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What do you think of when someone says let’s have Italian tonight? Pasta with one of Prego’s twenty-two flavors of ‘Italian Sauce’. Their chemist must be working over time. And perhaps some frozen pre-made garlic bread or iceberg lettuce with some ‘Italian Dressing’ by Kraft. That’s what my sister thought of when I asked her. Said she doesn’t like Italian food. I can’t help but agree, I don’t like that sort of Italian food either. The discounted six dollar, thick Italian cookbook I found while scrounging the shelves of my local Ross, of all places, has opened my eyes to all foods Italian, and made me better realize the destruction our country’s large corporations have done to one of the most magnificent foods in all the world.
Risotto is a creamy rice dish, and happens to be my wife’s absolute favorite food in all the world. So thank you Italy, because I’m getting me some tonight. There are endless variations of Risotto with the use of various vegetables and meats. Although, the base recipe is essentially the same, with only slight variations. Risotto requires a particular type of rice, Arborio is the most popular, but you can also use Vialone Nano, or Carnaroli. You should be able to find Arborio in most grocery stores, I get it from Trader Joe’s. I make it often and have come up with our own favorite version. Experiment with other ingredients and create your own style!Ingredients:
- 2 Cup Aborio Rice
- 2 T olive oil
- 2 shallot bulbs
- ¼ Cup Onion
- 3 garlic
- ½ cup white wine
- 6 Cups Chicken/Beef Broth
- 8 ass spears
- ½ parmasean
- 2 T – ¼ cup heavy cream/milk
- Marinara Sauce
Heat the broth in a pot and keep it covered until you need it. In a heavy sauce pan heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and shallots and onions and cook a few minutes. (You may want to remove them from the pan to prevent them from overcooking as you cook the rice, then add it back in when you add the broth.) Then add the rice and stir continuously until it becomes translucent, about 5-8 minutes, add more oil if needed.
Add the white wine to the rice and cook until completely evaporated. Then poor in 1 ½ cups of broth and stir until mostly evaporated, then continue to add broth a ½ cup at a time while continuously stirring. I like to cheat by adding 2 cups of broth somewhere during the cooking time and put a lid on it for five minutes. Gives me a chance to wipe the steam from my brow and drink the rest of the bottle of wine I opened for the recipe.
I can’t believe the atrocious things people do to their vegetables. My mother always starts the veggies first when making dinner. By the time we sit down to eat, the veggies molecular structure has been completely altered into a mooshy substance which only vaguely resembles food. Vegetables should be firm. They shouldn’t have the consistency of mashed potatoes. So with my risotto I wait to put in my Asparagus five minutes before it’s done. That way it stays nice and crisp, yet cooked enough to eat. Add more broth with the asparagus and stir for a few more minutes.
My wife was kind enough to cut the cheese for us. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cream and the parmesan. Put a lid on it and let it sit for a few minutes longer.
Serve it up with a lemon. Grab a handful of parmigiano reggiano and dump it on top. Then, bam! Stuff yourself silly.
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written by pjmullen, August 17, 2009
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written by Guns1306, August 17, 2009
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written by Guns1306, August 17, 2009
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written by ciara, August 17, 2009
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written by PC Nena, August 18, 2009
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written by Surfer Jay, August 19, 2009
nena, hey my wife is the same way, If I don't cook she just doesn;t bother to eat. :}
And Gunz, this stuff is nearly soup anyway, so mush mush!
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written by PC Nena, August 19, 2009
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written by GBDaddy, August 19, 2009
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written by PC Nena, August 19, 2009
I have never in my life had Risotto but after seeing this recipe which sounds really good, I think I will give it a try.
oh yeah...that means I get to try some! woot woot
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