The story

Treviso is a northeastern Italian city famous for its radicchio risotto. It is an everyday food, delicious as a first course. My grandmother was born in Treviso, so this recipe reminds me of her. Radicchio, also known as red, or Italian chicory, is available in autumn and winter. It is very difficult to find when out of season, so this is very much a winter dish.

The language

Sonia describes this as an everyday dish. This means that it is not only for special occasions. When every and day are used together as one word, they become an adjective, meaning the noun is a normal, typical thing. Some of the most common nouns described by everyday are: life; experience; object and language.

  • also known as

Some nouns have alternative names. Here, Sonia talks about an alternative name for one of the main ingredients, radicchio. To introduce the alternatives, she uses also known as. This short expression follows the original noun, and then gives one or more alternatives. For example:

The United States of America, also known as America or The States…

This recipe uses aubergine, also known as eggplant.

This is an important expression for all chefs! If something is out of season, then it is not grown during that time. This means it may be more difficult to find at the market or in shops. The opposite of out of season is in season. So, while strawberries are in season during the summer, they are out of season in the winter.

You can also use this when talking about a tourist destination. Many people come to Edinburgh during August, but it’s out of season in February.

The recipe

  • 300g carnaroli rice (you may substitute arborio rice, if carnaroli is unavailable)
  • 1 shallot
  • 400g radicchio (also known as red, or Italian chicory)
  • 1 glass of red wine
  • 1.5l vegetable stock
  • 70g butter
  • Grated Parmesan
  1. Begin by finely slicing the shallot and radicchio into fine strips.
  2. Heat some olive oil in a pan, and gently fry the shallot and radicchio until browned.
  3. Add the rice to the pan, and continue to fry gently for a few minutes.
  4. Next, pour in the wine, then the stock, adding only a little at a time.
  5. When the rice is cooked, remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the butter and parmesan.

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