jmcquown wrote:

> On 12/13/2020 10:21 AM, cshenk wrote:
> > Julie Bove wrote:
> >
> > > Normally, my go to white rice is any cheap stuff I can find. I am
> > > trying to stay out of stores right now so no more bulk stuff from
> > > Winco. Other than that, I generally buy the store brand. I use the
> > > proportions of 1 cup rice to one cup water or broth. Might add a
> > > little salt, butter or olive oil, depending on what I make. Bring
> > > to a boil, cook on low. covered, for 20 min. Perfect!
> >
> > This is an 'instant rice' (you can tell from the water proportions).
> >
> Exactly, Carol. If it's a 1:1 ratio it's instant rice.
>
> > > But I only recently was able to get the Walmart brand. I'm trying
> > > to use up the older rice. It's Blue Ribbon brand. Looks like any
> > > other rice when raw. I failed to read the package directions. For
> > > some reason, it uses 2 cups of water for each cup of rice. Cook
> > > time still 20 min.
> >
> > This is a regular rice. Generally it will be 1 cup rice to 2 cups
> > water.
> >
> Says so right on the any package of long grain white rice. 2:1 ratio.
>
> > > I will add that I had another rice fail recently for the same
> > > reason, but that was minor. It was a small bag and I added it to
> > > some chicken broth. I was having stomach issues then and didn't
> > > pay a lick of attention to the texture, which was mush by the
> > > time it finally cooked.
> >
> She overcooked it because she wasn't feeling well, didn't set a timer
> and let it over cook to mush. It is not the fault of the brand of
> rice. She's lucky it didn't burn but likely added too much chicken
> broth for that to happen.

I'd have added more broth to a true soup and maybe added some cooked or
canned chicken.

There's a Store brand at Harris Teeters that works well with nice big
meaty chunks of chicken.

In Asia, it's often cooked that mushy way deliberately or may be
leftover rice then with broth added to make it that way for a hearty
breakfast ;-)

I had plenty of time to watch local folks and their lunch bento boxes
(but no experience outside Japan for that). Basically they's always
make a little bit more of everything but never waste it. It went
instead in little containers with lunches. Charlotte said it was the
same at school if the kids were Japanese as some of them just didn't
like 'American Food' that much. If I was inport and didn't have duty
the night before, Charlotte took a bento box too and as always, kids
trade goodies at lunch...

https://www.amazon.com/Greenco-Stora...dp/B00U0G3K5G/

That's the little containers. You'd generally have 3-4 of them plus 2
sides and a main with rice in the bottom chamber.

> > In this case, I suspect it was very old rice but also, it may be ok
> > but work better in a rice maker than a stove top. That doesn't
> > matter since you only stove top. Donate unopened bags to local
> > food kitchen.
> >
> She's not about to buy a rice cooker, despite how often she cooks
> rice. It's easier to try to blame the brand rather than the cook.
>
> Jill

True, she's not going to get one. Hopefully she donates the bags and
doesn't add to the waste of food Americans are so well known for.