Thyme For Cooking, the Blog

Chicken with Spanish Rice; How to buy 2 potatoes

I've been wanting to participate in Gay's (A Scientist in the Kitchen), Market Event, but, frankly, our markets are kind of boring up here in the Vendée.

Could be all the rain.

The markets we went to in Spain were all outdoors, taking over most of the streets and plazas in the village.

They were loud, bustling, raucous affairs, teaming with shoppers, people meeting and chatting, kids running and dogs barking

Here they are all indoors, in purpose-built pavilions.

And, being French, everything is very neatly stacked, arranged,.... Even the shoppers are 'propre'!

So rather than waxing eloquently about the wonders of my market, let me tell you about my own, somewhat slow, learning process, taking me from the giant supermarkets to the small veggie stall.

In the U.S. people buy big (Costco); here they buy small.

Even at the farmer's market I went to in Minneapolis, things were often for sale in large quantities - bushels of tomatoes, peck's of beans.

It's taken years to break myself of the 'sack of potatoes' habit when I buy food.

I'm feeding two people.  We have potatoes once or twice a week.  What am I going to do with a 10lb (5 kilo) or even a 5lb bag of potatoes?

For a long time, I just couldn't convince me that it was okay to buy in small quantities.

That it didn't say bad things about me as a person if I only wanted/needed 6 olives.

That it didn't reflect negatively on my status in the world, my disposable income, my ability to provide sustenance for my family, my capabilities as a 'femme du foyer'  (housewife) or the size of my penis (Just seeing if you're paying attention...)

At the markets here (at least in France and Spain) one does not touch the merchandise.  The vendor will pick out your fruits and vegetables for you.  You tell them what and how much you want and trust them to choose.  If it's a perishable item, like an avocado or a melon, you also tell them what day you will be eating it so they can select appropriately.  They do know their stuff, after all.

I always felt that, if they we're going to do all this work for me, I should make it worth their while, and buy lots.

Then, one hot summer afternoon in Spain, I popped into a small market to buy a bottle of water.

All I wanted was 1 bottle of water. 

I was there for 20 minutes.

There was a woman in the shop already, doing a bit of shopping.  I watched as she bought (as best as I remember):
    4 thin slices of salami, which had to be cut
    4 thin slices of ham, which had to be cut
    3 thin slices of some bologna-type sausage, which had to be cut
    8 thin slices of chorizo, which had to be cut
    4 thin slices of Manchego cheese, which had to be cut
    1/2 of a very small goat's milk cheese
    1 small wedge of a soft cheese
    1 spoonful of fromage frais
    1 chicken breast
    2 pork chops
    1 baguette
    1 avocado
    1 tomato
    a small handful of strawberries
    1/2 head of broccoli
    2 containers of yogurt

Well, you get the idea... Everything was carefully sliced, cut, weighed, and wrapped by the shop owner, with a smile and a "What else".

I would have bought a lb of some kind of cured meat, a whole chicken, a slab of cheese and a bag of oranges.

I would have ended up without nearly the variety and, probably, with lots of waste.

I still have to really force myself, and I often end up with a bit more than I intended, but I can now buy 2 potatoes, or 3 apples, or 8 strawberries, or 6 olives....

The biggest challenge in cooking for one or two or three, is not the cooking; it's the shopping!

And the planning to use up all the odd bits....

Here 's my last cool weather dish for those of you still waiting for spring - or anticipating winter - in memory of the lesson learned in that little shop in the village.

Chicken Breasts with Spanish Rice

2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1 onion
1/3 green bell pepper
1/3 red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup brown rice
1 can whole tomatoes, 15 oz (450gr)
1/4 - 3/4 cup chicken stock or water
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs olive oil

Chop onion and peppers. Mince garlic. Cut chicken breasts in half.  Heat oil in deep skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts, and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes each. Remove to a plate. Add chili powder, onion, pepper, and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes. Open tomatoes and drain liquid into a bowl. Chop the tomatoes and drain again. Add drained tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and rice to pan. Measure the drained liquid and add enough water or chicken stock to equal 1 cup (or however much liquid your rice package calls for). Pour this over the rice/vegetables in the skillet and stir well to combine. Lay the chicken breasts on top of the rice and cover. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until rice is done. Mine took 20 minutes - check rice package. Stir occasionally while cooking. When done, serve - either from the pan or arrange nicely on a platter.

Check out all the markets at A Scientist in the Kitchen right after the end of May.

Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Risotto; Excellent!?

I spent 3 hours wandering aimlessly around my house yesterday afternoon.

As many of you know (you readers....) I have been outrageously busy lately, barely enough time to eat and sleep. 

So what am doing, doing nothing?

Poor planning.

The first thing I do in the morning, when I wake up, is a quick run through of my day: what I need to get done, what I hope to get done, and the order that I'm going to tackle it all in.

Thus, I found myself hoovering the floor at 1:35, in the middle of a desperately need, albeit  cursory, house-cleaning, carefully scheduled for the afternoon, when the vacuum died.

I, immediately, went to yell at ask  mon mari what the problem was...

Before I found him, I remembered a letter I had received 2 weeks earlier from EDF (electric company).  It was still sitting on my desk, buried in the clutter.

It was to inform me that there would be no electricity between the hours of 1:30 and 4:30 on this Monday.

Had I remembered, I could have vacuumed first, then done the none-electrical-requiring cleaning bits. 

Had I remembered, I could have done the weekly shopping.

Had I remembered, I could have done any number of things differently.

Had it not been raining, I could have simply moved my cleaning urges into the garden.

As it was, I had nothing.  There was so much to be done, I couldn't just settle down with a good book and take advantage of the situation.  Besides, I hadn't planned on reading...  It wasn't scheduled....

I seriously need to take a look at my life.  There is something wrong when I can't take advantage of 3 hours free time to just do nothing, to play; have fun.  Life is short, I know this.

I need a break....

I'll try to pencil one in.

Enough pondering, back to work:

Margot, of Coffee and Vanilla, was so sweet last week:  She received the much-deserved 'Excellent' award and was kind enough to pass it along to me! 

Thank you, thank you Margot!
It just what I have been needing lately: a pat on the back.

Maybe, once we have several successive days of sunshine, my world will suddenly right itself. 

And we can get into some serious summer cooking.

In honor of yet another rainy day, I have the perfect comfort food and one last risotto for the season.

Be warned: this is seriously decadent!

Be cheered: this is seriously healthy decadent!

Let's see:
Small amount of fish = fish is good.
Small amount of goat cheese, lower in calories and fat then cow cheese = goat cheese is good.
Generous amount of spinach = spinach is good

Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese (Chevre)  Risotto  Serves 2

1/2 cup plus 2 tbs Arborio rice (or other rice specifically for risotto - Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
1/2 cup dry, white wine
2 cups plus 2 tbs chicken or fish stock
1 onion
5oz (150gr) smoked salmon
3oz (90gr) chevre, goat cheese (the creamy kind in the little square carton, in Europe it's Chevraux, in the U.S. Chavrie)
2oz (60gr) spinach
1/4 cup fresh, snipped chives
1 tbs fresh snipped tarragon
1 tbs olive oil
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated This is important! Trust me on this. Don't be tempted.....

Heat chicken stock and keep hot over low heat. Finely chop onion. Slice salmon into strips.  Slice spinach into thick strips. In medium sauce pan heat oil; add onion and sauté 5 minutes, until starting to get tender. Add rice and sauté, stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes until rice has white center. Add white wine and stir. When wine is almost absorbed add a 1/2 cup of stock and stir. (No need to stir constantly but do stir from time to time.) When stock is almost absorbed add another 1/2 cup and continue adding 1/2 cup at a time and stirring. Before the last 1/4 cup is added taste a few kernels of rice. They should be just 'al dente' - slightly resistant to the tooth but fully cooked. If more stock is needed add it 1/8 cup at a time and waiting until almost completely absorbed. At this point risotto will be thick but not stiff - it will not hold it's shape on a plate. If you cook it until it's stiff it will be dry. Stir in the goat cheese and spinach, and heat through.  Stir in the smoked salmon, herbs and  Parmesan, pour into a platter and serve immediately. It will continue to absorb liquid and by the time you pour the wine will be perfect!  The risottos that we have eaten in northern Italy have all been served in soup plates (flattish bowls) and eaten with a spoon - not a fork.

Sorry folks - you can keep your 'mac and cheese'.

There were no leftovers.

Confit de Canard = Cassoulet Risotto; Duck Fat Rules!

Step aside, Emeril.

Pork fat does not rule. Duck fat rules.

It also oozes and drips and runs; gets all over just about everything and causes copious amounts of drooling from the girls dogs.

But it's what's under all the luscious duck fat that gets my little heart pumping.

Isn't it strange?  Of all the canned foods that I avoid like the plague, the one I always have in my kitchen is canned duck?

Confit de canard.

A staple in any proper French kitchen....  At least, on this side of France....

Traditionally, this is one of the main ingredients in cassoulet.  In fact, in addition to selling the confit, Reflets de France also sells the complete Cassoulet, albeit in a much, much larger can.  (This one is about 8" (10cm) across)

I have never made a proper, traditional cassoulet.  Done correctly, it takes about 3 days of cooking and feeds a small army.  When I decide to make it I want to do a proper job, but I'm not going to miss out on the duck in the meantime.

So I invented the bastard child of Cassoulet and Risotto; the result of a clandestine meeting of the cuisines of France and Italy.

It's shows only a passing resemblance to the first and has way to much 'stuff' in it to be a proper second. 

I have, on other occasions, just added more rice to feed more people and it was still wonderful. 

But we are only two, and sacrifices must be made.  Shucky-Darn!

Risotto with Confit de Canard and Cannellini.

1 cup Arborio rice (or other rice specifically for risotto - Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
1/2 cup dry, white wine
3 1/4 cups chicken stock
1 onion
2 carrots
15oz (450gr) white beans
2 cuisse de canard (duck thighs and legs)
1 tbs butter
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated

Heat chicken stock and keep hot over low heat. Remove duck meat from bones and tear into chunks.  Open, drain and rinse beans. Chop onion and carrot.  Grate the cheese.
In a medium sauce pan heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot, sauté until tender, about 7 minutes. Add rice and sauté, stirring, for 1 - 2 minutes until rice has white center. Add white wine and stir. When wine is almost absorbed add a 1/2 cup of stock and stir. (No need to stir constantly but do stir from time to time.) When stock is almost absorbed add another 1/2 cup and continue adding 1/2 cup at a time and stirring. Before the last 1/2 cup taste a few kernels of rice. They should be just 'al dente' - slightly resistant to the tooth but fully cooked. Stir in duck and beans and add more stock if needed, 1/4 cup at a time.  At this point risotto will be thick but not stiff - there will still be visible liquid and it will not hold it's shape on a plate. Add the Parmesan, stir well, pour into a bowl or risotto platter and serve immediately. It will continue to absorb liquid and by the time it's on your plate it will be perfect: still creamy and not dry.


What was left in the can.

Fried potatoes, anyone?

Weekly Menu Planner; Barley with Green Garlic

Did someone mention Green Garlic????

Barley 'Risotto' Style, with Green Garlic

1 tbs butter
2 - 3 green garlic
1/2 cup barley
1/4 (60ml) cup white wine
3/4 (200ml) cup chicken stock
1/4 (1oz, 30gr) cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

Melt butter over medium-high heat in small saucepan. Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add barley, wine, stock and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Turn heat to low and simmer until done, stirring occasionally. All stock will be absorbed. Stir in cheese. Remove from heat and serve. It should be loose and creamy, if not add a bit more stock.

For the week of April 4, we're having Glazed Salmon with Tarragon Mustard, Barley with Green Garlic, some lovely, roasted New Potatoes, Tuna and Asparagus Risotto, Cashew Chicken and Vegetables and Spaghetti with Pesto Meatballs...and more Green Garlic!

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Bon Weekend!

Turkey and Pepper Risotto and the Weekly Menu Planner

This is such a colorful risotto, it makes me happy just to have it on the table! I used both red and green peppers, and black olives. The turkey was cutlets, sliced thin, but a small piece of turkey tenderloin would work as well.

Turkey and Pepper Risotto

3/4 cup Arborio rice (or other rice specifically for risotto - Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
1/2 cup dry, white wine
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 onion other half for the condimenti
2 tsp butter
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated
Condimenti

Heat chicken stock and keep hot over low heat. Finely chop onion. In medium saucepan heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until transparent then add rice and sauté stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes until rice has white center. Add white wine and stir. Start condimenti. When wine is almost absorbed add a 1/2 cup of stock, stir. (No need to stir constantly but do stir from time to time.) When stock is almost absorbed add another 1/2 cup and continue adding 1/2 cup at a time and stirring. Before the last 1/2 cup taste a few kernels of rice. They should be just 'al dente' - slightly resistant to the tooth but fully cooked. If more stock is needed add it 1/4 cup at a time and waiting until almost completely absorbed. At this point risotto will be thick but not stiff - there will still be visible liquid and it will not hold its shape on a plate. Add the Parmesan and the condimenti, stir well, pour into a bowl or risotto platter and serve immediately. It will continue to absorb liquid and the leftovers (if any) will be quite stiff.

Condimenti

6 oz (180gr) turkey cutlet or tenderloin (you could substitute one chicken breast)
1/2 onion
1/3 red pepper (1/2 cup chopped)
1/3 green pepper (1/2 cup chopped)
8 - 10 olives, pitted black, Greek olives (you could use Kalamata)
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp olive oil

Cut the turkey into strips. Chop the onion and peppers. Pit olives, if needed, and cut in half. Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes. Add peppers and sauté 5 minutes longer. Add turkey and sauté until done, 7 - 9 minutes. Add olives, oregano, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to keep warm until needed for risotto. serve.  

For the week of January 25, we're having Garlicky Baked Shrimp, Artichoke and Olive Mini Frittatas, Braised Veal with Garlic (a whole head). Turkey and Pepper Risotto and Lentils, 2 ways: hot vegetable and cold salad with chevre.

Become a Thyme for Cooking Subscriber and get the menu, complete recipes with meal preparation instruction, and shopping list delivered to your inbox each Thursday. (Reverse seasons available for Australia, and others in the Southern Hemisphere)

Bon Weekend!

Ricotta Risotto, Risotto al Salto and more musings from the Book Whore

Books everywhere and nothing to read!

I hate starting a new book!

Well actually, I love starting 'NEW' new books, you know, ones I haven't read before.  That's a rare occurrence for me.  Even at the height of my money-making days I couldn't afford to keep me in new books. Now even my new books tend to be used (Amazon Marketplace ships internationally!)

Besides, If I only read new books I wouldn't be able to revisit my old favorites.

It's deciding which of my hundreds (thousand +) of 'old' books I should re-read next that I hate. 

It takes so long.  I wander from room to room, getting lost in first this one, then that one...

Lately I've been letting size matter (yeah, like all those spam emails say).  I've been searching out big books with small print; even better if it's a series.

I have been tagged by the Passionate Palate for the Book Meme.

I've already done this the proper way a few months ago, so this time I decided to put a different spin on it.  I can never resist talking about books.  This time I'll talk about pulp fiction.

1. Last book I read: "The Mists of Avalon", by Marion Zimmer Bradley.  I've owned it for years but never read it.  Stupid woman!  It was good...and at more than 1,000 pages perfect for my current reading mode!

2. My favorite book series: 
     "The Wheel of Time", by Robert Jordan.  12 books (and counting) of more than 1,000 pages each, small print, this is a sci-fi series one can really sink the teeth into.  Well written and a great story.   
     "The Roselynde Chronicles", by Roberta Gellis.  Old, historical romances set in the 12th century.  6 hefty books that focus more on the history than on the romance.  She also has a set of medieval murder mysteries.
     "The Outlander Series". by Diana Gabaldon.  6 tomes (and counting) of historical, time-travel, not-really-romance-but-sort-of.  A good read.
     "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", by Douglas Adams.  All 5 books in the trilogy (his words, not mine) are wonderful; slim volumes, but hilarious.
      The poetry of Judith Viorst - starting with "It's Hard to be Hip Over 30 and Other Tragedies of Married Life".  Her  prose is also good: "Necessary Losses" is one that comes to mind.
     I also like Michael Crichton, Terry Pratchett, Jane Austen and Bill Bryson.  Their books may not be series but I'll read them all IN a series so it's close.

3. One book that I own, would like to read and haven't yet:  The Bible.  I would also like to read the Koran, the Talmud and books on the other major religions in the world.

4. One book that I have always wanted to own but don't: The complete, unabridged Dictionary... And a pedestal stand to put it on. Did I mention that it's big?

If I am ever tagged for a third time I will talk about 'serious' books....or maybe food books....

Now I'll talk about serious food.  Seriously good food.

This is based on a recipe from the book 'Risotto'. This is a very white, very creamy, very rich risotto. The end result should be almost soup-like, not stiff. Add the spinach at the end so that it just wilts. There was enough leftover for me to try Risotto de Salto, one of the traditional uses for leftover risotto.

Ricotta Risotto

1/2 cup plus 2 tbs Arborio rice (or other rice specifically for risotto - Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
1/3 cup dry, white wine
2 1/8 cups chicken stock
2 shallots
1 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1/3 - 1/2 cup spinach
1/3 cup whole milk ricotta (3oz, 90gr)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated (about 1.5oz, 45gr)

Heat chicken stock and keep hot over low heat. Slice the spinach into strips. Peel and chop shallots. In medium saucepan heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add rice and sauté stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes until rice has white center. Add white wine and stir. When wine is almost absorbed add a 1/2 cup of stock, stir. When stock is almost absorbed add another 1/2 cup and continue adding 1/2 cup at a time and stirring. Reserve 1/4 cup to add at the end. Taste the rice. They should be just 'al dente' - slightly resistant to the tooth but fully cooked. You can add a bit of water at this point if needed but you shouldn't have to. Add the rest of the stock, the spinach and both cheese. Stir vigorously over heat to combine well and wilt the spinach. Spoon into a bowl and serve.

Risotto al Salto
    Use any risotto the does not have big pieces of other food (beans, meat, etc.) in it.  This risotto was probably not the best choice; with the ricotta it was a bit too creamy... Risotto alla Milanese would be perfect!

1 cup leftover risotto, room temperature
1 egg
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp butter

Lightly whisk egg in a medium bowl. Add risotto and mix. Heat 1 tsp oil and 1 tsp butter in 8" (20cm) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the risotto to the center of the pan and spread it out with the back of the spoon. Sauté 10 - 20 minutes, until it holds together and the top starts to look dry. You should be able to carefully lift up the edge with a spatula. Once you can, take a peak to see how brown it is. It should be a nice medium-dark brown before turning. I turned it using 2 plates: slide it onto one plate, put the other on top. Flip it over and slide it back into the skillet, to which you have add the remaining butter and oil, uncooked side down. Cook an additional 5 - 10 minutes, until browned. Remove, cut into quarters and serve.

BTW, I know 2 people, both males, who won't read fiction.  They happily watch trashy movies but won't read fiction.  How limiting!  Both to the available book choices and to the imagination!

I, on the other hand will read the trash that comes in the post if I have nothing else.  I also read while watching telly.....'cause I am the Book Whore!

Butternut Squash Risotto and musings from a Book Whore

There was a 'M*A*S*H' episode in which all of the characters were asked what books they had brought with them.  Amidst all of the traditional answers of 'the Bible', 'War and Peace', etc., I loved Hawkeye's answer best: "The dictionary; all the other books are in there."  And so they are.

Betty, of And So Forth (among other blogs)  has tagged me for a reading/book meme.

Hmmm, me and books!  I persist, much against the advice of everyone, in hauling my books with me.  They've moved from the U.S. to Ireland to Andorra to France.  They go where I go.  Even the trashy, cheap dime-store novels.  I'll forgive almost anything - but do not, I repeat, do NOT loose a book that I loan to you. 

Why?  For the simple reason that I am not rich enough to keep me in new books.  I read too much.  Always have. 

Fortunately I am quite happy to re-read....many times.  Re-reading old books is like visiting old friends: you know what to expect but it's enjoyable nonetheless.

My Reading: I'll read just about anything: cereal boxes, junk mail, magazine ads...I do, of course, draw the line at instruction books, except as last resort.  I generally do not read books written in the first person - just a quirk.  Like many others, I read the classics when I was younger. I spent one summer reading Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Virgil's Aeneid, and Greek plays: Euripides and Aristophanes (don't you just love the way those names role off the tongue?) -  interspersed with with 'young romances' and Plato. (I could do the romances at the rate of one a day so I needed something to sink my teeth into). 

In order to get an 'A' in English at the high school I attended I had to read 60 books per year from the list of authors being discussed.  No problem!  I usually read twice that. 

Currently I'm reading legal and murder mysteries, science fiction (Jordan's Wheel of Time series is good for someone like me - so far 12 books of around 1000 pages each, complicated and no where near being finished), plus anything else that gets recommended by anyone.  I once reread all of my books, in alphabetical order.  Don't say it!

One more thing, lest you think I laze around the house eating bonbons and reading all day: I read for 30 - 45 minutes every day while I ride my exercise bike and another 30 minutes or so before bed.  I read magazines in the car.

How many books do I own:  I have over 200 of the 'classics' that I've collected over the years, over 200 cookbooks (1 of 4 cases in the photo), and probably 1,000 other assorted paperbacks and hardcovers of all genres.

Last book bought and read:  a Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka.  Did I mention that I also love humor?  This book is hilarious.  I also have all of Bryson's....

Five meaningful books: 

Winter in Madrid by C. J. Sansom.  I know nothing about WWII (or the Great War, for that matter).  I should say I knew nothing.  I'm learning.  This is a powerful book written about the the winter of 1940, with Franco flirting with Hitler and Britain standing alone.  Well written, compelling,  haunting.. and a great story!

The Time-Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.  One of a few books that I finished and immediately started reading again.  There are so many layers to explore, and the author does a wonderful job of giving us a peak into the characters but leaving plenty of room for our own imagination to fill in the gaps.  What if....

Replay by Ken Grimwood.  What if you could do your life over but retain all of your current knowledge?  The main character has a heart attack at 40 and wakes up in his college dorm room, in his college body but with his 40 year old mind intact.  He knows who won the World Series and which stocks are going through the roof.  Can he prevent the assassination of JFK (no, but he prevented Oswald from doing it, a guy named Smith does it instead)?   What if....

The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio. Ten young people, running from the Black Death tell stories to entertain themselves, 1 each every day for 10 days; each having a theme: 100 stories.  Written in the mid 1300's it's a collection of funny, bawdy, tragic, romantic and degenerate stories that give a wonderful, often hilarious insight into medieval life.

the curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon.  A fascinating, humorous and insightful peak into the mind of an autistic boy.  It was a revelation as to what it must be like to live without understanding emotion; to not grasp why other people do what they do - unless it's logical, of course.  Christopher (main character) has to solve a murder mystery (of a dog) worthy of his hero Sherlock Holmes.

Do I have to stop?  Yeah, or I'd go on for the rest of the day.  Now, whose bookshelves would I like to explore... I will tag Lydia, Blue Zebra, and Tanna... and any and every one else who wants to play.

What's on your shelf?

Now for the food.  Wondering what to do with the other half of the butternut squash?  How about some risotto?

Butternut Squash and Ham Risotto
   This is based on a recipe from the cook book 'Risotto'.  As always, the end result should be creamy, smooth, almost soup-like, never stiff.  

1/2 cup plus 2 tbs Arborio rice (Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
1/2 cup dry, white wine
2 - 2 1/4 cups chicken stock
1 onion
1 cup shredded butternut squash
1 tomato
1 tbs butter
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated (about 2oz, 60gr)
Condimenti

Heat chicken stock and keep hot over low heat.  Finely chop onion and tomato.  Peel butternut squash using potato/vegetable peeler.  Cut it in half the long way (blossom to stem) and remove seeds. Using large holes on grater, shred part of the squash until you get 1 cup.  Wrap the remainder in film and refrigerate.  In medium saucepan heat butter over medium-high heat.  Add onion and tomato, sauté 5 minutes.  Add squash and sauté 5 minutes longer.  Add rice and sauté stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes until rice has white center.  Add white wine and stir.  Start condimenti.  When wine is almost absorbed add a 1/2 cup of stock, stir.  When stock is almost absorbed add another 1/2 cup and continue adding 1/2 cup at a time and stirring.  Before the last 1/2 cup taste a few kernels of rice.  They should be just 'al dente' - slightly resistant to the tooth but fully cooked.  If more stock is needed add it 1/4 cup at a time and waiting until almost completely absorbed.  At this point risotto will be thick but not stiff - there will still be visible liquid and it will not hold its shape on a plate.  Add the Parmesan and the condimenti, stir well, pour into a bowl or risotto platter and serve immediately.  It will continue to absorb liquid and the leftovers (if any) will be quite stiff.

Condimenti

1 slice, 8oz (250gr) baked or deli ham
12 - 15 fresh sage leaves, half that number if the are large - more than 2" (5cm) long 1 tbs dried
1 tsp olive oil

Cut the ham into bite-size pieces. Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet. Add ham and sage and sauté until ham is lightly browned. Turn heat to very low and keep warm until needed.

Note:  The first photo is right after I poured it into the risotto platter; the second is on my plate - with a side of butternut squash.  As you can see it quickly absorbed more stock so if I had not taken it off heat or added the last bit of stock it would not be so lusciously creamy...  Trust me, you'll be glad you did (says the spider to the fly; cackle, cackle)

Bon weekend!

Sausage, Pepper and Fennel Risotto; and Italian waiters

I will never forget the look on my son's face.  We were in a lovely restaurant in Genoa, Italy.  After he was through perusing the menu and had carefully given his order, the waiter looked him up and down and said "No!"

He's a big guy (6'4"); not used to being told "No!"

Fortunately I had warned him that this might happen.  Mon mari often faced the same problem, particularly in Italy. 

In the Mediterranean countries waiters take their profession seriously.  And it is a profession, not a job to do while waiting for something better.  They have a vital role in making certain that your dinner is a pleasurable experience.  Not only do they provide impeccable service but they want to make certain that your food is perfect.

To that end the customer may not always be right.

The first time it happened I had ordered a lovely, light asparagus risotto, followed by veal scallops in caper sauce.  Mon mari, as he often does, simply said "The same for me, please."   The waiter said "No!"

He then went on to explain that for me (Madame) it was perfect; but a big man like mon mari (just over 6'1") needed something more substantial. 

Risotto, yes, but with a bit of pancetta and cannellini; veal, fine, but a big, rare, veal chop with mushrooms.

He actually didn't so much as suggest as dictate and beamed proudly when mon mari acceded to his wishes.

It was, of course,  heavenly!

My son had wanted to order pasta with pesto for his first course.  We were in the home of pesto, after all, and he loved it!
After much discussion in bad Italian (our part), bad English (his part), arm waving and pointing, a compromise was reached. 

He would be given a small plate of pasta with pesto, courtesy of the restaurant.   The rest of the meal would be 'appropriate' for him, as determined by the waiter and the owner of the restaurant (who by now had gotten involved in the whole debate).

DS was not entirely happy, but acquiesced...since he had no choice.

He was sublimely, deliriously, supremely, ecstatic when the meal was over; and eternally grateful to the waiter.

Which brings me to the real subject of today's post: Risotto.

Excuse me whilst I get up on my soapbox.... Okay, everyone paying attention?  Here it is:

Risotto is easy!

Contrary to what you have been told it is not tricky, difficult or fussy to make.  You do not have to stir constantly (frequently, yes, constantly, no) and you do not (This one came from Katie Couric, the overly chipper, giggler) have to finish it with "gobs of butter" to make it wonderful.

It can be as elegant or as rustic as you choose, you can use the odd bits left in the fridge or buy fresh asparagus and truffles.  Along with the omelet/frittata it is, in my opinion, one of the essentials in any cooks repertoire... or that of the none cook, for that matter.  It's that easy.

Now, I shall pass on my personal opinions/methods/knowledge; feel free to disagree, that's what the comment section is for.

First, the stirring. 
Tradition says that one must stir constantly to get the creamy lusciousnesses.
Tradition also says that it should be cooked to al dente perfection in 16 - 18 minutes.

I give it a good stir every 2 - 3 minutes and when I'm adding the wine or stock.  I cook it on a slightly gentler heat so it actually takes 25 - 30 minutes to get done.  You would think I finished it with heavy cream - really!  It's that silky smooth and wonderful.
By stirring frequently rather than constantly I have freed my hands to make the condimenti at the same time as the risotto, allowing everything to be done at the same time.  By cooking it a wee bit slower and longer I get the same creamy effect.

Second, the consistency.
The risottos we have eaten in northern Italy have been thick but with visible creamy liquid, served in a flattish bowl and eaten with spoons. 
Risottos I have seen in the U.S. have been stiff enough to stand a knife in...

Third, I always use a bit more cheese, I mean, why ever not?  Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano?  Why ever not?

I saw a lovely Sausage and Fennel Risotto on Cook Sister last week.  I had to make it.  Naturally, I had to change it a bit, adding the bits left in my own fridge.

Sausage, Pepper and Fennel Risotto, for two 

1/2 cup plus 2 tbs Arborio rice (or other rice specifically for risotto - Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
1/2 cup dry, white wine
2 - 2 1/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 onion    other half for the condimenti
1 tbs butter
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated (about 2oz, 60gr)
2 tbs fresh parsley
Condimenti

Heat chicken stock and keep hot over low heat.  Finely chop onion.  In medium saucepan heat butter over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté until transparent then add rice and sauté stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes until rice has white center.  Add white wine and stir.  Start condimenti.  When wine is almost absorbed add a 1/2 cup of stock, stir.  When stock is almost absorbed add another 1/2 cup and continue adding 1/2 cup at a time and stirring.  Before the last 1/2 cup taste a few kernels of rice.  They should be just 'al dente' - slightly resistant to the tooth but fully cooked.  If more stock is needed add it 1/4 cup at a time and waiting until almost completely absorbed.  At this point risotto will be thick but not stiff - there will still be visible liquid and it will not hold its shape on a plate.  Add the Parmesan, parsley and the condimenti, stir well, pour into a bowl or risotto platter and serve immediately.  It will continue to absorb liquid and the leftovers (if any) will be very stiff.

Condimenti

Prosciutto, 2  thin slices
1 - 2 sausages, 4oz (120gr)
1 medium fennel bulb
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 large orange, red or green bell pepper 

Slice the Prosciutto into strips.  Cut the sausage into 1" (3cm) pieces.  Chop the onion.  Slice the pepper into strips, then cut the strips in half.  Mince the garlic.  Slice off stem end of fennel, remove outer layer if needed, otherwise rinse.  Cut fennel into 1/4" (.5cm) slices, then cut slices in half.  Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet over medium.  Add pepper, fennel and onion and sauté 5 minutes.  Add garlic, Prosciutto and sausages and sauté until sausages are cooked through, 7 - 8 minutes longer.  Turn heat to low and let cook slowly until needed.

Now go, make risotto!

BTW: Christine Cooks has a very pretty risotto this week, as well!

Brown Rice Pilaf and Salad: Cook Once; Eat Twice!

Summer!   (Maybe the sun will shine here today?!?!)

Salads!   (We eat lots of them on warm, late summer evenings.)

Cooking?  (On the barbecue if possible, minimal in the kitchen.)

We try to eat a bit lighter in the summer and with the abundance of fresh garden herbs and vegetables this is usually pretty easy.  It's even easier if you plan and cook ahead. 

Cook once; eat twice!  Who wants to be in the kitchen working when one can be on the terrace sipping a chilled glass of rosé and watching those monstrous stag beetles try to fly.  (They're so huge and so slow our big white dog stands on her hind legs and tries to snap them out of the air - after a glass or two of said wine this can be very funny!)

When the word 'salad' is mentioned most people immediately picture greens or pasta.  A little more thought will conjure up  various versions of potato salads.  What about rice?  Even (gasp!) brown rice?  Why not?

Okay, we have the rice, now we need the herbs.  This is Weekend Herb Blogging, after all, started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen and hosted this week by Astrid of Paulchen's Food Blog?!

Basil!  I am waging a war with the snails over my basil, and if they don't stop munching they are going to  be munched!  As a few bloggers have pointed out: basil-fed snails ought to be pretty tasty!  Be warned you slow-moving little eating-machines....

To keep me happy until I win and my basil is allowed to grow enough to start harvesting I bought a huge basil in a pot at the nursery.  (I've discovered mid-June is a good time to go to the  garden centers: their stuff is huge and desperately needing to be sold off!). 

Basil!  It has a rather interesting history: it's a symbol of love in modern Italy, hate in ancient  Greece and used to ensure a safe journey in/to the afterlife in many cultures. 
It's absolutely essential to my kitchen for summer cooking.  Tomatoes without basil?  Unthinkable!
And it I like it...lots of it.  How about a tomato and basil sandwich? 

Back to the rice:

Brown Rice Pilaf  2 servings

3/4 cup brown rice brown Basmati if you can get it
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup celery, finely chopped
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup green pepper, finely chopped
1/3 cup mushrooms , finely chopped
1/3 cup carrot, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
2 tbs snipped fresh basil

Put all ingredients, except basil, into a saucepan and cook according to package directions for brown rice.  Mine takes about 20 minutes.  When done, fluff with a fork, add basil and serve half; refrigerate the other half for salad.

Rice Pilaf Salad 

leftover brown rice pilaf
1 can red kidney beans 15oz (450gr jar)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbs snipped fresh basil
1 tbs snipped fresh chives
Creamy Herb Dressing

Drain the beans and mix with the Rice Pilaf. Stir in herbs and tomatoes.  Add half of the Herb Dressing and taste.  Add more until your happy.  Serve.

Creamy Herb Dressing

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs fresh snipped chives
3 tbs olive oil - the good stuff

In small bowl whisk yogurt, mustard and lemon juice.  Add oil, a bit at a time and whisk well.  Add herbs.  This will keep a week.

Two easy recipes for the effort of one: perfect for summer... and even a little on the healthy side, eh?

Be sure to stop by Paulchen's Food Blog?! on Monday for the complete recap of all the wonderful recipes!