Risotto Stages

When I first started to really learn how to cook I was testing all sorts of gourmet recipes. I was very eager to try everything and I came pretty close. Tortes, real puff pastry with 944 layers of pastry and 943 layers of butter, every bread, bagel, natural leavening starters, stocks, braises, and any other true recipe that wasn't a one-pager. The fearless beginner!

Before I go to sleep, I often read a cookbook, cooking magazine, food section of the newspaper, or even a few printouts of my own recipes. Several times in the past I had read about risotto although I had never tasted one I liked. I found this hard to believe since I love so many foods and in 1997 decided to make one of my own. It had to be good, I was following one of the Food Network shows. It turned out terrible! It was grainy tasting and not at all creamy. I didn't like it one bit. Instead of practice, I just added it to my list of foods I didn't eat.

Fast forward to Spring 2008 while Morel Mushroom hunting up north we went to a nicer restaurant in town and one of the side dishes was a Parmigiano-Reggiano Risotto that the chef makes up fresh when it's offered. I succumbed. Risotto is loved by so many! Risotto is considered to be a special dish, with creaminess and toasty richness. All things I love. Report at first SMELL - I loved it! It was wonderful and rich and had that nuttiness from the Parmesan that made me just want to eat more. I decided to give homemaking risotto another try.

I found a nice dry arborio rice at my local gourmet market. How did I know it was nice? Um, the bag looked pretty? I don't know. It was the one that seemed to sound right. I made about 5 recipes of it and used some for dinner, some for lunch and some for photos here. Hopefully, someone else will read and say aaaahhh, that's what it's supposed to look like?? Then know they too can make it just as great at home.

I think noticing the grains and how they change in the photo will help you to be sure you are adding enough stock, stirring it enough and even if the timing is right, the grain may not be. It should look like my last spoonful above.