WE HEART RISOTTO!

Last night was a great entertaining night for us. I am not the type to entertain that often - something about the anxiety involving making a lot of food and satisfying guests. But my friend Elana came over to spend the day in Brooklyn (I shouldn't say more for fear that she will be an exiled Manhattanite!) and for us to make risotto together. I had only one risotto recipe left in Cupboard Love, so decided to go with that!

90. Dried Mushroom Risotto - *Risotto*
91. Courgette and Spinach Salad - *Pasta*

Even though risotto is said to be something that should be made for one person or two, I couldn't resist making it for a crowd because I know that I heart risotto, Elana hearts risotto, Rafa hearts risotto.... so risotto it was!

After going to the annual Mermaid Parade in Coney Island on a slightly drizzly Saturday afternoon (where we witnessed men and women in scantily clad costumes, most of the time with only some sea shells covering their bare essentials!), Elana and I headed off to see my sister. It was then that I learned that my sister was indeed going to join us for dinner with my brother-in-law, Roman, and my nephew, Liam, in tow... Ok, no probs. I was planning on making risotto for 4 but now would I have to make it for six?? My sister said she was bringing marinaded sole so I decided to stick with the 4 since I was making salad anyway.

After Elana and I got back to my apartment from hanging out a bit outside, we started cooking dinner. First, I soaked the porcini mushrooms in some hot water.
Tom calls for 50g for a portion of two; I was able to find the dried mushrooms for $3.99 for 13 grams at Dom's - so that would mean for a portion of two I would have to spend close to 16 bucks just for the mushrooms. Not happenin'! I'm sorry, I'm sure it would have been fab but there was no way I could justify it, especially since I would have had to spend $32 now that I planned on making a portion for 4! Since the mushroom stock would have had to come from the porcinis, I decided to make it up by using some porcini stock cubes I also got at Dom's.

While the mushrooms were soaking, we got on with the chopping for the ingredients in the risotto and salad. First we blanched some courgette (zucchini) slices in boiling salted water...


... and drained them and let them cool.

Then Elana chopped up the onions (good job, Elana!) while I got on with the garlic. She continued to chop up fresh mushrooms (I just got button mushrooms) and I cut up some sage leaves. We let all of those sweat away in a pan for a few minutes.

At around that time, the porcinis were done soaking. I drained them and reserved the liquid as stock. I added it to a simmering pan of water with a stock cube dissolving in it. For the porcinis, I just simply blitzed them until they were almost like a paste.

Then I added the rice, tomato purée, and some white wine to the onion mixture, and I let it bubble away for a little bit. Then, I lowered the heat and started to add stock. I was wow'ed by the color of the mixture and also how lovely it smelled in my apartment - onions, mushroom and sage!

The zucchini slices were dressed with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt once cool and put in the fridge. At the last moment, a handful of baby spinach was added to them, and the salad was complete!
The final ingredients for the risotto were being prepared like taking out the butter and grating some parmesan. This is 'proper' parmesan, as I ran out of poorman'sgrana. The education of Ilana is complete!


Once the risotto was the texture I wanted, I took it off the fire and quickly added the parmesan and some butter! I let it sit covered for just a few minutes. By then all the guests had arrived and we sat to eat fairly soon after the risotto was done! Perfect timing -- but a hell of a lot of risotto, this is a portion of 4?

To die-hard risotto fans like me, I see a big mound of risotto like this and just want to dive in, face first. I was not so sure of Roman and Liam's reaction. Roman tends to be a more, erm, discerning critic, and Liam is 16 months old. But both men loved it!! As did everyone else!!

The risotto was really perfect; my sister said it was better than risotto at the Risotteria on Bleecker Street. What?? A place that its prime menu item is risotto, and I have never heard of it??! What's this. I must go! Well I have never eaten there so cannot really compare theirs with mine, but it sounded like a pretty good compliment! The risotto was deep with the flavors of the mushrooms and sage. I'm sure it would have been even more fab with more porcinis but I think they still did their job!

My sister brought sole marinaded in mustard and soy. It was in the oven while we ate the risotto and salad (which was good, not unbelievable, but people seemed to like it), and then the fish was a perfect accompaniment to the other dishes. I hardly eat fish; correction: I don't eat fish, apart from sushi. So, I was quite excited to see a non-fishy pretty fish in front of me. And it was delicious too! Proud of my sister I am!

We ate and laughed and ran after my rambunctious nephew for a while.. a great evening indeed. And all the plates were licked clean - we only had a little risotto left which I put in a separate container for Liam's lunch the next day. Dinner was followed by the one-year old tiramisu. This tiramisu was given to my sister and Roman about a year ago, but not being huge tiramisu fans, they had it in the freezer -- for a year! But it was fabulous; actually it was the best tiramisu ever! Mmmmm!

After dinner we went to listen to Korean jazz! The music was OK but I was actually really entertained by the facial movements of the overenthusiastic keyboardist. Well, as long as the company was good, I wasn't complaining! And memories of a great evening had by all.. Now, all after me, We Heart Risotto!!

Asparagoose!

You may remember that I have already made the Lemon Risotto recipe in Cupboard Love. And you may also recall that I didn't like it --- at all! It was way too tart and lemony for my taste. I had thought it was because there was no stock used, only some water. So it felt like I was brewing risotto in lemon and water!

Since the risotto has a couple of variations, I had a second chance to redeem the recipe! I decided to do the very Spring-like asparagus variation -- or should I say asparagoose, which is how it is pronounced by a funny little French chick I used to know.

75. Lemon Risotto (asparagus variation) - *Risotto*

The variation for the recipe is very similar to the original, but instead of only sweating some onions in oil, this time some chopped asparagus is added along with the onions.


Then, I added the rice and lemon zest and juice. (To reduce the Tea o' Lemon taste, I only added half of the lemon's zest and juice.) I continued to cook the risotto in vegetable stock, instead of water. I am really getting my risotto technique down as it took about 15 minutes and I barely used half of the stock - go Ilana! Next time I think I will only use 1/2 liter of stock -- I like to live dangerously!

The butter and parmesan (severely reduced amount) was added at the end and the risotto was left to sit covered for just a few minutes!

While the risotto was resting, I made a little side dish just for the heck of it.

Wilted spinach and butter beans sautéed in a bit of butter and oil, and then sprinkled with sumac! Yummy!

And here's the risotto too!


Woohoo! Success with lemon risotto - ok so, mental note: less zest and juice and use veg stock. Fantastic!

Seriously? Seriously?!!!

Ok, well let me set the record straight. I always have frozen peas in the freezer, ALWAYS. So explain to me on the one night when I need them the most, they miraculously disappear from my freezer! I was set to make yet another lovely recipe from the Risotto chapter, and then I was faced with my sans-pea deep freeze.

61. Pea and Prawn Risotto - *Risotto*

From the title of the recipe above you could see my dilemma. How on earth am I going to make a pea and prawn risotto without the peas?! Well I'm lucky that Tom points out that this risotto recipe is his cupboard standby, and he says that other things could be used instead of his cupboard standby, peas - namely, broad beans (fava beans). I didn't have frozen fava beans either, but they sure look a lot like lima beans, and that I had... so pea and lima bean risotto it was.

Making the risotto is pretty basic so I didn't take step by step pics as I usually do.

I sweated some leeks and garlic in some olive oil for a few minutes. To this I added thawed cooked shrimp (prawns) and frozen lima beans. I then added arborio rice and tomato pureé. I mixed the rice into the other recipes so it would be nice and coated and then I raised the heat and added some white wine to bubble away and evaporate. Once that happened, I lowered the heat and added a third of the stock (vegetable) at a time until the rice was perfectly cooked.

To the cooked rice I added some butter (but not too much!) and let it sit covered for about three minutes. And then the risotto was ready to serve!

And it was scrummy!!! But what else do you expect from me, the ultimate risotto whore! It doesn't take many grains to stir my soul!! Which reminds me of a hilarious cartoon I saw around on the Net on Valentine's Day...

Rosemary's a start...

After a gorgeous Spring day, I felt inspired to cook with some lovely herbs and vegetables! I had already decided I was making a lovely bread roll recipe from Delicious UK called Pandiramerino. It is a sort of Tuscan bread roll made of olive oil, rosemary and sultanas. A combination of the best flavors in the world, no?

I must have read CL's Risotto chapter countless times because just from memory I had remembered that one of Tom's risotto recipes involved rosemary, and I knew that this particular risotto would go wonderfully with the mellow-flavored pandiramerino.

45. Leek and Sheep's Cheese Risotto - *Risotto*

The rosemary does not show up in the title of the risotto because it is a very subtle flavor! I had some leftover homemade rosemary oil from making the bread rolls, so I decided to use that as my base, rather than ordinary EVOO. (In a Rachael Ray type of way, I will tell you for the hundredth time that it means Extra-Virgin Olive Oil.)

The base of the risotto involved leeks (durr!), garlic, and rosemary. Here is where I make my blog confession that I am not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to 'newish' ingredients. I have never bought, nor ever eaten, leeks, ever! In fact, I didn't even know what they looked like so I had to do a Google Image sort of thing for them, sent the pic to Rafa's Blackberry, so that he could pick me up four leeks at the grocery store on his way home. He did a great job, and we did indeed have leeks that night!


some lovely rosemary oil (isn't that green fabulous!) and the spring colors of the leeks (I think leeks are actually a winter veg, as Tom says the risotto is a wintry meal, but they look Spring-like to me) ;)

I sweated down some leeks and garlic with rosemary in the rosemary oil and butter. After just a few minutes, the leeks became lovely and soft and ready for the rest of the risotto ingredients.



I then added arborio rice, tomato pureé, and mixed it all around the lovely leek juices, before adding some white wine to fizz and bubble for about a minute. The rest of the risotto was quite simple; I kept topping up the risotto mixture with chicken stock, and it was ready after 30 minutes or so! I added grated pecorino romano (the sheep's cheese of the evening!), but didn't add any more butter as I don't like my risotto too buttery.

Finished risotto with bread in the background.

Close-up of bread

The risotto was very lovely, though I think it was a bit saltier than I am used to. I think this was due to the fact that I made the stock too concentrated -- see, I bought a big jar of it at Costco a while ago, with instructions of how many teaspoons per cup of water. But I threw out the jar when I transfered the powder to my lovely Living Kitchen storage jar, and it's been guesswork ever since then. I think I've learned my lesson, and have an inkling of how much powder per liquid there should be in the future!

However, the richness of the cheese with the rosemary went perfectly with the bread!! Since the bread had only a touch of sweetness and provided an unbelievable crunch from the olive oil, it was the most wonderful accompaniment to the soft and warming risotto. Another risotto hit, courtesy of Tom N-D!

(And in a couple of days shall make arancini with my fabulous mozzarella!)

What a tart of a risotto!

The one thing I was craving during Passover was risotto!!! Any time I tried to take my mind off of it, it seemed like it was everywhere!!! So today for a simple lunch I decided to give in to my desires.

30. Lemon Risotto - *Risotto*

As I have written previously, Tom only has about six risotto recipes in the entire book. This fact plus my addiction to risotto means I will probably get through these recipes faster than the other ones. The Lemon Risotto is the easiest and most basic recipe out of all in the Risotto chapter.

It started with chopping up an onion very finely. I usually don't do a good job with this, so had some help with my mezzaluna to get my onions teensy weensy. These were sweated down with some oil for a few minutes while some water sat simmering on the next hob. (This recipe calls for water, instead of stock! -- important distinction, so pay attention, pupils, this information will become useful later!) Once the onions let off their juices, I added the rice and the zest and juice of a lemon. And then, the basic risotto making commenced. It ended with adding some butter and parmesan. And here is how it looked - I decided to fancy it up a bit by garnishing with the last remaining (and surviving) oregano leaves I had in the fridge.

Now the verdict: I really didn't love it!!! Can you believe it?! I thought there was no risotto I wouldn't love, but this was definitely not one of them! I knew something would be off with the taste because all the stock really was was lemon and water; it kinda smelled like lemon tea when I was cooking it, and I was worried the 'lemony' taste would be too much. I was right; the risotto was OK in texture, but too lemon-tasting for me. Maybe if it was paired with something fairly bland, like grilled chicken, it would have been a welcome addition of a strongly flavored item. On its own, the lemon flavor just overtook the dish. I think proper stock, whether it be chicken or vegetable, would have mellowed out the lemon taste.

I always thought Nigella's version of Lemon Risotto in Nigella Bites was quite rich (yet delicious) due to the addition of cream and butter and parmesan, but now I could see a certain richness is needed to cut the tartness of the lemon.. So that is why I declared this risotto one heck of a tart!!!

Well I haven't given up my hope; there are a couple more risotto recipes to try, and I am still looking quite forward to them!

Plonk 'n' Pot Noodle Risotto

Risotto holds a top spot in the hierarchy of foods-I-can't-live-without. It came into my life about a year ago, and has held a firm grip since then... Risotto is THE cupboard stand-by, and as Tom says, 'you are roughly half an hour from a nourishing, comforting meal.' But for some reason, people are frightened by risotti... why? In his intro to the Risotto chapter, Tom says that it's because most cookbooks and writers find it difficult to not be too bossy in the steps to a perfect risotto.

I am a lady of rules... I don't do very well on my own and without some instruction.. so I suppose making risotto, with all its steps, works well for me. But just because I'm a lady of rules doesn't mean I can't be a bit stubborn too, so this is where Tom and I clash in making risotto.

In The Kit for the chapter, Tom writes that the best rice for risotto is either Arborio, Vialone Nano, or Carnaroli. Ok, no problem, got that covered. Also, a risotto maker should use a wide, heavy-based pan, with a lid. Roger that, Tom! And then things get a bit tricky....
Tom says that one should never use cooking wine, as it is 'plonk', and that using stock cubes to make stock will make the dish taste like a 'Pot Noodle'.

So here's my case.
1. I don't drink wine; I don't like wine. Even if I did drink wine, why would I use it to make a dish?? Ok, maybe I'm being a bit irrational, but I've made risotto dozens of times, and not once, have I ever thought it tasted off.
2. Knorr stock cubes rock!!! I will use them for the rest of my days; I've had Pot Noodle, or at least the U.S. equivalent. My risotti do not taste like that! 'Nuff said, Tom!

Ok enough of my rambling.

8. Chilli and Herb Risotto - *Risotto*

I have a few risotti in my repertoire, but never the combination of herbs and chilli. So I was quite excited to try this one out! Tom leaves the herbs to be a personal choice and recommends basil or oregano. I thought I'd be wacky and use both!

From left to right: Oregano, basil, garlic, chilli flakes, saffron, butter, poor man'sgrana, plonk, Pot Noodle, onion, tomato puree, arborio rice

The risotto started off by chopping up finely an onion and a couple of garlic cloves. Then, those were added to a pan of gently heated olive oil. The chilli flakes and salt were added as well, while a pan of stock was gently simmering on the nearest hob. The stock, vegetable I decided, also had a couple of strands of saffron in it. (I got mine in Valencia!) The veggies were allowed to sweat with a lid on for a few minutes till the onion became opaque.

Then in went the rice and tomato purée, and some wine (aka plonk)... this bubbled away at a high heat. Then the heat was reduced so that the rice could simmer gently... This is where I usually jump the gun and thus end up using most of my stock. But this time, I lowered the heat and added more stock each time. I found that it finished cooking at pretty much the same time as my previous experiences, but I needed a lot less stock. It was cooked to perfection; I was chuffed!

Then the final ingredients were added once the rice was removed from the heat.

Final ingredients: chopped oregano and freshly grated Poor Man'sgrana (and tbsp of butter, not pictured).. unabashedly showing off my Living Kitchen goodies ;)

You may notice that there is no basil in the above picture... Well, I bought a fresh, or so I thought, package at Stop 'n' Shop yesterday. I opened it today and it smelled like licorice! Euuussshhh! I know that the smell means it's not fresh at all, so I was peeved! I've already said how disgusting the basil is at my grocery store... Awful sub-parmarket was my last resort. What do I got to do to get freakin' good basil around here, huh???

Ok rant over. After the final ingredients were folded in, the risotto sat in the pan with lid on for about three minutes... and it was done! In case the pictures do not speak for themselves (and if they don't I'll have a word with them later), this risotto was BLOODY FANTASTIC!!!! I know I'm an unrelenting risotto enthusiast.. but this was really really good! Perfect combo of the flavors of the tomato purée, oregano, saffron, chilli, garlic and onions!!! Fantastic!!! I'm actually glad the whole basil thing didn't work out as I think it would have been too much.

Mmmmm. Gimme!!!!

Whoops! Almost gone.... how did that happen?!