Oldramon, please do not feel bad about all your cooking questions.....ALL of us were in your shoes at one time, and there probably are many of us on this board who were NOT so fortunate to have the internet avalable to help us learn!! It was either from watching mom, grandma, or trial and error, and more error than not!!! So ask away as often as you need to and about whatever you need to!!!
About your rice, I have an Asian sister-in-law and she says the first thing is to NEVER rinse the rice, and that is the "secret" to the goodness of the rice you find in your oriental restaurants. Some say never do this, some say "yuck" if it is not rinsed. To each their own!!! (Personally, I give the rice one rinse -- fill up the pot it's going to cook in with water, swish the rice around with my hand, rubbing it a bit, dumping that water and then replacing with the amount of water to cook it.) I also add some salt, but never the butter that the package directions state. The SIL states to bring the rice and water to a full boil, lower the heat and once the boil stops, cover the pan with a proper fitting lid, and let it cook until done. No stirring, no peeking at it, until it has been cooking for the recommended time on the package, usually 15-20 minutes. Then look and taste test for doneness, and still NO stirring! If it needs more cooking, cover, and let it continue, checking it approx. every 5 minutes, and always with no stirring. That is the way I make a "regular white" rice -- long or short grain -- and it turns out perfect every time, thanks to the SIL's guidance!!!
Being Italian, we make a lot of risotto, which is a type/style of rice, from Italy. It comes under various names, arborio is one. It is a very short and stubby grain, and takes quite a while to cook, 22-35 minutes, depending on how you are making it. Basically, rather than filling the pot with the rice and the amount of water called for and boiling/steaming until done, risotto is cooked by placing the rice in your pan and adding a HOT liquid of your choice, usually a stock of some type -- chicken, vegetable -- by the ladle-full, adding enough of the hot stock just until the rice is once again covered with the liquid. It is stirred frequently throughout, never covered, and adding more hot liquid once the prior liquid has been cooked into the rice. You continue to do this until the rice is done to your desired tenderness. From there, you can leave it, or, you can add whatever you want to it -- a pat or two of butter and some freshly shaved parma-reggie, portabello mushrooms, veggies, diced meat/poultry, etc.
You can do an internet search for recipes and get some ideas for making risotto or any other rice, plain or with additions.
