Lately I’ve been eating a lot of meals on the go. It’s been leaving a big hole in my stomach for something hearty and filling.
The ultimate comfort food to me is my mother’s risotto. Good heavens, that woman can cook a risotto that tastes like pulling a warm blanket over you on a chilly afternoon. For that reason, I have never attempted risottos. But I was craving something relatively quick and supremely comforting, and I happened to have an abundance of homemade chicken stock and arborio rice lying around.
I ended up making risotto Friday and Saturday since we, uh, did not have any leftovers from the first night. My very first risotto was a take on my mother’s Tomato Basil Risotto from Marcella Hazen’s Italian Kitchen.
This particular version came out a tad bland, so if you have fresh basil, use it. And don’t be shy with the Parmesan and salt and pepper.
Saturday night I sort of made up a version of pumpkin risotto which turned out to be heavenly. Photographic evidence:
Check out my recipes. They are not that difficult to make and are incredibly warm and comforting. Enjoy a bowl of risotto on the couch while watching It’s A Wonderful Life. You won’t regret it.
