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Okay ... Rice. Hmmmmm. Rice is a HUGE part of my family's diet. We have it at least two to three times per week. In Louisiana, there are a lot of rice farmers and we probably have an OVER abundance of brands to choose from. I buy a medium-grain rice as a staple (whatever brand is cheapest.) I also have short-grained or sticky rice for making sushi. They seem to satisfy all my cooking needs.
I have and use a rice cooker. That may be cheating, but the rice always comes out great.
Even though I am not a vegetarian, for a simple vegetarian dish, I cook the rice in water (sometimes I add stock, too), add soy sauce (sometimes worchestershire sauce, but there are anchovies in that) and my favorite spices (make sure to put the soy and any other liquids in the measuring cup first and then fill with water to get the right ratio of rice to liquid (1 part rice, 2 parts liquid)) and then throw a bag of thawed stir-fry vegetables into the pot. I think the rules overly complicate things. Like Emeril says "It ain't rocket science! LOL)
Any left over white rice can be used to make fried rice (or rice pudding) later. If you need a fried rice recipe I can give you one and even vegan-ize it for you. I would like a good rice pudding recipe also.
Good question.
Tommy

JEP: I don't think I could ever go back to making rice without my rice cooker and they come in small sizes for those who only need a cup or so. I cook for me and two grown boys, and have for the past 20 years so I'm not real good with single-serving meals. Let me think about it and I will see if I can cut down the recipe so you will only have a days worth of leftovers. I promise I will get back to you with that. I would definitely suggest the cooker though, they are well worth the money.
TG

My boyfriend is Chinese so I have to cook rice with nearly every meal. His family always uses a huge rice cooker so that was one of the first purchases I had to make when we moved in together. You have to change the water to rice ratio slightly depending on the type of rice but its still so easy. You just pour it all in and hit a button. Cookers come in various sizes, are inexpensive, and easy to clean up. I don't even know how to make rice any other way anymore.

thai or jasmine rice in a rice cooker... fill water just a touch below what they recommend....and even when it says it done let it sit for 10 min....

MAJOR thing is get a rice cooker with a closed lid (NON glass)

Rice is one of those things I could debate about and never come up with a satisfactory conclusive answer.

When it comes to basic, long-grain white rice [I like to add a bit of salt and olive oil.], a good quick soak in some cold water and a good couple rinses will improve your rice. Put your basic white rice in cold water and then bring up to a quick boil [DO NOT EVER lift your lid]...then lower your heat and simmer as low heat as possible for about five minutes...then turn off the heat. Anyhoo, long grain white rice is your basic 'goes with anything' rice. Plain ol' white rice is great for serving as a side to Mexican food dishes or even as the 'main grain' in Hungarian Goulash.

-Basmati rice is your BIG step up from basic white rice. Basmati smells like fresh popped popcorn when you cook it and the aroma and taste FAR exceeds your typical long grain white rice. Cooking Basmati is pretty much the same as white rice (except I like to add in a bit of concentrated chicken stock and some saffron; I'm not partial to saffron threads so I like to put my pinch of saffron in a metal tea strainer in my pot of 'whatever'). Basmati rice is wonderful on it's own or mixed in with veges and Indian spices (I'm not Vegan but there is something about Basmati rice that screams Vegan to me..I could totally pair up some fresh sliced carrots and fresh peas with Basmati and call it good and I eat meat evennn).

Sticky rice is a wholeeeeeeeeee dif subject. Sticky rice (often called Calrose rice) needs a good 20 minute soak at LEAST. Sticky rice needs a good couple rinses (until the water runs clear) and then a good 20 minute soak [longer is best if you have time]. Sticky rice is best for stir-frys and especially best for Sushi. For your Sushi rice you'll need to prep a mixture of about 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/8th cup sugar, salt to taste and 1 teaspoon water. Sushi rice needs only ONE cup plus 1/8th cup of water per cup of rice (any more and you have SLUSHY rice rather than Sushi rice). Bring your water up to boil with the [pre-washed] Sushi rice and once your rice is fully cooked (takes about 15 minutes and 5 minutes residual heat plus 10 more minutes resting period). Now it's time to transfer your sticky rice to a medium sized wooden bowl (or ceramic...basically whatever is handy), now grab a paper plate in your right hand (if you're right handed or in your left if you're left handed) and mix in your vinegar mixture in (preferably with a non-stick silicone spatula) and GENTLY incorporate the vinegar brine whilst stirring and fanning (yes, you can do it if you can rub your belly and pat your head at the same time). Your sticky rice will become glossy and gorgeous if you do it right (and if you don't do it right the first time, don't give up because it's so worth doing on your own)!

Now...for Risotto...ohhhhhhhhhhh Risotto rice! Okay, this is how I do my basic risotto (please feel free to improvise)! -What I do, is I sauté up some nice sweet onions and just as they begin to caramelize I toss in some of my roasted garlic and a couple pinches of salt and a few 'pepper turns' from the fresh ground pepper mill. Once you have 'sweated' and slightly caramelized your sweet onions, this is the time you add in about 2 tablespoons of good quality extra virgin olive oil (hopefully not the fake stuff lol)! Now ready 2 cups of water (or better yet, chicken stock) in a pitcher or anything you can easily pour from. Now...pour your cup of Risotto rice in your onion/garlic/olive oil conconction and stir rapidly to coat your lil' baby grains of rice as quick as you can. Done? Okay, now slowly stir a few swooshes (1/8th or so of your 2 cups of water /or/ chicken broth) and just as it starts to thicken and bubble keep adding the rest of your liquid in about the same 1/8th cup increments...KEEP stirring...don't think you can walk away from Risotto rice...this is one rice that is VERY unforgiving if it doesn't have 110% of your attention. Anyway, once you achieve a nice, creamy consistency, your risotto should be perfectly cooked and then you can add in some fresh creamery butter, fresh Parmesan Reggiano and of course, LOVE. ;)

The BIGGEST trick to cooking homemade rice is to bring your rice to a controlled boil and then turn on low for five minutes or so and then shut the heat off and let the residual heat do the rest of the cooking...your ideal rice grains should be fully cooked, tender and yet totally separate from each other. Does that make sense?

One thing I'd LOVE to learn to make is brown rice...I've never mastered it and that's something I'm *shame-face* embarrassed that I haven't learned to properly cook yet. If anyone knows a good way of making perfect brown rice, pretty please [with sugar on top evennn] share? :)

I hope my post wasn't too long...I actually put a lot of thought into it...I hope it shows... I tried... :)

The recipe for Indian Style Basmati Rice works like a charm for me everytime.

Here's my foolproof method for cooking brown rice - I find that the risotto technique, whereby you toast the grains in a little olive oil first, is the best way to manage brown rice, as well as basmati rice (which tends to get mushy otherwise). It helps the grains stay separate, rather than getting smashed and pasty. I'd love a rice cooker, but I live in a little NYC apartment and since I've already got a breadmaker, am not allowed any more unitasking appliances!

For a great vegetarian rice dish that is comforting in the way that, say, Rice-A-Roni is comforting, cook 1/2 cup brown rice, and mix together 2 tbsp tamari soy sauce, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 clove pressed garlic, and just a dribble of your favorite pepper sauce, and add it to the pot about 5 minutes before the cooking's done along with steamed zucchini (1 medium or 2 small) or steamed greens, and 1 15-oz can drained and rinsed garbanzo beans. This isn't quite a "salad", because it's not to be served cold, but it is quick, satisfying, and healthful (albeit a bit salty).

I second the fried rice recommendation - fried rice is way better when you start with cold rice. And if you still have fried rice leftovers the day after that, you can make (what my dad calls) om rice - basically an omlet stuffed with fried rice.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions! I am glad brown rice is being discussed & the great link producestories provided as I also wanted to try to improve on my past experience results. I have heard "wild rice" isn't truly rice---anyone know? Does anyone else like rice pudding?

Eat quinoa instead! KEEN-WA. It's stupidly simple to make (1:2 grain:water ratio, boil for like 2 minute, cover & let cook for 15 more. done.). It's also a complete protein, unlike rice, making it a tad bit healthier, in my opinion. Google it!

I love rice salad. If I'm in a rush, I make rice, then set it aside in a big bowl in the freezer. I chop up onions, carrots, celery, red cabbage, cucumber, etc. Then I toss those in the bowl with the rice once it's cold. I add salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and mayonnaise (like dressing for a lettuce salad). I took it to a potluck once and got good reviews.

Sorry if someone has already mentioned it, but I'll just tell you my way of cooking rice.

Put a cup of rice in a pot. Rinse the rice a few times, drain out water. Add a cup of water to the rice. Bring pot to a boil then turn down the heat so it's barely simmering. Cover pot with lid (I wrap a towel around the lid to soak up the steam and make a tighter fit). The rice should absorb all the water after about 15 minutes; just eat a bit near the end of cooking time or check if there's still water in the pot.

I use a roughly 1:1 ratio of rice to water and it always works for me (in case you want more than a cup of rice). My rice may get a little messed up if I turn the heat up too high, but for not being a great cook I can make rice fine without a rice cooker. (I grew up using a rice cooker and only figured out how to cook it without a pot last year! Eek.)

Leftover rice = fried rice for the next day's meal. ;D

Wow! So many great rice recipes and I *totally* forgot about Jasmine rise. I must humbly bow and tip my hat to the posters whom shared some brown rice tips. I'f I'm lucky to have any success with brown rice I'll post my failures or hopefully 'success':)

Dominic--I knew you'd find me a perfect Rice Pudding recipe! Not overly sweet sounding & the addition of pistachios is a bonus flavor/crunch for me! Think I would like it both warm & cold. Your Greek salad is something I will try when I get my rice cooker---I like the idea of a rice recipe that adds cheese for protein. Thanks