Best-Ever Book of Rice & Risotto

Rice: for thousands of years, a staple food to millions worldwide, and in parts of the world, the stuff of myth and legend. It is non-allergenic, rich in carbohydrate, and low in salt and fat, and is today an essential ingredient in every one of the world’s major cuisines. From China and the Far East through India, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas, rice is central to the daily diet.

Traditional cooking methods and local produce have stamped regional identities on this mild-tasting food, but as cultures have overlapped, the Indian biryani dish has become as familiar as an Italian risotto, and a Cajun jambalaya as popular as the Spanish paella.

Rice & Risotto is a beautifully illustrated guide to rice – understanding, choosing it, and cooking with it. The book opens with an extensive introduction to the different types of rice and the many products made from it, and takes a close look at the rice plant, how it is grown and harvested, the etiquette of eating rice, and the history of rice since the early days of cultivation in South-east Asia around 8000 years ago.

Learn how to cook rice to perfection, whether your chosen dish is plain boiled rice, risotto, paella, biryani, sushi, fried rice or rice pudding. Useful information on the equipment used in the preparation of rice, how to store rice, and its nutritional value, is also included.

Rice is prized by cooks everywhere for its texture and flavour, which make it the perfect partner for almost any ingredient from a handful of herbs to an extravagant array of seafood. In a chapter-by-chapter international tour, the recipe section presents a mouth-watering display of the versatility of rice.

Classic rice recipes sit alongside contemporary dishes from around the world, with a special emphasis on the risotto, to reflect the enormous popularity of this simple but sumptuous Italian dish.

With over 220 inspirational colour photographs, expert information, an extensive photographic directory to the world’s rices, and more than 150 exquisite recipes, Rice & Risotto will help you to explore and appreciate the versatility of this highly-revered staple food.

• A comprehensive kitchen manual identifies the rices of the world and showing how to store, use, prepare and cook with them perfectly
• Recipes include timeless favourites such as curry, pilaff, sushi, aromatic and fried rice, paella, biryani, risotto, jambalaya, kedgeree and rice pudding
• A fascinating introduction tells the story of rice cultivation and how and where it is grown today; the myths and legends that surround this supremely important food crop; and the etiquette of eating rice.

About the Author

Christine Ingram left a career in financial and consumer journalism to pursue her keen interest in food and cooking. After several years as a food editor for Woman magazine, Chris became a full-time writer and author, contributing articles to many women’s and special interest magazines. Christine has travelled extensively, always on the lookout for exciting and unusual recipes. Her other books include: Breads of the World, Ingredients, Soups, Chowders, Consommes and Broths, Risotto, Sensational Salads, Greens, Beans, Roots and Shoots and The Inspired Vegetarian.