Risotto!

I've had a couple of really disappointing rice cooking experiences recently. For some reason, I decided it would be a good idea to try an even more temperamental grain: Risotto (technically arborio rice). Kate and I made some Vegetable Risotto and it came out great! Full disclosure, this requires a decent amount of stirring and need to be watched full time (like a baby), but if you have someone to help and keep you company it's a delicious dish that makes for great leftovers!

One of the cooking blog 'tropes', if you will, is the neatly organized ingredients shot (I do this myself). In reality, the kitchen pre-cooking looked more like this:

 

than this

In the above photo, Kate is performing the most important step to cooking dinner: cutting up the block of pepper jack cheese. Nothing like some cheese and crackers...klassy!

The recipe we used is from How To Cook Everything, also known as the only cook book I own.

Ingredients:
 4-6 cups vegetable stock or water
2 tbs butter or EVOO
1 medium onion
1 celery stalk (sike)
1 medium carrot (use more! lyke.... five or six)
1 1/2 Arborio or other short-grain rice
salt and pepper
1/2 dry white wine (sike... water)
1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
freshly grated parmesan cheese

I also added chopped frozen broccoli, garlic, thyme, and scallions

Step 1: Warm the stock over medium heat
2. Place the butter or oil in a large saucepan or skillet, preferably non-stick, and turn the heat to medium. When it's hot, add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook, stirring ocassionally, until the onion softens, 3 to 5 minutes.
3.Add the rice and stir until it is coated with butters. Add a little salt and pepper, then the white wine. Stir and let the liquid bubble away.
4. Begin to add the stock, 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring after each addition and every minute or so. When the stock is just about evaporated, add more.
5. Begin tasting the rice 20 mins after you add it; you want it to tender but with still a tiny bit of crunch. It could take as long as 30 mins to reach this stage. When it does, add the peas, followed one minute later by the softened butter and cheese.

stirring, waiting, stirring, waiting, stirring, stirring, stirring

Dopplebangers/Dyke a liking - whichever term you prefer

This was delicious, it took a little bit of time but wasn't technically challenging and was delicious. MUCH better than my last meal:

 Left overs for days!