Instructions: * Use long-grain rices. In slow cooking, they give the fluffiest results.

* Stir in raw rice and barley during the last 1 to 1 l/2 hours of cooking.

All-day cooking would result in gummy, almost gelatinous and gloppy grains. Use an extra 1/4 cup water for every 1/4 cup of raw grain.

* Alternate solution: Cook grains by conventional stove-top and microwave methods; then stir them in during the last 15 minutes.

* Brown and wild rice buffs take note: The cooking time for brown rice is approximately twice that of white rice. Wild rice takes even longer than brown.

* Add pasta to soups during the last 5 to to minutes of cooking. For other dishes, cook pasta on the stove top, then drain it, and top or toss it with the slow cooker ingredients right before serving. Whichever way its cooked, pasta is best when done al dente.

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