Rice & Grains

The secret of making fried rice lies in the use of cold, cooked rice. Freshly cooked rice will only produce a sticky mess.

The failure in cooking rice is usually caused by using too much water, stirring and peeking too often and using too small a pan for the amount of rice. If the pot is more than half full with rice, change to a larger one.

The texture of this rice is moist and sticky, so do not expect fluffy individual grains.

These tempting, reduced-fat muffins are a nice way to get started in the morning.

If you don't have individual soufflé dishes, this can be prepared in a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish, in which case the crisp will need to bake for about 55 minutes.

A great side dish for chicken or fish.

These slightly sweet rounds are a cross between a cookie and a cracker. Eat them plain or with jam for breakfast, or top them with cheese for a snack.

Nice with duck, Cornish game hens or the Thanksgiving turkey.

"Every three months, I host a dinner party for the supper club I belong to," says Brianna P. Burks of Salt Lake City, Utah. "The last time it was my turn to cook I prepared an Italian dinner and set myself a new challenge: to make otherwise bland polenta into a truly delicious side dish. I found that Fontina adds creaminess and flavor, and thyme is just the right accent." Wonderful with steak, chicken or pork.

This is probably the simplest soup ever made from scratch: you just throw everything into the pot at once and walk away. The rice cooks in the pot along with the chicken long enough to give its starches over for extra body. Everything you dislike about brown rice — its starchiness and heaviness — works to advantage here. It turns soft and almost falls apart but still has texture. Don't substitute white rice, because it would get mushy. This soup may not be beautiful, but it sure is good.

Saffron Risotto An Italian classic, traditionally served with Osso Buco , this dish also makes a great accompaniment to the Whole Red Snapper Baked in a Salt Crust .