The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook Part 2

thai jasmine rice The word for rice in Thai is kao kao and the type of rice found all over the country is a pearl white long-grain rice labeled Thai jasmine. It has a plump, elongated shape, not round like short-grain rice or thin and long like American long-grain. The rice cooks up fluffy and moist, with a delicate floral aroma that is a favorite with many cooks in many nations. Many brands are labeled Riz Parfume. Considered the most delicate grain of all the rices, it is harvested in December during the dry months and is marketed fresh. Thai jasmine loses its fragrance as the raw rice ages, so often it is stored in the refrigerator. and the type of rice found all over the country is a pearl white long-grain rice labeled Thai jasmine. It has a plump, elongated shape, not round like short-grain rice or thin and long like American long-grain. The rice cooks up fluffy and moist, with a delicate floral aroma that is a favorite with many cooks in many nations. Many brands are labeled Riz Parfume. Considered the most delicate grain of all the rices, it is harvested in December during the dry months and is marketed fresh. Thai jasmine loses its fragrance as the raw rice ages, so often it is stored in the refrigerator.

Many cooks complain that their jasmine rice is too gummy after cooking; that is because they are cooking it in too much water. Thai jasmine is not the same as long-grain Thai sticky rice, kao neuw kao neuw, which is eaten in the north of the country, steamed in a spittoon-shaped rice pot, and eaten only with the hands.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: RegularYIELD: Serves 6 to 82 cups Thai jasmine rice2 cups water teaspoon salt 1. Place the rice in a fine strainer or bowl, rinse with cold water twice, and drain twice.

2. Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil. Place the rice in the rice bowl. Add the water and salt; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.

3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice holds nicely on Keep Warm for up to 3 hours. Serve hot.

note: If the cooked rice seems too dry, add a bit more water (up to 2 to 3 tablespoons) and leave it on the Keep Warm cycle for 15 minutes to continue steaming. If the cooked rice seems too dry, add a bit more water (up to 2 to 3 tablespoons) and leave it on the Keep Warm cycle for 15 minutes to continue steaming.

white jasmine blend Cooked by itself, jasmine rice can be very soft and tender, almost sticky. In combination with a domestic long-grain white rice, it will have a lovely nutty fragrance and drier texture. It's especially nice with Chinese food; in fact, one restaurateur of our acquaintance says he serves only jasmine rice (made in a 55-cup gas-powered rice cooker!) because he loves the way it makes the restaurant smell. If you use domestic-grown American jasmine rice, increase the water to 1 cups.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: RegularYIELD: Serves 3 to 4 cup long-grain white rice cup Thai jasmine rice1 cups water teaspoon salt 1. Place the rices in a fine strainer or bowl, rinse with cold water, and drain twice.

2. Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil. Place the rices in the rice bowl. Add the water and salt; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.

3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for hours. Serve hot.

jasmati rice We thought Jasmati rice was a combination of jasmine and basmati, but that is not the case. Grown in Texas, Jasmati is a combination of Thai jasmine and Carolina long-grain white rice from RiceSelect. The aroma of the uncooked rice is as intoxicating a perfume as the best jasmine, but the aroma becomes muted during cooking. The soft, tender cooked rice is a great alternative to regular bland white rice or one of the imported aromatics. It cooks up snowy white, gets ever so slight a curl on some grains, and tastes like jasmine rice without any of the stickiness. This is rated one of our favorite rices and we think you will agree. Jasmati can be subst.i.tuted for any long-grain white rice or basmati in the pilaf recipes see see and and see see. Store in the refrigerator.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: RegularYIELD: Serves 3 to 41 cup Jasmati rice1 cups water2 tablespoons unsalted b.u.t.ter or margarine teaspoon salt (optional) 1. Place the rice in the rice cooker bowl. Add the water, b.u.t.ter, and salt, if using; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.

2. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for hours. Serve hot.

kasmati rice After Texmati, the next rice developed by RiceSelect was their Kasmati, with a stronger aromatic fragrance and firmer center of the grain than the Texmati. Adapted from basmati seedstock in a manner like Della and Louisiana popcorn rice, Texas-grown Kasmati looks exactly like a scaled-down basmati grain with similar opaque viscosity. Kasmati is far more aromatic and is tasty, indeed. Beth originally thought that since Kasmati was similar to Jasmati they would cook and taste the same; not so. It has rather dense grains, so it needs a preliminary soaking to cook properly; without soaking it is very firm (which is okay for fried rice). The needle-like grains elongate considerably, especially with the presoak. Kasmati is a lovely rice that quickly became a dinner favorite and is definitely delightfully unique compared to other American aromatics. Store the raw rice in the refrigerator.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: RegularYIELD: Serves 3 to 41 cup Kasmati rice1 cups waterSmall pinch of salt (optional) 1. Place the rice and water in the rice cooker bowl. Close the cover and let the rice soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour. At the end of the soaking period, add the salt, if using, swirl to combine, and set for the regular cycle.

2. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Gently but thoroughly fluff the rice with a plastic or wooden rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for hours. Serve hot.

Medium-Grain White Rice The right cooking pot has always been a very important issue in cooking rice, and the rice cooker is downright infallible when cooking medium-grain white rices. Medium-grain white rice is perfect for a plain side dish, but expect a moister, more tender grain than with long-grain rice; it should never be mushy. If you're buying rice labeled for j.a.panese-American consumers, it may be labeled short-grain. The terms are used interchangeably in Asia; the United States is the only country with a separate cla.s.s for medium-grain. When you inspect the grain, note that it is shorter and slightly plumper than long-grain. It requires less water to cook than long-grain rice. You may use this rice in pilafs, as well as in paella.

Medium-Grain White Rice medium-grain white rice This is the recipe to use for basic steamed rice or the j.a.panese daily rice, okame okame, made from the white rice known as seihak.u.mai seihak.u.mai . Remember, if you bought a bag of rice labeled "new crop," . Remember, if you bought a bag of rice labeled "new crop," s.h.i.+nmai s.h.i.+nmai (which is fresh every autumn), you will decrease the ratio of water to rice to 1:1 (that will be 1 cup of water here). The method of was.h.i.+ng described below is more extensive than what many cooks actually do. If you're pressed for time, just swish and drain a few times. If your rice is labeled "Musenmai" or "Rinse-free rice," the was.h.i.+ng is optional. (If you don't wash it, use a bit more water.) This recipe is geared to domestic medium-grain white rice, which is grown either in California or Arkansas. Use brands like Nis.h.i.+ki, Homai, Botan, Konriko, Tamaki Cla.s.sic, and southern medium-grain brands, (which is fresh every autumn), you will decrease the ratio of water to rice to 1:1 (that will be 1 cup of water here). The method of was.h.i.+ng described below is more extensive than what many cooks actually do. If you're pressed for time, just swish and drain a few times. If your rice is labeled "Musenmai" or "Rinse-free rice," the was.h.i.+ng is optional. (If you don't wash it, use a bit more water.) This recipe is geared to domestic medium-grain white rice, which is grown either in California or Arkansas. Use brands like Nis.h.i.+ki, Homai, Botan, Konriko, Tamaki Cla.s.sic, and southern medium-grain brands, not not domestic or imported Arborios. These are the same proportions to use for domestic or imported Arborios. These are the same proportions to use for haigamai haigamai, partially polished white rice. For 1 cups rice, use 2 cups water.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: RegularYIELD: Serves 3 to 41 cup medium-grain white rice1 cups water teaspoon salt (optional) 1. Wash the rice. Place the rice in a bowl and fill the bowl about half-full with cold water. Swirl the rice in the water with your hand. Carefully pour off most of the water, through a mesh strainer or by holding one cupped hand under the stream to catch any grains of rice that are carried away with the water. Holding the bowl steady with one hand, use the other to rub and squeeze the wet rice, turning the bowl as you go so that all the rice is "scrubbed." The small amount of water in the bowl will turn chalky white. Now, run cold water into the bowl, give the rice a quick swish, and carefully drain off the water as before. Repeat the scrubbing and pouring-off process twice more. By the third time, the water you pour off will be nearly clear.

2. Place the rice in the rice cooker bowl. Add the water and salt, if using; swirl to combine. Let the rice soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour with the cover shut, time permitting. At the end of the soaking period, set for the regular cycle.

3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Gently but thoroughly fluff the rice with a plastic or wooden rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for hours. Serve hot.

j.a.panese white rice with umebos.h.i.+ and sesame Tart and salty, pinky red umebos.h.i.+ pickled plums are an acquired taste to some. To others, it is just another comfort food along with miso. Anyone who has taken a macrobiotic cooking cla.s.s gets hooked on umebos.h.i.+. On a visit to j.a.pantown, our lunch boxes always have a bright, shriveled pickled plum plunked into the mound of fresh white rice. Prepare the condiments while the rice is cooking; you want to be ready to serve as soon as the rice has finished on the Keep Warm cycle. Umebos.h.i.+ plums are sold in Asian groceries and natural foods stores. This recipe-inspired by Hiroko s.h.i.+mbo, author of The j.a.panese Kitchen The j.a.panese Kitchen (Harvard Common Press, 2000)-has quickly become a favorite quick lunch on the run. (Harvard Common Press, 2000)-has quickly become a favorite quick lunch on the run.

YIELD: Serves 2 to 32 umebos.h.i.+ plums, pitted and minced2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley leaves1 tablespoons toasted j.a.panese sesame seeds 3 cups hot cooked medium-grain white rice 3 cups hot cooked medium-grain white riceSesame oil (not toasted), for drizzling Tamari (a thick, strong soy sauce; reduced-sodium, if desired), for drizzling 1. Place the umebos.h.i.+, parsley, and sesame seeds in separate small, shallow serving bowls.

2. Place the rice in a medium-size serving bowl, sprinkle it with the condiments, and drizzle with some sesame oil and tamari.

Serve immediately.

note: j.a.panese sesame seeds are sold toasted; you can toast them again in a dry skillet for more flavor. j.a.panese sesame seeds are sold toasted; you can toast them again in a dry skillet for more flavor.

riso Riso is Italian for rice, and Italian rice is domestic or imported Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone nano. While these rices are commonly cooked into a risotto, the side dish that is like a creamy savory rice pudding, "everyday" rice is cooked so that the grains are dry and separate, more like a pilaf than a risotto. Home recipes for is Italian for rice, and Italian rice is domestic or imported Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone nano. While these rices are commonly cooked into a risotto, the side dish that is like a creamy savory rice pudding, "everyday" rice is cooked so that the grains are dry and separate, more like a pilaf than a risotto. Home recipes for riso riso require the cook to measure the same amount of dry rice and water plus cup extra water for the cooking pot. We found the measurements ran true when translating the recipe to the rice cooker. This rice takes a long time to cook for white rice, a full hour. Be prepared for the rice to be ever-so-slightly chewy in a percentage of the grains. One look and you will recognize the perfect example of a plumped medium-sized grain of rice. It is slightly moist, but dry on the tongue, and very tasty without being sweet. Serve with b.u.t.ter and Parmesan cheese as a side like any other rice bowl rice, or as a bed for sauteed meat and onions. This is the rice to make for stuffed peppers, stuffings, rice omelets, fritters, and Italian rice and vegetable salads dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. require the cook to measure the same amount of dry rice and water plus cup extra water for the cooking pot. We found the measurements ran true when translating the recipe to the rice cooker. This rice takes a long time to cook for white rice, a full hour. Be prepared for the rice to be ever-so-slightly chewy in a percentage of the grains. One look and you will recognize the perfect example of a plumped medium-sized grain of rice. It is slightly moist, but dry on the tongue, and very tasty without being sweet. Serve with b.u.t.ter and Parmesan cheese as a side like any other rice bowl rice, or as a bed for sauteed meat and onions. This is the rice to make for stuffed peppers, stuffings, rice omelets, fritters, and Italian rice and vegetable salads dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: RegularYIELD: Serves 4 (about 31/ 2 cups)1 cups Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone nano rice1 cups water1 tablespoon olive oilSmall pinch of salt 1. Place the rice in the rice cooker bowl. Add the water, olive oil, and salt; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.

2. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice gently with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for hours. Serve hot.

CLICK TO SEE TO WASH OR NOT TO WASH.

short-grain white rice j.a.panese-style short-grain white rice is about 5 percent of the rice grown in the United States. Since half of it is exported, there is not much around. You might say it is a real specialty item. Short-grain rice makes the best sus.h.i.+. It is also called pearl rice, especially in dessert recipes. Traditional cooking methods require soaking to get a nice soft texture. There is a lot of starch in short-grain rice, so it really sticks together after cooking, but deliciously so. It is a type of rice that tastes better with every bite. Our favorite brand of j.a.panese-style rice, Tamaki Gold, is labeled short-grain. "What were the proportions to get that Tamaki Gold so perfect?" asked Beth of Julie one day. "Three rice cooker cups and water to the line that says 3 on the bowl, just the way the machine was designed to cook." This recipe gives measurements in U.S. cups, but if you use the white rice recipe from the manufacturer's pamphlet, measurements will be in rice cooker cups. This is the recipe to use for imported and domestic Kos.h.i.+ Hikari.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: RegularYIELD: Serves 3 to 41 cups (2 rice cooker cups) short-grain white rice1 cups cold water teaspoon salt (optional) 1. Place the rice in a bowl and fill about half-full with cold water. Swirl the rice in the water with your hand. Carefully pour off most of the water, through a mesh strainer or by holding one cupped hand under the stream to catch any grains of rice that are carried away with the water. Holding the bowl steady with one hand, use the other to rub and squeeze the wet rice, turning the bowl as you go so that all the rice is "scrubbed." The small amount of water in the bowl will turn chalky white. Now, run cold water into the bowl, give the rice a quick swish, and carefully drain off the water as before. Repeat the scrubbing and pouring-off process twice more. By the third time, the water you pour off will be nearly clear.

2. Place the rice in the rice cooker bowl. Add the water (to line 2) and salt, if using; swirl to combine. Let the rice soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the bowl with the cover shut, time permitting. When the soaking period is finished, set for the regular cycle.

3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, gently but thoroughly fluff the rice with a plastic or wooden rice paddle or wooden spoon. Let the rice steam for 10 to 15 minutes. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for hours. Serve hot.

Sticky Rice Sticky rice, also known as glutinous rice or sweet rice (even though it isn't sweet at all), is a staple in the Asian culinary repertoire and a frequent ingredient in stuffings and desserts. j.a.panese cooks combine it with small red adzuki beans for a savory, pink-tinted side dish that is often served at festive meals, topped with sesame seeds and salt. Chinese cooks mix sticky rice with sweet or savory tidbits for stuffings, hearty one-pot meals, or sweet puddings. It is the rice of choice in Thailand, where it is eaten with the fingers.

CLICK TO SEE TO SALT OR NOT TO SALT.

Sticky rice must be soaked before cooking, for several hours at least, to cook properly, though overnight soaking is the most common recommendation. During the soaking time, the grains swell and soften, and will crumble easily between your teeth or fingernails.

Once it has soaked, there are three ways to cook sticky rice. There is the traditional method, steaming, and two modern ones: the microwave and the fuzzy logic rice cooker boil/steam method. Since the on/off rice cookers are easy-to-use, reliable steamers, we highly recommend this method. Some fuzzy logic rice cookers also are designed to cook sticky rice and have a cycle or b.u.t.ton specifically for it. If your rice cooker is designed to cook sticky rice, it will say so in the booklet that came with it. You will notice that sticky rice takes less water than other types of rice and that the cooker's sticky rice capacity is somewhat less than for regular white medium- and short-grain rices. (Julie's medium-size Sanyo fuzzy logic cooker makes 3 rice cooker cups of sticky rice, versus making 5 rice cooker cups of regular white rice.) To make sticky rice in a fuzzy logic rice cooker, just follow the manufacturer's instructions. Sticky rice made in a fuzzy logic machine is fine for some uses, such as when it will be combined with other ingredients, as in Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaves, but overall it is wetter, softer, and not as appealing as steamed sticky rice. You can also mix sticky rice with regular long-grain rice in mixed dishes such as Rainbow Rice in a Pot. To do so, you can subst.i.tute one-quarter to one-half sticky rice for long-grain.

Machine-made sticky rice should never be held on the Keep Warm cycle. When the regular cycle completes, turn the rice out into a bowl and fan it (or use an electric fan or a hair dryer set on cool) for a few minutes. Then serve it.

steamed sticky rice These instructions for steamed sticky rice come courtesy of Hiroko s.h.i.+mbo, author of the encyclopedic and accessible book The j.a.panese Kitchen The j.a.panese Kitchen (Harvard Common Press, 2000). Not everyone salts their sticky rice before cooking; feel free to leave out the salt if you wish. Hiroko notes that sticky rice is often served for special occasions, topped with a sprinkle of (Harvard Common Press, 2000). Not everyone salts their sticky rice before cooking; feel free to leave out the salt if you wish. Hiroko notes that sticky rice is often served for special occasions, topped with a sprinkle of gomasio gomasio, the addictive sesame seed and salt condiment. She explains that you can make your own by toasting 3 tablespoons black sesame seeds in a small skillet over low heat until fragrant. If you wish, you can release more of the seeds' fragrance and flavor by partly grinding them with a mortar and pestle or the j.a.panese ridged suribachi suribachi, made for precisely that purpose. Add 2 teaspoons sea salt to the sesame seeds and let the mixture cool.

You need an on/off rice cooker with a steamer basket or tray that fits into the top of the cooker. When steaming sticky rice, the steamer basket or tray must be lined with a piece of cloth, which is then folded over to enclose the rice. You can use a double or triple layer of cheesecloth, a square of muslin, or a cloth made especially for this purpose which is sold in j.a.panese markets. We have also used a clean linen handkerchief with great success. If you love rice, treat yourself to making this rice and enjoy the texture achieved by the steaming.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) or large(10-cup) rice cooker; on/off o n l yCYCLE: RegularYIELD: Serves 4 to 62 cups (3 rice cooker cups) sticky rice 1 teaspoon salt 1. Wash the rice. Place the rice in a bowl (or use the bowl of your rice cooker) and fill the bowl about half-full with cold tap water. Swirl the rice in the water with your hand. Carefully pour off most of the water, holding one cupped hand under the stream to catch any grains of rice that are carried away with the water. Holding the bowl steady with one hand, use the other to rub and squeeze the wet rice, turning the bowl as you go, so that all the rice is "scrubbed." The small amount of water in the bowl will turn chalky white. Now, run cold water into the bowl, give the rice a quick swish, and carefully drain off the water as before. Repeat the scrubbing and pouring-off process two more times. By the third time, the water you pour off will be nearly clear.

2. Place the drained rice in a bowl and add cold water to cover by several inches. Let the rice soak at room temperature for at least 3 hours, and overnight if possible.

3. Drain the rice, discarding the water. Add the salt to the rice and toss it gently to mix. Fill the rice cooker bowl about half-full of water. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle. When the water comes to a full boil, you are ready to begin.

4. Lay the cloth or a double or triple layer of cheesecloth in the steamer basket or tray. Pour the rice onto the cloth and spread it out as evenly as possible. Make a shallow depression 2 inches in diameter in the center of the rice. This allows the steam to circulate and cook the rice evenly. Fold the corners of the cloth over the rice to cover it completely. Place the steamer basket in the rice cooker and close the cover. Set a timer for 40 minutes. After 15 minutes of cooking, open the cover, taking care to avoid steam burns, and fold back the cloth. Sprinkle cup water over the rice. Re-cover the rice with the cloth, close the cover, and proceed with the steaming. Repeat the water-sprinkling process once or twice during the cooking. When the timer sounds, open the cover and taste some rice. It should be tender. If it's not, or if you are not sure, let the rice steam for 10 minutes more.

CLICK TO SEE REHEAT IN GRICE IN THE RICE COOKER.

5. Transfer the cooked rice to a large bowl and fan it to cool the rice quickly.

6. Serve the rice immediately or, if you are making it ahead of time, cover it with a clean, dry tea towel and store it at cool room temperature. (If you have made the rice a day ahead, refrigerate it, tightly covered.) You can reheat sticky rice in the steamer or microwave oven.

Medium- and Long-Grain Brown Rice Most rice cookers are not really engineered with brown rice in mind, although some sophisticated models have a setting for it. Nevertheless, all rice cookers can and will do a wonderful job of cooking it, as long as you keep a few basic points in mind. (If your machine is one of the relatively few models with a Brown Rice cycle, then by all means use it according to the manufacturer's instructions.) Brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice because its protective outer bran layer is intact. It also requires more water. Your brown rice will taste better if you have time to let the rice and water soak for about an hour before cooking, but this is not necessary. (Some fuzzy logic rice cookers have a soaking cycle built in.) After much testing and deliberation, we came up with a rule of thumb for adapting the basic stovetop recipe for brown rice to the rice cooker. For white rices you adapt by using cup less water than the package says; for brown rices, start with cup more more water. water.

As with white rice, the long-grain brown cooks up fluffier with the individual grains more separate, while the medium-grain is a bit stickier and moister. Wash the rice first, if you wish; was.h.i.+ng will reduce stickiness by rinsing off some of the surface starch.

If you have the time, do soak your brown rice for 30 minutes to an hour before you cook it. This allows the rice to cook more evenly and quickly. If you don't have time or you forget, don't worry. Just push the b.u.t.ton and go. Your brown rice will still be fine.

Use the proportions in the chart below as a guide; you may need to make adjustments for your rice cooker or for a particularly dry or moist bag of rice. Of course, personal taste varies, too. If you like softer rice, add more water; for firmer rice, use less. If the water boils over while you are cooking, try reducing the amount of water slightly (start with 2 tablespoons less water, and continue in 2-tablespoon increments). Note your adjustment on the chart to jog your memory the next time.

Brown Rice (Medium-Grain or Long-Grain) CLICK TO SEE PERFECT BROWN RICE IN THE RICE COOKER.

Stretching the Brown Rice Capacity of Your Rice Cooker*

*important note: When stretching the brown rice capacity of your rice cooker, you must use the special technique developed to go along with this chart or you will experience a messy boilover. Add water and rice to the rice cooker as usual, but when the water boils, SHUT OFF THE RICE COOKER. Set a timer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn the cooker on again and let the regular cycle complete as usual. Be sure to allow the full 15 minutes of steaming time after the rice cooker has switched to Keep Warm. When stretching the brown rice capacity of your rice cooker, you must use the special technique developed to go along with this chart or you will experience a messy boilover. Add water and rice to the rice cooker as usual, but when the water boils, SHUT OFF THE RICE COOKER. Set a timer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn the cooker on again and let the regular cycle complete as usual. Be sure to allow the full 15 minutes of steaming time after the rice cooker has switched to Keep Warm.

long-ormedium-grain brown rice There are lots of long-grain brown rices, most sold in generic-looking bags. They come in a range of natural colors, from creamy to dark tan, with a flavor palate to match. We find long-grain brown rice has its own special sweetness, a far different flavor from medium-or short-grain. Brown rice takes more water and a longer time to cook than white rice, so plan your meal accordingly. You will use this same proportion scale for medium-grain brown rice.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: Regular/Brown RiceYIELD: Serves 41 cup domestic long-grain brown rice2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water 1. Place the rice in a fine strainer or bowl, rinse with cold water twice, and drain twice.

2. Place the rice in the rice cooker bowl. Add the water, swirl to combine, close the cover, and set for the regular/Brown Rice cycle.

3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for 1 to 2 hours. Serve hot.

short-grain brown rice Short-grain brown rice is beloved by vegetarians, health food advocates, macrobiotics, Somersizers, and everyone else who loves chewy, flavorful brown rice. Short-grain brown rice is not as smoothly sweet as long-grain and makes a perfect side dish with a bit of b.u.t.ter or sprinkled with gomasio gomasio , a sesame salt condiment very popular in j.a.panese cuisine. If you want a brown rice risotto (don't tell the purists) or a dessert pudding, this would be the rice to use. , a sesame salt condiment very popular in j.a.panese cuisine. If you want a brown rice risotto (don't tell the purists) or a dessert pudding, this would be the rice to use.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: Regular/Brown RiceYIELD: Serves 41 cup short-grain brown rice2 cups cold water 1. Place the rice in a fine strainer or bowl, rinse with cold water twice, and drain twice.

2. Place the rice in the rice cooker bowl. Add the water; swirl to combine. If you have the time, soak the rice in its cooking water for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Close the cover and set for the regular/Brown Rice cycle.

3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for 1 to 2 hours. Serve hot.

CLICK TO SEE STORING RICE.

brown basmati rice Considering how aromatic white basmati rice is, you will have a shock if you expect the imported brown unhulled basmati to taste and smell the same. It doesn't. It might as well be an entirely different rice. First, the dark tan rice is a lot less foamy while was.h.i.+ng. The aroma is distinctly gra.s.sy and the flavor delicately nutty. It takes fully twice the amount of time to cook as the white long-grain basmati. You can use these proportions for the domestic brown basmati developed by Lundberg, which is a delicious, milder rice all around.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: Regular/Brown RiceYIELD: Serves 41 cup imported Indian brown basmati rice2 cups water1 tablespoon unsalted b.u.t.ter teaspoon salt 1. Place the rice in a fine strainer or bowl, rinse with cold water twice, and drain twice.

2. Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil. Place the rice in the rice bowl. Add the water, b.u.t.ter, and salt; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular/ Brown Rice cycle.

3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for 1 to 2 hours. Serve hot.

brown jasmine rice Brown jasmine rice is grown in the marshy river delta area south of Galveston, Texas, by a third generation of rice growers. It is sold by Lotus Foods under the label of Lowell Farms. It is a pale tan, long-grain rice that we found cooks up very much like white rice because the bran and germ layers are so thin. But be prepared; it is a bit moist, like regular jasmine rice, rather than dry, like other long-grain brown rices. We found this had the most appealing aroma of all the brown rices, delicate and slightly nutty. The flavor is equally light and not overly sweet like other brown rices. We do not add salt during cooking; it is too strong and can be detected in the final flavor. This rice became a fast favorite.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: Regular/Brown RiceYIELD: Serves 41 cup domestic brown jasmine rice2 cups water1 tablespoon unsalted b.u.t.ter 1. Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil. Place the rice in the rice bowl. Add the water and b.u.t.ter, swirl to combine, close the cover, and set for the regular/Brown Rice cycle.

2. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for 1 to 2 hours. Serve hot.

wehani rice Wehani rice, which is a russet color and somewhere between a long- and medium-grain brown rice, is a specialty rice developed by the Lundberg brothers in the upper Sacramento delta in central California. This rice is served as the house rice at one of our local gourmet restaurants, with everything from grilled seafood to game hens. Let the rice sit for 15 minutes longer if it is too moist. You don't want a big clump of rice, but know that it tends to look moist, even if it will be delicate on the tongue. Don't add salt while Wehani is cooking; it will toughen the grain. This rice is delicious and one of our favorites in the brown rice genre (try it as a fried rice).

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: Regular/Brown RiceYIELD: Serves 41 cup Wehani rice1 cups plus 2 tablespoons water1 tablespoon unsalted b.u.t.ter (optional) 1. Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil. Place the rice in the rice bowl. Add the water and b.u.t.ter, if using, swirl to combine, close the cover, and set for the regular/ Brown Rice cycle.

2. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, open and dry the inside of the cover. Crumple a clean paper towel and place over the surface of the rice to absorb excess moisture. Close the cover and let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Remove the paper towel. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for 1 to 2 hours. Serve hot.

riz rouge Riz rouge de Camargue is a red rice from the marshy Camargue region of southern France, adjacent to the French Riviera. It is imported as an artisa.n.a.l rice by Made in France, Inc., of San Francisco and is really a special find since friends in Paris don't seem to be able to get it! It is a beautiful, earthy-colored russet rice with pointed ends and intact hull, tech nically making it a brown rice. The rice is so visually delicate that immediately our instincts were to use proportions as for a white rice rather than a brown rice, which ended up being accurate. The rice plumps and elongates, cooking into a ma.s.s of dark rice with lots of white grains scattered throughout. It has a milder flavor than other red rices that deepens as it sits on the Keep Warm cycle. It is the longest grain of all the red rices and the least sticky. Serve as a side dish with roast meats and rosy dark sauces. is a red rice from the marshy Camargue region of southern France, adjacent to the French Riviera. It is imported as an artisa.n.a.l rice by Made in France, Inc., of San Francisco and is really a special find since friends in Paris don't seem to be able to get it! It is a beautiful, earthy-colored russet rice with pointed ends and intact hull, tech nically making it a brown rice. The rice is so visually delicate that immediately our instincts were to use proportions as for a white rice rather than a brown rice, which ended up being accurate. The rice plumps and elongates, cooking into a ma.s.s of dark rice with lots of white grains scattered throughout. It has a milder flavor than other red rices that deepens as it sits on the Keep Warm cycle. It is the longest grain of all the red rices and the least sticky. Serve as a side dish with roast meats and rosy dark sauces.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: Regular/Brown RiceYIELD: Serves 41 cup riz rouge1 cups water1 tablespoon unsalted b.u.t.ter (optional) 1. Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil. Place the rice in the rice bowl. Add the water and b.u.t.ter, if using. Close the cover and set for the regular/Brown Rice cycle.

2. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for 1 to 2 hours. Serve hot.

wild pecan rice Wild Pecan aromatic rice is a hearty-flavored long-grain brown rice with a gently woodsy aroma that cooks up slightly moist. It is a local regional specialty, grown only in Iberia Parish in the Acadian counties of the South Louisiana bayous. Developed by Louisiana State University, Wild Pecan rice is a cross between Carolina long-grain and several varieties of Indochine aromatic rices. It is milled with almost all the bran layers intact, hence the creamy color of the brown rice with some dark grains dispersed; portions of the cooked rice will curl, or b.u.t.terfly. It is available in the rice section of the super market in 7-ounce boxes. If there is a lot of creamy dust in the bag, give it a rinse to clean off the dry bran layers that have fallen off while aging on the shelf. Serve with poultry, game, and shrimp dishes.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ; MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: Regular/Brown RiceYIELD: Serves 4One 7-ounce package Wild Pecan rice1 cups water2 tablespoons unsalted b.u.t.ter1 teaspoon salt 1. Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil. Place the rice in the rice bowl. Add the water, 1 tablespoon of the b.u.t.ter, and the salt; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular/Brown Rice cycle.

CLICK TO SEE AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT MEASUREMENT.

2. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for 1 to 2 hours. Serve hot, with the remaining 1 table spoon b.u.t.ter nestled on top.

bhutanese red rice Heirloom, unhulled short-grain red rice (eue chum) is an ancient grain from the remote and beautiful Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, and has been a staple daily grain in that country for centuries. It is imported exclusively by Lotus Foods. It is as colorful as it is flavorful, a lovely salmon red after cooking. Naturally colored, red rice is served at festive occasions. Red is the color of the rajas, bearers of a t.i.tle of n.o.bility in India. The red color is a long-standing Hindu and Buddhist symbol for creativity and the energy of life. We found the rice to have an aroma like that of a robust brown rice. It is a slightly moist rice, so be sure to let it rest for 10 minutes after cooking to firm up a bit.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: Regular/Brown RiceYIELD: Serves 41 cup red rice1 cups water teaspoon salt 1. Place the rice in a fine strainer or bowl, rinse with cold water twice, and drain twice. The water will be foamy and a dull red.

2. Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil. Place the rice in the rice bowl. Add the water and salt; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular/Brown Rice cycle.

3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for up to 1 hour. Serve hot.

black rice Forbidden Black Rice is a Chinese black rice. This rice was the first grain to be imported by the fledgling company that would be called Lotus Foods. While traveling in China, owners Caryl Levine and Ken Lee went on a marketing tour of the upper Mekong area, Laos, and Burma. In an area populated by 26 autonomous tribes, they ate this rice at the Dai minority village. This rice is unusual because black rice is usually sticky; Forbidden Rice is not. It is known as having medicinal qualities. Because it still has its colorful bran layer, it turns an intriguing purple-black color when cooked. It is a sweet, rather moist rice with an ever so slight crunch and is perfectly addicting. Note: This rice will stain the sides of your mouth for a short while, just like blueberries. Serve under stir-fries and with grilled poultry.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: Regular/Brown RiceYIELD: Serves 41 cup Forbidden Black Rice (China black rice)1 cups water teaspoon salt (optional) 1. Place the rice in a fine strainer or bowl, rinse with cold water twice, and drain twice. The water will turn grayish.

2. Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil. Place the rice in the rice bowl. Add the water and salt, if using; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular/ Brown Rice cycle.

3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, open and dry the inside of the cover. Crumple a clean paper towel and place it over the rice to absorb excess moisture. Close the cover and let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Remove the paper towel. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for 1 to 2 hours. Serve hot.

black j.a.ponica rice Black j.a.ponica is another specialty rice developed by the Lundberg brothers in the upper Sacramento delta in central California. It is an unhulled, unmilled blend of a medium-grain red rice and a short-grain black rice; it cooks just like brown rice. When fresh, the rice has an attractive natural sheen and very earthy smell. This rice turns a dark mahogany color and ends up with a bit of a bite after it is cooked, so don't expect it to be soft or mushy on the tongue even though it is quite moist. This is an a.s.sertively flavored rice, much like pure wild rice, with a strong vegetable/grain taste that is almost mossy. Serve with roast venison, prime rib, or as part of a stuffing.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;fuzzy logic or on/offCYCLE: Regular/Brown RiceYIELD: Serves 4 to 61 cup Black j.a.ponica rice2 cups water 1. Place the rice in a fine strainer or bowl, rinse with cold water twice, and drain twice. The water will be dull reddish.

2. Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil (this is important with this rice). Place the rice in the rice bowl. Add the water; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular/Brown Rice cycle.

3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, open and dry the inside of the cover. Close the cover and let the rice rest for 30 to 45 minutes. Fluff the rice a few times with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for 1 to 2 hours. Serve hot.

THE BASICS : AMYLOSE AND AMYLOPECTINEvery time you cook a pot of rice, you are making mental notes about amy-lose and amylopectin, the two components of starch found in rice, even though you probably don't know it. Long-grain rices like Carolina and basmati, with a dry texture, have a high level of amylose and low levels of amylopectin; amylose is a waxy starch that sets up into a stiff gel in the grain during cooking, so you end up with dry, separate grains. The raw grains of long-grain rices look translucent; a bit of light s.h.i.+nes through.Medium- and short-grain rices have the opposite balance; they are low in amylose and high in amylopectin (think "pectin" like the plant substance that helps fruits jell). Rices low in amylose are sticky and creamy when cooked, like Arborio and Calrose, because the starch does not set up during the cooking; when you look at the raw grains they have a more solid, opaque, pearly essence.Between the shape and the color, with a little practice, you can identify every rice, even if it's not in its identifying packaging.RICE AND OTHER COMMERCIAL GRAIN MIXES IN THE RICE COOKERThe number and variety of commercial rice and grain mixes on the shelf of the average American supermarket is astonis.h.i.+ng and, in many cases, so is their high quality. Almost every producer of rice has a line of rice plus flavoring mixtures designed for "extra-quick" meals. You can have a mellow pilaf, a robust brown rice blend, or even a satisfyingly spicy jambalaya on the table in the amount of time it takes to cook plain rice, with no chopping and only minimal cleanup.We tested a dozen of the more than 100 rice and grain mixes we found at a local market. All cooked up beautifully in the rice cooker, except a risotto mix that spattered all over the counter when made on the regular cycle. If you want to make a risotto mix in the rice cooker, do so only on the Porridge cycle of a fuzzy logic machine.Here are some of our favorite brands and flavor offerings:[image]Zatarain's New Orleans Style Jambalaya Mix, which was spicy and satisfyingly hearty. We followed a suggestion on the package and added a pound of sliced smoky sausage (we used turkey sausage).[image]Near East Toasted Almond Pilaf Mix, an old favorite that includes orzo pasta, pearled wheat, and almonds along with the rice. This one is b.u.t.tery and mildly spiced, and it's a bit chewy because of the wheat.[image]Casbah Nutted Pilaf Mix, which enriches plain rice with a surprisingly extravagant variety of nuts: cashews, almonds, pine nuts, and pistachios.[image]The San Francisco Treat, Rice-A-Roni Rice-A-Roni, in Herb and b.u.t.ter flavor. This mellow rice and pasta mix is flecked with parsley. The package directions call for two extra steps: a short saute of the rice and pasta before the water is added and stirring in the seasonings at the end. We sauteed right in the rice cooker bowl and stirred in the seasonings before the steaming period.[image]We liked the bright color, aroma, and flavor of Mahatma Saffron Yellow Seasonings & Long Grain Rice, Mahatma Saffron Yellow Seasonings & Long Grain Rice, which is sold in a yellow foil tube. But that bright yellow color left a ring on the bowl of one of our inexpensive cookers. This mix did not stain bowls with nonstick coatings. which is sold in a yellow foil tube. But that bright yellow color left a ring on the bowl of one of our inexpensive cookers. This mix did not stain bowls with nonstick coatings.Here are some tips for preparing rice and grain mixes in the rice cooker:[image]When using a medium (6-cup) rice cooker, use the same same amount amount of water called for on the package. In a small rice cooker (2- to 4-cup), start with cup of water called for on the package. In a small rice cooker (2- to 4-cup), start with cup less less liquid; in a large cooker (10-cup), start with cup liquid; in a large cooker (10-cup), start with cup more more liquid. liquid.[image]Put the water, rice, any b.u.t.ter or oil, and any seasonings from a separate packet into the rice cooker bowl. Program for the regular or Quick Cook cycle, remembering to let the rice steam for 15 minutes on the Keep Warm cycle before fluffing it with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or a wooden spoon. Some mixes (like Rice-A-Roni) call for adding the seasonings at the end of the cooking instead of the beginning; do this by stirring them in when the cooker shuts off or switches to Keep Warm.[image]If the resulting product is too chewy, add cup more water next time; if it is too wet for your taste, use cup less water next time. Keep a record of what works best for your favorite mixes. (If your rice cooker has a Keep Warm cycle, you can fix chewy rice on the spot. Just sprinkle the additional water over the rice, close the cover, and let the rice stay on Keep Warm for about 15 minutes more while the water is absorbed. Fluff the rice, then serve.)[image]If the mix you have selected has a sauteing step (like Rice-A-Roni), you can do this right in the rice cooker. Program the cooker for the regular or Quick Cook program and add the specified amount of b.u.t.ter or oil. When the b.u.t.ter is melted or the oil is hot, add the rice and saute as directed on the package. Then add the liquid and allow the cooking cycle to complete as usual.[image]To cook two rice mixes at the same time, you will not need to quite double the water. Use cup less water for the second mix.[image]As noted above, cook risotto mixes on the Porridge cycle only. You may need an additional cup water to achieve the desired degree of creaminess.THE LUNDBERG FAMILY RICE FARMThroughout this book you will see references to Lundberg rices. Lund berg Family Farms is situated in the northern Central Valley of California, smack-dab in the center of rice country in the shadow of Sutter b.u.t.tes. California is known for its remarkable rice crop yields, 25 percent higher than in any of the southern states, and Lundberg is the living proof of this; it operates on a relatively small total acreage of rice-growing land and produces a staggering amount of really good, consistently dependable rice. Still family owned and operated, the company sells some of the best tasting, and most diverse, rices in the country.The company started in the late 1960s by selling 50-pound bags of their Natural Short-Grain Brown Rice off the back of a flatbed truck parked on the side of the road under the label of Wehah Farms (a combination of initials of the four brothers, Harlan, Weldon, Homer, Eldon, with their father). This same nutra-farmed short-grain brown rice is still their best seller today, along with their delicious long-grain brown rice. The brown rices are also available organically grown.Harlan Lundberg is known for dabbling in exotic rices and has taken many rice- tasting trips to India. Obtaining seed of an Indian red rice from the seed bank in Aberdeen, Idaho (where 30,000 varieties of rice can sit waiting to be adopted for up to 20 years under refrigeration), he set to perfecting the rice marketed today as Wehani, an offshoot of the original farm name. He then went on to create the Black j.a.ponica using parent stock from the Rice Research Station in Biggs, California, a seed bank owned by the California rice producers. His latest project is a speckled rice, still known as SP2, that looks like a pinto bean, a tasty red rice crossed with domestic southern long-grain. We can't wait to try it.ORGANIC RICE AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICESAt this writing, there is no federal standard for organic rice. But there are several nonprofit and private organizations that certify rice, such as the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). They have strict requirements and the public has learned to trust and respect their logos on organic products. The number of acres devoted to organic rice in the United States is very small in proportion to the number devoted to regular rice-growing practices, but is steadily growing. The field yields for organic rice are small and unpredictable, due to damage by insects and weeds, and average about half those of conventionally grown rice. Unless an artisan rice, most imported rices from Asia or India are not organic.For rice to be certified organic by organizations such as the CCOF, the field used must be clean of the use of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, or any chemicals for three years before being marketed as an organic crop after harvest. Then the crop must be grown, harvested, stored, and milled under organic conditions, which means no nonorganic rice is processed at that facility without stringent cleaning of the equipment and separate storage units. It is very difficult to store organic rice and avoid insect problems without some sort of pesticide control. The final cost of milled organic rice is about three times that of conventional rice, but for purists, this is no deterrent. Since pesticide and fungicide residues would be found in the bran layer, brown rice is the most desirable crop for being organic. Polis.h.i.+ng, the process that makes white rice, disposes of the bran layer, leaving the pristine, undisturbed heart of the grain. At our last shopping visit to the j.a.panese market, there were stacks of 10- and 20pound plastic bags of both long- and medium-grain organic California-grown brown rices, simply labeled as such.Enter sustainable agriculture. Sustainable agriculture practices growing foods without synthetic chemicals (insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides) and the soil is replenished with nutrients during the growing process. The new references to heirloom grain conservation describe the intentional cultivation and fostering of lesser known varieties of grain suited for human food by private plant breeders and mini-farmers with the goal of maintaining diversity. Having different characteristics than high-yield crops developed for long storage and mechanized harvesting techniques, heirloom crops are products of deliberately cultivated living gardens, often more flavorful and of different coloring and shape. Their gene pool is naturally resistant to disease and has adapted in the framework of a natural evolutionary cycle. These crops are described in terms of nutrition-per-acre rather than yield-per-acre. This is a language and way of looking at food production that will be gaining in acceptance and practice into the twenty-first century.Despite these obstacles, we will be seeing a lot more delicious, organic rices, both white and brown, in the future, as the demand for untarnished foodstuffs continues to increase. Agricultural reform, in hand with a growing demand for these tasty, smaller yield heirloom grains, has made way for the Grain Revolution to flourish in your home kitchen. Seeds for Change Incan crop specialist Emigdio Ballon of New Mexico says it best: "The earth and the seeds, they represent life."JUST ADD WATER ?Described as one of the chemical protagonists of the cooking process, indeed, water is the most important ingredient in the cooking of rice. It is a general consensus that if your tap water is good enough to drink, it will be good enough to cook with. But many cooks wouldn't consider using tap water to make their rice. They use bottled or spring water or filtered water systems attached to their tap, since munic.i.p.al sources and deep wells often contain hard minerals, chlorination, fluoride, or foreign material. Milk, fruit and vegetable juices, beer, wine, meat and vegetable stocks, and coconut milk may all be used as liquid subst.i.tutes in recipes, adding food value and a variety of flavor.TO WASH OR NOT TO WASHThis is one of the places where rice asks to be treated with respect. While was.h.i.+ng rice or not is a personal preference, the general rule is to wash or rinse imported rices and not to wash domestic rices, which are well cleaned and dried before packaging. Imported rices can have plenty of clinging starch left over from the processing, and your cooked rice will be downright gluey if you don't wash it off prior to cooking.However, don't wash Arborio or the other Italian-style risotto rices; the starch makes the risotto creamy. And many Asian cooks would not think of cooking unwashed rice; it would defy tradition. Domestically produced j.a.panese-style rice is coated with powdered glucose or rice powder. It's perfectly safe to eat, but was.h.i.+ng off this whitish powder improves the flavor. New on the U.S. market is j.a.panese-style rice labeled "Musenmai" and "Rinse-free rice," which does not have to be washed. This rice takes a bit more water to cook than regular rice, because rice absorbs some water during was.h.i.+ng. Indian basmati must be rinsed; recipes often call for up to nine or ten rinsings. Boxed and packaged rices usually do not need was.h.i.+ng or maybe just one rinse. Converted rice does not need rinsing.To wash rice, place the measured rice in a bowl of cold tap water and swish it around with your hand until the water becomes cloudy. It will often be foamy around the edges. Tilt the bowl and carefully pour the water off or pour through a fine strainer. Rinse and return the rice to the bowl, if need be, and add more cold water. Repeat until the water stays clear, or nearly so. Most rices need at least two rinsings, but each batch of rice will be different; we have seen some basmatis take four. Purists wash for minutes and really use some muscle power.Some recipes call for soaking the rice in cold water after was.h.i.+ng and before cooking to soften the outer cell walls. This is a traditional technique in Turkish, Persian, and Indian cuisines. Some newer models of rice cookers have a built-in soaking cycle. You can soak rice in the sink, in a separate bowl, or in the rice cooker bowl, or leave the drained rice right in a mesh strainer for 10 to 30 minutes and let the grains soak up the water that is clinging to the grains.TO SALT OR NOT TO SALTSalt is a flavor enhancer. In the environment of the rice cooker, when salt is added as one of the ingredients, it is absorbed into each grain of rice during the cooking. We have detected that some rices, especially brown rices and the aromatic rices, can get a bit of a bitter edge from the salt, masking the delicate flavor of the rice. To salt or not to salt is a decision that you will have to make in your own kitchen, based on your own palate. The addition of salt to rice is purely personal preference and also varies depending on how you plan to serve it. For instance, if you are serving the rice with roasted meat, you might want to salt it to taste. If the rice will be served with a spicy curry or salty stir-fry, you wouldn't need the salt.We have specified salt in some of the recipes that follow, but you may choose to eliminate it without affecting the recipe adversely. If you do add salt, add it with the water and swirl a few times to evenly distribute. If you are using a stock that already has salt added, or miso, the rice will not need salt. Some unhulled rices, such as Wehani, are minimally processed and are always cooked without salt in order to ensure the most tender results.Types of SaltSalt is not just a blue box with a little girl in a raincoat and umbrella anymore; there are fine, downright exquisite, salts on the market.Fine iodized table salt (mechanically removed from rock salt deposits, with pota.s.sium iodine and magnesium silicate added to prevent caking) and fine sea salt (from saline deposits at the edge of the sea) can be used interchangeably. Sun-evaporated, unrefined sea salts retain their complementary minerals, calcium, pota.s.sium, and magnesium, which give a distinct flavor reminiscent of the sea. We use La Baleine, an iodized sun-evaporated fine sea salt from the Mediterranean that contains no preservatives or anticaking agents (you'll find it at the supermarket), or j.a.panese sea salt, which we buy at the Asian market. If you buy regular sea salt, you want fine-crystal, which is finer than table salt, or medium-crystal, which is ground like table salt. Kosher salt (which is mined, but contains no additives) is preferred by many cooks for its purity and milder flavor.Coa.r.s.e salts, usually for sprinkling after a food is cooked, must be ground in a salt grinder before being added to the cooking water. Ducros of Provence markets sea salt in its own disposable grinder. Celtic Sea Salt, touted by the macrobiotic community for its health-giving properties, is pale gray. Fleur de Sel de Guerande, from Brittany and available from King Arthur, is hand-harvested. Fleur de sel Fleur de sel, the "flower of salt" that is the top layer in sun-evaporation pans, is so coveted that the pretty white crystals are simply sprinkled over hot rice with some sweet b.u.t.ter. Take a chance and experiment with the flavor of salt as you would with any other premium ingredient.REHEAT IN GRICE IN THE RICE COOKERSome cooks make extra rice and have it for a day or two in the refrigerator, ready for quick meals. Other cooks would never think of using day-old rice. In case you need to reheat some rice, here's how.Place the cold rice in the rice cooker bowl. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water (old rice will need a bit more water, new rice less) and break up the stiff clumps of cold rice. Cover and program for regular cycle. Steam until the timer sounds, about 10 minutes. Eat immediately and do not reheat again.PERFECT BROWN RICE IN THE RICE COOKERYou will notice that the standard brown rice capacity of rice cookers is lower than their capacity for white rice. This is because brown rice must cook longer to become tender, and therefore you must start off with more water than for white rices. If you overload your rice cooker, you'll face a messy boil over.If your machine has a Brown Rice cycle, use it. But because most rice cookers do not have one, we put together these charts using the regular cycle.During testing, we learned two surprising things about cooking brown rice. The first is that long- and medium-grain brown rice require the same amount of water. (On the stove, long-grain rice takes more water.) The second thing we discovered almost by accident: It is possible to exceed the brown rice capacities listed in the brown rice cooking chart. In fact, you can cook as much brown rice in your rice cooker as you can white rice; 4 cups in a 4-cup cooker, 6 cups in a 6-cup cooker, 10 cups in a 10-cup cooker. What about those messy boilovers we mentioned above? The trick we discovered is detailed in the chart below, Stretching the Brown Rice Capacity of Your Rice Cooker. When the rice has finished steaming, open the cover, fluff the rice, and re-cover the rice to keep it warm. Do not leave brown rice on the Keep Warm cycle for longer than 1 or 2 hours, as it has a tendency to begin fermenting.STORING RICESome rices come in boxes, others in sealed bags, and others in bulk bins or large sacks. The latter require that you transfer the rice to a storage container. We recommend that you label your raw rices; even on a good day, short-grain Tamaki Gold can look a lot like Carnaroli, and short-grain and medium-grain brown rices are almost indistinguishable. Different types of long-grain brown rice are identical. Make a batch of the rice, write down the water-to-rice proportion, and keep it with the batch for quick reference; the rest of the batch should consistently cook up just like that first batch. Store white and wild rices at room temperature indefinitely, although remember that rice will dry out over time and need a bit more water to cook, especially Thai jasmine. Brown rices and some specialty rices like Jasmati are best stored refrigerated after a month.Store cooked rice in the refrigerator for up to five days in a tightly covered container; if you just cover it with plastic wrap, it will dry out a lot faster (scientifically known as retrogradation, the degree to which the starch hardens as the rice chills) and lose its taste. Cooled cooked rice can be frozen for six to eight months in plastic freezer bags, waiting for your next fried rice session or spur-of-the-moment rice salad. You can defrost rice at room temperature or in the refrigerator. We remove frozen rice the day before using.AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT MEASUREMENTEvery rice cooker comes with a small plastic measuring cup. This cup holds of a U.S. cup, 6 ounces, or 180 milliliters. When the manual that comes with your cooker says to put 1 cup rice in the rice cooker bowl and add water to the 1-cup line, this is the cup you are supposed to use. This can be very confusing for American cooks, whose cooking instincts have been honed on the standard 8-ounce U.S. cup (which is equal to 240 milliliters).When we began using the rice cooker, and adapting recipes for it, we were befuddled by this new standard of measurement. In the end, we took different paths, but fortunately both paths led to perfect rice. Beth has stuck with U.S. cups for all applications. Julie uses U.S. cups for "dressed-up" rices like risottos and pilafs, but for Asian recipes, or for ordinary plain rice, Julie likes the convenience of the rice cooker cups, which allow her to pour water directly into the rice cooker bowl, according to the calibrations on its side. Beth doesn't mind the extra step of measuring water. Until some enterprising manufacturer begins to calibrate a rice cooker for the American market using standard U.S. cups, you, too, will have to find your own path. Whether you choose one method or the other, or a combination of both, your rice cooker will work perfectly, as long as you use the correct amount of liquid. The charts see see, see see, and see see are designed to help you. are designed to help you.Throughout this book, we use the term "rice cooker cup" to distinguish these little 6-ounce cups from the standard 8-ounce U.S. cup. For consistency, most of the recipes in this book have been developed using U.S. cups. Some exceptions to this are the sus.h.i.+ rice and the rice cooking charts, which give both measurements for your convenience. If a recipe is designed for rice cooker cup proportions, it will be labeled such (1 rice cooker cup). If there is no designation (1 cup), that