The Art of Cooking Rice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Art of Cooking Rice - Assignment Example When measuring rice for cooking, one typically uses a cup for measurement. Decide on the number of cups to cook and then rinse the rice with ordinary water to rid it of starch and any other impurities. Common rice sold in the US is usually fortified with key vitamins and minerals (like iron and niacin), most of which will be washed away if the rice is soaked and washed prior to cooking (Smith and Dilday). However, soaking and washing rice will result in fluffier, lighter cooked rice, with fuller grain that doesn't stick. Either soak the rice in cold water for 30 to 60 minutes or wash the rice around two to three times or until the water is clear rather than cloudy. In washing rice, one technique would be to keep the water running on low while shaking the rice until the foggy white color turns to clean clear. When measuring rice for cooking, one typically uses a cup for measurement. Decide on the number of cups to cook and then rinse the rice with ordinary water to rid it of starch an d any other impurities. Common rice sold in the US is usually fortified with key vitamins and minerals (like iron and niacin), most of which will be washed away if the rice is soaked and washed prior to cooking (Smith and Dilday). However, soaking and washing rice will result in fluffier, lighter cooked rice, with fuller grain that doesn't stick. Either soak the rice in cold water for 30 to 60 minutes or wash the rice around two to three times or until the water is clear rather than cloudy. In washing rice, one technique would be to keep the water running on low while shaking the rice until the foggy white color turns to clean clear. Then, rinsed rice has to be placed in a standard pot. It is advisable to use a heavy pot rather than shallow pans or thinly lined pots because rice needs quite some time to cook and it has to cook evenly. If one uses a thin-lined pot, one would end up with burnt rice at the bottom and uncooked rice on top. Most people also just decide to use a rice cook er to make the job easier. Either way, make sure that the right amount of water is mixed in with the rice. The rule of thumb when cooking rice is usually two cups of water for every cup of long grain rice, one and a half cups of water for every cup of short grain rice, and one and one-fourth cups of water for every cup of sweet rice. These combinations yield three cups of cooked long grain rice, two and a half cups of short grain rice, and two cups of sweet rice, respectively (Compestine). Mixing in the right amount of water is essential to ensure that cooked rice is neither mushy nor gritty. Assuming that a rice cooker is not used, put the pot over a stove and bring the rice and water to a rolling boil over medium or high heat.