Mrs. Zala lived directly across the street from Nona Zurlo, and was one
of her closest friends. Nona had great respect for Mrs. Zala since she
had been trained as a young girl by the great chefs of San Moritz and knew
a lot about the preparation of food. She was also the grandmother of the
Gambonini children, who were among our closest friends. Mrs. Zala and
Nona Zurlo spent countless hours in animated discussions, even though
Mrs. Zala spoke only her own dialect, Lombardi, and Nona spoke the universal
Italian when not speaking to those from her own province. Most of the
rice in Italy is grown in Northern Italy, along the Po river, and the
Lombardi are thus the most experienced and imaginative in concocting
risotti of varying types. Here is one rice dish that Mrs. Zala taught
Nona Zurlo to cook.
1/2 cup, unsalted butter
1 large white onion, minced
1 1/2 cups, raw rice, medium grain Hinode brand
12 ounces . mushroom sauteed lightly
1/8 teaspoon, powdered saffron
1/2 cup, dry white wine (chablis or sauterne)
4 1/2 cups chicken broth, boiling
1/2 cup, grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup, shredded Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon, salt
1/2 teaspoon, white pepper
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