Cooking rice takes a measuring cup, a pot with a tight-fitting lid, a heat source you can regulate, and a timer.
To cook rice reliably, always start with boiling water. For every two parts of rice, pour three parts of water in a pot and bring it to a rapid boil under a lid. Use a glass lid if you have one. Add rice quickly, replace the lid and wait until water boils again. Taking the lid off once the rice is in the pot is not a good idea. Once boiling is reestablished, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for ten minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook another five minutes. Turn the heat off and wait at least five minutes, than briefly add salt to taste and butter or oil (a teaspoon to tablespoon for two cups of dry rice). If cooking sushi rice for sushi, don't add salt and oil, but wait thirty minutes before seasoning and add four to six tablespoons of sushizu. Fluff rice with a fork or mix carefully with a wooden spoon, replace the lid and let it rest for another ten minutes.
Types of rice: rice in conventional supermarkets come in several varieties. First, the rice can be pre-cooked or not. I'm talking only about fresh, or raw, kind. Second, the rice can be white (polished) or brown. White rice cooks faster and more neutral in its flavor, fitting more dishes. It is less rich in nutrients and flavors. Since rice is mostly starch with a texture, proper seasoning can replace both flavors and nutrients lost by polishing. I will concentrate on white rice further. Third, rice comes in different shapes, or kernel length. The shorter the rice, the milder, softer and stickier it is. Sushi rice is a shortest, roundest variety. It has creamy flavor, which is enhanced both by sushizu (sushi vinegar) and butter, and great as a side dish for any type of fish, not necessarily sushi. It is also great for hot rice porridge. It gets lost next to strong, aromatic vegetables. It is available organic at $1.90 per pound in bulk, cheaper than fancy pasta. Long-grain varieties are long grain, Basmati and Jasmine rice. All three are not sticky, making separate, distinct kernels. They have stronger taste and flavor than sushi rice and compliment flavorful meat, like lamb, vegetables and spices. Jasmine rice is most flavorful, followed by full-bodied, savory Basmati. All three varieties cost between $1.60 and $2.30 bulk organic in Whole Foods Market. Dark purple "forbidden" rice, sold in small packages, is polished, so, technically, it's white. It retains its color after cooking. It tastes similar to jasmine rice, cooks little bit longer and stays little bit harder. Arboreo rice is Italian variety. It has larger kernel than Asian varieties. It is supposed to stay little hard (al dente) after cooking and has very mild, starchy taste.
Rice porridge: add milk, sugar and raisins to taste. Reheated leftover rice is OK. Kids love it. So do I.
See also: kitchen, tuna salad, stuffed peppers, hot cereal, buckwheat.