Q: How can I cook rice so it won't be sticky on the outside, crunchy inside?

A: Rice can be tricky. For 4 servings of white rice (long or short grain), measure out 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of cold water, and a sprinkle of salt into a small saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, stir once, reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pan, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until the water has evaporated.

You can tell the water has evaporated two ways. First, there are little holes that separate the rice. Second, the water changes from sounding like boiling, to sounding like popping. Remove rice from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Now it's ready to serve.

To cook 4 servings of brown rice, use the same procedure but increase the water amount to 3 cups for every 1 cup of brown rice, and check it after 27 minutes (an exact number to be sure).

Or, you could try Sara Moulton's "spaghetti method." Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the rice (either kind) and boil for approximately the same amount of time, or until it is done to your taste. Then drain the rice, as you would pasta, through a fine sieve. Either way, it's better to use regular rice, not the parboiled "quick" kind. Regular rice has a better texture and more nutrients.

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