I dread making dinner some nights. First I have to decide what to make, then I have to make sure I actually have everything I need to make it. This is followed by my quest to figure out when everyone will actually be home to eat it. Then, I have to try to make it with the constant help of my twin toddlers.
Not sounding that daunting? Did I mention that when dinner time arrives, we have seven to serve including 2 adults, a 15 year old high school football and track athlete, an 11 year old flag football and basketball player, a 9 year old competition hip-hop dancer, and 18 month old twin boys. In other words, it needs to be a nutrious and satisfying meal with wide appeal. This is further complicated by the fact that my oldest son is allergic to dairy, eggs, nuts, and fish.
With this in mind, I tend to stick with basic items we can agree on like rice. Thus rice has always been served as part of the meal multiple times a week around our home. However, until now I can’t say it was always to everyone’s satisfaction. Admittedly it’s been overcooked and it’s been under cooked, in years past the poor rice has been a frequent victim of our schedule.
We have a very busy home with kids coming and going from their various activities. At times, coordinating our weekly schedule is comparable to working air traffic control at O’Hare Airport. Our meals are almost always either being rushed to the table or being kept warm for eons.
I’m trying my best not to sound like a television preacher, but the reality is our rice has been saved. A place of honor has been designated for mommy’s new kitchen gadget, the Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker with Fuzzy Logic Technology.
This thing is awesome! Fuzzy Logic seems to equate to having Chef Ramsay (that guy from Hell’s Kitchen that is always screaming about the condition of the risotto) right inside the machine with my rice. The Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi Cooker automatically adjusts the heat and the timing to insure my rice comes out perfect every time and if that isn’t enough, it can finish my rice at the time I set and even keep things warm when a delay in my schedule occurs. Plus, it has a Quick Cook function when you need it done fast.
It cooks white rice, wild rice, brown rice, sushi rice, risotto, and even goes beyond rice to make things like oatmeal, soup, or even steam things like vegetables, chicken, or even fish.
One of the times I used it, I made basic white rice (using low sodium chicken stock instead of water and adding a touch of corn). And in typical fashion for our household, it ultimately had to be held for about 45 minutes due to a basketball practice delay. After it was done cooking, I used the “keep warm setting” and placed my chicken on top of the finished rice to see how it did at keeping that warm too. The meal turned out great. The rice dish was perfect and the chicken was kept moist and warm by being held inside the cooker with the rice. It makes a yummy batch of oatmeal too!
I think the Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi Cooker would be a wonderful gift for a busy household such as mine and I’ve added it to our 2009 Holiday Gift Guide. My thanks to Cuisinart for sending this item for my review.