Everything you've always wanted to know about rice but were afraid to ask. Dry, in a soup, baked, or as a dessert, rice holds a special place of honour in Italian cuisine. Beginning with the raw material itself which, moreover, makes up two thirds of the daily food intake of almost three billion people. There are thousands of different varieties just waiting to be discovered in the right context: Italy alone boasts Arborio and Carnaroli, Vialone and Selvaggi. Why not try the refined qualities of India's Basmatic, too. From rice soup and salads to desserts and risotto, but also the country style recipes of "Sour tout", above all, which was imported by the monsù, the French cooks who worked at the Bourbon dependence. The 40 recipes contained in iCook Italian Rice show just how versatile this precious ingredient really is. Delicious and nutritionally perfect. Look out too for some handy tips from our chefs: the toasted onion which is then soaked in the soup to lighten the colour, how to thicken with frozen cubes of butter and how to stop the cooking process before serving by resting the pot on a wet dish cloth. Meanwhile our sommelier has the last word with some recommendations regarding the right drink. iCook Italian is a series of cookery eBooks, each one containing 40 illustrated recipes. From appetisers to pasta, from rice to soups, from second courses of meat and fish to ice-creams, desserts, puddings and cakes as well as pizza, focacce, egg dishes and salads, iCook Italian is a genuine feast of Italian gastronomy. All dishes were chosen by taking a peek at the recipe books in grandmother's kitchen along with those of the most creative and talented chefs in the country, marrying tradition with modernity and putting regional specialities alongside the cuisine of other countries. All were chosen with an eye on their nutritional value, something which has made Mediterranean cuisine such a success. Each recipe is accompanied by a photo of the finished dish and step by step instructions on how to make it. We haven't forgotten about the ideal wine either, which helps bring out the very best in flavours and aromas, and some simple, but practical, advice about the pleasures of food and how to choose the right ingredients for that final touch of class. Secrets stolen from the best kitchens in Italy.