Success not in the bag, but the pot

Eileen Ference remembers her grandparents making Giallo Rice.

And, as a matter of fact, she recalls them making it in the exact pot that she brought the traditional Italian dish in to The Herald's ``What's Cookin' in Your World?'' recipe contest.

Mrs. Ference lives at 315 Lincoln Ave., Grove City, with her husband John, who was on hand for moral support.

She said her family is from south of Milano, Italy, a region that is known for rice dishes.

``It takes a lot of time but it's not complicated,'' she said about the dish that she learned to make from her great aunt.

It takes eight hours to slow cook the dish. And like many of the other contestants, she had to come up with the measurements for the contest.

The first time Mrs. Ference made the dish, her aunt told her that the cook must have wine while making it. And even now she drank some wine while nursing the dish along.

And she did not expect the traditional recipe to be selected for the semifinals of the contest.

``It's not a fancy recipe but it's a good one,'' she said.

One thing she did note was that the spice saffron is preferred for the recipe, but it's expensive and can be hard to find.

``I use it but I get it from Italy,'' she said. ``So anyone else can just use turmeric.''

For the contest, she used the turmeric in order to replicate the taste that those who would make it would encounter.

``The key is you do have to use a little more saffron than turmeric,'' she said.

Giallo Riso (Yellow Rice)

2 chicken legs, breasts and wings

2 quarts of water

Salt

Pepper

1/2 stick of buter

1 small onion

1 cup rice

1 tablespoon of tumeric

1 cup red wine

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

1. Put chicken in a crockpot with the water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Let it cook for 7-8 hours. Separate chicken from broth.

2. Place butter, finely chopped onion and rice in a large pot. Saute until rice is slightly brown. Add 2 cups of broth and stir constantly until very little liquid is left. Add 2 cups of broth and tumeric and do the same. Add 1 cup of the broth and the wine and do the same.

3. Chop up meat of one of the legs and add it along with 2 more cups of the broth. Continue adding 2 cups of broth until it is all gone. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Serve the rice along with the left over chicken. Makes about 4 servings. Sprinkle the rice with grated cheese.

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Updated Aug. 18, 1997
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