1) Measure 1 cup rice into a medium mesh strainer. Rinse the rice with warm water until water runs clear.
2) Place the rinsed rice in a 3 quart cooking pot that has a lid with a vent hole. Add 1½ cups water.
3) Cook rice on High heat. When it starts boiling rapidly, turn it down to a low setting (on my stovetop, I use the second lowest setting). Time it for one minute, stirring often to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. By the end of one minute, the boiling should calm down enough to cover.
4) Cover rice with the lid, keeping it on the burner with the low setting. Time it for 16 minutes. Do not lift the lid to peek during this time.
4) At the end of 16 minutes, check the rice. If it's still "wet" looking and still has a slight crunch to the texture, put the lid back on and continue cooking on low for two more minutes. Otherwise, place the lid back on the pot and turn off the heat. Allow it to sit for two more minutes on the same burner. Then remove from the burner. If desired, drizzle with olive oil or dot with butter. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.
If you use a regular, stainless steel pot, you will likely have some rice sticking to the bottom of the pot. This is actually delicious, munching on the crispy rice at the bottom of the pot. It's easier to remove this crunchy rice after it has been set aside for awhile and cooled off.
By the way, an informal way to measure the rice and water, which I have had handed down to me and other friends with Asian ancestry also, is this: Pour some rice in the bottom of the pot. Rinse the rice with warm or cold water decanter style until the water pours out clear. Then, place your index finger on the bottom of the pot. Use your thumb to mark the level of the rice, and then eyeball your finger to approximate twice that level to determine how much water to add. For example, if the rice comes up to the first knuckle, then the water level will come up to about the second knuckle.
Note: to cook rice in a rice cooker, just follow the manufacturer's instructions.
