White Rice

I just dont think that rice gets enough attention.

For many people it's because they feel like it just doesn't have enough flavor.
Maybe it is the texture from not cooking it properly.

I cant figure it out, my family loves a simple bowl of rice, cooked perfectly along side some of our favorite meats.To me it's still a great side dish even though it has gotten a bad reputation over the last few years.

I myself tried to make the switch to brown rice and it just wasn't the same for us.We missed our old friend  "Traditional White Rice"

I know my family could not possibly be the last family on earth who enjoys it as much as we do.So I decided to share my basic Traditional White Rice Recipe.
This recipe makes a good nice textured rice.Not a big gloppy stuck together bowl of glue.
Yes, I have made plenty of those before, and lets face it, they look a lot like a bowl of lumpy mashed potatoes if overcooked.

I dont like a dry rice.We like a rice that is a little more creamy but the grains still holding their shape.

Flavoring rice is pretty simple to do and depending on what you are in the mood for, can be flavored in many ways.My traditional rice always starts with chicken broth instead of water, water has no flavor.A good chicken stock or broth does.Beef broth or stock is also something I use depending on the meat I will be serving along with the rice.

You can add favorites like sauteed peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach or tomatoes.
The additions are really unlimited with rice.

The best tip I can give you would be to NEVER use the instant kind.I have never had an instant traditional white rice I liked.The old fashioned long grain white rice is the best to use hands down.
The brand really doesn't matter to me as long as it is not instant.The long grain traditional rice does take longer to cook (about 20 minutes) as opposed to the boil in the bag 5 minute stuff, but think of it this way.The longer it cooks the more time the rice has to soak up the flavor of the broth.Make sense?
I also like to use a heavy bottom pot to cook rice.I have found that with some of the thinner cheaper made pots rice can stick to the bottom of the pot before cooked.
I have never used a rice steamer but have been told they work great.I dont own one and dont intend on purchasing one.My heavy bottom pot works just fine for me.

Lets start with the Traditional White Rice, get that down, then try adding additional flavors and let rice make it's way back onto your families table.


Jodies Kitchen Traditional White Rice
2 cups chicken stock or broth
3 Tbs. butter or margarine
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper (optional)
1 cup long grain traditional rice (not instant)
Bring broth, butter, salt & pepper to a rolling boil in a medium sized heavy bottom pot.Add rice once butter has melted.Give a quick stir then place on a tight fitting lid.Let cook on a low simmer for 20 minutes.Remove from heat, remove lid and give rice a stir.Let sit 5 minute then fluff rice with fork.Taste for additional salt or pepper and add if needed.