"If yer gonna make rice which isn't the %-minute stuff, the recipe is basic and fundamental. Two cups water to one cup rice."


Ah - there is another way - put the rice in the pot and add water to "the first knuckle" over the top - i.e. if you put your hand flat over the rice, it will just cover your hand - the same height can be gauged by touching the top of the rice with your finger tip and the water will reach up your finger to the first finger joint - for techies like me - that's about an inch. You cook with the lid on basically as the rest of this tip from Peace said.

Got this tip from "Simply Ming" - a TV cooking show by an American Chinese restaurant owner named Ming - search the web.


"If you buy ground beef, buy the leanest you can get. ... etc"

Actually we can get various grades of things called "steakettes" - which are square patties separated by paper strips. Good ones at some old fashioned butchers - if you can find them.

"Rice will keep for a few days in the fridge"

Made up sushi does not, however.



"Salads are OK. but some kinds of lettuce do not keep worth a darn, so find someone else you can split a head with."

In Australia, you can now get various types of 'salads' in sealed clear plastic bags - they are very expensive compared with the basic ingredients - but yo can get them in overall smaller quantities than the basic ingredients - they often clear old older stock - often up to half price - then they become on a price par with throwing away most of the uneaten basic ingredients!

They will last a few days unopened in a fridge - they are supposedly sealed in pure nitrogen - these come with any dressings - and some of the ingredients like cheeses or ham pieces sealed in small bags inside.



"When tins of stuff you like are on sale, buy lots"

This saves money! We now have places like "Crazy Clarks" here - these are sorta like 'dime stores' used to be - and how Coles and Woollies were before they owned 80% of the market - they often have food cans etc (non-perishables) much cheaper than the big chain stores.



"If yer in a hurry, peanut butter is OK,"

In Aus - we use Vegemite (none of THOSE problems!) .... :-)