To the finish

Jimmy's Steer House in Arlington, MA (and its sister restaurants in Lexington, Danvers, and Andover, all named Grassfield's) is a longtime institution in Arlington and the surrounding communities, and it's particularly known for its particular type of rice pilaf. Instead of the usual institutional-grade Near East rice dish, they've always served a pilaf with spinach in it. It's always been popular with my family, but I've never been able to replicate it, so I decided this time around to blow it off and just make a risotto inspired by it.

If you already know how to make risotto, you shouldn't need the whole recipe, since it's just a basic risotto with chicken broth and some chopped spinach added. For those who don't, recipe follows.

• 500g arborio rice
• 1L chicken broth, boiling
• 125mL white wine
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 c Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
• 250g spinach, cooked, chopped, and drained
• butter

Melt the butter in a pan and add the onion with a sprinkle of salt, and cook over medium heat until translucent, then add the rice and cook until the rice is toasted a bit. Add the wine and stir till the wine is absorbed, then turn down to medium low heat. Add the broth, a ladle at a time, and stir after each addition until the broth is absorbed; this will probably be about half a dozen additions or so over 25 minutes. Add the cheese and stir in, then add the spinach. Cook until any liquid from the spinach is absorbed, then serve.