Let it snow…

Posted: January 4, 2010 | Author: Alyssa | Filed under: Alyssa | 3 Comments »

There are 2 feet of snow on the ground and it WILL NOT STOP SNOWING.  This is not just regular snow, this is giant, heavy chunks of snow falling from the sky like little meteors of sadness and tragedy.  My car is completely buried, and it is so deep that my dog literally can not walk in it.  Needless to say, I am not a happy camper.  Snow is pretty through the window, but when you are in it, all it does is make shit freaking cold, wet, slippery and gross.  Luckily, there is no end in sight for this winter wonderland of doom, so I am just going to have to find a way to deal.  Tonight, after a long day walking around the frozen tundra we call campus, all I wanted was something warm and comforting that would make me feel happy and squishy.  So one of the first things I thought about was risotto.  Its warm and creamy and hearty enough to make me forget that its January in Ohio.  I had an old Giada De Laurentiis recipe that I have been playing with in my head, and tonight was the perfect night to make it.  I have to warn you though, dear readers, this is very much not a light recipe.  It contains butter, sausage, bacon, and cheese…so if your new years resolution was to lose weight, you might want to run like hell in the opposite direction of this recipe.

Dirty Risotto:

I would suggest you have all your ingredients pre-chopped, diced, and prepped since risotto is a bit of a needy dish.  First, measure out 5 cups of chicken stock and heat it in a sauce pan until it is simmering.  I diced a medium-small yellow onion, and about a half a package of mushrooms (any kind you like) and two thick slices of bacon.  I also measured out a cup and a half of arborio rice so that I had everything ready .

Melt 2Tbsp of butter over medium heat, then add the diced bacon and about 1/3 lb of hot Italian sausage and sautee until they are brown.  Throw in the mushroom and onion and let them soften, then season with salt and pepper.  Add the rice and mix it to coat the rice.  Pour in 3/4 cup of white wine and let it simmer until the wine is almost completely gone.

Sausage and bacon

Then add the chicken stock one large ladle-full at a time (about 1/2-3/4 cup at a time), letting the rice absorb the liquid between each ladle-full, and stirring constantly.  Once the liquid has all been added and the risotto is creamy and delicious looking, take it off the heat and add about 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese and mix together.  Serve immediately, because its delicious and will make you happy .

This was exactly what I needed tonight, and it made so much that I will be able to enjoy it through out the week.  I think my next risotto adventure is going to be a sweet dessert risotto…more to come on that.