Simpler-Than-Pilaf Baked Rice MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes This basic, valuable technique is used worldwide; it's a kind of combination of pilaf and paella, but simpler than either, especially if you omit the spices and go with just salt and pepper. Use oil and...
Simple Risotto MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: 45 minutes Read the preceding text, learn the basic technique here, then use the recipes and suggestions that follow to build on it. If you don't have vegetable stock on hand, I suggest making Simple, Easy, and Fast...
Risotto with Dried and Fresh Mushrooms MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: 45 minutes To me, this is an important version of risotto: not only does its intensity come with very little labor, but I always have dried mushrooms on hand (the addition of fresh mushrooms is a...
Simplest Fried Rice with Peppers MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 20 minutes with cooked rice The easiest fried rice dish, mildly flavored, not earth-shattering, but very fast, very good, and a respectful treatment of a revered leftover. Move to the next recipe if you're...
Fried Rice, with or without Egg MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: 20 minutes with cooked rice A little more complex than the preceding recipe, made just like a standard stir-fry: You choose your other main ingredients in whatever combination you like here, vegetables and...
Paella with Tomatoes MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: 30 minutes With caramelized tomatoes on top and a dish on the table in half an hour, this is gorgeous and stunningly easy. When tomatoes aren't in season, try one of the variations. 31/2 cups vegetable stock or water 1...
Stuck-Pot Rice with Yogurt and Spices MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 40 minutes Here the rice itself forms the crust at the bottom of the pot, making this dish super-simple, super-crunchy, and utterly addictive. You'd think the yogurt might clump up or even curdle, but just...
Stuck-Pot Rice with Potato Crust MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: 11/2 hours, largely unattended This is the first of these types of dishes I learned how to make (with thanks to the late great food writer Paula Peck). Potatoes provide the crust here, complemented by the...
Sushi Rice MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 40 minutes Though sushi rice is often served cool (in Japan it's considered best warm), it cannot be made ahead by more than a couple of hours or it loses its great texture. 1 recipe White Rice or Brown Rice, made with short-grain...
Nigiri Sushi MAKES: 24 to 36 pieces TIME: 20 minutes with premade rice and topping Nigiri is simple hand-shaped sushi, which takes less practice than rolled (maki) sushi; see the accompanying illustrations. To top, you can use any filling from the Improvising Sushi...
