© by iStockphoto.com
I make rice often because it is easy to cook, easy to manipulate, and lets me get on to other things. It also tastes terrific, once you get into different varieties. I stopped using white rice a long time ago, much preferring different sorts of brown rice like brown basmati, and other long- and short-grain varieties. Brown rice is tastier and certainly more nutritious. It is also more forgiving if it’s overdone, readily reparable if it’s underdone, and has a more satisfying texture when it’s cooked just right. (See sidebar.)
Once you get going with rice, you may want to start adding other grains to the mix: a little farro, pot barley (also fantastic on its own, with this same, simple cooking method), wild rice, wheat berries, kamut, or other exotic rice varieties like black rice and red rice. The grains tend to be chewier when cooked at the same time, but that only adds texture. If you find you want a more uniform bite, soak the grains in water for 30 minutes before you add your rice and start the boil.