Riso: Undiscovered Rice Dishes of Northern Italy by Gioietta Vitale
Although Italy is known for pasta, rice is certainly one of the staples of northern Italian cuisine, and Riso: Undiscovered Rice Dishes of Northern Italy delivers just what it promises–a book chock-full of ideas on what to do with rice from appetizers to desserts.
And it goes way, way beyond just risotto, folks.
Riso contains a hundred fast and easy recipes, and from the Minestra di Riso e Spinaci (Spinach-Rice Soup) and Insalata di Riso con Piselli e Gamberetti (Rice Salad with Shrimp and Peas) to Pesche Ripiene di Riso (Rice-Filled Peaches) the Torta di Riso al Grand Mariner (Rice Cake with Grand Mariner), you’ll find many typically northern Italian dishes to try; Vitale is a native of Milan, so the book is heavy on milanese cuisine in particular.
Do be advised that the book is illustrated with line drawings and not full color photographs, however, which does take away a bit from the book’s appeal for me.
Still, it’s a strong effort, so I give it:
Riso would be a great book for anyone who enjoys cooking, Italian cooking, Italian regional cooking, northern Italian cuisine, and of course for anyone who loves rice. The book would also be great for those times when you want to create a meal based on what you already have in the house.
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** NOTE: I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley; the opinions expressed are my own. The link in the post above is an affiliate link, which means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.
2 Beans of Wisdom to “Riso: Undiscovered Rice Dishes of Northern Italy by Gioietta Vitale”
Recipes
Have you cooked anything from it?
michelle Reply:
August 27th, 2012 at 12:19 pm
Unfortunately I live with un calabrese DOC who isn’t interested in rice, and I try to avoid cooking two separate meals for two people, but I will eventually try some of the desserts in particular once the weather cools off. Those are easier to share around the village 🙂