As an accompaniment to a curry or a stew, 60-90 g of uncooked rice per person is the accepted norm. A rice salad for two people will require a greater quantity of rice, as much as 125 g per person. For a risotto or a paella, where the rice makes up the greatest part of the dish with extra meat, fish and vegetables added, the quantity of rice required could also be as much as 125 g per person. In Spain the rice traditionally used for paella is a creamy variety from Valencia. It is not easy to find outside the region, although some quality supermarkets and specialist food stores stock it. You can use arborio rice instead.

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One of the best ways to keep rice warm is to put it in a large heat-proof dish or platter, fork it through well, cover it with a tent of foil and keep it warm in a preheated oven at 140C until ready to serve. Leftover rice can be steamed in a muslin-lined steamer for 5 minutes or so, stirring regularly until it is heated through, or put into a large pan of boiling water, brought back to the boil and drained immediately. Alternatively, stir-fry the rice for a few minutes or heat it in a microwave just before serving.

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No, there is very little similarity between risotto and pilau dishes, although both are savory and often combined with a mixture of meat or fish, spices and vegetables. The Italian risotto is authentically made with a long, large-grained Italian rice called superfino, a variety that includes the arborio and canaroli rices, though a fino rice called vialone, a long and tapering grain, is also used. These can be found in well-stocked delicatessens and some supermarkets.

Risottos are cooked in a heavy-based pan to which simmering stock is added a little at a time. The rice is stirred continually as it cooks so that it absorbs the liquid, becoming creamier and stickier as the starch in the grain is released. The risotto is cooked when the rice grains have swollen to about three times their original size and are still slightly crunchy in the center.

Pilau is Indian in origin although many Middle Eastern and North African countries cook pilaf, which is similar. The rice (usually basmati) for a pilau or pilaf should be washed and then left to soak in plenty of cold water for an hour or so before cooking to remove the excess starch and soften the grains, so that they do not stick together. The rice is first fried in butter or oil, then as soon as the liquid is added the rice is left undisturbed until the grains are cooked through.

Pilaf can be cooked either in a pan on top of the stove, or in a casserole dish in the oven, with the ingredients arranged in layers so that they cook evenly. In either case, use a pan with a tight-fitting lid.

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Stirring rice while it is cooking makes it more sticky as the action releases the starch in the grain. You should only stir rice once, at the beginning of cooking, to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. However, when you cook a risotto, which needs to be sticky, it is important to stir the grains continually, which releases the starch as the rice cooks and absorbs the liquid in which it is cooking.

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The reason for washing rice is to remove any excess starch from the grains; it is the starch in the grain that gives the rice a sticky quality, so whether or not you need to wash it will depend on the type of rice you use and the recipe. Basmati rice needs to be washed before cooking in plenty of water. Stir the rice well then drain off the cloudy water. Repeat until the water that runs off the rice is clear. Risotto, on the other hand, needs starch to give a creamy texture to the finished dish so risotto rice should never be washed. All-purpose long-grain rice is processed and does not generally need washing, though it may need to be soaked if the cooking method in the recipe requires it.

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In India two main types of rice are used to accompany curries. The rice chosen will depend on the region, the dish and the occasion. Basmati rice, the most superior, is grown in the foothills of the Himalayas in India and Pakistan. It is served on special occasions because of its lovely aromatic flavor.

All-purpose long-grain rice, usually the patna variety, is used in many Indian dishes where herbs, spices and other flavorings may be added to the rice for extra flavor. Whenever possible, spend a little more and use basmati rice, which is available in both brown and white varieties.

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Easy-cook rice, which is sometimes called parboiled or converted rice, is steamed before it is milled. The whole grain is steamed under pressure, which hardens it so that it will not break down during cooking. Easy-cook rice cannot be over-cooked and the grains will always remain separate. But, in general, this rice is considered inferior in taste to ordinary long-grain rice varieties because some people find the texture unpleasantly chewy.

There are, however, some nutritional benefits to this process: all the mineral and vitamin content of the outer layers of the grain that are normally removed in the milling process are pushed into the center of the grains.

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There are many different types of rice grown all over the world and each of them requires a slightly different method of cooking. If you use more than one type of rice in the kitchen, you may have to experiment to find the exact proportion of rice, water and cooking time that works for each variety as they all have different absorption qualities. The most widely available variety of rice is white long-grain. White rice has been polished to remove the outer husk. Brown rice is considerably more nutritious as the outer layer of bran is left on the grain, adding valuable fiber and more vitamins and protein to the diet than white rice.

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Rhubarb has a high water content and exudes considerable juice as it cooks. To help prevent the juice overflowing, toss the cut rhubarb in a little flour before putting it into the pie dish: the flour will thicken the juice as the pie cooks and help to keep it contained. Use a level tablespoon of plain flour to each 500 g of prepared fruit, and mix it with the sugar before tossing with the rhubarb.

Also, when making the pie, ensure that the pastry edges are well sealed. Make a small hole in the top of the pie to let the steam escape as this will prevent the steam forcing the sealed edges apart and will allow some of the juice to evaporate. As a final precaution, always stand the pie dish on a baking tray to catch any juice that could overflow and burn on the bottom of the oven.

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Bright pink, early rhubarb is tender and considered to be superior in quality and flavor to the later maincrop rhubarb, which is reddish-green in color, is far tougher and has a stronger flavor. As the stems are so tender, early rhubarb does not require stringing: simply cut off the leaves and the root end of each stalk, then wash them and cut into pieces ready for cooking. Maincrop rhubarb often has a stringy covering that is best peeled and discarded.

Rhubarb is a cool weather crop available in the winter months, and is produced using horticultural techniques that have hardly changed since Victorian times. Harvesting is done by hand.

When buying rhubarb at any time look for firm, bright stems and avoid those that are clearly limp, bruised or split. The part of the plant that is edible is the leaf stem (rhubarb is actually a vegetable and not a fruit) and when it is limp, it can be refreshed by standing the stems, root end down, in a jug of cold water.

It is imperative that you always remove and discard the leaves from rhubarb. They must not be eaten as they contain oxalic acid and are extremely poisonous.

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Food cools more quickly when fresh air can circulate around it, so do not leave it to cool in its hot cooking vessel covered with a tightly fitting lid. Transfer the food to a cold dish and cover it loosely with a clean tea towel until cold, or put a large upturned bowl over it. If you want to stop it drying out or prevent a skin from forming, put wet greaseproof paper, which is thin enough not to hinder cooling, flat on the surface of the food. Do not wrap hot food in plastic wrap, as this can leave spaces between the food and the plastic which create pockets of hot air where the climate is ideal for bacteria to breed.

Cool casseroles and large pans of food fast by standing the container in a bowl of ice or cold water or stand it in the sink with the cold tap running to keep it cool. Place cooled food into the refrigerator as soon as possible.

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Buy the largest model that you can afford and that will fit into your kitchen; you can never have enough refrigerator space. Models that defrost automatically are a tremendous bonus, as are frost-free ones where cold air is constantly circulated so frost is never deposited. The ideal internal temperature of a refrigerator is 4^oC. Some models have different temperature zones to store different foods. For example, the fruit and vegetable section has a higher temperature than the area for meat.

Most kitchens have only one refrigerator, so it is important that you observe some basic rules of elementary hygiene. Always store raw meat and fish in the special meat and/or fish container, or place it on the bottom shelf so that if there are any drips or leaks they will not contaminate food stored below. Cover all food, to avoid cross-contamination. This will also stop strong-smelling food from tainting any other foods stored nearby. Also remember to cool hot food briefly before putting into the refrigerator.

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Daikon is a variety of radish and tastes similar to the red varieties. Also called mooli, white or winter radish, in size and appearance it is more like a parsnip. Peel and grate or shave it into very thin slices to eat raw in salads. Pickled daikon is popular with Japanese food. Serve daikon as a hot vegetable by cutting it into slices, sprinkling with salt and draining for 30 minutes to remove some of the harshness. Then steam or simmer it until tender and serve hot, tossed with butter or olive oil.

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Radishes are at their best during their natural season, summer. They can be red and round, or elongated and white-tipped. The latter are widely preferred for their peppery crunchiness. Solid red radishes can be good if they are not too bloated. Choose bunched radishes with their leaves attached, as the leaves are a good indicator of freshness. Radishes can be sliced thinly for a green salad. They also go well with cold cooked or processed meats.

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The flesh of quail is pale and delicate, and is certainly worth trying. The birds, which are tender and juicy, weigh 125-185g each. They look small but, like pigeon, have a lot of meat on the breast. Some people find eating whole quail very fiddly, and some butchers and supermarkets are selling part-boned quail, ready for stuffing or already stuffed, which makes them a bigger mouthful. These part-boned quails have the breast bone and rib cage removed but have the legs intact so that when stuffed they will retain the original shape of the bird.

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