Thursday 21 October 2010

the return of the risotto

I am not sure why...but recently I have abandoned my old stand-by favourite, risotto, in favour of thai curries and stir frys.  I don't know why, I don't know how...but somehow it happened.  Well...yesterday I was craving the chopping and slow stirring relaxation I get out of  making a gorgeous (and simple) risotto.  Originally I was picturing creamy rice with some frutti di mare...a dream which was crushed to a pulp when there was none at the local supermarket...nothing....fresh, frozen, cooked, raw...nothing!!! Wandering aimlessly up and down the aisles, putting cookies and crackers and cereals and things I didn't need into my basket I began to dispair. 

But then...what is that I spy?? up on the top top shelf??  oyster mushrooms? crimini mushrooms? shitaki mushrooms? SAVED!

I've avoided mushroom risotto for a while now.  I was getting bored of it...it was same old same old...but not now!! The simple addition of different varieties of mushrooms makes this simple old stand-by new and special!  I tend to avoid "gourmet" mushrooms being on a budget, but, actually...these locally grown varieties weren't any more expensive than what I would have spent on the seafood. 

Buying them prepackaged wasn't anything like buying them fresh from the grower at my local market in London...but boy did it make my night!! 


And, I must have been onto something...Jamie made a mushroom risotto on his 30 minute meals last night!! Cept he managed to make the risotto, a salad, dessert and some crispy mushrooms as well...

5 comments:

  1. Inspired by an earlier post of yours, I will be attempting my own take on a tomato and ricotta risotto tonight, but mushroom risotto remains one of my all time favourites - especially at this time of the year.

    Sx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Seren....can't wait to hear about your risotto! there is something sooo soothing about chopping and stirring, i can't really explain it! xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Had to pop back to say tomato and ricotta risotto was absolutely amazing! Thank you sooooo much for your post. Now, what to try next - Jamie Oliver has a fennel and ricotta risotto on his website which I quite fancy the idea of topped with a seabass fillet...

    Sx

    ReplyDelete
  4. never abandon the risotto, it's such a perfect meal... yours looks exceptional, great photo too!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am finding so many risotto recipes, I just don't know where to begin. Well yes I do, I have to go the grocers, I need a lot of different ingredients.

    ReplyDelete