Making risotto

Risotto is a rice dish of italian origin, typically made with "arborio" or "risotto" rice. The basic difference between this and most rice dishes is that the rice is cooked very slowly, and in stages, so that it can absorb flavors from the mixture in which it is heated.

Typically, one starts with dry rice in a pan, and heats it in a "starter" mixture (usually olive oil or butter, along with salt or some other basic flavoring).

Then, one alternates between adding a small amount of flavor-carrying fluid (more below) and waiting for water to boil away (leaving the characteristic thick starchy residue of a good risotto).

So, the standard "risotto cycle" is as follows:

1. Add flavor-carrying fluid, but be careful not to submerge the rice.

2. Boil away most of the water (during which time the rice will soak up tastiness from the fluid mixture).

3. Add another round of fluid, and boil away again.

It's really that simple. Just remember, never submerge the rice, and always make sure the fluid you add is carrying some kind of flavor (be it olive oil, spices, lemon juice, etc... let your imagination run wild).

As for number of repetitions of the cycle, it's up to you. Usually, 2-3 is enough to get the rice cooked to an "al dente" state, another 1-2 if you want mushy rice (please don't do that!).

And of course, nothing's stopping you from mixing up the flavorings each time you add fluid; you can mix and match flavors to your heart's content.