The great TP tip thread

For perfect rice, every time.

Wash the rice well.

Put it in a pan and add a lot of boiling water and as much salt as you want.

Give it a good stir and bring it back to the boil (should not take long) and simmer for 5-6 mins.

Drain the rice.

Put in a bowl, cover and microwave for 3 mins

If you have a lot of rice it may take a bit longer in the microwave.


The rice is always great, no sticky or burnt pans and as the rice can be left drained for ages, it is much easier to time it being ready when the rest of the meal is.


Dave
 
boyfalldown said:
That'd do it. Top tip for cooking rice - don't do that.

More serious top tip for cooking rice. Gives lovely light fluffy rice without needing to drain or wash afterwards

Use 1 1/2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. Cover & bring water to boil. Then add rice and reduce to simmer (leave covered). Leave rice in pan at simmer for 15 minutes. Turn heat off and leave covered for further 15 minutes.

err thats it, you now have pan of fluffy rice ready to serve. Timings work for Bismati. Use 20 minutes and 20 minutes for brown and Thai rice. Portion sizes work for two people.
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You may need to play around a little with the timings and water volumes (i find approx double the volume of rice works for me). The pan you use also makes a difference - a wide shallow pan being better than a deep pan.

Another rice recipe:-fry some onions gently before adding the rice, and turn the rice in the onion to get a light coating of oil on the rice - it helps to separate once cooked. You can also use a good quality stock instead of water (not a cube or bouillion). And don't forget to add salt - around a teaspoon for rice 2 people.
You could also try adding a stick of cinnamon, 2 or 3 cardamom pods crushed with the edge of a knife, 3 whole cloves and half a dozen whole black pepper corns to the onion when frying. Ghee tastes great but is a bit of a treat, otherwise I use rapeseed oil.

And another tip - don't stir the rice when it is cooking - this breaks up the rice a little, putting starch into the water and making the rice sticky.
 
Good rice tips. In addition to Phils suggestions, a bit of turmeric added to the water before doing the rice gives a nice yellow colour if you're having a curry.
 
viv1969 said:
Actually an excellent safety tip because on contact with extreme hot or cold, the fingers contract, so touching with the front of the fingers, ot tips, may cause your to acually grasp the surface.
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Worth remembering if you've got to switch something electrical off and the switch has got damp or your hands are damp.
 
Here's a tip for Northerners. Imagine that you are in London by simply sitting in your car all day with the engine running, occassionally honking your horn and never actually going anywhere.
 
Farmerjim said:
Here's a tip for Northerners. Imagine that you are in London by simply sitting in your car all day with the engine running, occassionally honking your horn and never actually going anywhere.
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And handing over £11.50 a day to the govt for the privilege.
 
SarahLee said:
Baby Oil . . . fantastic for polishing and adding a shine to stainless steel or chrome accessories :)
Click to expand...

I don't have a stainless steel hob and cooker anymore but that used to be a weekly routine for me, looked amazing
 
To remove lily pollen from most things

1, DO NOT TRY TO BRUSH IT AWAY! You will just push the stain into whatever it is on.

2, Use Sellotape wrapped around your hand, sticky side out, to pick up the loose pollen.


BTW lily pollen is extremely toxic (often fatal) to cats. :eek: so it is a good idea to remove the stamens as soon as they open to prevent ingestion.
 
Tigger.ufo said:
To remove lily pollen from most things

1, DO NOT TRY TO BRUSH IT AWAY! You will just push the stain into whatever it is on.

2, Use Sellotape wrapped around your hand, sticky side out, to pick up the loose pollen.


BTW lily pollen is extremely toxic (often fatal) to cats. :eek: so it is a good idea to remove the stamens as soon as they open to prevent ingestion.
Click to expand...


Why would a cat even consider eating pollen out of a lily?:confused:
 
dinners said:
When visiting Thailand, avoid being tricked into taking a ladyboy home by tossing them a tennis ball and asking them to throw it back.
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In Bangkok they are generally found down a couple of streets. You could always go to a show in the entertainment area, in which case you'd have no doubt as to the sex and may even have a souvenir ping pong ball to take home ;)
 
archangel said:
Why would a cat even consider eating pollen out of a lily?:confused:
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Because they brush past the flower and get the pollen on their fur and then lick it off while washing. It is unfortunately not that rare.
 
Tigger.ufo said:
Because they brush past the flower and get the pollen on their fur and then lick it off while washing. It is unfortunately not that rare.
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Mystery solved.....I thought that they might have a tendency to eat lilies......shows I don't own a cat......:D but I do have lilies
 
camerassassin said:
Cleaning aluminium pans which are rather manky looking

In rhubarb season if you have a family that LOVE rhubarb - stew Rhubarb in your manky aluminium pan - result nice clean pan and lots of lovely rhubarb to eat in a Crumble :)
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But does that not mean that all that aluminium sh1t is now in your rhubarb? It must have gone somewhere.
 
Rapscallion said:
You may need to play around a little with the timings and water volumes (i find approx double the volume of rice works for me). The pan you use also makes a difference - a wide shallow pan being better than a deep pan.

Another rice recipe:-fry some onions gently before adding the rice, and turn the rice in the onion to get a light coating of oil on the rice - it helps to separate once cooked. You can also use a good quality stock instead of water (not a cube or bouillion). And don't forget to add salt - around a teaspoon for rice 2 people.
You could also try adding a stick of cinnamon, 2 or 3 cardamom pods crushed with the edge of a knife, 3 whole cloves and half a dozen whole black pepper corns to the onion when frying. Ghee tastes great but is a bit of a treat, otherwise I use rapeseed oil.

And another tip - don't stir the rice when it is cooking - this breaks up the rice a little, putting starch into the water and making the rice sticky.
Click to expand...

I'll go along with all of that. Frying the rice at the start is a good idea, but you don't really need the onion unless you want the flavour too. We never add salt though, dislike anything even slightly salty and don't keep it in the house.
 
camerassassin said:
Cleaning aluminium pans which are rather manky looking

In rhubarb season if you have a family that LOVE rhubarb - stew Rhubarb in your manky aluminium pan - result nice clean pan and lots of lovely rhubarb to eat in a Crumble :)
Click to expand...

No, No, No....

Thegreatroberto said:
But does that not mean that all that aluminium sh1t is now in your rhubarb? It must have gone somewhere.
Click to expand...

Exactly...

The BEST way to use Rhubarb in this way is to bake the rhubarb in a pyrex bowl with a little ginger (grate and juice it into the rhubarb). Meanwhile, cut up the LEAVES of the rhubarb (where the Oxalic Acid is much, much more concentrated) and boil THEM in the manky Aluminium pan. Then, drain and dispose of the leaves - UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES EAT THEM! - but the pan will be sparking... I've actually used this trick to clean up seriously oxidised / salt bitten parts from old pushbikes - it'll shift 10-15 years of oxidation if you do it right (though a "sacrificial pan" may be a good idea for this usage), and leave the metal ready for a spin on the buffing wheel and a quick coat of lacquer to prevent re-oxidation
 
Incidentally, if you collect the water from boiling the Rhubarb leaves, and "reduce it" - boil off the water vapour, you'll end up with a strongish solution of Oxalic Acid - this can be used as a "wood bleach" for removing "ink spots" , the black rings around old nail-holes, or (ahem) pet urine darkening marks from wooden floors, prior to sanding and re-finishing. It's handy because it basically removes the "iron compound" marks from the wood without actually lightening the wood's overall look.
 
MartynK said:
I'll go along with all of that. Frying the rice at the start is a good idea, but you don't really need the onion unless you want the flavour too. We never add salt though, dislike anything even slightly salty and don't keep it in the house.
Click to expand...

Salt is one of those things that divide cooks - i find veg and (especially potato) very bland without it, but that is probably a learned taste.
 
SarahLee said:
Baby Oil . . . fantastic for polishing and adding a shine to stainless steel or chrome accessories :)
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Does it have to be baby oil?
 
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Yes.
 
Rapscallion said:
Salt is one of those things that divide cooks - i find veg and (especially potato) very bland without it, but that is probably a learned taste.
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I just put it down to personal preference. We don't eat potatoes, but we do use quite a lot of pepper and other spices in cooking/on food.
 
SarahLee said:
Baby Oil . . . fantastic for polishing and adding a shine to stainless steel or chrome accessories :)
Click to expand...

IIRC that's what Burger King used to do to save time cleaning their kitchens properly. And just in case... DON'T use it inside (or outside!) saucepans!!! ;)
 
Nod said:
IIRC that's what Burger King used to do to save time cleaning their kitchens properly. And just in case... DON'T use it inside (or outside!) saucepans!!! ;)
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Spooky deja-vu moment I'm sure we've had this conversation before ! :LOL:

But :puke: @burger King . . . and yes, for clarity. That's meant to be a finishing touch AFTER cleaning properly not INSTEAD OF <yuck!>


StewartR said:
Does it have to be baby oil?
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dejongj said:
Yes.
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Yep. I'd imagine you might still get a decent finish using some other oils but

a) they might be a lot more flammable than baby oil, which probably wouldn't be the wisest choice for kitchen hobs or fire grates
and
b) they'd probably leave a bit of a build up and an unpleasant smell behind.

(Baby oil is very light and has a high flashpoint)
 
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For perfect rice, every time.....

Order a takeaway from the local Chinese or Indian ;)
 
Transport tips for U.S. tourists in London.

London taxi drivers, especially the" black cab " drivers love to haggle over the fare and will always start off asking for a large amount. On no account pay this as not haggling is seen as an insult, offer them less than half and slowly work your way up. The taxi driver may pretend not to understand you but that is just their cockney wit shining through.

Taxi drivers are not allowed tips [by law] never offer a tip as this is a serious breach of the bye-laws.

London bus drivers are required to make detours for passengers when asked. They are well known for their sense of humour and will sometimes pretend that your request can't be done. Stand your ground, call them "A tosser" [London slang for friend/mate/pal] and enjoy your trip.

Remember, upstairs on the double-decker buses is free after 6.00 p.m.

Some buses have bell pushes situated at strategic places in the passenger compartment. Remember to ring the bell when you sit down, this let's the driver know that he can proceed. [If you see any-one not ringing the bell when they sit down, ring it for them, it's common courtesy.]

English people love to queue! It's a fact. Tourists however are not required to join queues. If you find yourself in a queue when in the UK simply use the phrase " I'm an American, let me through," and march to the front, no-one will mind in the slightest.
 
Farmerjim said:
Transport tips for U.S. tourists in London.

London taxi drivers, especially the" black cab " drivers love to haggle over the fare and will always start off asking for a large amount. On no account pay this as not haggling is seen as an insult, offer them less than half and slowly work your way up. The taxi driver may pretend not to understand you but that is just their cockney wit shining through.

Taxi drivers are not allowed tips [by law] never offer a tip as this is a serious breach of the bye-laws.

London bus drivers are required to make detours for passengers when asked. They are well known for their sense of humour and will sometimes pretend that your request can't be done. Stand your ground, call them "A tosser" [London slang for friend/mate/pal] and enjoy your trip.

Remember, upstairs on the double-decker buses is free after 6.00 p.m.

Some buses have bell pushes situated at strategic places in the passenger compartment. Remember to ring the bell when you sit down, this let's the driver know that he can proceed. [If you see any-one not ringing the bell when they sit down, ring it for them, it's common courtesy.]

English people love to queue! It's a fact. Tourists however are not required to join queues. If you find yourself in a queue when in the UK simply use the phrase " I'm an American, let me through," and march to the front, no-one will mind in the slightest.
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Pure pure genius. :notworthy:
I am crying with laughter....funniest thing I've read in a long time. :lol:
 
Have to agree with Ruth. Not laughed like that since I first saw that in Viz...
 
Nod said:
Have to agree with Ruth. Not laughed like that since I first saw that in Viz...
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I must confess, I do get inspiration from Viz :) but it's not "cut 'n paste", some of it's my own;)
 
Don't get me wrong, it was worth repeating but it's extremely close to one of their top tips.
 
SarahLee said:
Baby Oil . . . fantastic for polishing and adding a shine to stainless steel or chrome accessories :)
Click to expand...

Ever wonder how people discover things like that. Are they just at a loose end one day and think "I'll get the baby oil and tip it onto to the sink and see what happens".
 
viv1969 said:
Pure pure genius. :notworthy:
I am crying with laughter....funniest thing I've read in a long time. :LOL:
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I could read the Viz tips for hours. Another one:-

DRIVERS: Avoid getting prosecuted for using your phone while driving. Simply pop your mobile inside a large shell and the police will think you are listening to the sea.
 
arclight said:
Ever wonder how people discover things like that. Are they just at a loose end one day and think "I'll get the baby oil and tip it onto to the sink and see what happens".
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Possibly the same person who decided now would be a good time to eat a snail!
 
Tip of the day......don't succumb to the new thunderbirds.........:mad:
 
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