Mushroom Beef Risotto - March 2, 2012

I debated not posting this, because the picture really does look like a can of dog food. Sorry about that! It smelled and tasted divine, but this dish isn't going to win any beauty contests.

I think I've posted elsewhere that Richie really liked Buddy Valastro, a.k.a. "The Cake Boss" of the cable channel TLC's show of the same name. I don't know if it is the Italian in my husband that finds Buddy so appealing, but even I find the guy kind of endearing, especially when he yells out "It's GO time!" and "Hoboken style, baby!" He has a new show called "The Kitchen Boss" which showcases his family recipes ("mia famiglia," he says). We have then taped on our DVR and often watch an episode or two while I'm getting our own dinner ready in the evenings. It is kind of fun to have Buddy in the kitchen with us!

I have to admit that none of his recipes have been blockbusters, though his lasagna recipe is my current go-to when I need to bring a dish somewhere or feed a crowd whose dietary tastes I don't know. The most recent one we wanted to try was his "Mushroom Beef Risotto," from the episode charmingly titled "It's All in the Wrist." Richie doesn't like mushrooms much, but if they are chopped small and he can't notice their texture he's OK. I apparently didn't get these chopped up small enough because he still picked out most of them. More for me!

Parmesan Risotto with Shrimp and Green Beans - August 8, 2011

For once, Richie is traveling for work this week while I'm home alone... usually it is the reverse! That means that you will see me preparing dishes with ingredients that I love, but my picky eater love does not! Tonight that is shrimp.

I've been wanting to try to make risotto for a while. I don't know a lot about it really, except that people are always getting sent home from Top Chef for making a bad risotto. Just the other night one of the contestants on the Next Food Network Star (yes, I am a food-related-reality-TV junkie!) was embarrassed by having none other than Wolfgang Puck take her to task for making a poor risotto and gave her an on the spot lesson.

I'm not sure what Chef Puck would have thought of my risotto, but my inexperienced palate thought it was tasty. I kept it very simple, basically following the recipe in The New Best Recipe book, but cut the portion in half since I was the only one eating it tonight. The ingredients were chicken broth, butter, onions, rice, white wine, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. I can see how people would screw it up as it requires lots of attention. Just one second seemed to elapse between it having plenty of liquid and being boiled dry.

To complete my meal, I pan seared some shrimp with salt and pepper, and threw in a few steamed green beans from the CSA for color and crunch. Simple, delicious!

Even though I cut the recipe in half, I still have some leftover. Considering experimenting with making arancini... Stay tuned!

Weekly Fish #4: Broiled Tilapia with Spring Vegetable Risotto

As alluded to last week, I was in the mood for a simple white fish after the intensity of house-smoked salmon and of crabs. What fish is simpler than tilapia?

Jess suggested that we incorporate a veggie risotto, a celebration of Spring. So, we got to work on shelling some fava beans.

The fava beans appear to enjoy a life of luxury, bean-wise. Their crib is very large and lined with velvet, and the beans themselves enjoy plenty of elbow room.

In addition to the legumes, the risotto featured ramps, plantae's herald of Spring.

I stuck a skillet under the broiler to get it thoroughly hot, and gave the tilapia fillets a coating of olive oil, salt and pepper. The fillets were thrown into the pan, fried on the stove for a few minutes, and then put under the broiler for about 10 minutes. Simple.



Have you ever ordered a halibut in a restaurant, and been given a perfectly sized and crispy-edged cut of fish atop a bed of rice? This was the effect I was going for, and was, I'd say, 61% successful. Of course, tilapia is a much wimpier fish than halibut. So perhaps I'll take my learnings from this week's dinner and apply them to a choicer variety.

A nice New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc rounded out the meal nicely. As is the case with many Kiwi sauvy's, it was magically tropical, and a pleasant foil to the salty crispiness of the fish.

As warmer weather approaches, I'm in the mood for a something more adventurous next time. Perhaps a steamed whole fish, with a sauce at once sweet, spicy and sour?