[Klara]

Holly, and everyone

I'm so glad to see responses to old discussions, as these topics are always of interest to someone, especially people new to mb.

A very good reminder that Bruce had posted on another site, take advantage of the search button and find what others have written in the past - there's a gold mine of advice here on this site, in the forum section you're now in, but also wonderful articles, good advice in the blog section, and very eye opening chats - do be careful, as you can get lost in time with them all, but for those looking for information, there really is alot here. Also recipes, and most important, support for this site by buying at the shop here, for those living in the States.

omotosando, I'm so sorry you felt the rice was inedible and had to be thrown out. Know that you can always do other things if it seems too gummy for you:
add vegetables and more liquid and seasoning (a little miso goes a long way) to make a great warming soup, add cooked vegetables and a binder (flour, bread crumbs, tofu, or perhaps if rice is sticky enough it doesn't need any binder) and lots of wonderful parsley and fry yourself up some patties, saute chinese vegetables and add the rice for a stir fry. The other day I'd planned on making ojiya (soft rice with sweet vegetables) - the recipe as taught to us started with cooked rice, then we added water - I was impatient, I started with the usual ratio that I cook, 1 cup rice to 1 1/4 cups water, but then I thought why bother, and after it had started to cook, I just added more water - and I loved how it turned out. Now I've been practicing for almost 12 years, and would never ever dare cook a grain without measuring the liquid and the amount of time - so it's taken me a long time to break out and be more daring. I'm so in love with rice that I can't even imagine any rice I wouldn't like, unless as you say it isn't really cooked. also if you find it tasteless, there are a lot of condiments that can be added. Again, if you're in the States, I highly recommend that you start by checking out the shop here on this site - my favorite condiment is natto miso chutney by Mitoku - I don't have the technical skills to save this post and go look at the shop to find you the right page, but I hope you can do it - when you get more advanced, you can start preparing alot of pickles and condiments, especially gomasio. Since these are old posts we're continuing, perhaps you are already doing that. Definitely learn, either from classes or from mb cookbooks, especially the classical ones.

so for your specific questions - I believe there is a very extensive post here on the different teas and their qualities - for now I would worry less about which you choose, and I would defintiely NOT drink anything you find unenjoyable. Again, it's all a process - I used to drink at the beginning quite a bit of apple juice - now it's totally foreign, and so so so very sweet to me - the stage I'm at now I hardly drink - every now and then I will make myself tea, and find tho I enjoy it, alot of it just sits and I don't drink more than a small cup. I've been tryng to get more in the habit of drinking sweet vegetable drink - again I make it, drink the first cup, and have to remind myself it's there afterwards - it's all a process!!!!!!!!

Are you geographically where spring is beginning?? I would put the attempts for pressure cooking on a shelf as warm weather comes in - especially if it's frustrating you. My pressure cooker, WMF Perfect Plus, also works as a regular cooker. I'm only guessing other pc's do the same, I don't know. Pressure cooking is very yang - as we enter warmer weather, we lighten up our foods and cooking styles - so just boiling is fine (simmering). also softer rice is fine. also try different rices, sweet rice or whole basmati rice or rice combinations with other grains or beans (also took me a long time to do, but now love it - I'll add 1/4 cup barley or rye to 1 cup rice - makes it much more interesting).

don't bother with the rice cooker - true, mb does not encourage the use of electricity as it is considered more chaotic energy - but also I'd follow the KISS principle, Keep It Simple Sweetie - too much equipment in the kitchen imho is also conducive to more chaos.

Enjoy the ride. Hope since Oct of last year, you have already learned much.

Klara