-=> Quoting Carol Shenkenberger to Nancy Backus on 12-16-08 10:10 <=-

 >  CS> Just tastes funny to us when eaten plain.  Dunno why.
 > Possibly the bran that's still there, making it brown rather than white.
 > It's been described as a more nutty taste...

 CS> Thats exactly it.  The nutty taste.  Just doesnt appeal to us much.

Ah.  Completely plain... well, we rarely have any rice that... :)  It's
always been with something or in something... and I always used to make
it, even for being the "starch" of the meal, with butter and bouillon,
so it wasn't completely plain even then... but then, I also wasn't
making anything that would serve as a gravy or au jus to put on it
either, just having it beside the meat and the veggie(s).  Growing up,
it was white rice, boiled and drained, and then usually had some sort of
gravy or sauce for it from the meat (eg chicken cooked in some cream
soup).
  
 >  >  CS> I also have some sushi rice type here.  Been meaning
 >  CS> Oh it's not hard to get the fillings together.  So many variations!
 >  CS> A few strips of carrot, celery, acocado, daikon, and some fish type
 >  CS> suitable for it (I like the sashimi sushis).
 > That sounds tasty... :)   So, what are you missing, the seaweed sheets?

 CS> Time mostly!

Oh, that's in short supply here, too.  

 CS> Got a little rice ball mix a few days ago along with some sushi
 CS> vinegar (didnt have any and prefer a pre-mix as to making my own). 
 CS> Might do the rice balls instead with some of the adzuki beans or some
 CS> sweet black beans.  Though not a true confection, it is a sweet that
 CS> way. xxcarol

Japan has some interesting "sweets"...  I remember one from my Japanese
friends in high school that was a very salty treat.  I remember even
more vividly the twinkle in Cal's eye as he handed it to us, expecting a
more typical "American" reaction...  ;)  But the rice and sweet beans
would be definitely more a sweet treat.  :)  I've quite fallen for Red
Bean Paste and for Lotus Bean Paste... whether in a bun or even by
itself...  :)  (Yes, I know those are more Chinese, dimsum-y, than
Japanese... but also not syrupy sweet like most of what we'd designate
as candy or sweets.)

ttyl        neb

... What Manual? I thought this was an automatic.