How to cook rice the wrist wrinkle way

Sometimes its the basics that get you stuck.

My mom who I love dearly only ever cooked rice in a bag, you know the kind you fish out with a fork and drain over the sink?

I am sure she probably made rice other ways but I didn't pay attention. I know she can make a mean gumbo so she must do rice well too. anyway...

Bulk rice from a sack.. I messed it up bad when I tried to cook it... until I worked at a chinese take out place in college and I watched the lady there do it, and got instructions in very broken english. I was never allowed to make it there but I finally mastered it in my own home!

(Did you know suhsi apprentices can be trained up to 7 years on just how to make sticky rice?)

This could be a potentially contreversial topic because I assume most people have developed their way to cook rice by now - but for those of you afraid of it and are fishing bags of rice out of the water this is for you...

How I cook rice in a rice cooker without a single measuring cup or reading any directions on packages:

I use a rice cooker from the 1970's - I had a brand spanking new one that was a wedding gift but it was small and my family out grew it - so I traded mine for my Aunt's chime-o-matic... and it chimes so sweetly...

current prices and technology vary but I can attest to the fact that it doesn't have to be fancy to work, just ask my chime-o-matic

I do both white and brown rice in my rice cooker, and I include both rices in my food storage. Brown rice is healthier, white stores better and some recipes need one or the other to taste right.

I get my brown rice on sale at the bread store and in bulk from Sprouts

for this I am making brown rice:

Any amount of rice will work with my method, but after time I have found that a little over one knuckle is perfect for our family - this is A LOT of rice - I'd guess 8 cups cooked

Its just about the max capacity for my cooker

now for the water, I rinse brown rice, but I do not rinse white rice (you wash away all the fortified vitamins if you rinse white rice)

Now for my big trick: Bend your wrist - if you have enough meat on your bones there will be two main wrinkles

WRINKLE #1 is the line you fill to for white rice (above photo) and..

WRINKLE #2 is the line you fill to for brown rice (photo below):

this works no matter how much rice you want to make because its a ratio thing.

now put it in the chime-o-matic and wait for the ding...

rice cookers are pretty forgiving and if you are not sure lean towards more water than not enough, it will turn off when the water is cooked off ..

done... just toss with a fork and you are done, use a wooden spoon if you are worried about scratching your rice cooker.

DO NOT leave rice in cooker too long - it becomes a dry stuck mess. But for what does stick do not struggle fill with hot water and dish soap and let soak overnight, stick in the dishwasher the next day.

To fry rice cook the night before or morning of and let chill in fridge

RICE ideas:

add to scrambled eggs to stretch the meal

Fried rice

rice and a can of soup or leftover soup

Rice + one veggie is a meal

and of course:

RICE AND BEANS - the staple of a frugal diet :)

PS you can steam veggies in a rice cooker too!