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No ltrs to the editor today? Or good guestions?

Farnic,

We're blogging for two today, so we're a little behind. We may get one up later, but if not, definitely tomorrow.

I absolutely love my rice cooker! I'm not a kitchen gadget gal (I don't have a microwave for example) but I wouldn't want to be without it.

rr-what kind of rice cooker do you have?

Rice Cookers are absolutely the best gadget. They cook rice to perfection, you can make more precise portions, and they keep it warm for long periods of time. I would recommend buying better rice at an asian market too.

We eat rice almost every day and our rice cooker/warmer is by Tiger. A little cheaper than Zojirushi but still pretty good. My Japanese mom is a rice snob and right now her favorite brand is Tamaki Gold rice. I never thought much about her rice prejudices until I lived in Massachusetts for a couple of years and could not get short grain rice.

Cooking rice without a rice cooker.

Wash rice to remove excess starch.

Boil water. {If you use 1 cup of rice use 3-5 cups of water. }

Add rice to boiling water. To ensure that the rice is cooked split the grain of rice to see if raw rice remains in the center. if you see no raw rice , the rice is cooked. Strain the rice into a colander immediately. The rice will turn out fluffy.

Different kinds of rice have different cooking times. The above method prevents you from guessing the amount of water and rice. This method is used generally in India. The water is meant only to ensure that the rice is boiled.

Rice water can used to add in stocks.
Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and you will have a soup.

Cooking rice without a rice cooker is depending on what kind of rice you are using. If you are using Japanese rice for sushi, I was told that water amount should be measured up to the wristbone pressing the rice with palm. Always start with cold water. The heavier the lid, the better. This works.

Hiroko

But what I want to know is why is, if you are able to cook excellent rice in a pan, what is the advantage of the cooker, other than keeping it warm?