Hello, I'm an Italian person.

In this column I will be writing easy, quick recipes, using what you can find in every supermarket.

I won't bother you with strange and "exotic" food like "mortadella", "zucchini's flowers" or "soppressata".

I'll leave to talk about them to all those people who want to sell you a "lifestyle"!


And by the way, I apologise for my "chewed English"!

Antonella Caputo

HOME SWEET HOME

I don't know why but I have had a preconception about the skill of English people for home improvements. I apologise.

I never seen so much TV programmes about it: how you can change your rooms in one day, how you can make your backyard a little Heaven. Some time I puzzle over how the teams of home improvers find into garages long pieces of fabric, sheets of plywood, MDF as if the owner of house were going to build a castle. What makes me more puzzled is the huge quantity of cans of paint. And what colours! Shocking pink, bright yellow, dark red, Prussian blue, grass green...

What puzzled me moreover is why a honest engineer of Edgebaston must have so much suspiciously-new MDF? Why a housewife of Leamington Spa hides in her shelter so large amount of paint cans as if she was a branch of B&Q?

In a country where the sun is occasional visitor I reckon this rainbow of colours makes English people more cheerful and their home a relaxing, cosy, friendly space, even if I should have a little problem sleeping in a bedroom deep red coloured.

I must admit in my whole life I have painted only one room -- white -- the result was pretty good. So, after a full immersion of DIY programs, I bought an electric jigsaw ...well I regret to have spent money for that tool which now is deserted in a box somewhere in the house.

Well I gave up with DIY until I will become more "British", hoping I could have more skills about brushes and jigsaws. In the meantime I can advice you two recipes with plenty of colour.

SUN RICE (a little expensive but it's worth it)
To serve 4

Ingredients
350 gm of rice (for risotto)
3 gm saffron
1 onion (medium size)
1/2 of a vegetable stock cube
1/2 litre of boiling water
1/10 litre of white wine
1 tablespoon of grated parmigiano
3 tablespoons of oil
25 gm of butter
salt
pepper

In the boiling water melt the vegetable stock cube. The broth must be always kept warm. In a glass stir the saffron with a ladle of the broth.

Peel the onion and slice it very thin.
In a cassarole fry gentle the onion in oil until transparent.
Add the rice and toast it.
Add the wine.
When the wine is evaporated add a couple of ladles of broth.
Add salt and pepper.
Add the rest of the broth gradually whenever the rice becomes too sticky. Mix carefully.
When the rice is quite ready add the saffron. Blend.
When the rice is cooked add the butter and the parmigiano.
Serve straight away.

N.B. for improving the taste of saffron leave it in infusion in broth or warm water for a couple of hours before you use it

PINK RICE
to serve 4

Ingredients
350 gm of rice (for risotto)
3 boiled beetroots
1onion (medium size)
3 tablespoons of oil
1/2ltr of broth
salt
pepper
parsley
25 gm of butter

Mash the beetroots. Peel the onion and slice it thinly.
In a casserole gently fry the onion in oil until transparent. Add the rice and toast it. Add a couple of ladles of broth. Add the mashed beetroots and blend together. Season with salt and pepper.

Leave to cook stirring the rice from time to time and adding the broth a little at a time when needed.

When it is ready add the parsley and the butter. Blend together, and serve straight away.