I was in Japan six years ago when I was asked a simple question. What is my favorite rice? My response was idiotic. I was in a big phase of cooking Indian food and in love with Basmati rice. Japan is famously proud of its rice and justifiably so. My defense is that my sons were ten days old and I was a little short of sleep. If you’re in Japan and someone asks you about your favorite rice, say Japanese.

I understand the Japanese devotion to rice as I share it. We typically keep 4 – 6 types of rice on hand. Basmati rice for Indian dishes. Tilda is my favorite (when in doubt, ask your Indian grocer his or her favorite). A few spices and a little oil elevate boiled rice into pilau. Koshihikara rice for sushi. Tamaki Gold is amazing stuff. White rice is always good to have around, especially when I want to make some arroz con pollo. Brown rice for the occasional dish when I want to pretend to be healthy. When I can find it, I buy Carnaroli rice for my very favorite rice dish of all.

My love affair with risotto started ten years ago, right around the time my love affair started with my beloved wife. I think it started when we watched Big Night. It is my very favorite food movie of all time. The cast is amazing. Stanley Tucci as Secondo, the manager of a failing Italian restaurant. Tony Shaloub as Primo, the talented and temperamental chef. Also Secondo’s older brother. Marc Anthony (better known as a Latin pop star) in a minor role and a scene stealer. Ian Holm as the owner of a nearby successful restaurant (he also played Chef Skinner in Ratatouille and Bilbo Baggins in LotR). Allison Janney as Secondo’s girlfriend.

Risotto is almost a running gag through the movie. The restaurant finally has a couple of customers, one of whom orders a seafood risotto. Who then proceeds to order a side of spaghetti with meatballs. [She likes starch!] Later, Secondo suggests that they take risotto off the menu as it takes a lot of time and is expensive to make. Primo counters with the suggestion that they add hot dogs to the menu. Finally, in the most amazing meal on film (Babette has nothing on the feast of these guys), they present a tricolor risotto in the colors of the Italian flag. For my part, I’d make a basil/parsley risotto for green, scallop risotto for the white, and a beet risotto for the red.

Since then, I’ve made many risottos. My favorites would probably be the basil/parsley, lobster, and bolognese risottos. I do have one risotto to my name. On the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, they make a lovely rice and beans. The key is using coconut milk and serving with chilero (spicy, pickled vegetables) on the side. We had some black beans at home and I was thinking of doing something along the lines of rice and beans. Then I remembered the Costa Rican variant. And so came forth my black and white risotto. It’s great with mango and pineapple on the side.

Black Bean Risotto

Ingredients

Method

1. Bring broth to a steady simmer in a saucepan on the stove. Add coconut milk and return to simmer.
2. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy casserole or dutch oven over med. heat. Add the onion and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until it softens.
3. Add the rice to the soffrito, stir using a wooden spoon until the grains are thoroughly coated. Add the wine and stir until it is completely absorbed. Add the simmering broth, ½ cup at a time. Stir frequently until almost completely absorbed and add the next ½ cup.
4. Add coconut milk and cilantro and remove from heat. Stir completely to combine with the rice. Add the black beans near the end of cooking.
5. Put the risotto on serving dishes. Sprinkle with crumbled queso. Top with chilero or serve on the side.

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