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Some folks find that baking is the perfect way to de-stress, but for me, it's cooking. When I'm tired of working out some problem and my mind just needs to just take a break, I mosey into my kitchen and start peeling and chopping, sautéing and seasoning. There's something about the way that cooking gets all the senses working that provides the perfect distraction for a tired ol' brain. At times like these, I turn to the dishes that I can cook without thinking too much, that don't require precise measurements and careful cooking times, dishes where I just chop and add and stir and season until everything tastes just right. For me, that often means cooking up a risotto. Risotto has a reputation for being a fussy dish, requiring a lot of stirring to ensure that the finished product reaches the proper consistency, creamy but not smushy, the rice grains cooked just so. Maybe I'm just not as picky about my risotto as some, but personally, I've never found it hard to get my rice to the point where it makes the tastebuds happy. The secret to a creamy risotto is pretty simple, really: start with Arborio rice, cook over a medium-high heat, and stir, stir, stir. One of my favorite things about risotto is that the once you have the technique down, the dish lends itself to an infinite array of variations. This risotto features one of my favorite fall flavor combinations: butternut squash and spinach. It's a hearty one-dish meal that's the perfect accompaniment for a cool, autumn night. sidle over this way for the recipe!
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