Cook Staple Foods

• A pot with a lid

  Standard

  A 3-litre saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.

  Low cost

  A discount-store saucepan.

  Already have

  Any pot you have; a plate makes a workable lid.

• Staples to practise with

  Standard

  Rice, dried beans, pasta, potatoes, eggs, rolled oats.

  Low cost

  Store-brand versions — nutritionally identical, often half the price.

  Already have

  Start with whatever is already in your pantry.

• Measuring cup

  Standard

  A proper measuring cup.

  Low cost

  A dollar-store set.

  Already have

  Any mug — the ratios are what matter, not the size of the cup.

1. 01Rice — two to oneTwo cups water to one cup white rice. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover, drop to the lowest heat for 18 minutes. Then off the heat, lid on, 5 minutes. Don't lift the lid before that.
2. 02Dried beans — soak, then simmerSoak overnight in plenty of water, drain, then simmer in fresh water for 1 to 2 hours until tender. Salt at the end. A cup of dried beans becomes about three cups cooked.
3. 03Pasta — lots of water, well saltedFour litres of well-salted boiling water per 500 g. Stir in the first minute so it doesn't stick, then follow the packet time and taste one a minute early. Save a cup of the water for the sauce.
4. 04Potatoes — start in cold waterCut to even pieces, cover with cold salted water, bring to a boil, then simmer 15 to 20 minutes until a knife slides in easily. Starting cold cooks them evenly through.
5. 05Eggs — time themInto already-boiling water: 6 minutes for runny, 8 for jammy, 10 to 11 for hard. Straight into cold water afterwards, which stops the cooking and makes them easier to peel.
6. 06Oats — three to oneThree parts water or milk to one part rolled oats. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring now and then. Cheapest hot breakfast there is, and it stores for a year.

Verified guidance · FDA — Bad Bug Book (kidney bean lectin)