p1 Foreword

WARNING (again):
I would like to remind you AGAIN that it'is necessary to accept what is stated in the disclaimer (please click to read it), which you implicitly accept by entering and using anything in the site.

IMPORTANT AGAIN:

1. before using any ingredient make sure you are not allergic to the ingredient itself.
2. Before inviting friends to dinner to show how good you are at cooking, try making this dish yourself at least 2 times.
3. when you use garlic, make sure that your partner or all your friends you did invite will eat too. Don't kiss anyone who hasn't eaten it with you.
4. Here the given doses are for 2 people. Increase everything in direct proportion if there are more guests or if you need more.

RICE IN ITALY

Rice is widely used everywhere in Italy, particularly in the northern regions where it's cultivated, that is in Piedmont, Lombardy, amd the Veneto regions.

The history of rice in such areas is linked to two factors:

1. the need to make clayey soils productive that were practically sterile
2. the possibility of exploiting the water resources of the large rivers with a nivoglacial regime that descend from the Aosta Valley and Monte Rosa and from the myriad of small watercourses of resurgence or mountain origin.

Italy produced 58.5% of the EU's rice, with 53.0% of this volume exported to other European nations. As the leading rice producer in Europe, Italy cultivates rice on an area of ​​218.42 thousand hectares, with a yield of over 56.632 g/ha in 2022 according to FAOSTAT. Per capita rice consumption in Italy reached 8.52 kg in 2021, marking an increase of 3.65% compared to the previous year, as reported by European Union statistics. (Source:Click here)

Water is therefore the cradle of rice. The Vercelli rice field is also a large natural oasis. In the Po Valley environment increasingly impoverished by extensive agriculture, the rice field has revealed itself to be a formidable food reserve. The flooding of the rice fields is at the base of a food chain whose protagonists are insects and molluscs that live in the water and, above all, frogs.
The network of canals in the Vercelli area Today, the lower Vercelli plain has an irrigated surface of 89 thousand hectares, equal to 96% of the agricultural surface. In practice, the entire triangle between Vercelli, Saluggia and the confluence of the Sesia and Po rivers can be submerged.

Biodiversity of Vercelli rice

The Vercelli area is the Italian territory with the greatest varietal richness of rice in the world. The reason lies in the climatic characteristics of the territory. On the one hand, it has always been necessary to select varieties that adapt to colder temperatures and with greater thermal excursions compared to tropical climates, and on the other, varieties have been selected that respond better to the thousand culinary needs, through which rice has spread to Italian tables. Even the engineering of the rice field must be suitable for growing rice, but above all it must contain water. All the meticulous engineering of the rice paddy revolves around water. The rice paddy chambers must be level and connected to each other; for this, they must be adapted to the slope of the land.

HOW IN ITALY RICE IS USED

I don't know exactly all the ways in which we cook rice in my country. I'll try to write just a few about, the most common one.

RISOTTI

   Risotto with ossobuco (meat)Risotto is a typical first course of Italian cuisine, originating from northern Italy, in particular Lombardy, Veneto and Piedmont, and then spread in numerous versions throughout the country.
Risotto is not simply cooked rice: it is a culinary preparation that requires a specific technique and a series of very precise steps.

Among the various qualities of rice used to prepare risotto, there are some that are particularly suitable (Arborio, Baldo, Carnaroli, Maratelli, Razza 77, Rosa, Marchetti, Vialone Nano, Nero, Roma, and others). The main characteristic of the dish is the maintenance of the starch, which, gelatinized due to cooking, binds the grains together in a creamy compound. The other ingredients are usually salted and vary in relation to the recipe to be prepared (meat, fish, vegetables, dairy products).

I won't go into more detail because anyone who wants can go and check online, for example on Wikipedia or even typing 'risotto' in the command line of the browser. Here I only describe my particular elementary basic preparation.

POMODORI CON IL RISO    (Tomatoes wiith rice)

Later I will post an easy recipe for tomatoes with rice. These are large tomatoes hollowed out inside and filled with a mixture of rice, breadcrumbs, blended tomato part obtained by hollowing out the tomatoes themselves, oregano, salt, and more. They are cooked in the oven or in a pan.

ARANCINI SUPPLI AND MORE (Balls of fried rice and various ingrediente)

These are some of the typical Italian preparations of rice balls of various shapes. I will not discuss them here because they are not simple preparations for me to make.

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Various types of Sicily arancini with different fillings
Various types of Roman SUPPLÌ with different fillings

In every region of Italy, apart from the classic qualities of dry durum wheat pasta and condiments, you can find countless different culinary specialties for each preparation. Even in the case of rice balls you can expect surprises in every location of the peninsula.

p4

My own quickest personal rice preparation

This is NOT a classic preparation and is used only by me. I made it once when I was in a hurry and didn't have time to prepare sauces or anything else and I only had a kg of coarse grain rice available and few other ingredients. If you want you can try it at your own risk.

To measure quantities I used a tea-cup as follows (ab 150grs of rice)

Frozen peas	about 150 grs of rice

Keep in mind that rice increases in volume a lot, so 150 grams are enough for 2 people

Ingredients : here is an example of how to prepare a good dish of rice for 2 which requires little only the cooking time to prepare it:

	Coarse grain rice	150 g  (75 grams each)	525 Kcal / 2195 KJ
	Virgin Olive Oil	50cc (1/2 of a glass)	400 Kcal / 1600 Kj
	Garlic	nº 3 garlic cloves finely chopped	DONT REMOVE CENTER
	COARSE SALT	one full soup spoon
	Frozen peas	One o two cups of frozen peas         about 100 Kcal /418 KJ
	Fine grain salt	1 spoon - depends from the size of the spoon or as you prefer

NOTE : For this basic preparation you need the best possible raw materials. In particular, the oil must be VIRGIN olive oil with a fruity aroma and good quality because the taste of the dish depends on it. Taste the oil with a teaspoon before use

The total energy content of this preparation is approx.1000 (4180J)

Procedure:

tea cup and small pot	Frozen peas	about 150 grs of rice

1. 
   Rice, peas, and 3 cups of waterFill the smaller pot with rice as shown here upper (it should be about 150 grams)
   To be sure you weigh the exact amount of rice, I suggest you put the cup on the scale, see how much it weighs, and from there add the 150 grams of rice. (The final weight should be the weight of the cup + 150 grams)
   NOTE: Pay attention to the level of rice in the cup because you will then have to measure the water up to that level
2. Pour the rice into the small pot
3. Fill the empty cup with peas - if you want can use 2 cups of peas - and pour into the same pot
      The pot with the lid on it
4. Pour 3 cups of water into the same pot
5. Add salt and place the pot on the stove and - IMPORTANT - put the lid on. Be careful not to use too strong a flame to avoid burning the bottom of the pot.
   AT THIS POINT YOU CAN START PREPARING THE DRESSING
6. To check if the rice is cooked, lift the lid from time to time and stir quickly. When you see that there is very little or no water, turn off the heat and wait a few minutes.
   

PREPARING YOUR DRESSING

 

1. Get a small pan	2. Fry garlil in virgn olive oil	End of rice cooking time

1. 
    This should be what it should look likeGet a small pan as in the figure and cut garlic cloves in smal pieces or thin slices
2. Put a half glass of virgin olive oil and garlic pieces in this span and fry until your garlic takes a very light color. Be careful :DO NOT BURN GARLIC
3. Be sure that your rice is well done. Lift from time to time, about 10 minutes, and mix the first time with a spoon - to check the cooking progress.
4. FINAL STEP
   Pour the oil and garlic into the pan with the boiled rice and mix thoroughly to evenly distribute the seasoning and peas.

At this point you can serve the rice. As you can see, with 150 grams of rice with peas you can fill 2 plates.

As soon as I can I'll make you tomatoes with rice

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