Rice Pilaf - Donna Style

This rice pilaf recipe is one that a friend and I came up with one day -- almost 15 years ago.  It is very versatile and you can add whatever ingredients that you want -- depending on your mood or what you have on hand.  This recipe is enough to more than feed 25 people, so just downsize it or up-size according to your needs.  So here is the basic recipe with some suggested ideas:

1/4 - 1/2 cup butter (I have used part butter and part olive oil, or you can use 100% olive oil)
2 medium sized onions. chopped
2-3 or more stalks celery, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 - 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 - 1 cup whole cashews (or pieces) can be raw or roasted.  You could also use almonds or pecans too. I generally use whole cashews, that I roast or toast.
1 tablespoon whole cumin seed
6 cups white or brown basmati (you could substitute 1 cup of the basmati rice with wild rice or any combination of types of rice -- if I have some wild rice on hand, this is what I do).
9-10 cups of liquid -- you can use just plain water, but that's boring.  I generally use canned coconut milk that is diluted with water. You could use orange juice and also use a combination of orange juice and coconut milk and water.  You could also use either good quality organic chicken (if not for vegetarian) or vegetable broth. Make it yourself or buy it or you could use a good bouillon one with out msg and other chemicals -- I have even used meatless chicken flavored bouillon).
2-3 cinnamon bark sticks
1 tsp ground cardemom
1/2 - 1 tsp ground coriander
2-3 whole bay leaves
1 cup dried currants or chopped dried fruit like apricots or even dried cranberries or cherries (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste -- I often used freshly ground pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large skillet, melt the butter or heat the oil and saute the onions, celery, garlic, cashews, whole cumin seeds & cinnamon sticks. Stir in the parsley, cardamom, coriander, bay leaves dried fruit (if using) and rice and stir together.  Pour this mixture into a large roasting pan.  Bring the liquid to a boil and then pour over the rice mixture in the roasting pan -- Stir & mix it well.  Cover the roasting pan with a fitted lid or with aluminum foil and place in the pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes to an hour (depending on what types of rice that you use). -- basically bake until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is not chewy or crunchy.  You can add more liquid if needed, during cooking.  I would check on it periodically and even give it a stir or too.  When the rice is cooked, take out of the oven and remove the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks and stir it up to mix everything up and serve.