Risotto!

Although I feel like I've been doing nothing with my life besides studying for the past month and a half, I have taken some time to cook so that I don't completely lose my mind. The bar is less than a week away, and hopefully by the end of it I will be a licensed attorney. In the meantime, I've managed to a) accumulate blisters all over my hands, b) fail to answer my phone/call people back in weeks, c) cry more times in the past month than in years, and d) accumulate a pretty impressive amount of notecards (see Exhibit A for evidence).


While that isn't fun, what is fun is food. In my mouth. And my stomach. And all over my face.

Dried-Porcini-Mushroom Risotto with Goat Cheese
Adapted from Quick from Scratch Italian Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 c dried porcini mushrooms (approx. 1 oz) (or others if you prefer other flavors)
3 c hot water, more if needed
3 1/2 c canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock, more if needed
3 tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups arborio rice
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tbs butter
1/4 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
2 oz mild goat cheese, crumbled
Grated Parmesan for serving

1. Put the dried mushrooms in a medium bowl and pour the hot water over them. Soak until softened, about 20 minutes.


2. Pour the mushrooms/liquid through a strainer into a saucepan. Add the broth to the mushroom liquid in the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Chop the reserved mushrooms.




2. In a medium pan, heat oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms, the rice, and the salt and stir until the rice begins to turn opaque.


Note: the recipe claims that it only takes about 2 minutes for the rice to turn opaque. I say- LIARS. It takes me about 20 minutes, which could be due to poor quality pan or something, but you really want to make sure you cook it long enough that you see a change in color. Otherwise it takes forevvvver for the rice to soak up the liquid enough to soften. You can't really overcook the rice, so if in doubt, leave it on the heat.


3. This is important- add about 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and cook, stirring frequently, until the broth has been completely absorbed. DO NOT just keep pouring broth in there- it won't absorb properly, and your rice will have a nice crunchy texture. Keep adding about 1/2 cup at a time, until it is all absorbed.


4. This should take about 25-30 minutes, perhaps longer depending on your heat. If the simmering liquid isn't enough, bring some more broth and/or hot water to a simmer and keep adding it. By the end, the broth that hasn't been absorbed should be thickened by the starch from the rice.


5. Stir in the butter, the pepper, and the goat cheese. Serve with grated parmesan.