Rice, rice and more rice

I thought I knew about rice because I could cook 5 minute rice and add a few veggies and I was ready to go.  Then as some of you know, I went to live in Chile.  Everyone there makes rice and they make it from scratch.  They cook it to serve as a side, in soups and in other dishes.  Chile is not a bean and rice county perse, but is an important, unexpensive staple of their diet as it is in many other countries around the world.  Also, rice is gluten free, so it makes for a great supper addition or potluck dish extender.

I have included 2 links from www.food.com that clearly explain about rice, the different colors, sizes and great flavors to add to it.  Honestly, I still mess-up rice at times and there are times that no matter what I add to it, it tastes really bland; but it is worth the torture of getting it right.  Here are a few tips about working with rice.

First, rinse your rice.  You can actually rinse it two to three times depending on the time you hav to ccok.  It helps to get rid of some the of the starch that causes stickiness and sometimes rice has a white powder that may be on it especially if it comes from certain countries.  If your rice is old, you might want to soak it for 30 minutes to help make it less brittle, but be sure to drain off ALL of the water. Also, if you need the rice to cook faster, soaking helps that too.

Right amount of water - for fluffy rice use a little less than the ratio of one cup of rice to two cupes of water (like 1 3/4 cups)  If you like stick rice that the 1:2 ratio is fine.  Also depending on the flavor and the dish you are serving it with you can use any flavor stock that you like.

Gentle Heat - Start out your rice by adding boiling water or stock, but cook your rice at a low temperature for a nice slow cook.  It should take from 15 to 20 minutes

Tight lid - make sure your lid does not allow steam to escape, as that is a principal reaction necessary to get the grain to expand and cook through.

Resting period - when you rice is the texture you like when you try it, take it off the heat and leave it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.  Yes, this means that toward the end of the cooking phase you will have to take the lid off, but try to do that as little as possible.  After you have let it rest, fluff the rice with a fork and you are good to go. 

the great thing about rice is that you can add anything to it and make a great meal from it.  Meat, veggies, tomato sauce, milk to make a dessert, etc.  Have fun and let the rice times roll!


http://www.food.com/library/rice-160

http://www.food.com/library/wild-rice-290