Saffron risotto is creamy, indulgent

Risotto is a simple rice dish elevated beyond the prosaic by its voluptuously creamy texture. Of the many risotto dishes that dot northern Italy, risotto alla Milanese is at once one of the simplest and most luxurious, because it's flavored with the most globally prized spice, saffron, which perfumes the dish with its floral aroma.

The dish's origin is a subject of debate: One legend claims that it was invented in the 1500s by a Milanese glassmaker who earned the nickname "Zafferano" because he used saffron often to make gold stain. When he was jokingly challenged to add it to risotto, he did!

However, the recipe's first appearance in an Italian cookbook wasn't until the 1800s.