ISALC, Lewis and Clark College

The Emotional Power of a Simple Dish: Risotto ai Funghi e Zafferano by Anonymous

 

If you think of Italy, the first word that will come to your mind is of course spaghetti. Although it is mostly true that Italians eat a lot of pasta, we still have other options for our meals! One of them is risotto. It is surely not something that we eat every day, but this is the exact reason why we consider it a special gourmet dish that we like to have for important occasions. It is one of the most favored first courses, not only for Italians, but also for those who are beginning to appreciate something other than Spaghetti Pizza & Co. It is also true that since risotto is a northern specialty, not everyone is able to make it; no wonder then, if there is a lot of mystery surrounding this delicious dish. There are no limits to the variety of risotto you can make; basically it depends on your fantasy, since you can do it with any kind of vegetables, meat, seafood or spices. However, the classic dish is the one prepared with wild mushrooms and saffron, also known as Risotto alla Milanese. Modestly, I make one of the best risotto you can have. My grandmother is from Milan, the motherland of this delight, and she taught me the original recipe that now I will share with you.

After all, it is a really easy process, but it is essential to follow some basic tips for risotto to be a success. Arborio will be your preference for the kind of rice you will use, as well as a good quality butter, olive oil, onion, and red or white wine. To turn out well, this dish also needs a discreet amount of dried porcini mushrooms and just a bit of first quality saffron powder. For the final touch, a generous sprinkle of fresh, shredded Parmesan cheese is indispensable. Besides a regular pot, you will also need another one to boil 1.5 liters of beef broth, or the same quantity of water, if you prefer to use bouillon.

First, cut very thinly a small onion and put it into the pot where you previously have melted four tablespoons of butter with two table spoons of olive oil, along with fresh cracked pepper and a little bit of salt. At this point, while you wait for the onion to become soft and transparent, you want to soak the porcini (mushrooms) in a cup of hot water. Now you should be ready to add the Arborio (rice) in the pot, having 80 gr. of rice per person. Turn up the stove and stir the rice continuously because you don't want it to stick. This process is very important in order to have the best result; in fact browning the rice in this way will ensure that you have an al dente risotto. Next, incorporate the wine raising up the heat to the maximum and stirring, while waiting for the alcohol to evaporate completely. Be sure to do this operation correctly; otherwise, the taste will turn out too winey. Then combine the mushrooms with their water to the mixture and gently add a little stock at a time, being careful to add more of it constantly. At this point turn the stove down to low and be sure to stir the risotto frequently, avoiding letting it stick on the bottom of the pot. A wonderful, hearty and inviting aroma will pervade your kitchen and will make all your guests longing to taste this dish. You will wait to add the saffron until half of the cooking time, which will be about 18 minutes. The final consistency has to be thick and creamy, but, as I mentioned before, it is indispensable that you add the broth in small amounts. Finally take the pot off the fire and melt together a tablespoon of butter and about two tablespoons of fresh shredded Parmesan. After a few minutes, sprinkle some more Parmesan on top of the dish and you are ready to serve the real risotto ai funghi e zafferano (rice with wild mushrooms and saffron).

There is nothing like making your guests happy just because you have prepared something special. It makes you feel very proud to have succeeded even in something that can be considered not so important. However, I think that cooking is not just a matter of preparing a meal. Besides everyday life when we can barely notice what is on our plate, we all like to celebrate important occasions, sharing food. It is a way to stay together and, at the same time, appreciate one of the joys of life. That is why we all have a sort of connection between what we are eating and our memories; smells and flavors of certain dishes sometimes bring to us emotions that immediately make us recall situations or people about whom we care. I think that cooking is another important aspect of this process. We are able to transform a mechanical and repetitive action, like preparing a dish, into an event, where every single step is being doing carefully and cheerfully.

While cooking risotto I feel gratified and I can't stop myself from thinking about my grandmother. I recall with pleasure when she patiently taught me how to make it. I close my eyes and immediately I am able to smell not only the fragrance of the dish, but also the comfortable and familiar perfume of my grandmother.

Created by: krauss@lclark.edu
Updated: 10/23/99