The rice cooker is an amazingly versatile appliance.

When is a rice cooker not only a rice cooker? When it becomes one of the most versatile and useful tools in any contemporary cook's kitchen. Of course we all know that you can make perfect rice in a rice cooker, but did you know that whole grains and beans are also perfectly suited to this appliance?

These wonderful recipes -- created specifically to be used in a rice cooker -- are inspired by flavors from around the corner and around the world. Virtually every type of meal can be prepared in a rice cooker,...