Risotto 1

First of all, we are very sorry for only posting once in April.  Last month, I was out of town for 14 days and Jon was out for 4.  Well, what about the other 12 days of the month?!  Have no fear, we will update you quickly on a few delicious recipes that we cooked while we were MIA (and we also have another post ready and waiting for tomorrow, so don't go away!)

For this post, we are going to talk about risotto!  We named this one Risotto 1 because we cook risotto so often that we know this is only the first of many.

Risotto is a very special dish to us because it was after cooking risotto with my family that Jon was inspired to begin his cooking frenzy.  And look how far we've come!

Risotto with Smoked Bacon and Tomato

Potatoe & Rice, by Barker, Mansfield, and Ingram

Key Ingredients: Bacon, sundried tomatoes, onions, chives, and parsley

This is a dish that I often request for my birthday dinner.  It is the most delicious thing I've ever eaten in my life.  I'd have it all the time it were just a bit healthier.  Before I describe the dish in detail, I want to mention that the title is misleading because this dish doesn't call for fresh tomatoes, but for sundried tomatoes (double yum).  You cook the bacon in the oil of the sundried tomatoes, which makes the whole house smell delicious.  Then there is the typical risotto protocal (heat chicken stock in one pot, cook onions, then rice in the other and begin adding the stock slowly to the rice/onions).  This is such a great dish that I'm salvating just thinking about.  Jon also made this for his family Christmas day.  I wasn't there, so I'm mad at him now for telling me that (I had forgotten, I guess).

Risotto with Bacon, Baby Zucchini, and Bell Peppers

Potatoe & Rice, by Barker, Mansfield, and Ingram



Key Ingredients: Bacon, zucchini, wild mushrooms, bell peppersgarlic, cream, and dry sherry



This is not my favorite risotto.  Although it has cream and is, therefore, fattier than the other risottos listed here, it isn't as rich or fulfilling.  But it's still quite good.  How could you ever go wrong with bacon?  Funny fact: Jon calls Azula "baby zucchini."  Once when I said that it was time to add the baby zucchini to the pot, he yelped and exclaimed he'd never cook our baby zucchini!  It was a good laugh.

Cream of Tomato Risotto

The New Basics, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins



Key Ingredients: Canned tomatoes, onions, and rosemary



This is the first risotto I ever ate when I was a child.  My family and I instantly fell in love with this classic Italian dish, and this easy recipe has been a staple of my life ever since.  This is definitely the easiest risotto we've ever made.  I know it's crazy, but Jon and I don't even own The New Basics cookbook, we look it up online (although at this point, we have it memorized).  For more information about Google Books and intellectual property, please visit my brother's blog. 

A Gift from Uncle Cosmo

Key Ingredients: Azula in a Zabar's bag

Key Ingredients: Cosmo in a plastic bag

Cosmo sent Azula a Zabar's bag from New York.  She loves it.  Cosmo also sent a picture of himself in a bag to show her how it's done.