Risotto by Maxine Clark (Ryland Peters & Small, £14.99) contains more than 50 authentic Italian risottos, such as wild mushroom, and some new ideas including mozzarella and sun-blushed tomato with basil. This Spring Risotto is one of my favourites

When you dip your fork into this risotto, you will come across pockets of melting mozzarella. Mix in the tomato topping and you will make more strings. Try to use mozzarella di bufala – it has a fresh, lactic bite well-suited to this recipe.Serves 4

, cleaned, trimmed and chopped2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped150ml (5fl oz) white wine 400g tin of plum tomatoes150ml (5fl oz) beef stock2 strips of orange peel (use a potato peeler)Sea salt and freshly ground black pepperFor the risotto2 tbsp olive

Packed with 120 recipes, Tana’s Kitchen Secrets by Tana Ramsay (Mitchell Beazley, £19.99) is a real family book. The “secrets”, posted throughout, help you master techniques, such as how to make a great risotto. This recipe is a tasty way

) chicken stock250g (9oz) risotto rice20 big frozen prawns (optional)100g (31/2oz) frozen peas10 frozen mussels (optional)Handful chopped parsleyLemon wedges, to serveMethodHeat the oil in a pot with a lid. Fry the chorizo until it begins to crisp

the empty pea pods: these can be simmered in water to make a stock that is ideal for flavouring soups and risotto. Ingredients (serves four)1 tray of ice cubes450g fresh peas (unshelled weight) 450g dried tagliatelle2 tbsp unsalted butter¼ tsp salt1 tbsp

it a good go (and before anyone rejects it just because they hated it the first way). For example, try mushrooms in a risotto for dinner, cooked for a breakfast 'side' with eggs, or used in a pasta dish with olives and spinach2. Have a snack tin

in Gerard’s Place, London, which serves a variety of Chinese dishes including Dim Sum, Cantonese and Provincial cuisine. It's instant satisfaction! What’s your food guilty pleasure? A tube of condensed milk. What would be your last supper? Risotto

to sample something a little different, Grace went for the salmon special and I opted for Chicken With Lemon And Caperberry Sauce, with a mix of side dishes (a very tasty Pearl Barley Risotto; crunchy fresh Peas With Lettuce, Spring Onions And Cream

cooked? Macaroni cheese. What’s your worst cooking disaster? A risotto I cooked once in Mexico, where the guests decided to turn up late. By the time they arrived, it had sat around in the heat and tasted like warm potatoes. What would be your perfect