Expand the repertoire of your rice cooker

DON'T CALL ME CHEF - SINGLED OUT
By VEGGIE CHICK

Think a rice cooker cooks only rice? We show you how to create a whole meal with it.
“First, get the Pot. You need the simplest rice cooker made. It comes with two speeds: Cook, and Warm. Not expensive. Now you’re all set to cook meals for the rest of your life on two square feet of counter space, plus a chopping block. No, I am not putting you on the Rice Diet. Eat what you like. I am thinking of you, student in your dorm room. You, solitary writer, artist, musician, potter, plumber, builder, hermit. You, parents with kids. You, night watchman. You, obsessed computer programmer or weary web-worker. You, lovers who like to cook together but don’t want to put anything in the oven. You, in the witness protection program. You, nutritional wingnut. You, in a wheelchair.” – Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

MOVIE buffs may recognise the name Roger Ebert. A movie critic with the Chicago Sun-Times since 1967, Ebert (who is 69) is the only professional movie critic to have won a Pulitzer. Ebert knows film and even though I may not agree with some of his assessments, he is a prolific writer and, witty (though often biting).
So, the man knows film. But, food?
I stumbled upon an Ebert blog post (he has a blog on the Sun-Times’ online portal) on cooking with the rice cooker some time back and bookmarked it because it expressed so well what I love about the rice cooker. Ebert extols the virtues of the cooker which is surely one of the most basic cooking appliances there is.
With a rice cooker, says Ebert, you don’t need recipes. Just an imagination and the ability or estimate and the patience to experiment.
I first learnt of the versatility of the rice cooker from my sister way back in the 1980s. She went away to university with just a tiny little rice cooker (and a bag of clothes, of course) and came back an accomplished cook. She made rice (of course), curries, soups, stews and stir-fries in the cooker which, by the way, she still has and still uses. It was inspiring, really.

The rice cooker is ideal for those who live in small spaces as it doesn’t take up much counter space at all. You have a nonstick metal bowl inside a plastic and metal housing. The heat source comes from a heater that’s beneath the bowl. You have a plastic ladle/spoon. And that’s it.
It is also easy to operate and doesn’t require any skill: you put all your ingredients into the bowl, press down a lever (or press a button) to cook your food and when it’s done, the lever/button pops up and the “warm” function kicks in (this keeps your food ... warm).
Be warned though that in most cookers, the food continues to cook a little while the “warm” function is on.
What you do need is to get the ratio between the amount of liquid and solids right and you’re good to go.
How does the cooker know when the food is done? Well, according to a New York Times article (“A Steamy Way to Dinner”, published in 2008) there is a built-in thermostat that tracks the temperature of the food that’s inside and when the liquid starts to boil and turn to steam, the temperature rises and signals the cooker to switch from cook to warm.
I am not Science-inclined so for me, the rice cooker is a mechanical and electronic mystery.
These days, innovations have increased the functionality of the basic rice cooker. “Fuzzy logic” rice cookers, for example, have a computer chip embedded that allows for several customized cooking options: different programmes for different kinds of rice or for different styles of cooking. A cooker with fuzzy logic has a mind of its own and makes judgement calls for you.
For me however, the basic cooker is still the best because it’s the most versatile.
It’s easy to override the “cook” and “warm” function of your basic cooker. If you want to saute shallots, for example, you pour some oil in the pot, add your onions, switch to cook, stir it now and then and, either wait for the cook cycle to end or manually switch it to warm when you’re satisfied.
With the smart cookers, you may be messing with technology you don’t quite understand and the machine may revolt and go bust on you. I am not saying this for certain but I am reluctant to try – those fuzzy appliances don’t come cheap!
Since I learnt the basics of playing with the cooker from my sister, I’ve tried making soups and stews in my trusty five-year-old machine.
But I wanted to push it further. Can the cooker simulate the workings of an oven, for example. Can I make a cake or a pie in my cooker? How about pasta?
Yes, you can! The Pineapple Cake and Macaroni and Cheese I tried are proof that the rice cooker is indeed one of the greatest appliance I will ever come across. My next project? Bread. Stay tuned.
For more rice cooker recipes, go to nodesserts.blogspot.com.
Singled Out is a regular column in the Don’t Call Me Chef recipe series, co-produced by Hungry Caterpillar, Marty Thyme and Veggie Chick. This column focuses on a single food item, ingredient, cooking method or serving.

Pineapple Cake

200g canned pineapples, chopped roughly
160g superfine flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp baking soda
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp milk
2 pinches salt
1 tsp lemon juice
Oil to grease the pot
Method
Mix the pineapples, milk, lemon juice and oil. Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda and add the sugar and salt to the mix. Add the flour to the pineapple mixture and gently stir till combined.
Pour the batter (it’s a thick batter) into the greased rice cooker pot and cook. When the cooking cycle is done and the cooker switches to warm, wait a few minutes and cook again. Depending on your cooker, you may need to go through several cycles before the cake is cooked through. To know when it’s done, insert a tester/knife through – it should come out clean. Take the pot out of the cooker and let the cake cool before inverting it onto a plate. Garnish with a glaze or just dust with icing sugar.

Macaroni And Cheese

1 1/2 cups macaroni
1 1/2 cups broth
1 cup cream
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp paprika/red chilli flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Mix the macaroni, broth and cream in the rice cooker pot and cook. When it is done, stir in the cheeses and seasoning and cook once again. If you like your cheese nice and crusty, leave the pot on warm for 10-15 minutes.

source: The Star Online