The rice cooker I got is OK. It keeps the rice warm after cooking, but it tends to dry out the bottom, no matter how much water I put it. It’s convenient, it won’t burn the rice, but the old fashioned way works, too. Two cups of water (or 2.5 if it’s brown rice) to each cup of rice. Boil the water. Add the rice. Cover the pot and turn burner down to simmer. White rice takes 30-40 minutes. Brown 45-50. (Read the package if in doubt.) Don’t open the pot until it’s time! A kitchen timer helps. I burned my first pot here because I wasn’t paying attention to the time.

Hear ya on the dryer situation.

As for rice…I rely on rice cookers to make it taste decently. Soon you’ll have mastered the art of it and you’ll have to tell me!

Also…I’m getting more comfortable in the kitchen, worrying less about whether I’ve made enough or whether they’ll like it. They seem to be pretty flexible and I do take suggestions from Ines (like that raw shredded beet salad that wasn’t too shabby), but normally I look up a recipe or make pasta (or gnocchi, like tonight) with a veggified tomato sauce. Hard to go wrong there.