How difficult is it to burn rice? Quite, I'd imagine?

It's possible if all the water evaporates.

I used to have a flatmate who used to put rice on the hob and then used to go and have a bath for an hour.  I'd end up smelling burning and have to turn it off.

brian that's pretty much exactly what happened, except i wasn't in the bath ... i was on amazon. completely forgot until i smelt burning!!

On Amazon - checking out books?  That's the intellectual way to burn rice.  :o)

My old flatmate burnt boiled eggs once in eggasctly the same way!

I did it to eggs too! I also set a bread roll on fire when I had just put it in the oven to warm up. This was especially clever of me because it was a fan assisted over.

I've heard of stories of people putting things on to boil and then going out and having to call the fire brigade.  hope you're all right Ray!?

the same flatmate also memorably spend ages looking for a pan in which to boil spaghetti, and decided she would have to do it in the frying pan because it was the only one long enough.

I cooked rice last night.  I didn't burn it.  But that may be because I was conscious of not burning it because of this blog.  So Ray, you probably saved my life.

Vics, that's hilarious!! I hope you didn't let her cook when you lived with her!