Part 1 (1/2)

The ultimate rice cooker cookbook.

250 no-fail recipes for pilafs, risotto, polenta, chilis, soups, porridges, puddings, and more from start to finish in your rice cooker.

by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann.

acknowledgments.

The rice angel is a guardian for people who appreciate rice. We met a lot of angels disguised as humans who not only appreciate, but unabashedly love rice and their rice cookers, while working on this book.

Thank-you's to the following for contributing their time and expertise to this work: food writer Lynn Alley; ”Aunt Joan” Billheimer; Naoko Boerger; Matthew Bun son; Paul Mizukia, Mich.e.l.le Camerlengo, and Jim Rogers of Panasonic/Matsus.h.i.+ta Consumer Elec tronics Company; California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation, Inc., Biggs, California; Paul Cha; barley lover Jean Clem of Western Trails Food Products; Jesse Cool; restaurateurs and culinary intelligentsia Elaine Corn and David SooHoo of Bamboo Restaurant, Sacramento, California; Joyce Gemperlein; Joyce Goldstein, for her generous information on Italian rices; Barbara Grunes; Glenda Hildon of Rice Specialty, Inc.; Judith Dunbar Hines; Hitachi America Limited; Ming-man Hsieh; Atsuko Is.h.i.+; Sharon Jones, for the big burlap bag of Daawat basmati; Asian food specialist and San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Chronicle columnist Joyce Jue; Carolyn Jung; Caryl Levine and Ken Lee of Lotus Foods; Grace Liu; Deborah Locke of RiceTec, Inc.; Amanda Lorenzo of Aroma; Jacquie McMahan, the matriarch of California rancho and Mexican cooking; plant breeder John Neal of Lundberg Family Farms; Tamera Moore, for critiquing all the rices; Marianne New of Zojirus.h.i.+ America Corporation; Sharon Noguchi; Mexican culinary tour guide Marge Poore; Toni Ramsaur of Gibbs Wild Rice; food writer Rick Rogers; Kimberly Park of the USA Rice Federation, Houston, Texas; Diana of Sanyo Electronics Company; creative consultant Julia Scannel; Hiroko s.h.i.+mbo; U.S. Department of Agri culture Agricultural Research Center, Beaumont, Texas; Mary Weide, for sharing all that Thai jasmine; Andrew Whitfield, who taught Beth how to cook short-grain brown rice; Williams-Sonoma; Feng-Chih ”Lucy” Wuchen; Martin and Susan Yan. And to all of the members, past and present, of the English Conversa tion Club at Escondido Elementary School for so generously opening their kitchens and their hearts. columnist Joyce Jue; Carolyn Jung; Caryl Levine and Ken Lee of Lotus Foods; Grace Liu; Deborah Locke of RiceTec, Inc.; Amanda Lorenzo of Aroma; Jacquie McMahan, the matriarch of California rancho and Mexican cooking; plant breeder John Neal of Lundberg Family Farms; Tamera Moore, for critiquing all the rices; Marianne New of Zojirus.h.i.+ America Corporation; Sharon Noguchi; Mexican culinary tour guide Marge Poore; Toni Ramsaur of Gibbs Wild Rice; food writer Rick Rogers; Kimberly Park of the USA Rice Federation, Houston, Texas; Diana of Sanyo Electronics Company; creative consultant Julia Scannel; Hiroko s.h.i.+mbo; U.S. Department of Agri culture Agricultural Research Center, Beaumont, Texas; Mary Weide, for sharing all that Thai jasmine; Andrew Whitfield, who taught Beth how to cook short-grain brown rice; Williams-Sonoma; Feng-Chih ”Lucy” Wuchen; Martin and Susan Yan. And to all of the members, past and present, of the English Conversa tion Club at Escondido Elementary School for so generously opening their kitchens and their hearts.

Our thanks also go to Pam Hoenig and Julie Stillman for their marvelous editing; Valerie Cimino, managing editor; the sales, marketing, production, and publicity managers and a.s.sistants at Harvard Common Press; and Martha Ca.s.selman, our stalwart and dedicated literary agent, who loves leftover rice in her soup.

it all started with a grain of rice

Hajime choro choro Naka pa ppa Akago naite mo Futa toru na.

At first it bubbles And then it hisses Even if the baby is crying Don't remove the lid.

j.a.panese nursery rhyme on how to cook rice translated by Elizabeth Andoh Once upon a time, rice was just rice-in our lives anyway. You planned a meal and rice seemed to be the right starch to serve with it. You placed the saucepan on the stove, measured some water into it, pulled down the bag of rice, measured it into the cup, and poured it into the boiling water. As the water came back to a boil, on went the cover and, when the timer beeped, you ate the rice.

That was before we met the rice cooker. Since then, the world of rice-the amazing array of rice available on every supermarket and specialty grocery shelf, where it grows, its lore and history, sharing recipes, the writing of this book-has become an everyday part of our lives.

To an American cook, the electric rice cooker has been, up to now, a take-it-or-leave- it kitchen appliance. I mean, what's a stove for? But to many Asian-American cooks and cooks throughout Asia, the rice cooker is an absolutely essential appliance for everyday meal preparation. It is the method of choice for cooking rice in j.a.panese and Chinese restaurants (most of the rice cooker manufacturers have a commercial division). Since in many of these diets rice is eaten three times a day, the rice cooker is always on in every home. There are even small ones with a handle to carry while traveling on vacations and business trips. Well, why eat less-than-perfect rice when you don't have to?

Rice cookers appeal to a busy cook for a number of reasons, the first being you may have heard one of your friends tell you how great it is. It is an appliance well suited to a limited cooking s.p.a.ce (it is the cooking tool of choice in college dorms and is great up at the ski cabin) and boasts easy cleanup. It is a closed-environment, slow-cook method that has ended up a cross between a countertop slow cooker, an oven clay pot, and a stove top saucepan. Since it is a one-b.u.t.ton technology, there is virtually no maintenance.

There is not much written about rice cookers in general. ”I will be interested in seeing what you can do with the rice cooker,” Janice Cole, professional cook and editor of Cooking Pleasures Cooking Pleasures magazine, told us. ”I have never made anything but plain rice in mine.” This is the sentiment shared by the majority of cooks we talked to. Beyond the slim pamphlet enclosed with the unit, not much information on how to use it exists in print. ”In Asia, a rice cooker is part of a normal household,” Julie explained during one of our early discussions about the appliance. ”It is like an iron or a toaster here. Why write a book about how to use an iron or toaster? Everybody just knows.” magazine, told us. ”I have never made anything but plain rice in mine.” This is the sentiment shared by the majority of cooks we talked to. Beyond the slim pamphlet enclosed with the unit, not much information on how to use it exists in print. ”In Asia, a rice cooker is part of a normal household,” Julie explained during one of our early discussions about the appliance. ”It is like an iron or a toaster here. Why write a book about how to use an iron or toaster? Everybody just knows.”

So, here is a book that fills that gap. How to use your rice cooker to make foolproof everyday basic rice, recipes for the new rices on the market, and beautiful pilafs make up the core of the book. But there is a host of other possibilities, from risottos and hot breakfast cereals to incredible desserts, made start to finish in your rice cooker. Dim sum and sus.h.i.+ rice, often intimidating, are within the grasp of even the novice cook. But if all you want is to make some good plain rice, this book is also for you. All instructions are presented as simply, but also as comprehensively, as possible, to be of practical use in every type and size of machine.

In every section there are plenty of step-by-step instructions, hints about the machine itself, and delicious recipes, from plain everyday ”I don't have time to think about it” to boldly seasoned. Your rice cooker is a versatile, convenient kitchen appliance that embraces a style of cooking that emphasizes health and natural ingredients. The basic principles of the venerable cooking centers of the world are represented-France, Mexico, and Italy, as well as India, j.a.pan, and China. Rices from around the world, every one available on the market today, are covered in depth-where they come from, how to cook them, and ways to incorporate them into your meals.

Whether you are buying a new rice cooker or are an accomplished cook with an old model, may these recipes bring you as much gustatory pleasure as they have to us.

SCIENCE , MYTHOLOGY , AND THE ORIGINS OF RICEThe role that rice plays as an essential food in the Eastern Hemisphere, along with being one of the first gathered wild grains in the prehistoric Neolithic era, a.s.sociates the grain with both powerful spiritual symbolism and physical nourishment. It has been postulated that the very act of planting the first seeds was a magico-religious act to appease the local reigning G.o.ds, although scientifically speaking, far less is known about the beginnings of rice than any other cereal grains. There is a romantic saying that rice was the first food plant cultivated after the loss of Paradise when heaven and earth became separate worlds. One scientific source has rice growing wild on the ancient supercontinent of Gondwa.n.a.land, which split into Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, South America, and Antarctica. The first cultivation of rice is proven by archaeological remains in Southeast Asia between India and China, and in India. The wors.h.i.+p of food plants is known to have been an integral part of religions, coming down through the millennia to become an aspect of modern world formal religions, as well as folklore. Rice is intertwined with the powerful presence of s.h.i.+va, the ancient Indian G.o.d who is the father of the Hindu panopoly of deities. Failing to create the perfect food to tempt the Shakti (enlivening female force or consort) of his affections, she died a virgin and from the bowers of her tomb sprang the perfect food, rice. Whether the Indonesian Samyan Sri, Thai rice G.o.ddess Maeae Posop, Indonesian Dewie Sri, or Chinese-Taoist Tou Mu (the Mother of the Rice Measure, keeping the divine records of life and death), all rice G.o.ddesses are virgin deities, their gift to mankind, a.s.sociating the grain with fertility, abundance, and purity. The mysteries a.s.sociated with cultivating rice have existed for so many centuries (archaeological discoveries in the Indus River valley have unearthed rice dating back to 4530 B.C.) that these mythological stories have become interrelated with the actual grain right up into our present time. The wors.h.i.+p of food plants is known to have been an integral part of religions, coming down through the millennia to become an aspect of modern world formal religions, as well as folklore. Rice is intertwined with the powerful presence of s.h.i.+va, the ancient Indian G.o.d who is the father of the Hindu panopoly of deities. Failing to create the perfect food to tempt the Shakti (enlivening female force or consort) of his affections, she died a virgin and from the bowers of her tomb sprang the perfect food, rice. Whether the Indonesian Samyan Sri, Thai rice G.o.ddess Maeae Posop, Indonesian Dewie Sri, or Chinese-Taoist Tou Mu (the Mother of the Rice Measure, keeping the divine records of life and death), all rice G.o.ddesses are virgin deities, their gift to mankind, a.s.sociating the grain with fertility, abundance, and purity. The mysteries a.s.sociated with cultivating rice have existed for so many centuries (archaeological discoveries in the Indus River valley have unearthed rice dating back to 4530 B.C.) that these mythological stories have become interrelated with the actual grain right up into our present time.The Indian cultures of antiquity were all built around rice-growing areas, and rice, the ideal plant for the humid tropics, is still the most extensively cultivated of any food grain. Rice is mentioned in ancient Chinese scrolls (there are recipes and references to fan fan from the eighth century B.C.), and is known as ”the good grain of life.” It is the staple food of over half the world's population from India throughout Indonesia and the Philippines to China, Korea, and j.a.pan, and all the islands from Taiwan to Madagascar. It can be planted in aquatic paddies, our most familiar vision of rice, but also as an upland crop called hill paddy rice, in tropical areas with lots of rainfall. from the eighth century B.C.), and is known as ”the good grain of life.” It is the staple food of over half the world's population from India throughout Indonesia and the Philippines to China, Korea, and j.a.pan, and all the islands from Taiwan to Madagascar. It can be planted in aquatic paddies, our most familiar vision of rice, but also as an upland crop called hill paddy rice, in tropical areas with lots of rainfall.The traditional rituals that accompany every step of the cultivation and harvest acknowledge a belief system that a soul lies within each and every grain. Rice is always considered female in Eastern cultures, and while men can prepare the land and irrigation system, it is the women who plant seedlings, harvest, and winnow. Harvests were not considered joyous, but were often accompanied by lamentations as the body of the ”spirit” was reaped. In ceremonial plantings, seeds are returned to the G.o.ds via the soil. Even today, there are hand-carved ”demons” dotting the rural Indian countryside positioned to guard the life-giving fields of rice from invisible forces. Rice dolls, fas.h.i.+oned from the sacred first cuttings, give the precious spirit of the rice a home until the next planting. In Sri Lanka, astrologers a the heavenly logistics of when to plant the rice.Although the j.a.panese culture is intertwined with the importance of rice as a basic food, rice did not reach j.a.pan until the second century B.C. The emperor, regarded as a direct descendant of the sun, planted his own personal paddy field of rice on the palace grounds. In j.a.pan the rice deity is Inari, the rice-bearer, and miniature shrines to him are scattered throughout the rural countryside and villages. On February 12, the j.a.panese celebrate a popular folk festival, Hatsuuma, in the presence of the Inari shrines to pray for a good rice crop.

the rice cooker MACHINE

Congratulations on your purchase of an electric or electronic rice cooker. It's versatile and reliable, a very nifty little bit of technology. It can make perfect rice and, as you are about to find out, much more. The electric rice cooker is a kitchen appliance that was born in the climate of postwar j.a.pan. Available since the early 1950s, when the first machines were manufactured by Tos.h.i.+ba, the rice cooker is a contemporary of the electric blender, part of the surge for faster, more convenient food preparation with the aid of the widespread availability of electricity as a relatively cheap power source. The current variety available is astonis.h.i.+ng: The smallest, simplest models can be had for about $15; large, sleek, technologically advanced versions easily run into the hundreds of dollars.

At its simplest, the rice cooker machine is a round, removable, aluminum bowl that sits atop a metal heating element. The heating element looks like a solid metal spring the size of a quarter. It automatically can ”sense” when the water is boiled off by the temperature inside the pot (the amount of water added determines the length of the cooking time, not the amount of rice) and automatically shuts the unit off. It has a round metal or gla.s.s lid with a k.n.o.b handle.The bowl has a rim or handles for lifting it in and out of the appliance ousing. There is a switch to push down for turning on the appliance. The switch pops up when the machine turns off. Today's models are remarkably similar in style to those first ones made by the major j.a.panese companies still in business today: Hitachi, Zojirus.h.i.+, Sanyo, Tos.h.i.+ba, and Panasonic/National. Newcomers include Aroma, Rival, and DuPont.

The shape of the rice cooker bowl was designed to mimic the shape of the okama okama, the traditional j.a.panese metal pot for cooking rice, with a curved bottom and wooden lid (dlightly curved bottom is well known as an efficient heat conductor as far as cooking pots are concerned. It enables food to be cooked efficiently within the confines of the pot using the least amount offuel. The okama okama was used for many centuries over an open fire or on top of a wood-burning stove. With the gradual modernization of j.a.panese homes, first in the cities and then in the outlying rural villages, housewives adopted cooking in the electric rice cooker as a simple alternative to using up limited s.p.a.ce on their new electric or gas stoves. Half a century later, the electric rice cooker is a commonplace appliance in every j.a.panese home. was used for many centuries over an open fire or on top of a wood-burning stove. With the gradual modernization of j.a.panese homes, first in the cities and then in the outlying rural villages, housewives adopted cooking in the electric rice cooker as a simple alternative to using up limited s.p.a.ce on their new electric or gas stoves. Half a century later, the electric rice cooker is a commonplace appliance in every j.a.panese home.

If you eat rice more than a couple of times a week, a rice cooker is a sensible investment. It does an exceptional job of cooking rice and other whole grains, as well as being very durable.

TYPES OF RICE COOKERS.

There are two basic categories of rice cookers available on the market today: on/ off and fuzzy logic. Within these categories there are five types of machines: cook-and-shut- off, cook-and-reduce-heat, deluxe electronic, basic fuzzy logic, and induction heating. These range from simple to sophisticated, each reflecting a step in the evolution of the rice cooker. You can recognize the types not only by the range offeatures, but by the price. Choose your rice cooker by first a.n.a.lyzing what type of cooking you want to do with it. If you make only white rice and steam a few vegetables, go for a simpler machine. If you want the full range of timing and cooking capabilities, from porridge to brown rice, go for a more elaborate model, but realize that you won't be able to use it as a steamer. Models are labeled for what the cooker will do, such as Rice Cooker/Warmer or Rice Cooker/Steamer/Warmer. If you do a lot of steaming or make multicomponent steamed meals, look for a model with a large steamer tray or a set of baskets; this feature is not included in fuzzy logic cookers. We are not going to recommend any particular models since technology is constantly being updated and model numbers change often. Just stay with one of the reliable brands and shop for the features you desire.

Rice cookers come in standard sizes: the 3- or 4-cup capacity (small), 5- or 6-cup (medium), and 8- or 10- or 14-cup (large) models. Many manufacturers have models that can hold up to 20 cups for home use. The jumbo rice cooker, or deluxe cooker, has a capacity of 15 to 30 cups. This is a cook-and-reduce-heat type machine that is great for large families, entertaining, and small cottage businesses. It is available in restaurant supply stores.

Look for safety features such as thermal fuse protection and an automatic cord reel. All models come with a 6-ounce measuring cup (see Measuring Up,) and handy heat-resistant plastic rice paddle. Many come with a small steaming plate insert. If the model is designed to be portable, there will be a conveniently designed carrying handle.

On/Off Rice Cookers The two most basic types of rice cookers are the cook-and-shut-off cooker and the cook-and-reduce-heat cooker/warmer. Each has a round metal housing with a removable aluminum rice bowl; the carrying handles are on the outer housing and there is a switch on the front of the machine. This on/off mechanism, while seemingly simple compared to the newer fuzzy logic machines, contains the same efficient heating elements without the digital options. In addition to making rice, it is a superior machine for steaming purposes. The cook-and-reduce-heat cooker/warmer models can keep rice hot and ready to eat for several hours.

The third type of on/off rice cooker is the deluxe electronic model, which is fitted with an electronic sensor unit and retains the round housing style of the other on/off cookers.

Some manufacturers also have a model called the Persian-style rice cooker, designed specifically for making chelo chelo with with tahdig tahdig and and kateh kateh, the slow-cooked Middle Eastern daily rice preparations that create their own bottom crust.

Cook-and-Shut-Off Rice Cooker The cook-and- shut-off cooker, marketed simply as a rice cooker, is fast and safe. Tos.h.i.+ba Corporation of j.a.pan invented the first cook-and- shut-off rice cooker in 1955. Matsus.h.i.+ta Corporation introduced its own model soon after and brought the rice cooker to the U.S. market in 1957. You push down the switch and the machine turns on. It automatically shuts off when the rice is done (when the water boils off or if the pot is removed). If you are nearby, you will hear the switch pop up. The cook-and- shut-off cooker, marketed simply as a rice cooker, is fast and safe. Tos.h.i.+ba Corporation of j.a.pan invented the first cook-and- shut-off rice cooker in 1955. Matsus.h.i.+ta Corporation introduced its own model soon after and brought the rice cooker to the U.S. market in 1957. You push down the switch and the machine turns on. It automatically shuts off when the rice is done (when the water boils off or if the pot is removed). If you are nearby, you will hear the switch pop up.

This machine is the most basic (it is designed to make only white rice, although it does a credible job with brown rice, too, if you follow our instructions) and is very inexpensive. It is fitted with a plain aluminum cooking pot and a tempered gla.s.s or metal lid. There is no indicator light to tell you when the rice is done; if you don't hear the click as it shuts itself off, you can tell by examining the position of the switch. This is the only model that comes in a mini-size of 1 cup, for the single rice eater. You can find small models for $15 to $20.

Cook-and-Reduce-Heat Rice Cooker The cook-and-reduce-heat rice cooker (also known as the keep warm cooker), automatically adjusts the heating element to low when the thermostat senses that the water has boiled off and the rice is done. The two heat settings are On/Off and Keep Warm, which is basically very low heat. This type of machine will keep the rice warm for up to four hours before forming a thick crust on the bottom of the pan. There is an indicator light to let you know if the cooker is cooking or in keep warm mode. To turn off this rice cooker, you must unplug it. The cook-and-reduce-heat rice cooker (also known as the keep warm cooker), automatically adjusts the heating element to low when the thermostat senses that the water has boiled off and the rice is done. The two heat settings are On/Off and Keep Warm, which is basically very low heat. This type of machine will keep the rice warm for up to four hours before forming a thick crust on the bottom of the pan. There is an indicator light to let you know if the cooker is cooking or in keep warm mode. To turn off this rice cooker, you must unplug it.

Top-of-the-line models designed for the steaming option have one or two clear plastic steaming baskets with slatted tiers, which imitate the Chinese bamboo steamer baskets; this is a wonderful option that does a superior job. There is a tight-fitting, see-through tempered gla.s.s lid, which we consider essential. Less expensive models are fitted with plain aluminum cooking pots and metal lids, the more expensive (still comparatively inexpensive) ones have a Teflon nonstick rice bowl coating and gla.s.s lid. This machine usually comes with a perforated metal steamer tray that fits into the top of the rice bowl, allowing for other foods to be steamed as the rice is cooking. The cheaper models have a small tray that fits into the bottom of the bowl so that steaming is done only an inch above the element.

These are very reasonably priced machines; models sell for $40 to $75. A great deal and a good first machine.

Deluxe Electronic Rice Cooker The electronic machine, designed in the 1980s, was the next big jump in rice cooker technology-it cooks and keeps the rice warm and moist for up to 12 hours. The temperature is controlled by a thermal-read switch (note that the fuzzy logic machine senses by weight rather than by temperature). This is the type of cooker to get if you want to hold large quant.i.ties of rice for extended periods. The heating elements are located not only on the bottom, but on the sides as well, so the rice stays an even consistency and you won't get a thick crust or dry spots on the bottom of the pan. These machines are great if your family eats lots of rice and they do it at different times (for instance, if you want to make rice once a day and eat it all day long, as is done in many Asian households). You lift the lid, scoop some rice, and walk away, knowing that the next person will have access to warm, moist rice. There is an indicator light to let you know if the cooker is cooking or on the Keep Warm cycle. The electronic machine, designed in the 1980s, was the next big jump in rice cooker technology-it cooks and keeps the rice warm and moist for up to 12 hours. The temperature is controlled by a thermal-read switch (note that the fuzzy logic machine senses by weight rather than by temperature). This is the type of cooker to get if you want to hold large quant.i.ties of rice for extended periods. The heating elements are located not only on the bottom, but on the sides as well, so the rice stays an even consistency and you won't get a thick crust or dry spots on the bottom of the pan. These machines are great if your family eats lots of rice and they do it at different times (for instance, if you want to make rice once a day and eat it all day long, as is done in many Asian households). You lift the lid, scoop some rice, and walk away, knowing that the next person will have access to warm, moist rice. There is an indicator light to let you know if the cooker is cooking or on the Keep Warm cycle.

These machines usually cost $100 to $150; they do a great job and normally come with a Teflon nonstick rice bowl coating. Many of the deluxe electronic machines are portable.

Fuzzy Logic Rice Cookers The fuzzy logic rice cookersthe basic fuzzy logic and the induction heating machine-are immediately recognizable by their digital face, multiple-choice function b.u.t.tons, and elongated housing shape that Beth has dubbed ”Queen Mum's Hatbox. ” Note that these machines are not usually set up for steaming (you could use an expandable steamer basket, but it might scratch the bowl lining).

Basic Fuzzy Logic Cooker The fuzzy logic cooker (also called neuro fuzzy), which hit the market in the early 1990s, is the next step up from the electronic models. Fuzzy logic technology enables the rice cooker to judge and calculate the amount of rice by weight, automatically adjusting the cooking time. Fuzzy logic rice crican food community and for good reason: They make fantastic rice. If you can afford the price and eat rice regularly, this is the machine to invest in; they are great. The first ones on the market were designed to handle white rice, especially the medium- and short-grain white rice preferred in j.a.pan. They have evolved to incorporate multiple menus, choice of what texture you want your rice to have (soft or hard), a Porridge (or Soup) setting, and a Brown Rice setting. At this writing, Williams-Sonoma carried a lovely medium-size National brand fuzzy logic rice cooker complete with a Sus.h.i.+ cycle (signaling a machine made for the j.a.panese market), which is a nice touch, though not essential if you want to make sus.h.i.+ at home. The fuzzy logic cooker (also called neuro fuzzy), which hit the market in the early 1990s, is the next step up from the electronic models. Fuzzy logic technology enables the rice cooker to judge and calculate the amount of rice by weight, automatically adjusting the cooking time. Fuzzy logic rice crican food community and for good reason: They make fantastic rice. If you can afford the price and eat rice regularly, this is the machine to invest in; they are great. The first ones on the market were designed to handle white rice, especially the medium- and short-grain white rice preferred in j.a.pan. They have evolved to incorporate multiple menus, choice of what texture you want your rice to have (soft or hard), a Porridge (or Soup) setting, and a Brown Rice setting. At this writing, Williams-Sonoma carried a lovely medium-size National brand fuzzy logic rice cooker complete with a Sus.h.i.+ cycle (signaling a machine made for the j.a.panese market), which is a nice touch, though not essential if you want to make sus.h.i.+ at home.

With a bit offiddling, we got long-grain white rice and brown rice to turn out as well as the medium-grain rices in fuzzy logic machines without special cycles. The beautiful spherical DuPont SilverStone coated cooker bowl that is made from a combination of stainless steel and high-grade aluminum (the shape is a fantastic heat conductor) is so easy to clean you will wish every pan you own was just like it. There is a hinged cover. There are various settings, like the Quick Cook cycle (reduces the cooking time by 20 minutes by eliminating the soak rest at the beginning) and the gentle Porridge cycle. The cooking process includes brief soaking at the beginning and steaming at the end. The digital 24-hour clock with timer brings freedom to the cooking process, so you can program the time you want the rice to start or finish cooking. Place the ingredients in the pot, set the timer, and the rice or meal is ready when you are. After the food is cooked, the unit automatically switches to the Keep Warm function, which keeps foods moister than in conventional models, warming it for up to 12 hours.

The prices on these machines range from $170 to $200 and up. You can't have everything, though, and these models are not designed for steaming.

Induction Heating Rice Cooker The induction heating cooker is fitted with state-ofthe-art microm technology designed for sensitive sensor timing and temperature detection. It does everything the earlier model offuzzy logic machine does, plus it delivers a finished product that is the most evenly cooked of any method available because of the accuracy of the microm technology controlled by a microcomputer (think micro chip). Also known as the microm rice cooker, these models have been introduced into the mainstream appliance market during the last seven years in j.a.pan. This machine is described as ”the thinker.” The technology in the sensor unit can compensate for improper measuring since it judges the temperature and detects moisture proportions, allowing for multiple functions, especially important in rices other than white, such as wild rice and brown rices. The induction heating rice cooker uses the highest amount of wattage of all the machines. The induction heating cooker is fitted with state-ofthe-art microm technology designed for sensitive sensor timing and temperature detection. It does everything the earlier model offuzzy logic machine does, plus it delivers a finished product that is the most evenly cooked of any method available because of the accuracy of the microm technology controlled by a microcomputer (think micro chip). Also known as the microm rice cooker, these models have been introduced into the mainstream appliance market during the last seven years in j.a.pan. This machine is described as ”the thinker.” The technology in the sensor unit can compensate for improper measuring since it judges the temperature and detects moisture proportions, allowing for multiple functions, especially important in rices other than white, such as wild rice and brown rices. The induction heating rice cooker uses the highest amount of wattage of all the machines.

These are the most expensive machines, though the price is coming down; they start at about $200, with the top models at about $400.

TIPS FOR BUYING A RICE COOKER ABROADPlanning a trip? If you are traveling to or through many of the major airports in Asia, you'll find a large selection of high-end rice cookers in the duty-free electronics shops. Julie's beloved Sanyo fuzzy logic rice cooker came from the Tokyo airport. At the time, there were about 15 rice cookers to choose from, priced from $80 to more than $400 for the large fuzzy logic models. Obviously these are not the under-$20 models found in many American variety stores, but serious machines for serious cooks.important note: Before you buy abroad, double-check to make sure the machine runs on U.S. current, has a U.S.-style plug, and comes with English- language instructions and English-language b.u.t.tons (Julie's is labeled in English and Chinese). Generally speaking, if you're visiting Asia, you'll be better off shopping for your rice cooker at the airport instead of in town. The airport is the best place to find rice cookers meant for the English-speaking consumer. Before you buy abroad, double-check to make sure the machine runs on U.S. current, has a U.S.-style plug, and comes with English- language instructions and English-language b.u.t.tons (Julie's is labeled in English and Chinese). Generally speaking, if you're visiting Asia, you'll be better off shopping for your rice cooker at the airport instead of in town. The airport is the best place to find rice cookers meant for the English-speaking consumer.

HOW THE RICE COOKER WORKS (THE SCIENTIFIC SCOOP).

The rice cooker has taken all the guess work out of cooking rice. Well, sort of. First you have to figure out how to use it and what it does. While you don't have to know what and when, you most certainly have to know the recipe, the proportions of rice to water, and the parameters of what the machine can or cannot do to get the best possible results. Then it is automatic. This is a machine that will grow on you as you use it (be prepared; each machine has its own personality) and the steps involved will become second nature. We guarantee it.