May 31, 2021
Risotto is an all-year dish, you can make it hearty in the winter with root vegetables and light and fresh in the spring and summer with peas, asparagus and like here, with tomatoes. Inspiration for this risotto was a NYT recipe but I did my thing and we loved it. To make start with the oil, shallots, and rice, then add wine and cherry tomatoes and reduce. Then start adding the stock, a bit at... View Article
May 23, 2020
I have heard of spruce tips and seen them used in food but haven’t cooked with them before. The other day I was at pottery with Shelley at @blueapplestudio talking both food and pottery and Shelley asked if I have used spruce trips before. She mentioned a risotto she had at an event where the chef served risotto with spruce tips. That’s all it took to ignite my culinary curiosity. Shelley picked up a handful... View Article
November 21, 2017
Sometimes I have food cravings and nothing but a risotto would do. It has been on my mind for a while now but with so much fresh stuff in my fridge I just did not get around to making it. Finally it had to happen today. I had a couple of golden beets I picked up the other day and I thought they would be good in the risotto. Cut in small cubes and cooked... View Article
November 24, 2015
The truffle I bought at the San Miniato truffle festival was enough for just two dishes: soft scrambled eggs with truffles and risotto with truffles. It was a fun and short lived, I need to find another white truffle before we leave Tuscany. we are off to Florence in a few days and are staying there long enough to do some cooking, looking forward to that. The truffled risotto is easy to make, simply make... View Article
June 7, 2015
Risotto is one of the most luxurious and flavourful dishes to come out of northern Italy. It’s easy to prepare and combines well with all kinds of seasonal vegetables and flavours. I posted a number of risotto recipes on the blog before and you can always exchange ingredients as long as you follow the basic simple method of cooking the rice. There are a few considerations when cooking a risotto: What rice to use? Oil or... View Article
December 6, 2013
Ti’s the season for comforting foods, and a bowl of steamy risotto fits the bill perfectly. Risotto is one of my “go to” foods when I want something special without a lot of fuss. It can be a one pot dinner that does not require an entire market to prepare and if you have a well stocked pantry, (as you should:), you can make a lovely risotto with not much fuss. Risotto is made with... View Article
December 2, 2013
The last few weeks have been a flurry of activities, culinary and otherwise. A few more cooking classes to squeeze into the schedule, a couple of extra food and wine events to attend and a few more dishes to cook and photograph. I find it hard to extract myself from my culinary activities. With our trip to Europe coming up soon you know how it is, there is so much to get done, think of,... View Article
June 28, 2012
Risotto cakes are a great way to use leftover risotto although I often make the risotto especially for making these cakes. The cooked risotto is already sticky and does not require egg to bind the cakes. If you have leftover risotto simply shape it into cakes, roll in bread crumbs and fry in a little oil until golden on both sides. You can also bake them in a 400 degrees oven, turning once to brown... View Article
May 28, 2012
Still on the risotto adventure, although intermittent postings. Check out basic risotto here. Essentially the same as the basic risotto recipe but with a little more lemon juice and pine nuts added. Simple, nice and refreshing. Use this recipe to build on flavours by adding seasonal vegetables and herbs that you like. Ingredients: 3 tablespoons butter 1/2 small onion, or 1 shallot, minced 1 cup Arborio rice 1/3 cup white wine 4 cups stock (chicken... View Article
May 23, 2012
Here is the third instalment in the risotto “series”. See Basic Risotto Here and Spring Asparagus Risotto here. I decided to break the “series” up a bit so it’s not all risotto because I have been cooking so many other fun things and eager to share them on the blog. So, back to risotto. Once you have made a basic risotto, adding other ingredients to it can be fun and creative. Think about what is in... View Article
May 21, 2012
Second instalment in the risotto “series”. Here is a special spring treat – combining asparagus and risotto for a lovely lunch or dinner. Risotto lends itself to many flavours. You can add vegetables to the risotto as it cooks, or add cooked vegetables to it at the end, when it is almost done. In this recipe I add the asparagus about half way through the cooking to allow the grains and asparagus to finish cooking... View Article
May 20, 2012
Let’s talk risotto. Risotto is a fabulous culinary creation. Creamy and satisfying yet with a little bite, it has beautiful balance and engages well with many flavours. It is very simple to make and a wonderful dish to add to your culinary repertoire. I make it often either simply, minimalist style, or embellish it with seasonal vegetables and even fruits (think pears). I dedicated a whole chapter to it in my recent (unpublished) pasta book. I... View Article
