The Ultimate Rice Cooker by Julie Kaufmann Page B

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 require the cook to measure the same amount of dry rice and water plus ½ 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 butter and Parmesan cheese as a side like any other rice bowl rice, or as a bed for sautéed 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/off

CYCLE: Regular

YIELD: Serves 4 (about 31/ 2 cups)

1¼ cups Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone nano rice

1¾ cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil

Small 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

    Japanese-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 sushi. 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 Japanese-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 Koshi Hikari.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;

fuzzy logic or on/off

CYCLE: Regular

YIELD: Serves 3 to 4

1½ cups (2 rice cooker cups) short-grain white rice

1⅔ cups cold water

¼ 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