My sure fire, never fail microwave rice recipe

1 cup long grain basmati rice**

3 cups cold water

2Qt soufflé pan or glass equivalent.
DO NOT COVER

Microwave 20 minutes on high.

Stir and serve.

**This does not work with cheap white rice, which becomes mushy when cooked this way.  10,15, and 20 LB bags of basmati rice are available for sale at import and oriental stores for 50 cents to a $1 a pound. Most are bagged in burlap sacks with plastic bags inside.

Cleaning Tip

Too embarrassed to take a before picture, I offer the finished product, a shiny clean vent filter for my stove's exhaust fan.

THE PROBLEM: I don't think I'm alone in saying I hate to clean my stove. This time while cleaning under the vent hood, I looked at the metal filter that covers the exhaust fan. Filthy! A quick snap and it was out. Only then was the extent of the greasy grossness apparent.

I heated a kettle of water and ran boiling water through it with no luck. Soaking it in a sink of dish liquid and hot water brought few results until I took an old toothbrush to it. While the brush loosened quite a bit of the accumulated grease, the soap wasn't cutting the grease. Next I tried wiping the edges with a damp paper towel and Ajax. It helped the edges some, but the filter was still embedded with grease. All the while I kept pouring boiling water through it. Still no luck.

HINT: Use tongs to lift the filter from the boiling water.

AT LAST, THE SOLUTION: I emptied all the water from the sink, laid the still damp filter flat and sprinkled a good layer of automatic dish detergent on the surface. Next I poured another kettle of boiling water over it and let it sit. Within 2 minutes the water was brown, within 5 minutes the metal shown through. I emptied the sink and loosened particles with a toothbrush under a stream of warm warm while another kettle boiled. Then I repeated the process. In 5 minutes, the filter was aluminum bright, almost new. Left to air dry, it went back in with ease.

DON'T FORGET: All the grease going down the drain is not good. Poor several TBSP of baking soda in the drain, then add 1/2 a cup of vinegar. It will bubble like one of those old school project volcanoes, sure, but it cuts the grease, cleans the drain and eliminates odors.

The basics of soup making

Just remember some basics when creating a soup.

*Unless it's onion soup, onions should be added early. Sauteed onions are best, otherwise mince the onions well so they cook down and become part of the overall flavor.

*Butter scorches easily so use low heat. If you can't wait, margarine is better than burned butter.

*Add veggies based on two things: strength of flavor and time needed to cook. Potatoes are added last because they'll turn to starch and thicken soups prematurely. Add the hardest veggies like carrots first so they will have time to cook.

*Add spice throughout.

-Garlic powder should never be used when fresh is available. Ready minced garlic in 16oz jars cost less than $5 and saves so much time. Garlic should be added early and added only at the end in small amounts if you feel it needs it. Allow 15 minutes to cook if added late to the broth.

-Spices complement each other. Fresh and dry spice can taste very different and the amount you choose should be altered accordingly.

-Salt and salty veggies like tomatoes (canned) should be added last.

*Puree veggies to change the texture and flavor. Canned tomatoes are an excellent example. Diced, the flavor is not as shared through the soup as pureed tomatoes.

*Looking at numerous soup recipes will give you a good idea about complementary spices and vegetables.