Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately. In addition to the method used to make risotto, there are three other basic methods for cooking rice. To cook perfect fluffy rice, add the rice to a large pot of boiling water and cook it just as you'd cook pasta. When the rice is cooked, drain it in a colander and serve it, tossed with a little butter. When the gently simmering rice has absorbed all the liquid, it is ready.
Rice pilaf is served as a side dish.
How to Roast Vegetables Roasting pulls the water out of vegetables and concentrates their flavor. Roasting works best for root vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, potatoes, and onions, and for vegetables that contain a great deal of moisture, such as tomatoes and mushrooms. I sometimes coat these softer vegetables with bread crumbs to add texture, as in a gratin. But usually we roast vegetables that have been peeled beforehand. Cut the peeled vegetables into sections or wedges, or turn them, and then lightly coat with olive oil or melted butter to prevent them from drying out in the oven.