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RICE
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Rice adds taste, texture to family meals
* Rice is a kind of grass that "likes its feet wet." It grows in water.
* Rice is grown on six of the seven continents. The weather is too cold for it to grow in Antarctica.
* There are more than 100,000 varieties of rice.
* More than half the population of the planet depends on it as a food source.
* Rice provides carbohydrates, protein and fiber and is considered a decent source of vitamins and minerals, especially brown rice, which has more vitamin E and magnesium than white rice.
* Because it is easy to digest, it's one of the first foods offered to infants and to people with wheat allergies and other digestive issues.
Find your type
Long-grain white rice: Takes about 15 minutes to cook.
Brown rice: This rice still has the bran layers with more Vitamin E and magnesium than the hulled white rice. It takes longer to cook, about 40 minutes, and has a more chewy texture.
Arborio rice: Medium-grain rice grown mostly in Italy and used for risotto. As it cooks, the outer layer softens releasing some of the starch creating an almost sauce-like consistency. Cook it at a slow bubble, stirring and adding water or stock as it is absorbed.
Basmati rice: Long, slender grains of this aromatic rice are either white or brown. It cooks like plain white or brown rice, but with tons more flavor. One of my favorite ways to cook it is with chicken broth instead of water. It's used in the cooking of India.
Jasmine rice: This is another aromatic, long-grain white rice that smells faintly like jasmine.
Glutinous rice: This short-grain white rice is softer and stickier than plain rice. It's popular in Asian cuisines, especially Japanese, where it's used for sushi, other dishes and in desserts. It cooks in about the same time as regular rice.
Parboiled or converted rice: This rice has been treated with steam pressure forcing the nutrients from the bran layer into the core of the rice grain. Converted is the trademark name of the same process used for Uncle Ben's rice. The cooked grains remain separate.
Precooked or instant rice: This milled, cooked and dried white rice takes less time to cook but has less texture and flavor than other rice. Instant brown rice retains more of its chewy texture and nutty flavor.
Black Japonica rice: Medium-grain black rice often used in mixed rice products.
Texmati rice: This American-grown rice is a hybrid of aromatic and regular long-grain rice. It has a light texture and nutty flavor similar to basmati rice.
Cook it correctly
Covered method: Bring water to a boil, about 2 cups per 1 cup rice, adding salt, if desired. Stir in rice. Return to a boil and immediately reduce to lowest possible simmer. Cover and time it for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let rest 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Pilaf method: Cook rice briefly in oil or butter until grains turn opaque before adding liquid. You may add other vegetables with the liquid, if you like. Cook rice, covered, without stirring. It will be fluffy with separate grains.
Risotto: Cook rice briefly in oil or butter. Add small quantities of hot liquid, cooking at a slow bubble and stirring continuously, adding more hot liquid as it is absorbed. The rice becomes creamy but still firm in the center when done. Serve it immediately or it will become gummy.
Source Wednesday, 09/12/07 in the Tennessean
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