how to boil rice

HOW TO COOK RICE

this post is the first in a series of Cooking Basics for all you college students and divorced dads who suddenly face the prospect of cooking your own food

you will need a 2 to 1 ratio of water to rice. 1 cup rice = 2 cups water, 2 cups rice = 4 cups water, and so on. you get the idea.

you will need a pot or pan with a lid. something like this:

this is a basic feature of every kitchen so if you don't have one yet, get one.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. put the water in the pot, turn up the heat all the way to high, and boil that water.
2. when it's boiling, you can drop in a pinch of salt if you like, or don't. it's optional
3. add the rice to the boiling water and turn the heat all the way down to its lowest setting.
4. set a timer for 20 minutes.
5. when 20 minutes are up, turn off the stove completely and move the pot to an unused part of the stove that's at room temperature. let it sit for another 5 minutes. do not remove the lid.
6. after 5 minutes, remove the lid and stir up the rice with a fork. at this point it should be ready to eat. try a bite - if it's soft and chewy, it's ready. if there is any dryness or crunch at all, it needs more time to simmer. if you stir the rice and notice any water at the bottom, it's not done. one sign that the rice is done is if there are a bunch of small holes in the rice, like this:
7. 
   you can eat the rice immediately, or you can put the lid back on and keep it warm until the other parts of your meal are ready, or you can put it in a plastic container and store it in the refrigerator.