Tips on how to properly cook rice

In some countries, rice is the staple food. In such cases, citizens of the said countries rely on rice for nourishment. Since eating certain food type tends to create monotony, diversified ways of rice preparation are advisable. In this article, we are going to look at the standard water amounts used for different types of rice.

Considering the amount and the type of the rice to be cooked; measure 1 and ½ cups of water, for every cup of rice. It’s a standard measure to wash the rice several times in order to get rid of the preserving chemicals and contaminations. If you need a soft and appealing texture, soak the rice in lukewarm water for about 15-30 minutes. Soaking is beneficial when one needs the rice to completely absorb certain types of seasonings.  Soaking will ensure that the seasonings are not only on the rice’s coating but also seeped past the rice walls.

The most critical part which determines the taste of the rice is the amount of water to be put. Basically, the amount of water used is relatively the same as the number of cups of rice but exceeds by ½ of a cup. One can reduce or increase the water from the standard requirement depending on the rice texture. The following guidelines will direct you depending on the type of rice grain you want to cook;

• For long grain white rice, put 2 cups of water for every one cup of rice.

• For one cup of medium white grain rice use 1 ½ cups of water.

• For one cup of short grain white rice, use 1 ½ cups of water.

• For long grain brown rice, use 2 ¼ cups of water.

• For parboiled rice, use two cups of water.

If the water measuring directives above doesn’t yield satisfactory results, one can always add smaller portions of water to get satisfactory results. Another factor that may cause deviated results of the measured water is the origin of the rice, growing conditions and the preservation methods used. For instance, rice grains dried by the use of sunlight tend to use less water in comparison to rice dried by the use of electric power. It’s also advisable to add salt before setting the rice grains in cookers such as Aroma rice cooker & steamer for better absorption. In order to reduce the cooking time, it’s also advisable to set the progress checking intervals to long, this ensure that energy concentrated in the pressurized vessel is not wasted.

Nutritious Squid and Calamari Fish

Like meat, fish and poultry, squid and octopus provide high-quality proteins with sufficient amounts of all the essential amino acids. Both have less saturated fat than meat and small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, a group that includes the essential fatty acid linolenic acid, plus ecosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and dicosahexanoic acid (DHA), the primary unsaturated fatty acids in oils from fish.

However, like shellfish, squid and octopus may be a significant source of cholesterol. The cholesterol content of squid and octopus can vary from animal to animal. There is no reliable guide to choosing the one that is lower in cholesterol. As a general rule, the mantle (body) generally has less cholesterol than the tentacles.
Four ounces raw squid has 1.58 g fat (0.38 g saturated fat), 266 mg cholesterol, and 17.8 g protein. Four ounces of raw octopus has 1 g fat (0.3 g saturated fat) and 54 mg cholesterol, and 17 g protein. The most nutritious way to serve this food is to prepare with little or no added fat, so as to preserve the seafood's status as a low-fat food. People who are on low-cholesterol, low-protein and low-sodium diet should avoid this food.
When buying, look for fresh whole squid with clear and smooth skin. The squid should smell absolutely fresh. Squid larger than 8 inches may be tough. Choose fresh, whole baby octopus or octopus meat that looks and smells absolutely fresh. Octopus larger than 2 to 2.5 pounds may be tough.
Always refrigerate fresh, cleaned octopus or squid immediately and use it within a day or two. Frozen squid or octopus will keep for one month in a 0 degrees F freezer.

Cindy is the host of http://www.asianonlinerecipes.com, a Free Asian Recipes website dedicated to all things on Asian Cooking and Culinary Guide with thousands of Cooking Tips.
Besides, she is also the co-host for http://www.vietnamese-recipes.com and http://www.asianhomerecipe.com.

Italian Lobster Ravioli with Pasta

While the Italian history and culture have celebrated their own pride and glory since ancient times, Italian cuisine also has its distinct specialty and a taste of its own. When it comes to the typical Italian dishes, pasta has always been one of the most common and popular ones, accepted all over the world. Among the varieties of pasta, stuffed pasta has a long history to go back to, existing even in the ancient days. Ravioli refers to one of the forms and varieties of Italian stuffed pasta, deriving its name from the verb "to wrap." Stuffing for pastas can include vegetables, meat, cream, fish, and lobsters. The word "ravioli" also indicates to a shape, a number of recipes have been created for various ravioli preparations.

Among a number of mouthwatering lobster raviolis, radicchio in the sauce can be simply wonderful in tempering the sweetness of the lobster in the stuffing. For serving four people the ingredients required would include one lobster, weighing around two pounds, olive oil, half a pound of red radicchio, washed, lightly oiled and seared on a grill till cooked but not burnt, dry white wine and salt, pepper and cayenne pepper according to taste. These ingredients can be used for stuffing, while for preparing the pasta two yolks and a whole egg, a cup of flour, ¾ cup of finely grained semolina, half a cup of unsalted butter and water are needed. Add a half-pound washed and coarsely shredded red radicchio, along with some salt and pepper according to taste. 2 tablespoons of minced parsley can also be used for garnishing.
The prepared pasta has to be left for an hour wrapped up in a moist cloth and the lobster has to be boiled for removing the shell. Chopped lobster meat and grilled radicchio would then require a seasoning with olive oil, lemon juice, white wine, salt, and both the peppers. By melting the butter in a skillet and sautéing the radicchio followed by a seasoning with the salt and pepper would complete the sauce.
The other favorite ravioli include Agnelotti with spiny lobster and shrimp. Detailed recipes of lobster raviolis are available on the Internet.

Lobster provides detailed information on Lobster, Lobster Tails, Lobster Recipes, Maine Lobster and more. Lobster is affiliated with Salmon Fishing.

Store, Prepare And Cook Live Lobster with Easy Chef 's Tips

Lobster Thermidor Recipe
Storage
Live Lobsters are reasonably hardy creatures. They store well in the bottom of the fridge, covered with a damp cloth and can survive for up to a week, they should be checked regularly, if in any doubt of their freshness cook them straight away. Once cooked treat as any cooked food and store for up to three days in the coldest part of your fridge.

Killing Lobsters.
There are many different ways to kill a Lobster from drowning it in fresh water to dropping it into boiling water or even using a large chef’s knife through the centre of its head between the eyes. Don’t remove the bands on it's claws, they were put there to prevent them eating each other as they are carnivorous and also for your fingers safety too! They can snap at you very fast at room temperature so be careful not to get on the wrong side of it!
Cooking.
1. Using the largest saucepan you have, half fill with fresh water and add plenty of salt, and bring to a vigorous boil.
2. Drop the Lobster in and bring back to the boil.
3. When the water comes back to the boil wait about 15 mins for up to 1 1/2lb and add 5 mins per pound over that.
4. When cooked, strain the water into your sink and wash off the lobster in cold water.
5. Refrigerate if not required immediately
6. Pull off the claws and crack them, and remove the white meat.
7. Either pull off the tail and peel like a prawn, then cut the body lengthwise in half. Remove the grey gills.
8. Or using a large pointed chef’s knife, locate the centre of the cross conveniently located on the top of the shell, and push the point vertically through the shell and down through between the eyes. Turn the fish around and with the knife reversed in the same hole cut down through the tail. Separate the meat as above.
Recipe: Lobster Thermidor
Ingredients
1x750g/1½lb lobster, cooked 20g/¾oz
fresh parmesan, grated
For the sauce
30g/1oz butter 1 shallot, finely chopped 1x284ml/
10fl oz tub fresh fish stock 55ml/2fl oz white wine 100ml/
3½ fl oz double cream
½ tsp English mustard
2 tbsp chopped parsley
½ lemon, juice only salt freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Cut the lobster in half and remove the meat from the claws and tail. Leave to one side. Remove any meat from the head and set aside. Cut the meat up into pieces and place back into the shell.
2. For the sauce, put the butter in a pan, add the shallots and cook until softened. Add the stock, wine and double cream and bring to the boil. Reduce by half. Add the mustard, herbs, lemon juice and seasoning.
3. Pre-heat the grill and spoon the sauce over the lobster meat. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese. Place the lobster halves under a pre-heated grill for 3-4 minutes until golden brown.
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Nigel Brown is the author of Preparing Lobster. This article is linked to Top Chef Reveals Secret Of Dinner Party Success In New DVD and Superchef Nigel Brown Reveals Mirror Secrets

Delicious Baked Cod with Tomatos, Coriander

Ingredients:
Thick skinless cod loin fillet

2 tins of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice

6 garlic cloves (finely chopped)

Handful of coriander, known as cilantro in USA (roughly chopped)

Tbsp of olive oil

2oz of strong cheddar cheese (grated)

1/2 tsp sugar

Salt/freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep (this is important - see below) pan and add the chopped garlic to sweat down, stirring well with a wooden spoon for a minute or two, careful that the garlic doesn't begin to brown. Add the chopped tomatoes, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and bring up to a simmer. This is where the deep pan becomes important as you shouldn't cover with a lid and in a shallow pan, the inevitable splashes make an unsightly mess of the cooker or hob!
After approximately an hour, having stirred your sauce occasionally, it should have become thick and velvety. Add the coriander and the sugar at this stage and stir through well. Remove your pan from the heat and put your oven on to preheat to 200 degrees.
Take an oval shaped, ovenproof dish and carefully spoon in half your sauce mixture. Lay your cod fillet gently on top, then use the remaining sauce to cover the fish completely. Place the dish into your oven and cook for about 35-40 minutes. Remove your dish carefully and sprinkle your grated cheese liberally over the form of the fish. Place back in the oven for 4/5 minutes until the cheeses has fully melted and begins to bubble. Serve immediately with boiled new potatoes and/or chosen vegetables.
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