Rice with Chickpeas MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes with cooked beans Chickpeas are a great way to boost the flavor and texture of a rice dish; they add richness to the cooking liquid and don't turn to mush. (And, with the rice, they provide complete protein.) Add...

Rice with Cheese MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes This delicious, over-the-top recipe has such a strong dairy component that I wouldn't recommend it to anyone trying to reduce their fat intake or eat vegan style. Everyone else will love it: It's simple, rich, and...

Rice Pilaf, Nine Ways MAKES: 4 servings TIME: About 30 minutes, plus a little time to rest Only a tiny bit more complicated than plain rice, but with enormous potential, as you'll see. Note that not only may this be made in advance, it should be made (slightly) in...

Rice Pilaf What makes a pilaf? Cooking the rice in butter or oil (and often onions or other vegetables) before adding other ingredients, at the very least a flavorful liquid like stock. Yellow rice is a form of pilaf, as is biryani, as, one could argue, is paella....

Rice Cooked in Onions Soubise MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: 1 hour, largely unattended This is a great Thanksgiving dish: It'll keep warm for a long time or can be kept hot over a very low flame (and, if it browns on the bottom, so much the better). I've modified it in...

Coconut Rice MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes Coconut rice is a near-universal staple, for two reasons: In many rice-growing areas coconuts grow wild, so the combination is a natural. Even the simplest version, which follows, is incredibly delicious. A few other...

Brown Rice Pilaf with Two Mushrooms MAKES: 4 servings TIME: About 1 hour, largely unattended You can substitute brown rice for white in any pilaf, simply by using parcooked brown rice as described in the sidebar on Brown Rice. But cooking the raw brown rice in oil...