If you're accustomed to cooking rice by the traditional (in this country, anyway) "boiling" method, where the uncooked rice is covered with cold water and then simmered until the water is absorbed, there's another method you might be interested in: the pilaf method.

Rice pilaf is a tasty alternative to ordinary boiled rice. In its simplest form, uncooked rice is sautéed in butter or oil, hot stock or broth is added, and then the pot is covered and transferred to the oven where the rice is braised until all the liquid is absorbed. Cooking the rice this way gives you a firmer grain and develops additional flavor through the sautéing. It also helps keep the grains separate and generally results in a less sticky product.

I have a glass saucepan made by Corning that I like to use for making pilaf. Because it's transparent, I can see whether the liquid has been absorbed without removing the lid. That's important, because once the lid comes off, the steam inside escapes, the cooking process slows down and if you're too early and have to continue cooking, you can end up with gummy rice. A glass pot helps avoid that. Safety first, though: If you use glass cookware, be sure it's safe for both stovetop and oven use, and avoid subjecting it to sudden changes in temperature. Here's the recipe for this basic rice pilaf.