ugly duckling
Although this risotto isn’t the prettiest dish ever posted here; don’t let that turn you off, it is delicious. And no, there is no duck in it… but that’s a thought…
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August 11, 2011 No Comments
Lobster risotto
Once I decided to make lobster risotto with the lobster stock I made in yesterday’s post, I remembered that some time ago I had seen somewhere a recipe from Emeril Lagasse using lobster oil. I Googled “lobster oil” and quickly was taken to his recipe. It was an easy and delicious addition to the risotto.
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May 14, 2011 1 Comment
5 ingredients?
For my upcoming appearance on Valley Dish, I was asked to create a dish out of 5 ingredients that a viewer had suggested. That sounded like fun, and it was, but it wasn’t exactly what I would consider 5 ingredients. I was emailed the list from the program producer, Cassie, as follows: Swordfish, Cherry Tomatoes, Risotto, Arugula, and Buffalo Mozzarella. Does anyone else see the problem here? The answer – risotto isn’t what one would consider an ingredient, but rather a dish that stands alone.
Risotto is a classic Italian dish consisting of rice cooked in broth. The broth is added slowly, so that the rice absorbs it completely, creating a creamy consistency. Parmesan cheese, butter, and onion are the classic additions.
Therefore, rice is the ingredient. Specifically a high-starch, medium to short-grain rice. The varieties of choice are Arborio, Baldo, Padano, Roma, Carnaroli, and Vialone Nano. Arborio is the most readily available, while Carnaroli and Vialone Nano are considered the best and not coincidentally the most expensive. Here is the recipe I created and will be making live on Valley Dish (NBC Channel 12) next week. Hope you’ll tune in (or TIVO it – as I TIVO absolutely everything I watch) at 3:30 on Tuesday, November 9th.
November 4, 2010 1 Comment
risotto, arancini, and Giuseppe
Until about two weeks ago, I had never heard of arancini, but since then I’ve been exposed to it on two separate occasions. The first was when I stumbled upon a blog and arancini was the featured recipe that day. The second was just the other night while assisting Chef Giuseppe Mazzocchi for his cooking class at Les Gourmettes. Giuseppe is a charming man who is from Tuscany and made the most wonderful risotto (He also pronounces my name “Leyenda”, which I love!). He mentioned to the class that any extra risotto could be used to make arancini… turns out arancini are fried rice balls filled with sauce, mozzarella, and/or peas. The names come from the shape, which resembles an orange. The Italian word for orange is arancia and arancini means “little oranges”. You can even make a dessert arancini filled with chocolate and use a sweet version of risotto – YUM!
Giuseppe told us that in Tuscany they prefer either Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice to the Arborio rice that Americans generally use for risotto. All three are short-grain rice, but the first two produce a creamier risotto and each grain holds its shape better than Arborio. You should be able to find all three at an Italian market or deli, and locally at A.J.’s. Even though each class had 16 students, there was so much risotto left that I was able to make 48 arancini, 44 of which I now have in my freezer! I’m providing you with Giuseppe’s risotto recipe, but any risotto will do. Even some you bring home in a “doggy bag” from a dinner out some evening. It is imperative to make the arancini with cold risotto, so leftovers are perfect.
January 23, 2010 No Comments
the joys of life changes and of risotto
Tonight we had a bittersweet dinner with our long-time friends, Chris and Kathy Froggatt. We had a “going away” dinner and celebration of a new and exciting move for our dear friends. Like us, Chris and Kathy enjoy good food and fine wine, it was a wonderful evening, and the knowledge that even though they are moving cross-country, there will be many more evenings of fabulous food and wine in our future together! Love you guys!!! So……
Like a real friendship, risotto is a dish that needs time and attention. It is lovely to serve at a dinner party but can be somewhat of a pain because of its high-maintenance manner. An easy way to overcome this is to cook the risotto halfway through early in the afternoon and then finish it just before serving. To do so; cook the risotto using only half of the liquid (in this case, chicken stock). At that point, turn off the burners on both the risotto and the stock, cover both pans, and walk away. When your guests arrive, turn the covered stock on over the lowest heat. Then about 12 minutes before you are ready to serve, turn on risotto and continue to add the hot stock until the risotto is creamy, add the remaining ingredients, and you’re good to go!
Butternut squash can be another problematic item. It can be dangerous to cut if done incorrectly. The safe and correct way is to peel and cut the squash, then trim off each end. Next cut off the bulb end. Place the bulb portion on the flat side you created by trimming the bottom and cutting it in half. Scoop out the seeds and place each half on its flat side, cut into slices, cut those slices into cubes. Next, take the long neck end and place it on one of its flat sides and cut it in half, just as with the bulb, place the halves on their flat sides and cut into slices, then cubes. See the pictures if you are a visual person, like me!
Leeks are the final important item to talk about in this recipe. Leeks are fabulous and so wonderful to cook with but, oh my, are they dirty, gritty, muddy things! As you can see in the pictures included in the recipe, it is vital to clean the leeks before cooking! The best way to do so is to slice them, immerse them in cold water, and swish them around. The leeks will float and the mud, muck, and sand will fall to the bottom of the bowl. Lift out the leeks with your hands or a slotted spoon and place them in a strainer and rinse under cold running water, drain them, and then they are ready to use. Only the white and light green parts of the leek are used, the dark green portions are too tough to be eaten.
October 7, 2009 1 Comment