Instructions: Q. Could you please tell me the difference, if any, between risotto and rice.

A local pasta manufacturer sells a product called risotto and it seems to me to be a pasta product. Some of the recipes I have looked at that call for either, do not differentiate between the two. Would you please clear this up for me?

A. Risotto is an Italian rice dish. It is made by briefly sauteing the rice in olive oil or butter (often with some onion), then adding a little bit of stock, stirring almost constantly until the rice absorbs the stock, then adding a bit more stock, stirring, adding, stirring, adding until its done. It usually takes between 20 and 30 minutes of stirring. When its done, the rice is cooked through and bound in a wonderful creamy sauce that is made as the starch leaches out of the grains and combines with the stock.

Risotto is best made with short- and medium-grain rice, which tends to be stickier than long-grain rice varieties. Three varieties are best suited to making risotto: Arborio, Carnaroli and Vialone Nano. These produce the creamiest results. Of the three, Arborio is the only one that is pretty widely available in grocery stores in this country. We have come across both Carnaroli and Vialone Nano online. It really is worth it to seek out one of these three varieties to make risotto - especially if its your first time!

A good risotto is an absolutely heavenly dish, although weve made one or two that wouldnt come anywhere near the Pearly Gates. There are countless versions of risotto - vegetable risottos (asparagus, artichoke, eggplant, fennel, wild mushroom, onion, spring vegetables, etc.), fish risottos (prawns, mussels, squid, smoked salmon, tuna), meat & poultry risottos, (chicken; bean, sausage & bacon; Easter Lamb Risotto), all kinds of cheese risottos, and exotic, yet still classic dishes, such as Rose Petal Risotto, Champagne Risotto, Risotto with Zucchini Flowers, Lobster Risotto and, certainly a show-stopper, Risotto with White Truffles.

Probably the most well-known is the Risotto Milanese, a rich risotto flavored with saffron. We were smitten earlier this year with a new, not-very-expensive cookbook that promises The Top One Hundred Italian Rice Dishes. About half of the recipes are risottos, and the ones we tried were just outstanding.

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