To fuck or to cook?

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by nononono
For some reason I have a block about this.

But on another topic (dinner tonight), it seems that meat is desired, so my risotto may be out. Or, other than ham/pancetta, has anyone done a meat risotto with good vegetables? Would chicken work?

I make a risotto with shrimp or scallops, petit pois, and sliced sauteed button mushrooms. Add some saffron to the broth and it's like eating sunshine.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by taxwonk
petit pois

Is that a OH-MAZH to someone or something?

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Is that a OH-MAZH to someone or something?

I feel less silly saying petit pois than I do saying baby peas. You may use whichever you choose.

[nononono]

Originally posted by Sparklehorse
I'm sure I'm too late for tonight but if you want a lowfat butternut squash risotto recipe, PM me.

Ooh, thanks, I will!

But yes, went with asparagus risotto and some awesome oven-roasted tomatoes with rosmary and garlic on the side. A resounding success! I feel like a woman. ;-P

[Sparklehorse]

Originally posted by nononono
Ooh, thanks, I will!

But yes, went with asparagus risotto and some awesome oven-roasted tomatoes with rosmary and garlic on the side. A resounding success! I feel like a woman. ;-P

I'll post it here, in case anyone else is interested:

Winter Squash Risotto*
From New York Times, 9/16/98

½ lb fresh winter squash, such as Hubbard, Butternut, Kabocha, or sugar pumpkin**
1 c. finely chopped onions

2 T olive oil
½ T ground nutmeg
½ T freshly ground white pepper
Coarse salt to taste
¾ c. Riesling wine
7 c. chicken stock
5 T unsalted butter***
1½ c. Arborio rice
3 T chopped fresh parsley
½ c. grated fresh parmesan

1. Peel and seed squash, and cut it into 1-inch dice.
2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add squash, ½ cup of the onion, nutmeg, ½ T pepper and salt to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 7 minutes, or until squash is almost tender. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow it to cool. When cool, place in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until smooth.**** Scrape from the bowl and set aside.
3. Bring stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Immediately lower heat to keep the just keep stock hot. Melt 2½ T of butter in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the rice and the remaining ½ cup of onion and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes, or until the butter begins to turn golden and the onion is translucent. Immediately add about 1½ cups of hot stock, or enough to cover the rice. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding stock, 1 cup at a time, every three minutes.*****
4. Stir in the squash puree and simmer for another 9 minutes, continuing to add stock every few minutes until all of the stock has been used. Beat in the remaining 2½ tablespoons of butter. Stir in the parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes, or until the butter is completely absorbed.
5. Serves 6. Sprinkle some of the Parmesan cheese over the top of each and serve immediately.


*This recipe includes basic instructions for making a blanco risotto but I also recommend reading a recipe, like in the Joy of Cooking, to get a sense of the general cooking process for a risotto.
**A quick and easy option is to use the pre-cut, seeded and peeled squash you can get in the supermarket. A half of a butternut squash is generally sufficient.
***The butter in the rice-cooking stage can be eliminated by using olive oil (or olive oil with a dab of butter for flavor). Similarly, the butter and cheese added at the end can be reduced or eliminated. It won’t have that fatty mouthfeel but will still be tasty. Just make sure you add more salt to compensate with the flavoring and that you let it rest for 5 minutes before serving (that’s always a good thing to do, anyway).
****If you have a hand blender, you can puree the squash mixture in the pan in which it’s cooked.
*****I would never do it by time but rather by how much stock has been absorbed by the rice. I cook the rice, stirring frequently until the stock is nearly fully absorbed -- the rice is drier than soupy.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Sparklehorse
I'll post it here, in case anyone else is interested:

Winter Squash Risotto*
From New York Times, 9/16/98

½ lb fresh winter squash, such as Hubbard, Butternut, Kabocha, or sugar pumpkin**
1 c. finely chopped onions

2 T olive oil
½ T ground nutmeg
½ T freshly ground white pepper
Coarse salt to taste
¾ c. Riesling wine
7 c. chicken stock
5 T unsalted butter***
1½ c. Arborio rice
3 T chopped fresh parsley
½ c. grated fresh parmesan

1. Peel and seed squash, and cut it into 1-inch dice.
2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add squash, ½ cup of the onion, nutmeg, ½ T pepper and salt to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 7 minutes, or until squash is almost tender. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow it to cool. When cool, place in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until smooth.**** Scrape from the bowl and set aside.
3. Bring stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Immediately lower heat to keep the just keep stock hot. Melt 2½ T of butter in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the rice and the remaining ½ cup of onion and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes, or until the butter begins to turn golden and the onion is translucent. Immediately add about 1½ cups of hot stock, or enough to cover the rice. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding stock, 1 cup at a time, every three minutes.*****
4. Stir in the squash puree and simmer for another 9 minutes, continuing to add stock every few minutes until all of the stock has been used. Beat in the remaining 2½ tablespoons of butter. Stir in the parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes, or until the butter is completely absorbed.
5. Serves 6. Sprinkle some of the Parmesan cheese over the top of each and serve immediately.


*This recipe includes basic instructions for making a blanco risotto but I also recommend reading a recipe, like in the Joy of Cooking, to get a sense of the general cooking process for a risotto.
**A quick and easy option is to use the pre-cut, seeded and peeled squash you can get in the supermarket. A half of a butternut squash is generally sufficient.
***The butter in the rice-cooking stage can be eliminated by using olive oil (or olive oil with a dab of butter for flavor). Similarly, the butter and cheese added at the end can be reduced or eliminated. It won’t have that fatty mouthfeel but will still be tasty. Just make sure you add more salt to compensate with the flavoring and that you let it rest for 5 minutes before serving (that’s always a good thing to do, anyway).
****If you have a hand blender, you can puree the squash mixture in the pan in which it’s cooked.
*****I would never do it by time but rather by how much stock has been absorbed by the rice. I cook the rice, stirring frequently until the stock is nearly fully absorbed -- the rice is drier than soupy.

My family, being Jewish, tries to avoid all German things, including Riesling. I know it sounds obsessive, but still.

Do you think some other white wine could be substituted? Pinot Gris or Grigio?

[Sparklehorse]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
My family, being Jewish, tries to avoid all German things, including Riesling. I know it sounds obsessive, but still.

Do you think some other white wine could be substituted? Pinot Gris or Grigio?

Absolutely, any white wine will do. You can also skip the wine but you'll lose a subtle layer in the flavoring.

I didn't comment on the Riesling because I was trying to avoid looking *too* obsessive myself.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
My family, being Jewish, tries to avoid all German things, including Riesling. I know it sounds obsessive, but still.

buy american. There are some fine rieslings from Washington.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
buy american. There are some fine rieslings from Washington.

Washington State? Can I substitute cat urine instead?

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
Washington State? Can I substitute cat urine instead?

Or a can of Stroh's.

[Penske_Account]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
Washington State? Can I substitute cat urine instead?

ty prefers it boxed, not fresh.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Penske_Account
ty prefers it boxed, not fresh.

Can you really taste the difference between the pure plastic boxed and the cardboard with plastic lined? Wondering if its worth the extra .50$

[nononono]

Originally posted by Sparklehorse
I'll post it here, in case anyone else is interested:

Winter Squash Risotto*
From New York Times, 9/16/98

½ lb fresh winter squash, such as Hubbard, Butternut, Kabocha, or sugar pumpkin**
1 c. finely chopped onions

2 T olive oil
½ T ground nutmeg
½ T freshly ground white pepper
Coarse salt to taste
¾ c. Riesling wine
7 c. chicken stock
5 T unsalted butter***
1½ c. Arborio rice
3 T chopped fresh parsley
½ c. grated fresh parmesan

1. Peel and seed squash, and cut it into 1-inch dice.
2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add squash, ½ cup of the onion, nutmeg, ½ T pepper and salt to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 7 minutes, or until squash is almost tender. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow it to cool. When cool, place in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until smooth.**** Scrape from the bowl and set aside.
3. Bring stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Immediately lower heat to keep the just keep stock hot. Melt 2½ T of butter in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the rice and the remaining ½ cup of onion and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes, or until the butter begins to turn golden and the onion is translucent. Immediately add about 1½ cups of hot stock, or enough to cover the rice. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding stock, 1 cup at a time, every three minutes.*****
4. Stir in the squash puree and simmer for another 9 minutes, continuing to add stock every few minutes until all of the stock has been used. Beat in the remaining 2½ tablespoons of butter. Stir in the parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes, or until the butter is completely absorbed.
5. Serves 6. Sprinkle some of the Parmesan cheese over the top of each and serve immediately.


*This recipe includes basic instructions for making a blanco risotto but I also recommend reading a recipe, like in the Joy of Cooking, to get a sense of the general cooking process for a risotto.
**A quick and easy option is to use the pre-cut, seeded and peeled squash you can get in the supermarket. A half of a butternut squash is generally sufficient.
***The butter in the rice-cooking stage can be eliminated by using olive oil (or olive oil with a dab of butter for flavor). Similarly, the butter and cheese added at the end can be reduced or eliminated. It won’t have that fatty mouthfeel but will still be tasty. Just make sure you add more salt to compensate with the flavoring and that you let it rest for 5 minutes before serving (that’s always a good thing to do, anyway).
****If you have a hand blender, you can puree the squash mixture in the pan in which it’s cooked.
*****I would never do it by time but rather by how much stock has been absorbed by the rice. I cook the rice, stirring frequently until the stock is nearly fully absorbed -- the rice is drier than soupy.

Super - thank you! I just had leftover risotto for lunch - even better today. I also use in mine, in addition to the fresh parm, mascarpone (definitely getting that fatty feel in the mouth, but oh, so good), and I combined butter and olive oil to saute onions and garlic before adding the rice. I agree on doing the rice also by stock absorption, not time - 1/2 cup at a time.

[Fugee]

I've never been a fan of the sweet potato, mostly because the only time it appears on the Fugee Family table is Thanksgiving.

However, I tried Paula Deen's recipe for Sweet Potato Coffee Cake and it was really good. I made a pumpkin coffee cake the same week and the sweet potato one was much better. So now I'm thinking of changing one of the Thanksgiving pumpkin pies to a sweet potato pie.

I could browse cookbooks for a recipe but I thought I'd see if anyone has a famous family recipe.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Fugee
I've never been a fan of the sweet potato, mostly because the only time it appears on the Fugee Family table is Thanksgiving.

However, I tried Paula Deen's recipe for Sweet Potato Coffee Cake and it was really good. I made a pumpkin coffee cake the same week and the sweet potato one was much better. So now I'm thinking of changing one of the Thanksgiving pumpkin pies to a sweet potato pie.

I could browse cookbooks for a recipe but I thought I'd see if anyone has a famous family recipe.

I have no recipe for sweet potato pie, but I strongly endorse the idea of keeping at least one pumpkin pie as well. It was a bad, bad Thanksgiving when my parents let someone bring sweet potato pies for dessert, and didn't make any pumpkin pie at all.

We had pumpkin pie that Saturday.

Phew.

ETA I adore sweet potatoes. In a little bit, I will be cutting two big ones into wedges and putting them in a big gallon bag with some oil, and then mixing in some garam masala. Bake at 450 for 10 min on one side, then flip onto the other side. Yummy.

We never had sweet potato casserole or anything at Thanksgiving when I was growing up. I don't particularly like mushed up sweet potatoes.