Cookin' with Lidia

It's been a goal of mine to cook more meals rather than just cook food. When Nick is home from his weeks of oil drillin' I find it easier to actually do this. This is mostly because he is there to help me wash the dishes, but also because he helps me eat the food. But let's be realistic, we know I have no problem doing that on my own, the dishes on the other hand are annoying. Regardless, I sometimes feel motivated enough to suck it up and cook something worthwhile.

Earlier this week Nick's mom, Kathy, who also happens to be a big supporter of my blog, sent a cookbook to my Kindle: Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes. First I have to say it is really fun to be able to download your own gift. But more importantly, it should be noted that Nick's entire family is Italian, part Italian on Kathy's side and about 500% Italian on his Dad's side. My family is 0% Italian which means I still have quite a lot to learn about Italian food and cooking. Anyway, the book is awesome and really enjoyable to read. Lidia breaks each section into different regions of Italy and gives some history, as well as some personal accounts of the lifestyle, local foods, and her travels to the area, which I absolutely love. Another important aspect of the book is that there is quite a lot of variety in the food. Italian food is so much more than just pasta and I was really excited to see so many recipes with beans. Of course I also love that most recipes include cheese. I could care less about putting cheese on my burrito at Chipotle but when I get some really strong parmesan or gorgonzola I'm a happy camper. Fortunately our HEB happens to have a large section of specialty cheeses. For those of you who don't know, HEB is a grocery store found only in Texas that was once described by Nick as "a mix between Sam's club and Walmart." This description, of course, kept me from venturing inside of one for at least the first few months that I lived here until I went and realized that, while the description is true, they also carry pretty much everything you could ever need and actually have a lot of good stuff. Plus you really can't beat the prices.

Since I was determined to have my first dish be pasta free, I looked for something that was still somewhat traditional Italian and the gorgonzola risotto caught my eye. The ingredients were simple and I knew I would have no problem cutting the recipe in half. So on my day off I opted not to clean my incredibly messy house and instead made my kitchen a little more messy. The end result was worth it. Here's the recipe:

Risotto with Gorgonzola 
by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich


Ingredients:

6 to 8 cups broth (I used vegetable but chicken or beef works too)

1/3 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cup chopped onions

Salt (approximately 2 tsp)

2 cups short grain rice (I used Arborio)

1 cup white wine

8 ounces Gorgonzola, cut or crumbled into small pieces

1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano

Heat stock in separate pot almost to a boil. Keep it hot, near the pan.

Put Olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add onions and 1 tsp salt. Cook until onions are slightly wilted. Add rice and turn up heat, stir for a couple of minutes, until toasted but not browned. Pour in wine and cook, stirring continuously, until nearly all absorbed.

Ladle in 2 cups of stock, and stir steadily. When you see the bottom of the pan as you stir (about 5 minutes) quickly ladle in another couple of cups and remaining salt. Cook, stirring, until the stock again is almost completely absorbed, and then ladle in another cup or so. Continue until about 6 cups have been added, or add more if needed. Cook until risotto is creamy but still al dente.

Turn off heat and add gorgonzola (reserve a few spoonfuls for garnish) and sprinkle over some of the grated parmesan, stir until both cheeses are incorporated. Spoon into bowls and add more cheese if desired.

Lidia also suggests adding pealed and sliced pears, which I did, and I highly recommend. I also decided that some pecans would also taste pretty yummy with this combo. Just add as much as you like of either after the heat is turned off.

Also this is the exact recipe in the book, I used half the ingredients which still produced a lot of food.

The end result is amazing and it looks like this:

All the flavors complement each other well, and although the cheeses are strong, the blend perfectly. I also recommend eating this dish outside (which I obviously did) just make sure you eat it fast, otherwise it may be consumed by a curious little black dog. 

I really enjoyed cooking this, even though I made quite a mess in the kitchen. It's also nice to have something other than a pb&j or a microwave meal to bring to work tomorrow night. Willow was also very happy since I let her sample some of the cheese. She has a strong affinity for fine cheeses thanks to a certain member of my family who began feeding her jarelsberg cheese when she was just a puppy. 

I am happily full right now and looking forward to a night of kitchen cleaning and relaxing with my sleepy little dog. Thanks again Kathy for the awesome gift!