A universe of meals begins with rice

When I got married in 2022, I brought a lot into the marriage. A well-seasoned Lodge brand cast iron pan. An air fryer. Various cocktail shakers. My husband offered a lot too. An entire knife roll of sharp instruments. A mandolin. A whetstone.

A food writer and a professional chef combining their collection of kitchen tools meant some editing was in order. We didn’t need two salad spinners, did we? Did we have room for this many pans? There were things we knew we would use every day and others, like a paella pan, we knew would only be dragged out for special occasions. But there was one kitchen contraption I knew we would use daily: the rice cooker.

My husband is Filipino American and he eats steamed jasmine rice with nearly every meal. In his parents’ home, there is never not a rice cooker full of rice on the counter. In fact, often there are two; one with white rice and one with brown rice.

I thought I came to the marriage prepared. I had a small white DASH brand rice cooker. It made about one to two servings of rice and looked like a toy, but it served me well as a single girl. When I showed it to my husband, he laughed. We were going to need a bigger boat, he said.

We have since accumulated multiple rice cookers. A large one that makes enough rice for the week. A fancy one, a gift from a generous colleague, that makes sushi rice and another large one in case the first one breaks. The toy rice cooker was handed down to my sister.

Rice is now a staple food item in my fridge and a 10-pound bag of jasmine rice is constantly on my grocery shopping list. I never gave cooking rice much thought before; just add some water, boil and hope for the best. But getting rice perfectly fluffy, without crunchy pockets or mushy spots is an art. I use the direction of my husband’s grandmother, rinsing the rice until the water runs clear and using the first line on my pointer finger to measure the right amount of water.

I have also come to appreciate rice’s many applications. With a runny egg, it’s breakfast. With salmon crisped in the air fryer, it’s dinner. It can be tossed into the blender with egg yolks, warm chicken stock and lemon juice for avgolemono soup. It can be fried with whatever is hiding in the vegetable drawer with soy sauce and an egg for vegetable fried rice. Nearly every culture has a rice dish and its versatility is something I now value. Additionally, I have grown to find comfort in the rice cooker, alerting us to it readiness with a loud beep. It isn’t a toy but a piece of the new life my husband and I are building. The fragrance of steamed rice signals the best part of the day: time to eat together.

Eating out this week? Sign up for Tasting Notes to get our restaurant experts’ insights and off-the-cuff takes on where they’re dining right now.

Steamed White Rice

Basic steamed white rice is simple enough to make without a rice cooker. This recipe from chef Jet Tila calls for a 2-to-1 water-to-rice ratio for perfect rice every time.

Get the recipe.
Cook time: 20 minutes. Serves 3 to 4

(Carlos Jaramillo / For The Times)

Rice Bar’s Tinola

This chicken soup and steamed rice dish from chef Charles Olalia’s now-shuttered Rice Bar is exactly the kind of meal you would find in my kitchen this time of year. Chicken gets poached in a flavorful broth of ginger and fish sauce in this classic Filipino dish that isn’t complete without a helping of fluffy steamed rice to soak up the soup.

Get the recipe.
Cook time: 2 hours. Serves 2 to 4.

(Anita L. Arambula / Confessions of a Foodie)

Cacao Mexicatessen Cilantro Lime Rice

Cilantro lime rice is not a dish I grew up eating, but it has since become a favorite pairing for meals as a bright and zesty side. Fresh herbs help punch up this chile-laced version.

Get the recipe.
Cook time: 50 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Yang Chow Fried Rice

Leftover rice works best for this fried rice recipe from former Times cooking editor Genevieve Ko. Cold and dry grains allow the rice to fry properly, but the addition of Chinese-style sausage and shrimp make these leftovers feel luxurious.

Get the recipe.
Cook time: 15 minutes. Serves 4.

(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Persian Rice Cooker Tahdig

This recipe, adapted from “Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories” utilizes a special type of rice cooker: the Persian rice cooker. The detailed instructions ensure the crunchiest golden tahdig.

Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour. Serves 6.

(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)