My heart raced when I first read the title of John Coletta's book, Risotto and Beyond: 100 Authentic Italian Rice Recipes for Antipasti, Soups, Salads, Risotti, One-Dish Meals, and Desserts. Risotto is Italian comfort food at its finest and to be able to make a great risotto is a gift and one that I have mastered over the last few years.

This versatile dish is a favorite in our house and I am always looking for new flavor combinations to try. A great Italian cookbook is always something I can appreciate, so to sum it up this book had me at the title and won me over with the recipes and photographs within.

John Coletta is the acclaimed chef of Chicago's Quartino Ristorante. Under John's leadership this restaurant has been the recipient of many awards and distinctions. Risotto and Beyond is his second title. In 2009, he published 250 True Italian Pasta Dishes: Easy and Authentic Recipes with Robert Rose. If you are in the Chicago area, the chef has a few events at Read It and Eat.

Risotto and Beyond focuses on the art of rice cookery with 100 recipes that include the usual suspects - arancini, crochettes, risotti and rice puddings. Offered as well are some more unfamiliar applications - rice salads, soups, fritters, bracioli and gelatos. This is more than a collection of recipes - it is a repository of Italian rice-cookery that delivers the full brunt of John's knowledge on all things Italian. 

The first 23 pages covers the history and varieties of Italian rice alongside guidelines and equipment recommendations as well as how to stock an Italian pantry and a few tips on Italian wine. What follows are chapters on Antipasti, Rice Soups, Rice Salads, Risotti, One-Dish Meals and ends with Rice Desserts. Gorgeous photography by Stephen DeVries bring the dishes to life and reflects the soothing comfort that Italian food represents.  

Our  will give you a closer look inside of this beautiful title and our   shares the following recipes:

Recently, I made the Risotto with Gorgonzola, Apples, and Walnuts using the Ruffoni Hand-Hammered Historia Copper Chef's Pan with Wood Spoon (right now Williams-Sonoma has 20% off all Ruffoni cookware using the code FRIENDS). This pot is not only stunning but in some magical way it makes standing and stirring the rice into creamy deliciousness seem like less of a chore.

Ruffoni's pots are made in Italy and crafted of hand-hammered copper for excellent heat conductivity. The risotto pot has a four-quart capacity and its interior is lined with durable nonreactive tin. The wide curved base ensures the steady absorption of broth, and the rounded bottom eases stirring (less of a chore). As with all their pieces, the riveted brass handle has a sculpted finial and on the risotto pot it is an acorn. Included with the pot is a cherry wood risotto spoon with the traditional circular opening that encourages a creamy consistency. Photos showing the manufacture of the pots taken from Ruffoni's website. 

Another piece that I tested is this Ruffoni Historia Copper Gratin Pan with Acorn Handles. When I brought this baked pasta dish to the table, our guests were impressed and stated that it made them feel special for me to take such care with the meal and the presentation. Of course, you can create a meal in something less beautiful, but life is too short and if gorgeous copper filled with Italian deliciousness makes you happy, as it does me, go for it! And remember Williams-Sonoma has 20% off all Ruffoni cookware right now. 

John Coletta was gracious to share some photos that he took when he toured Ruffoni in Italy. Thank you, John for allowing me to use these photos in this article. I now know I need a stand for my Zabaglione pot!

Special thanks to the publisher, Rizzoli, for sharing the material for our

Many thanks to the publisher for supplying the material for our as well as for providing three copies of Risotto & Beyond in our giveaway below and to Ruffoni for providing one Ruffoni Hand-Hammered Historia Copper Chef's Pan with Wood Spoon for a grand prize winner. (US only)

The publisher, Rizzoli, is offering three copies of Risotto & Beyond in our giveaway below and Ruffoni is providing one Ruffoni Hand-Hammered Historia Copper Chef's Pan with Wood Spoon to a grand prize winner. This contest is only open to EYB Members in the US. One of the entry options is to answer the following question in the comments section of this blog post.

Which recipe in the index would you try first?

Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won't be counted. For more information on this process, please see our step-by-step help post. Be sure to check your spam filters to receive our email notifications. Prizes can take up to 6 weeks to arrive from the publishers. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends at midnight on May 29th, 2018.