“Barbie” writes: I want to learn how to steam some of the vegetables and rice and some other things - the recipes really don't tell me how to steam.

Steaming veggies simply means that you don't let the veggies touch the water. There are all kinds of racks that you can put into the bottom of your pot, that will allow a 1/2 inch or so of water to boil below, avoiding the nutrients being leached into the water,like supposedly what happens when we boil them. Usually you need a tight fitting lid. This can be improvised with a metal colander that fits into a pot, or even a sifter or small cooling rack that fits. Anything that can keep the veggies above the boiling water. The easiest way is to use a small amount of water in the bottom of the bowl for fresh veggies, none for frozen - and nuke with a plate on top (it let's excess pressure escape but keeps most of the moisture inside). Or try those bags that are now readily available - the ones designed for steaming. I've tried them with broccoli, and they really do work well. AND they are re-usable. As most vegetables require somewhat different cooking times for ideal results, here’s a comprehensive table from TLC, showing many options and time guidelines. Steamed rice is well explained in this article. Basically, you rinse, rinse and rinse and then soak before cooking the way we normally do, but with a little less water. I've done this and it changes the results a little, but not enough in my opinion to take the extra steps and time, and not just follow the package instructions. Or if you eat a lot of rice, buy a "rice steamer" - machines that have become popular in the last few years and seem to be well received... Hope this helps!