Arborio Rice

From the Williamsburg Inn's Regency Room.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This gets its distinctive pink color from the addition of red wine and radicchio.

If you like, sauté some wild mushrooms and stir them into the finished risotto. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Do-ahead tips make this rendition of the Spanish classic perfect for entertaining.

"I visit Portland, Oregon, frequently because my son is in college there. Of the restaurants we've tried, Bread and Ink Cafe is one of the best," says Shelly Pearlman of Fairfax, California. "It's located in a funky part of town not far from the school. The squash and leek risotto I had for lunch was superb." Some shaved Parmesan and fresh sage leaves would make an attractive garnish.

Chai tea spices — ginger, cinnamon, cardamom — flavor this delicious pudding.

Called "Uncle Johns" in the Monegasque dialect (or barbajuans), these little fried pouches are filled with pumpkin, leeks, rice, and Parmesan cheese. Like their Italian cousins — the tortelli di zucca from Lombardy — they are prepared like ravioli, but the similarity ends there. The dough, though not a pasta dough, is very thinly rolled and made with olive oil. The barbajuans are fried to a golden crispiness rather than boiled or baked, and they are served with aperitifs rather than as a first course.

Accompany the risotto with a lettuce and radicchio salad, and pass a basket of poppy-seed breadsticks. A strawberry tart would be a nice way to end the meal. See how to finely chop herbs.

This creamy rice, fragrant with lemon, makes a nice accompaniment to veal. If you like, pack the rice into half-cup custard cups and unmold onto the serving plates. Garnish with additional snipped chives, if desired.

A rich, earthy first course or side dish.