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Riso: Undiscovered Rice Dishes of Northern Italy
Gioietta Vitale presents 100 recipes not only for risotto, but for the other exquisite rice dishes for which Northern Italy is justly famous. Riso, designed to charm the eye and filled with delightful anecdotes, helpful cooking tips, and wine suggestions, is just the cookbook to make rice the pasta of the '90s! Line drawings.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published September 22, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 6, 2022
Gioietta Vitale with Lisa Lawly Crown 1992 jacket ill
Jennifer Harpev 144 pages Index
Five chapters include: minestrone (soups), insalate di riso, (hot and cold rice salads), risi in bianco, risotti, doli (desserts).
Risi in Bianco p. 116 tricoore. P. 118, spinaci. P. 127. Filled chilled tomatoes. Dolci. P. 137 con melona, chilled. P. 139, cream/ricotta chilled. P. 140, fritters.
Jennifer Harpev 144 pages Index
Five chapters include: minestrone (soups), insalate di riso, (hot and cold rice salads), risi in bianco, risotti, doli (desserts).
Risi in Bianco p. 116 tricoore. P. 118, spinaci. P. 127. Filled chilled tomatoes. Dolci. P. 137 con melona, chilled. P. 139, cream/ricotta chilled. P. 140, fritters.
June 10, 2013
Fantastic inspiration to cook. I was so excited about Riso: Undiscovered Rice Dishes of Northern Italy. 'Riso' contains a hundred fast and easy recipes to try from appetisers to desserts. With easily accessible ingredients and an uncomplicated method of cooking, this book would be a great addition to, or begin, any collection.
I loved the recipes and looked forward to trying some out. The only downside, which to me was a big disappointment, was that there are no colour photographs which really would make this a beautiful book to flick through for inspiration for that special dish or just a quick and easy meal. Unfortunately because of the lack of any photographs, and the price of $14.99 which I feel is a little pricey, I have only given 3 stars, rather than a 5 star rating indicating a spectacular book of cuisine.
I would however, definitely recommend this book and even encourage anyone unsure or unconfident in making rice/risotto dishes as the instructions are easy to follow, and what's more, they work. The rice filled peaches were just divine.
Move away from plain boiled rice and give these recipes ago.
Thank you NetGalley.com for giving me the chance to review this book.
February 2, 2022
5 pages of prologue, and the rest is recipes. The recipes are formulaic ("do this, do that, 5 mins") without explanation for why the author chooses to do such actions, whether scientific or emotional.
The 5 page prologue really raised my eyebrows. Sounds rather snobby.
"I’m delighted to see the flurry of interest here in risotti, the classic rice dishes of my home region. However, I would like to emphasize that the Northern Italian appreciation of rice goes much further than risotti; like pasta in the south, the grain is an important ingredient in many of our favorite dishes. In fact, you might say it is our pasta."
As snobby statements do, tends to have inaccuracies.
“In the summertime, or if you live in a hot, humid part of the country, it’s best to buy only as much rice as you can use in a week. Store the rice in a tightly sealed container to prevent the oils in the grains from breaking down and turning rancid when exposed to the air. This way your rice will always have the freshest possible taste.”
I'm Chinese and believe me, households keep MONTHS of rice in storage. And my country is humid.
“Make a point of getting to know the owner of the grocery where you buy your Parmigiano. Once he knows you are a good, appreciative customer, he will be proud to advise you which cheese is the best and a good buy. // Never, never buy grated Parmigiano, even if the storekeeper swears on his wife’s head that he just finished grating it the instant you walked into his shop. In order to have freshly grated Parmigiano whenever you need it, buy a larger quantity than you can use right away.”
...
The 5 page prologue really raised my eyebrows. Sounds rather snobby.
"I’m delighted to see the flurry of interest here in risotti, the classic rice dishes of my home region. However, I would like to emphasize that the Northern Italian appreciation of rice goes much further than risotti; like pasta in the south, the grain is an important ingredient in many of our favorite dishes. In fact, you might say it is our pasta."
As snobby statements do, tends to have inaccuracies.
“In the summertime, or if you live in a hot, humid part of the country, it’s best to buy only as much rice as you can use in a week. Store the rice in a tightly sealed container to prevent the oils in the grains from breaking down and turning rancid when exposed to the air. This way your rice will always have the freshest possible taste.”
I'm Chinese and believe me, households keep MONTHS of rice in storage. And my country is humid.
“Make a point of getting to know the owner of the grocery where you buy your Parmigiano. Once he knows you are a good, appreciative customer, he will be proud to advise you which cheese is the best and a good buy. // Never, never buy grated Parmigiano, even if the storekeeper swears on his wife’s head that he just finished grating it the instant you walked into his shop. In order to have freshly grated Parmigiano whenever you need it, buy a larger quantity than you can use right away.”
...
March 25, 2018
Rice with everything and anything. Made me hungry.
August 14, 2012
Here is an ebook dedicated to rice, Northern Italian rice in particular, showcasing the diversity and range of dishes that can be produced at home. Think of Italy and you probably first think of pasta and pizza, yet it is a shame that this durable, flexible ingredient is often overlooked.
A hundred different rice recipes, ranging from soups and salads to desserts are on offer, following on from a brief, yet interesting, history of rice in Italy and its immersion into the national cuisine as well as a general overview on some common ingredients used.
Written from a North American perspective, the book makes frequent comparisons to Italian ingredients and ‘Italian’ ingredients that are often to be found on supermarket shelves, often packaged to give as a legally-clear-as-possible suggestion of Italian authenticity. The book aims, after all, to show you how to make an authentic-as-possible Northern Italian dishes, whilst making practical acceptances to reality.
The recipes themselves are presented in a clear, simple manner that should not present any special problems for those who attempt them. However, inexplicably, there are no photographs of the dishes. This is an eBook! There is no costly production of a printed book to make a cost-conscious publisher think twice about adding lots of expensive pages. A book of this kind should and must have photographs as they add to the reader’s inspiration and can act as a virtual comfort blanket for those who are uncertain if a dish has, in fact, turned out OK. This is a shame, a big shame which sadly makes the book feel less of an integrated work of joy, of reference and use. Instead it feels a bit like someone has just downloaded a lot of recipes from the Internet, reformatted the text and dropped them into one big file.
There is variety amongst the recipes. There is the potential to encourage you to try something new. But the whole concept feels severely let down by design and the lack of photography. Fortunately, this is not typical of many eBooks nowadays. Hopefully the publishers will wake up, smell the (Italian?) coffee and rush out a version 2.0 edition.
Riso: Undiscovered Rice Dishes of Northern Italy, written by Gioietta Vitale and published by Open Road. ISBN 9781453246276 (EBOOK), 140 pages. Typical price: USD14.95. YYY.
// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
A hundred different rice recipes, ranging from soups and salads to desserts are on offer, following on from a brief, yet interesting, history of rice in Italy and its immersion into the national cuisine as well as a general overview on some common ingredients used.
Written from a North American perspective, the book makes frequent comparisons to Italian ingredients and ‘Italian’ ingredients that are often to be found on supermarket shelves, often packaged to give as a legally-clear-as-possible suggestion of Italian authenticity. The book aims, after all, to show you how to make an authentic-as-possible Northern Italian dishes, whilst making practical acceptances to reality.
The recipes themselves are presented in a clear, simple manner that should not present any special problems for those who attempt them. However, inexplicably, there are no photographs of the dishes. This is an eBook! There is no costly production of a printed book to make a cost-conscious publisher think twice about adding lots of expensive pages. A book of this kind should and must have photographs as they add to the reader’s inspiration and can act as a virtual comfort blanket for those who are uncertain if a dish has, in fact, turned out OK. This is a shame, a big shame which sadly makes the book feel less of an integrated work of joy, of reference and use. Instead it feels a bit like someone has just downloaded a lot of recipes from the Internet, reformatted the text and dropped them into one big file.
There is variety amongst the recipes. There is the potential to encourage you to try something new. But the whole concept feels severely let down by design and the lack of photography. Fortunately, this is not typical of many eBooks nowadays. Hopefully the publishers will wake up, smell the (Italian?) coffee and rush out a version 2.0 edition.
Riso: Undiscovered Rice Dishes of Northern Italy, written by Gioietta Vitale and published by Open Road. ISBN 9781453246276 (EBOOK), 140 pages. Typical price: USD14.95. YYY.
// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
September 28, 2013
Title: Riso - Undiscovered Rice Dishes of Northern Italy
Author:Gioietta Vitale with Lisa Lawley
Publisher: Open Road/Integrated Media
Published: 3-13-2012
Pages: 123
ISBN: 0517588560
E-Book ASIN: B0079RZASY
Genre: Cooking and Wine
I grew up on a international menu of foods, but I never had an Italian flavored rice dish until a few years ago even though I personally love rice. When I saw this book offered for review by NetGalley I prayed I would be approved because I wanted to try to see if it was done in such a way even I could make a delicious Riso for my family. I am happy to say yes it was. Although it was surprising to read some of the recipes to find I had been making some dishes that were similar to the recipes in the book without knowing they were Italian dishes.
Lucky for me there are other recipes to try and in the case of the Chicken Risotto it was an improvement on my own family recipe. I will be more than happy to make this dish more than once a month. Which in my family is not done very often. You will drool over the Rice Salad with Onlion, Black Olives and Fresh Tomatoes, Rice with Sweet sausage and the Banana Rice Pudding ( I never thought to add a fruit to flavor my rice pudding until this recipe jumped out at me). There are so many recipes to try that I will be busy for some time to come. Unless you absolutely abhor rice you can not walk away from this cookbook without finding at least a few new favorites.
Riso - Undiscovered Rice Dishes of Northern Italy tells of some of the different rices by describing them and telling their cooking time. It also provides a small glossary on many of the ingredients you may use. What I liked most was that you were not told to stick to exact ingredients all the time. Were substitutions could be made the authors let you know and provided suggestions what you might like to use. The recipes are clearly written so that they are easy to read and execute.
If you like rice you will love the recipes found in Riso - Undiscovered Rice Dishes of Northern Italy. Be sure to check it put today.
Author:Gioietta Vitale with Lisa Lawley
Publisher: Open Road/Integrated Media
Published: 3-13-2012
Pages: 123
ISBN: 0517588560
E-Book ASIN: B0079RZASY
Genre: Cooking and Wine
I grew up on a international menu of foods, but I never had an Italian flavored rice dish until a few years ago even though I personally love rice. When I saw this book offered for review by NetGalley I prayed I would be approved because I wanted to try to see if it was done in such a way even I could make a delicious Riso for my family. I am happy to say yes it was. Although it was surprising to read some of the recipes to find I had been making some dishes that were similar to the recipes in the book without knowing they were Italian dishes.
Lucky for me there are other recipes to try and in the case of the Chicken Risotto it was an improvement on my own family recipe. I will be more than happy to make this dish more than once a month. Which in my family is not done very often. You will drool over the Rice Salad with Onlion, Black Olives and Fresh Tomatoes, Rice with Sweet sausage and the Banana Rice Pudding ( I never thought to add a fruit to flavor my rice pudding until this recipe jumped out at me). There are so many recipes to try that I will be busy for some time to come. Unless you absolutely abhor rice you can not walk away from this cookbook without finding at least a few new favorites.
Riso - Undiscovered Rice Dishes of Northern Italy tells of some of the different rices by describing them and telling their cooking time. It also provides a small glossary on many of the ingredients you may use. What I liked most was that you were not told to stick to exact ingredients all the time. Were substitutions could be made the authors let you know and provided suggestions what you might like to use. The recipes are clearly written so that they are easy to read and execute.
If you like rice you will love the recipes found in Riso - Undiscovered Rice Dishes of Northern Italy. Be sure to check it put today.
August 27, 2012
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, thus the four stars.
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.
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, thus the four stars.
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.
August 31, 2016
www.2thepointbooks.blogspot.com
For some reason, I didn't realize that rice was a staple in Northern Italy. I live in Southern Italy, where pasta and pizza rule all, so it was a delightful surprise to me that Italians elsewhere have embraced a grain other than wheat. (Although I do love a good pasta dish!) So discovering this rice cookbook was a treat.
I am intrigued that the cookbook contains more than risotto recipes, though I must admit that that was the reason I picked up this book. I love a good risotto. But now that I've looked over some of the other recipes, I'll have to branch out and a rice salad - Rice Salad with Chicken and Vegetables sounds pretty tasty.
The only thing I believe would improve the cookbook would be photographs of the dishes. I am a very visual person, and food lends itself so well to photos - it instructs the home cook just as much as the recipe itself. So to have photos absent is quite a disservice.
But other than that, I can recommend this cookbook to anyone who wants to explore Italian cuisine beyond that of pizza and pasta.
Thank you to NetGalley.com and Open Road Integrated Media for the chance to review this book.
For some reason, I didn't realize that rice was a staple in Northern Italy. I live in Southern Italy, where pasta and pizza rule all, so it was a delightful surprise to me that Italians elsewhere have embraced a grain other than wheat. (Although I do love a good pasta dish!) So discovering this rice cookbook was a treat.
I am intrigued that the cookbook contains more than risotto recipes, though I must admit that that was the reason I picked up this book. I love a good risotto. But now that I've looked over some of the other recipes, I'll have to branch out and a rice salad - Rice Salad with Chicken and Vegetables sounds pretty tasty.
The only thing I believe would improve the cookbook would be photographs of the dishes. I am a very visual person, and food lends itself so well to photos - it instructs the home cook just as much as the recipe itself. So to have photos absent is quite a disservice.
But other than that, I can recommend this cookbook to anyone who wants to explore Italian cuisine beyond that of pizza and pasta.
Thank you to NetGalley.com and Open Road Integrated Media for the chance to review this book.
July 31, 2012
Risotto allo Champagne should tell all about this book! Filled with riso (rice) recipes from salads, soups, risotto's, and even desserts. Vitale & Lawley do a stunning job presenting riso in bountiful methods that are simple to recreate. Would be fantastic to see pictures accompany this book although rice is not always the easiest item to photography. Next on my list to try is the Risotto con Prosciutto e Melone!
September 3, 2014
Northern Italy tends to use rice more than pasta. This work is a small collection of rice recipes that are easy to understand and follow. Covers from soup to dessert.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews