The noodles are supposed to be cooked, between 2-4 minutes, until just tender. Then they're drained and put in a bowl. Marinated chicken, pork, or beef slices are added, along with julienned cucumber, finely shredded carrots, bean sprouts, some mint, basil, cilantro, and chopped peanuts. Nuoc Cham is poured over the salad. This is one of my husband's favorites, and we always order it every time we dine at our local Vietnamese restaurant. I've even made it before, but it's been a while though, and I can't remember if I used the rice sticks or was able to get real rice vermicelli (bun) at the grocery store in the past. Here's a recipe that's similar to what I want to accomplish. Thanks for your help. Here is a link that might be useful: Vietnamese Noodle (Bun) Salad

if your rice had a crunch it was not cooked long enough or did not have the appropriate amount of water .even if you used a rice cooker, when it finishes, it does have to sit for a few minutes, do not lift the cover just leave it alone for 10 more minutes, i also let my raw rice sit in the appropriate amount of cold water in rice cooker for about 5 minutes or so before i turn it on to start the cooking process. as for vinegar/sugar proportions some people like it with more vinegar and less sweet, I usually make my vinegar/sugar mixture ,taste it then start also ingredients for my sushi if i am making inari i dont make the rice too sweet because the age (fried tofu skin) is usually sweet. if i am making California roll (crab/avacao) i like it with more vinegar. Botan calrose works its a medium grain that will hold up for sushi ,musubi, recently there has been the term sweet rice which is too sticky and not used for sushi making, sweet rice is "mochi rice" or "sticky rice". i hope this information helps

I got the Brown Rice w Salt & cracked Pepper last week. I tried them last weekend and thought they were pretty good, my DH did also, but I missed the texture of the plain (I get the low-fat version). I LOVE the plain wheat w dips, thou it is probably only a handful of times I have crackers during the year. I am interested in using new products made that allow you to avoid wheat. I am not intolerant of wheat just want to limit my intake of it. I got a rice flour pasta few weeks ago I haven't had time to try yet. I did see the sweet potato version and will get that for this weekend for my DH, he eats anything w sweet potatoes. It's a nice change ~ liz

Okay, now you put in "a lot" more water. Rice doesn't stop absorbing water, hence the gluey. You can try steaming it off, or you could try mashing some and frying it, frijoles style. So here's how you get it to all come out. Practice. That's really all there is to it. First find a good recipe for what you want to make. You may have used the exact technique, but not the exact ingredients and proportions. If the recipe just says "rice", skip it. Start with a recipe that says "medium grain brown basmati" or "regular Uncle Ben's" or "short grain arborio" or whatever kind it wants. That's also probably an indication that the directions are thorough--but read it through to make sure before you start cooking. Get a new bag of rice if yours has been hanging out in your pantry a long time (use that for making plain rice). Same with the rest of the ingredients--make sure they're all fresh, not merely okay, for the best chance of success. Then follow the recipe exactly. No substitutions or shortcuts. Exactly. See how it comes out. If it doesn't come out just right, try it again. If it comes out same as the first time, try another recipe. Once you like the recipe and have made it a few times, you can start messing with it, and you'll probably have better success because you'll know what has worked in the past. You'll also be able to grab a technique from the recipe and adapt it to your improvising. Risotto is dead easy. It just takes time. You might want to spend a week practicing small batches until it comes out right. It helps if your liquid (stock or water) is warm. Don't take shortcuts. Just resign yourself to standing there (or sitting close) for the whole time, and stirring stirring stirring, ladle stir stir stir ladle. When they do it on TV shows, the rice starts out par-boiled, so it's cooked through but hasn't shed its starch. That's the hard way to do it unless you're doing restaurant service and want to finish it a la minute, or you're on TV and can't spend an hour stirring. Once you have a handle on it, you'll be able to time chopping something or measuring something, or ducking out to the bathroom, without any harm. But you have to go right back to it. Paella is about building layers (figuratively--of additions, not strata). There's no one way to make it, but the way I learned the tomatoes go in almost at the end. First you toast the rice in your pan to give it browning and dry it more so it can soak up more yummy juice, then you add liquid, seasoning and herbs. You don't start putting the meat and hard vegetables in until the rice is halfway cooked or more. Then the softer vegetables, and the tomatoes and olives near the end. If you're using fast cooking seafood/fish, it goes in once the hard vegetables have softened and more or less with the soft vegetables, depending on how long each needs to cook.