If you follow me on twitter, you know this week I was talking about eating edamame risotto leftovers for lunch and YUM…it was good.  I had never made risotto, but I do watch Top Chef enough to know that it’s a slow process and it should not be dry!  This is a side note, but I feel like risotto has been one of those popular dishes on menus at restaurants  and a dish that foodies pride themselves on making well.  I was thinking this week about how each generation is defined by their food.  Dishes they’re known for.  Our moms mastered meatloaf and their moms had fancy jello molds with fruit cocktail and weird stuff like shredded carrots floating about.  I wonder if our kids will say, pffft…risotto…icky wet rice.

Anyway, risotto.  There’s no real recipe.  You start by simmering some chicken stock in a pot, then in a different pot saute onion and arborio rice (can be found at Trader Joe’s…among other places) until toasty.  Start adding the broth (don’t let it boil) little by little until each bit is absorbed.  I was adding it about 1/2 cup at a time.  If you cook it too long, it will be dry.  And the next thing you know Wolfgang Puck will be coming back to the kitchen to give you a quick lesson.  🙂

You can add a little white wine along with the chicken stock.  When it’s nice and creamy and the rice is cooked, you’ll be done.  It takes about 25-30 minutes total.  Then you get to add the fun stuff.  Like, oh, a huge pile of freshly grated parmesan.  A big handful of edamame will balance that out.  Season with salt and pepper and you’re done.

I added a little tossed salad for dinner that night.  I was trying to re-create something I ate at my friend Allyson’s house.  I cut up some granny smith apple, red onion, toasted almond slices and diced dried bing cherries.  Dress with the best salad dressing ever and you’re good to go!

Over ten years ago, we lived in Solvang and they only had one market, Nielsen’s.  It was an adorable little gourmet market and that was where I was first introduced to Brianna’s salad dressings.  It’s a little confusing with the strawberry on the front.  It’s actually blush wine vinaigrette, not strawberry.  Anywhoo, it’s awesome.  As in best ever.  And I saw it at Allyson’s with her amazing salad the other night, so I thought I’d mention it here!