This week, we’ve got something different for you: a bit of culinary history.

Besides being a musical genius, famed composer Giuseppe Verdi was also an accomplished home cook. His correspondence with friends includes extensive recipes, cooking tips and sundry culinary anecdotes. Although Verdi was born in the region of Emilia-Romagna, having spent much of his career and later life in Milan, he developed a taste for the local cuisine. Apparently, he was known among his friends and acquaintances for his rendition of the city’s signature dish, risotto alla milanese.

And here’s the recipe: