For 4 servings:

400 grs. of rice Carnaroli quality or Vialone dwarf quality, 1 white onion, 50 grs butter, 40 grs. of grated Grana cheese (or Parmesan cheese), 1.5 lt of meat broth, saffron pistils pounded in mortar, half-glass ( 75 ml) of red wine.

Melt 25 grs of butter in a wide pan, add the onion thin minced and roast brown. Pour the rice, let toast, pour the wine and let it evaporate. Add the saffron diluted in half cup of broth, check the color being deep yellowand pour a ladle of warm broth, always stirring.Upon absorption, add further warm broth until complete cooking (abt. 18 minutes). Take away from fire,“whisk” with the remaining butter and grana and serve alone or with Ossobuco.

The wine indication is for a young mildly sparkling red wine like a Bonarda or a Barbera dell’Oltrepò or a San Colombano.

Ossobuco (marrow-bone)

For 4 servings:

4 marrow-bones 3 cm high obtained from the back hock of veal, 150 grs of tomatoes purée, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1 onion, parsley, 20 grs butter, flour, white wine, broth, salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a wide and low pan, add carrot, celery and half onion roughly minced and fry slowly for 10 minutes. Flour the marrow-bones, add them to the minced vegetables, rise the fire and brown for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper, spray with wine, evaporate and add the tomato mash. Lower the fire, cover the pan and cook for 30 minutes, turning the meat every now and then. Dilute with a ladle of broth and keep cooking for further 30 minutes. Mince very thin a handlful of parsley and the remaining onion, add them to the meat and cook for further 5-10 minutes.Take out the marrow-bones, mash the pan bottom sauce and cook for further 5-10 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, dilute with some broth.

The wine suggestion is for a strong tannic mountain red wine like a Sassella or a Grumello or a Carema.

Barbagliata (Cocoa egg-nogg)

For 4 servings:

3 yolks, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of bitter cocoa, 100 ml of milk.

Whip the yolks with the sugar until their becoming frothy. Warm the milk, mix with cocoa and add it to the egg-nog. Cook for 5 minutes in a double boiler, always stirring and serve still warm with finger-biscuits.

The wine recommendation is for a sweet muscatel like a Asti Moscato or a Moscato di Scanzo or a Moscadello di Montalcino.