By the proliferation of rice mixes you find in the supermarket, you would think that risotto would be some mysterious and difficult thing to make.  The reality is, fresh made risotto is so much better than any rice mix you could buy.

Mushroom Risotto

Recipe:

for 4 servings

1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 small onion (small dice)
2 mushrooms (sliced)
2 Tablespoon grated parmesean
1 cup Beer or wine
2 cups chicken stock

Method:

Saute the mushrooms and onions in oil till tender and translucent.  Add the rice cooking till it comes to a shine and looks like mother of pearl.  Deglaze with the beer and allow it to absorb into the rice.  Add some chicken stock and allow it to come to a boil.  Turn down the heat a bit (so the liquid doesn’t evaporate).  The key here is really more along the lines of temperature control (as it is with most cooking).
As the liquid is absorbed keep adding more stock a bit at a time.  The cooking time will be slightly longer than the normal 20 minutes or so of regular rice, but not by much.

Notes:

The stock should be boiling.  Hot stock is more readily absorbed.
Water or vegetable stock can be used and skip the cheese to make the risotto vegan