Risotto is awesome. Is that news? I was making a steaming pot of it this past weekend, thinking about just how awesome it really is. It’s a great comfort food: it’s hot, creamy, soul-satisfying, and definitely sticks to your ribs. I think it might just be the greatest food for the single folk. There’s something nourishing in standing over the stove, stirring the gooey rice. I feel like risotto is something you can curl up with in the couch, eating it right out of the pot you cooked it in. It’s like food and a friend.
There’s more to risotto than the comfort, though. I love it because it’s so versatile. The rice, slowly cooked in broth to bring out the natural starches, is a great flavor and texture base. There is no end to the things that you can add to risotto. You can chop and saute vegetables (from peas and carrots, to zucchini, mushrooms, or even broccoli) and stir them in at the end.Or, you can even add various meats, like prosciutto or grilled chicken. Just about any fresh herb can really add a punch to your risotto. One of my favorite variations uses tomato sauce and a little cream to make a luxurious pink rice. Risotto can serve as a great side dish, or it can be an entire meal in and of itself. You have to appreciate that.
Sure, it’s not the easiest or fastest dish to make. Risotto takes a whole lot of love to make right, cooking it slowly and constantly stirring it to make sure all the natural starches make it creamy and delicious. All that effort pays off in a big way though. I think that a lot of the best food takes some love and attention. Sure, some people say that you can make risotto in the slow cooker, but it seems like sacrilege to me.
If your appetite is whetted for risotto now, you can check out this recipe for mushroom, prosciutto and fresh pea risotto.
Clacked by Bob Degon
on Sep 03, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
