Bear with me as I patiently wait for spring and inspiration for warm weather cooking.
In the fall, when the weather is grey and cold, I love lighting the fire. I look forward to all the slow-cooked, braised meats, long-simmering soups and tender, hearty stews. Planning on what to cook next is exciting.
In April, when the weather is still grey and cold, Iโm sick of lighting the fire, I donโt want anything slow-cooked or long-simmering. I want grilled vegetables, barbecued meats and salads.
Thatโs not happeningโฆ.
So I will continue to make stir-fries and risottos until the sun shines.
If youโre enjoying similar crappy weather, perhaps youโll enjoy my quick, easy canโt-wait-for-sunshine dishes.
This risotto is slightly different in that it uses beef broth and red wine, which gives it an interesting color.ย
The recipe, Red Wine Risotto with Beef & Mushrooms, has been updated, nutrition information added, and re-posted here: Red Wine Risotto with Beef & Mushrooms.
I mowed the field today.
Well, I mowed the part that wasnโt waterlogged.
I hate doing the first cut of the year.
I have to re-establish the safe areasโฆ.
Making sure I donโt go too close to the edge of our field that I tip over into the farmerโs field.
Making sure I get the corners cut right so a wheel doesnโt slip off the edge and I get stuck.
Once I do the first pass in the spring I can follow it for the rest of the summer โ and once the first pass is done I know (or think) that the mower wonโt tip. ย Mon mari assures me that it has a very low center of gravity and is perfectly safe.
Yeah, rightโฆ.
I also hate mowing while wearing my winter jacket and hat.
Whatโs you favorite spring activity?
Andโฆ..
Are you going to be lost when Google reader says farewell?
Last updated:
What is Google reader?
Iโm not sure what the Windows world is doing about the loss of Google reader, but on the Mac side, I created a file (.opml) of my RSS feeds and migrated them to an application called NetNewsWire. There was some manual adjusting of feeds (such as making new folders like โCOOKING,โ โNEWS,โ etc., and then moving the feeds into the appropriate folder, but that only took a couple of hours. And I have tons and tons of feeds. I bet there is similar (and probably more of, and better) in the Windows world.
Ma femme just said no to red wine risotto and then gave (after 24 years of marriage) that she doesnโt like risotto at all. She then proceeded to state that it tastes like overcooked rice, โlike Iโd make it.โ I briefly thought that she may have been on to something these decades, some kind of Zen-like approach that converts Uncle Benโs into amazing risotto through meditation (ignoring the pot) and an acute observance of the transience of life (ignoring the pot).
But, as sheโs never lived in Asia or adopted Asian beliefs, and realizing this was not a good time to mention that her mother was English who never knew risotto from Rice-A-Roni, I tried to shift the conversation to Asian rice cookers, hoping to bring up that one can make risotto in a โfuzzy logicโ device straight out of Japan.
But we were interrupted by the chicken jerky strips (a healthier treat for the dogs weโve started doing) finishing off in the dehydrator. The conversation shifted.
Sometimes, a battle avoided, or at least not deliberately charged into, is a battle won.
Katie โ Iโm with youโฆI have been dreaming about all the summer fresh garden produce. Those gorgeous vegetables canโt get here soon enough! As for the rainโฆit does not want to seem to stop!
Phoenicia, What Dan says LOLโฆ It is / was an aggregator for RSS feeds.
Dan, reminds me of the time I was in the US, and making our (sonโs and mine) favorite Poached Eggs in Red Wine for dinner. After eating, his SO said that she didnโt really like eggs in red wineโฆ. and, as long as we were on the subject, she didnโt really like anything in red wineโฆ Son was very disappointed โ no more Coq au Vin, no more Boeuf Bourgingonโฆ A sad day. I prefer not to think about a life without red wine and risottoโฆ.
Ina, please let it come soon!
Iโm guessing Iโve tried all of the newsreaders out there since Googleโs official announcement. Newsblur is working for me so far, but I really hate that Google just quits things for no obvious reasons. Not like theyโre losing money with it. Millions used it. Just kind of sucks.
My question is though, is the sonโs SO still his SO? I canโt imagine NOT cooking with red wine!
Interesting colour indeed! It seems like an ideal choice for a candlelight dinner.
As for your sonโs misguided SO: No red wine?? At all??? Thatโs madness.
The other madness is that spring refuses to spring here too. We went out for a bike ride today โ I LOVE the feeling of freedom when bikeriding without having to wear so many layers that itโs impossible to move. It was allegedly 10C. I DONโT think so. We were freezing. We turned around early and came home to sulk.
Things are looking up though. I hear a wine cork popping. Red wine, of course. It will go beautifully with roast chicken and potatoes.