‘Ruby’s are red, hydrangea are blue,

Risotto for two? Don’t mind if I do!’

Risotto is one of my favorite meals to make.  It is an upscale, italian dish that is easier to make than it appears to be.  I don’t understand how so many fine dining restaurants screw-up risotto.  It is actually hard to make risotto mushy, but somehow so many places present mushy over-cooked risotto.

I am not a great cook.  My husband is the cook of the family and I am the baker.  However, I am getting better and if there is one thing I can cook perfectly every time, it is risotto.  I can’t cook simple dinner dishes, but ask me to make Boeuf Bourguignon or Cheese Soufflé and I have it covered.

Tonight was Valentine’s Day, the day for lovers.  My husband had to work this evening but I decided to celebrate on my own Valentine’s Day, risotto style.

My favorite risotto is Asparagus and Meyer Lemon, follow along and you too can make excellent risotto without turning it into baby oatmeal.

• Step 1: Saute onions and garlic in olive oil and white wine until onions are translucent.

• Step 2: Add arborio rice and stir constantly until translucent.

• Step 3: Add 1/2 cup of warm vegetable or chicken broth, stirring constantly until fully absorbed.  Repeat until rice is puffed to three times the size and tender to taste, with a slight chewiness to it.

• Step 4: Add Meyer Lemon juice and diced asparagus right before the rice is fully cooked.  This gives the rice a crunchiness without creating mushy asparagus.

• Step 5: No more than five minutes after adding the asparagus the risotto is done.  Immediately serve in bowls and sprinkle with shaved Parmesan Reggiano cheese.

Perfecto!

Asparagus and Meyer Lemon risotto is my favorite risotto, but we have enjoyed dozens of varieties including:

• Mushroom
• Sweet Potato
• Butternut Squash and Sage
• Tomato, Basil, and Chicken

Experiment, and have fun.  Serve along side a fabulous glass of white wine and an italian salad.