Free The Ultimate Rice Cooker by Julie Kaufmann Page B

distributed by Lotus Foods under the Lowell Farms label. We got this recipe from the company founder, Caryl Levine, who not only searches out exceptional imported and domestic rices, but eats rice every day out of her 10-cup rice cooker. The organic jasmine rice grown in El Campo, Texas, is a variety developed by the International Rice Institute in the Philippines and Texas A & M University. American jasmine is less processed than imported Thai jasmine, so it will take a bit more time to cook and, as you will note from the proportions, a bit more water. Caryl always likes a bit of salt. “It brings out the best in rice,” she says. A great everyday rice you just might end up liking better than the imported variety.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;

fuzzy logic or on/off

CYCLE: Regular

YIELD: Serves 6 to 8

2 cups domestic white jasmine rice

3 cups water

Large pinch offine sea salt (optional)
    1. Place the rice in a fine strainer or bowl, rinse with cold water, and drain once.
    2. Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil. Place the rice in the rice bowl. Add the water and salt, if using; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
    3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for hours. Serve hot.
    thai jasmine rice

    The word for rice in Thai is kao and the type of rice found all over the country is a pearl white long-grain rice labeled Thai jasmine. It has a plump, elongated shape, not round like short-grain rice or thin and long like American long-grain. The rice cooks up fluffy and moist, with a delicate floral aroma that is a favorite with many cooks in many nations. Many brands are labeled Riz Parfumé. Considered the most delicate grain of all the rices, it is harvested in December during the dry months and is marketed fresh. Thai jasmine loses its fragrance as the raw rice ages, so often it is stored in the refrigerator.
    Many cooks complain that their jasmine rice is too gummy after cooking; that is because they are cooking it in too much water. Thai jasmine is not the same as long-grain Thai sticky rice, kao neuw , which is eaten in the north of the country, steamed in a spittoon-shaped rice pot, and eaten only with the hands.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;

fuzzy logic or on/off

CYCLE: Regular

YIELD: Serves 6 to 8

2 cups Thai jasmine rice

2¼ cups water

¼ teaspoon salt
    1. Place the rice in a fine strainer or bowl, rinse with cold water twice, and drain twice.
    2. Coat the rice cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a film of vegetable oil. Place the rice in the rice bowl. Add the water and salt; swirl to combine. Close the cover and set for the regular cycle.
    3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice holds nicely on Keep Warm for up to 3 hours. Serve hot.
    note: If the cooked rice seems too dry, add a bit more water (up to 2 to 3 tablespoons) and leave it on the Keep Warm cycle for 15 minutes to continue steaming.
    white jasmine blend

    Cooked by itself, jasmine rice can be very soft and tender, almost sticky. In combination with a domestic long-grain white rice, it will have a lovely nutty fragrance and drier texture. It’s especially nice with Chinese food; in fact, one restaurateur of our acquaintance says he serves only jasmine rice (made in a 55-cup gas-powered rice cooker!) because he loves the way it makes the restaurant smell. If you use domestic-grown American jasmine rice, increase the water to 1¾ cups.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;

fuzzy logic or on/off

CYCLE: Regular

YIELD: Serves 3 to 4

½ cup long-grain white rice

½ cup Thai jasmine rice

1½ cups water

¼ teaspoon salt
    1. Place the rices in a fine strainer or bowl, rinse with