After the green asparagus showed itself briefly in March, then promptly disappeared, it reappeared in April. However, even an abundance of green asparagus, which it wasn’t, does not, in the opinion of mon mari, allow it to be used in risotto. Occasionally, if I have a few odd pieces left, I can add them to a stir-fry, but only rarely. He’s a bit of a purist when it comes to … Continue reading →
It’s been such a strange spring that I barely stopped cooking pumpkin and there is already asparagus in the markets. In between, we did manage to eat a broccoli, a cauliflower and a Savoy cabbage. When one cooks for two, both cauliflower and cabbage require advance planning to use it all. I may have to try cauliflower in risotto some day…. For now, it uses up a cabbage nicely. I … Continue reading →
Traditional Risotto con Fagioli would be made with Parma ham or Prosciutto. I had baked ham so that’s what I used. That’s the best thing about risotto – anything (within reason) works. For any of you who are new to making risotto…. Risotto should not be dry nor should it be like soup, but somewhere in-between. It should be moist and creamy. It continues to absorb liquid after removed from … Continue reading →
I still have 1 pumpkin, 4 spaghetti squash and 5 butternut squash left. We’ve been eating one of the three almost every night since October. I’ve given away 4 pumpkins and 3 spaghetti squash. They would disappear faster if they weren’t all so big. We get 3 – 4 meals out of each butternut and spaghetti squash, and four or five times that out of a pumpkin. Maybe, just maybe, … Continue reading →
Spring and fall are seasons of firsts and lasts in our kitchen. This is the last risotto of the season, made with the last of the green asparagus and the first of the fresh herbs. Because the weather has been typical of May (cold rain followed by hot sunshine followed by cold rain and so on…) it’s not a good time of year for planning. At noon, with the sun … Continue reading →
I have been making Farmhouse Pasta for years. I’ve made it for two and made it for 20. It’s one of our very favorites and always a hit. When I asked mon mari if he wanted pasta or risotto for dinner he immediately said Farmhouse Pasta. But I wanted risotto. Yeah, I know…. I shouldn’t have asked. As we all know the fine art of compromise is alive and well … Continue reading →
One last meatball recipe before we go on to other things. I am really hoping that the other things will involve a barbecue grill and the return to outdoor cooking. Today was actually a nice, sunny day… The first we’ve had with no rain in a very long time. The temperature got all the way up to 15C (60F). We have not lit a fire. However, busy as mon mari … Continue reading →
