Risotto with Asparagus, Peas and Mushrooms (p. 262)
Posted by David | Filed under blog
I will eventually be getting around to a few posts relating to my recent trip to Belgium. As you might imagine, they could be liquid in nature. But after getting back from vacation and settling into a routine at home, I finally made the time for a little cooking.
I decided on “Risotto with Asparagus, Peas and Mushrooms” out of the Gourmet Today cookbook. And to be honest, this was the first recipe I’ve made from there that earns the distinction of gourmet. I’m referring to price here, as the mushrooms for the recipe are morels, and they ain’t cheap! The small pack of dried mushrooms was considerably more than the quite decent bottle of wine I purchased to accompany the meal. But still, it was tasty and has a bit of the goodness sprinkled all over it.
In addition to the items in the title, we have some garlic, lemon zest and other all-good items (butter…) to make up this dish. The risotto itself has a subtle flavor, relying on its toppings to really carry the dish. After a fair amount of prep, the actual cooking of it is pretty easy, although with any risotto it will take a little time. But I cranked up some Depeche Mode (Happy 30th Brithday, guys!), poured myself some of the white wine, and had a pretty good time.
There are easier and richer risottos you can make, but the asparagus and morels here, especially, make this dish slightly more complex in flavor and texture, and something closer to a one-pot meal. As you can see, I simply served mine with some baby romaine lettuce topped with a homemade vinaigrette, and you have a nice dinner.
When last we left you, I teased a new feature/series/focus for the website related to a new cookery book of almost mythic girth. A thousand-page testament to food on paper that we would not only use in exercise by simply picking up, but also something that we would be cooking from. And I’m here to tell you a little bit more about that.
