Mushroom Risotto

Risotto is very easy to make, yet it impresses guests time and again due to its creamy texture and sinfully delicious taste. To make risotto, it is detrimental that you purchase special risotto rice (Arborio), or you will not be able to produce the same thick and velvety results. Some say that risotto is time consuming, but this is only due to the fact that you must constantly watch and stir your risotto pot. Otherwise, risotto is easy to produce, and it is entirely pleasing to the palette as well.

You Will Need: 2 cups Arborio rice; olive oil; one chopped onion; one handful of diced mushrooms (any sort); 4 cups of basic chicken stock; salt and pepper; Parmesan cheese.

To Make: (over medium heat) first, sauté the onions in the olive oil until they are translucent. Then, add entire rice amount to the pan and let it sauté for one minute. Next, add one cup of chicken stock and allow rice to absorb all the stock. Stir constantly. Keep adding stock one cup at a time until rice absorbs it, and keep stirring the rice. Once rice becomes rather thick (about twenty minutes), add the diced mushrooms to the pot and stir. Keep stirring as you add ½ cup of Parmesan cheese. Once mixture is creamy and done, remove from the stovetop and add salt and pepper to taste.

When the rice is thoroughly cooked and thick, taste the mixture. If you think that the rice needs more cheese, go ahead and add a bit more. Really, risotto is up to you to taste and substitute as you see fit. In the end, you will have a large pot of irresistible rice that will make your taste buds swoon. Serve risotto as a main course with a bit of salad and fresh bread on the side. Remember, the trick to great risotto is to keep stirring it while it is cooking, and always add just a bit of stock at a time – buon appetito!