<p>“adding, from them: WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Chinese-style sticky rice should be just soft enough to soak up savory sauces in dishes General Tso’s Chicken and just sticky enough to be easily eaten with chopsticks. [Nice pix of the rice in the little bowl. ]”</p>
<p>This is the goal. soft enough to soak savory sauces, yet sticky enough for chopsticks. </p>
<p>but, I wonder why they’re using long-grain. </p>
<p>There is much to learn from CPT’s mom—the master chef. ^:)^ </p>
<p>I cooked Costco’s calrose (medium grain) last night and as soon as the bell rang, I opened the Zojirushi rice cooker’s lid, mixed the rice and placed a sheet of Bounty on top of the container. After 2 minutes, I removed the bounty and using a plastic ladle, scooped rice into small bowls. It’s the kind of sticky consistency that you will probably like m2ck. As I said before in post # (ooops, we still don’t have post numbers in the new CC), I prefer the rice fluffier that is why when the bell rings, I open the lid, mix the rice and close the lid for about 10 more minutes before I serve the rice.</p>
<p>The links below describe the difference b/w short grain, medium grain and Jasmine rice.
<a href=“http://www.haveariceday.com/rice-varieties/short/_product_category”>http://www.haveariceday.com/rice-varieties/short/_product_category</a>
<a href=“http://www.haveariceday.com/rice-varieties/medium/_product_category”>http://www.haveariceday.com/rice-varieties/medium/_product_category</a>
</p>
<p>Many years ago, my then-future wife burned minute rice. She hasn’t cooked since.</p>
<p>This thread made me think of that.</p>
<p>mom2collegekids, we do it the “old school” way using the “finger method” with calrose rice. My friends and I coined the term because our moms never used measuring cups and used their fingers to measure the amount of water. They did, however, use rice cookers. I prefer to use a small saucepan because we don’t eat rice very often. Here’s how:</p>
<p>-In a small saucepan, pour amount desired (for our family of 3, it’s roughly 2 1/2 cups dry). If you’re cooking for a larger group, use a larger saucepan or a rice cooker.
-Rinse the rice once (I don’t know why we do it now because some rice brands actually say no rinsing needed)
-Pour enough water to reach the middle knuckle of your middle finger. Your finger should just be touching the surface of the rice. (DH cooks rice and his fingers are longer than mine and it still works. Crazy, I know.)
-If you’re using a rice cooker, turn it on and forget it. 
-If you’re using a saucepan, put it on med-hi heat and wait bring to a boil. Cover the pan and lower to a simmer for 20 min.
-Turn heat off and let stand for 5-10 minutes covered.</p>
<p>Good luck! </p>
<p>^^^
So, you don’t soak? And you use Calrose. </p>
<p>I think I’m going to try a couple of different methods.</p>
<p>Soak…no soak (still need cpt’s momma to say how long to soak 
)
Calrose…japanese rice
rinse…no rinse
let set…use paper towel.</p>
<p>it’s a good think we love rice! :)</p>
<p>^Nope, no soaking.</p>
<p>From what I’ve read, they soak rice from 30min to an hour.
I’ve done it once, it actually made a difference but usually Im not that well organized.</p>
<p>mom2collegekids, I just remembered that my husband recently bought a box of precooked white rice as backup for when I make the multi-grain rice that he does not like. I have to admit that it is pretty tasty (not quite pressure cooker tasty, but still very good). I really think that this is the texture that you are looking for. It sounds like you only need to cook 2 servings at a time, so the convenience (microwave for 1:30) may be worth the cost.
<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/CJ-Cooked-White-7-4-Ounce-Containers/product-reviews/B003U97L1Y”>http://www.amazon.com/CJ-Cooked-White-7-4-Ounce-Containers/product-reviews/B003U97L1Y</a></p>
<p>Chardo, that is a good strategy on your wife’s part. 
</p>
<p>bogi…</p>
<p>Very interesting! I may try that just for last minute needs. Maybe Chardo’s wife needs to order some. :)</p>
<p>Emk…thanks. I am going to soak at my first attempt. But first got to get some Calrose and some Japanese rice. Not sure if there is a Japanese store nearby. There’s a popular Chinese store, but I’m sure Cpn’s momma would not approve. </p>
<p>Such an interesting discussion! For the Korean food I’ve always cooked, I use Calrose, rinse, soak for varying amounts of time in the rice cooker, and then turn on. It is an easy first step while cooking to put the rice in to soak, and then do the prep while the rice soaks. I then push the button for cook approx. 1 hour to 45 minutes before the meal is to be served, which gives both cook and sit time. My Korean step mom mixes in a little northern Thai sticky rice to give a little extra stick. My Korean and Japanese family would tend to dis the rice found in many Chinese restaurants. </p>
<p>I’ve had a series of Thai roommates, and then switched to Jasmine rice. The smell is heavenly. I rinse and soak that as well. My rice cooker is a very simple old Sanyo with 2 settings. Cook, and keep. </p>
<p>Often you can find Japanese products in Chinese supermarkets, rice included.</p>
<p>My household has only 2 (one next year when my daughter goes to college, sob!) and I bought the cheapest rice cooker I could find in a Chinese supermarket. It has a no-stick liner so even if the rice browns a little on the bottom, it’s not a big deal to clean. I lent it to the live-in aide taking care of my stepmother so I can’t check the capacity right now. I found that with smaller quantities (I usually cook one cup of raw rice at a time), I need more water, proportionally. Also if the rice isn’t fresh, it needs more water. Push the little lever to start it, and it pops up and goes to the “warm” setting when it’s done. Unplug to turn it off completely.</p>
<p>So, are you guys adding any salt or anything else to the water and rice?</p>
<p>(I’m soaking rice now…will let y’all know how it comes out.)</p>
<p>I know I am sounding like a rice pressure cooker pusher on this thread, but I just wanted to share how I came to buy my cooker. Have any of you had a “religious” experience with food, where you remember every detail of eating that food? Where you were? Who you were with? That has only happened to me 4 times: eating duck, grapes, steak and rice. My friend served me rice that was heavenly. I was convinced that she had used sweet rice because it was so buttery and flavorful and the glistening and grayish tint was unfamiliar to me. At that moment, I regretted eating plain old rice for all those years when I could have been enjoying such delicious rice. My rice does not taste as good as the rice I had at her house, but I still can’t get over how delicious it is every time I eat it. The likely explanation for the taste difference is that her cooker is probably in the $600 range and mine is mid range at $350.</p>
<p>So why am I rambling on like this? I think most people will never get a chance to eat rice this delicious. I have yet to eat such high quality tasting rice in any Asian restaurant. And most people will not seek out nor pay for such an expensive gadget without having had such an experience. As a public service announcement (LOL) I am here to tell you that it is money well spent. Actually for those who rarely eat rice, it probably is not worth the expense; however, if you enjoy rice and eat it often, I’m confident that your taste buds will thank you.</p>
<p>@oldmom4896, the brown rice at the bottom of the cooker is somewhat of a delicacy. Asian groceries package it to sell at a premium. They usually sprinkle a little bit of sugar on it to make it dessert-like. Also, you can pour a little water into the pot and warm it up enough for the rice to come off the bottom. It becomes like a porridge and is quite delicious.</p>
<p>LOL, Krillies, love that little thingy, though some of the fights I’ve had with my mother about my terrible rice cooking skills (DH says, "don’t we have that rice cooker), the one showing fangs is more like it for me when I think about her requirements for making adequate rice.</p>
<p>Yes the rice has to be rinsed, not once but a number of times in very cold water, like so cold it makes my fingers turn blue as you rub the grains and swirl,and keep rinsing until the water is clearer than I care about–once would do me just fine, and most all rice now does not require rinsing. But my mother’s fine tongue can detect even minute quantities of talc, and if the water is not ice cold, it removes some of the surface of the rice. Yes, she can tell, because I know how to cheat and compensate for a lot of the methodologies, and I can get away sometimes with one cheat in the entire process, but not more than that. Believe me, i try and do a lot, and it’s an ongoing fight here. She weighs but 70 lbs and claims I’m starving her with sub par food, and rice is her staple.</p>
<p>I buy her rice only in the Japanese store. She claims the Korean and Chinese supermarkets have old rice and doesn’t trust Japanese packaged good in any of them. She’ll check out the fresh veggies and their ethnic specialties–we have a large, well stocked Korean grocery store (H-mart) and the same with a Chinese supermarket, 2 of them, in fact. Only one small Japanese store, but it has everything she wants, is very clean, has fresh stock of everything and that’s where a lot of the Japanese shop. Opening the Hmart and the Chinese stores didn’t put much of a dent in their business, but a lot of the smaller Korean, Pan Asian, Chinese stores closed shortly after those big marts opened. </p>
<p>~X( </p>
<p>"(I think Momma is the real CAPTAINofthehouse. ) "</p>
<p>Momma is Commander in Chief when it comes to cooking rice and a number of other things. She truly was quite the chef in her day. She makes Manhattan top rated Japanese chefs quake when she walks into their restaraunts My brother has yet to learn that taking an old Japanese woman from the Meiji era. especially one who worked in a fish store for a good part of her young life, to a Japanese restaurant in the US is a losing proposition. </p>
<p>I have to puff inwards into the palm of my hand, in that she at least rates those chefs lower than me in making a lot of the food.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids, good luck with your rice. I hope it turns out exactly the way you like it. I usually do not put anything in my rice unless I am intentionally seeking a special flavor. Sometimes I’ll put in a little butter or use chicken stock instead of water, but mostly I’m just going for the rice flavor. I only add salt if I am cooking beans with the rice.</p>
<p>@cptofthehouse, your mom sounds like she knows her food and that must have been a blessing. You must have eaten a lot of delicious food growing up and you are probably an awesome cook yourself given her guidance. </p>
<p>Rice is cooking!!! Rinsed multiple times with ice water per Cpt’s Momma’s instruction. Soaked for an hour. When it’s done cooking, I’ll put the Bounty sheet on top…and then we’ll see! </p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>@cptofthehouse how long am I supposed to let it sit after it’s done cooking?</p>
<p>Have never heard of putting a paper towel in the rice pot when rice is done. Have been eating rice all my life, as has my entire extended family. We don’t soak either, tho we usually do rinse. </p>
<p>A “rice pressure cooker pusher.” Bet you can’t say that five times fast, Bogibogi.</p>