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How to Cook Rice | How to Cook Pasta
As a rule of thumb... always use four times the amount of water that you have
in pasta, a minimum of four litres.
Put a generous amount of salt in your water AFTER the water comes to a boil.
Trust me, it will boil faster. About a tablespoon per four litres of water
is about right.
Do not put oil in your water unless you want your sauce to run off the pasta.
You can always toss it in a small amount of oil after it's cooled if you
need to store it.
The only time you should rinse pasta after draining is when you are going
to use it in a cold dish, or when you are not going to sauce and serve it
immediately. In those cases, rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the
cooking process, and drain well.
If the pasta is to be used as part of a dish that requires further cooking,
undercook the pasta by 1/3 of the cooking time specified on the package.
A lump of butter or a few teaspoons of cooking oil added to water when boiling
rice, noodles, macaroni, or spaghetti will prevent boiling over.
A few drops of lemon juice added to simmering rice will keep the grains separate.
How to Cook Great Rice...... Every Time!
There has always been considerable disagreement among cooks as to the proper way to cook rice.
However, a little basic knowledge goes a long way to insure great results, every time.
Types and Characteristics:
Regular white rice is commonly categorized as:
Long grain: Commonly used for side dishes, casseroles, etc. Exotic varieties such as Basmati and Jasmine rice also fall into this category. Stays fluffy when cooked.
Short to medium grain: Normal uses for these varieties are Japanese and Asian food, Italian risotto, etc. Cooks up stickier than long grain rice.
Converted rice has gone through a pressured steam process. It takes a bit more water and longer time to cook.
Instant rice has been pre-cooked and dried. It takes less water to cook, but goes mushy and doesn't hold up well.
Brown rice has the bran left on, and comes in short, medium, and long grain. It takes about double the amount of water and cooking time.
Preparation & Cooking:
With the exception of instant rice, or if you're making a rice pilaf, always wash your rice in a sieve under cold running water until it runs clear. This will remove the starchy residue that makes rice sticky.
Use these methods for 4 healthy servings (3/4 cup) of the most common rices:
Long grain white rice: 1 cup rice / 1 3/4 - 2 cups water / 1 tsp. butter or oil / 2 tsp. Salt (cook 15-18 min.)
Basmati or Jasmine rice: 1 cup rice / 1 2 - 1 3/4 cups water / 1 tsp. butter or oil / 2 tsp. Salt (cook 15-18 min.)
Converted rice: 1 cup rice / 2 - 2 1/4 cups water / 1 tsp. butter or oil / 2 tsp. Salt (cook 20-22 min.)
Brown rice: 1 cup rice / 3 2 - 4 cups water / 1 tsp. butter or oil / 2 tsp. Salt (cook 40 - 60 min.)
In a medium sauce pan with a tight-fitting lid, bring the water to a boil then add butter or oil, and salt. Stir in rice and reduce to a very low simmer. Cover tightly. Don’t lift the lid until the minimum amount of time has passed. Gently check with a fork to see if the liquid is nearly cooked in. If not, allow a couple more minutes. When ready, remove from heat and let rest for at least five minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.
For fluffier, whiter rice, add one teaspoon of lemon juice per litre (quart)
of water. To add extra flavour and nutrition to rice, cook it in liquid
reserved from cooking vegetables.
Make sure there'e a little bit of liquid left in the bottom of the pot when your rice is finished cooking...... and always let your rice rest for a few minutes before you fluff it with a fork. This will allow the rice to pick up the liquid, and the starches to relax... trust me on this.
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