Riso / Arborio

Riso is Italian for rice, and Italian rice is domestic or imported Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone nano. While these rices are commonly cooked into a risotto, the side dish that is like a creamy savory rice pudding, "everyday" rice is cooked so that the grains are dry and separate, more like a pilaf than a risotto. Home recipes for riso require the cook to measure the same amount of dry rice and water plus cup extra water for the cooking pot. We found the measurements ran true when translating the recipe to the rice cooker. This rice takes a long time to cook for white rice, a full hour. Be prepared for the rice to be ever-so-slightly chewy in a percentage of the grains. One look and you will recognize the perfect example of a plumped medium-sized grain of rice. It is slightly moist, but dry on the tongue, and very tasty without being sweet. Serve with butter and Parmesan cheese as a side like any other rice bowl rice, or as a bed for sautéed meat and onions. This is the rice to make for stuffed peppers, stuffings, rice omelets, fritters, and Italian rice and vegetable salads dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.

MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker; fuzzy logic or on/off CYCLE: Regular YIELD: Serves 4 (about 3½ cups)

1. Place the rice in the rice cooker bowl. Add the water, olive oil, and salt; swirl to combine.
2. Close the cover and set for the Regular cycle.
3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, let the rice steam for 10 minutes.
4. Fluff the rice gently with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon. This rice will hold on Keep Warm for hours. Serve hot.