Abstract: An apparatus (1) for the fully-automated processing and subsequent cooking of a preparation (100) of food ingredients, said apparatus (1) comprising a preparation and cooking chamber (60) of the preparation, processing means (15) operating within said preparation and cooking chamber (60), heating means (30,90) of said preparation and cooking chamber (60), delivery means (80) for the correct quantity of liquid within said preparation and cooking chamber (60) and reading means (102) arranged to acquire a plurality of preparation parameters stored on a support (101) associated with the preparation (100) and transmit them to control means (40), said control means (40) arranged to operate said processing means (15), said heating means (30,90) and said liquid delivery means (80), the latter being activated to insert a quantity of liquid that corresponds to the quantity determined by said preparation parameters obtained by the reading of the support (101).

Abstract: A method for producing a frozen risotto or alike ready-to-eat dish based on rice, barley, wheat or spelt. For risotto the steps include, adding to rice the necessary liquid and particulate ingredients and cooking all the above ingredients up to desired cooking degree, rapidly cooling the thus prepared risotto and feeding it into a dosing apparatus, which forms sphere-like portions of a predetermined weight or volume, which are subjected to ultra-fast freezing and then packaged.