
>too. I know you like good tools, so you should check out the Zojirushi
>brand of cookers. Very sophisticated and versatile technology that
>lets you select among many settings for different kinds of rices.
>
>I'm using a pot now for rice because I'm back where I have a gas stove
>and limited counter space. A couple of years ago I had to cope with an
>electric stove but I had a lot of counter space. Under those
>circumstances the rice cooker was clearly the better way to go.
>
>It was a $20 barebones model that did fine. Didn't need all the
>capabilities of the Zojirushi but admired its technology nonetheless.
>-aem

I'm a Realtor by trade and not to long ago one of my clients moved out
and left a bunch of 'stuff' I had to get rid of. One of the items was
a Zojirushi rice maker! OKie dokie, I said. I kept it and use it
often. :-P

Ginny