Wild Mushroom Risotto

Years ago, I emailed my good friend Marina, a 1st generation Italian to ask if she would help me learn to make risotto properly. She is from the northern region of Italy, and told me that she grew up on risotto and that her Mama cooked as I do.. never measuring, but that Mama could make even the simplest of risotto dishes exquisitely and would 'fill your belly'. :) After 4 emails and two phone calls, I finally got it right! To this day I do not know why I thought making risotto would be so difficult to prepare. I now make risotto routinely here.. all kinds of risotto and my family never tires of my varieties. Me..? I could eat it daily! So, thanks again so very much bella Marina for sharing your method with me.

Risotto is a creamy, moist rice dish that is relatively easy to make and such a far cry from a typical steamed long-grain rice.. even though they are made from the very same basic ingredients. But it is important to know, the rice used for risotto is a particuliar variety.. Arborio..is clearly the 'something special' used in all great risotto's.

A short-grained rice, rich in starch, which is slowly and carefully cooked in such a way that the rice releases it's starch resulting in a creamy consistency while the grains of rice remain whole.

Since risotto is such a simple dish, always use the best ingredients you can find. I think much of the quality and goodness of risotto lies heavily on a high-quality arborio rice, the freshest of vegetables, good wine, flavorful stock, real butter... and twenty minutes!

Try not to rush the cooking process... you'll be so pleased with the results! Keep in mind though, that making risotto does require attention to achieve that deliciously creamy consistency--from coating the rice with oil or butter, to adding in the stock just a ladleful at a time, to allow the rice absorbtion of liquids gradually. Remember to gently stir the risotto frequently after each addition of your stock and you will soon be rewarded with a creamy in texture, tender, but still firm to the bite and wonderfully moist and delicious risotto every time.


Here is my Wild Mushroom Risotto. I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do.

6 TBLS of unsalted butter
1 lb cremini mushrooms, chopped
2 shallots, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 tsp low-salt soy sauce
1 oz dried porchini mushrooms (pre-soaked in water) (reserve the liquid)
1 oz dried **black & white fungi strips -optional- (found in Asian grocer)
1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 TBL fresh lemon juice
Ground black pepper

Heat 6 cups of chicken stock. Keep it warm.
Melt 2 TBLS butter over medium heat. Add cremeni mushrooms and minced onion and cook until the mushrooms are browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and keep warm.



Now add remaining butter to your empty mushroom pan and garlic.. sauteeing the garlic for 30 seconds or so on medium heat. Pour in the rice and cook until the edges become transluscent, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. DO NOT brown your rice. Now add your wine and cook until the rice has almost completely absorbed it, about 2 more minutes. Ladle in 2 cup of warmed chicken stock, slowly, add soy sauce and pre-soaked porcini and ** black & white fungi strips if used, scraping up any rice that sticks. Give it a good stir. Cover your pan and continue simmering on low heat until nearly all your liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes.



Uncover pan now, stir rice well and add your remaining warm stock by ladleful.. making sure all liquid has been absorbed before adding in your next ladleful... cooking over medium heat and stirring often, until the rice grains are mostly tender, about 2-3 minutes.



Now replace your pan lid and let the risotto sit off the heat until it has nicely thickened, and the grains completely tender. Before serving, stir in the sauteed cremini mushrooms and shallots, Parmesan cheese,lemon juice and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Minestra... Easter Soup

Neapolitans serve special traditional dishes for different holidays. On Easter Sunday, when I was a child, this Minestra di Pasqua was always present on my Nunie's Easter Sunday dinner.This was the beginning of our Easter meal served before the pasta dish.



I have the fondest of memories of this day as my Nunie and Aunty Ella prepared so many traditional delights for all to savor. Some of the important parts of the meal included Crescia or Easter bread, Minestra di Pasqua.. Easter soup and Pastiera di Ricotta.. Easter pie. I can easily recall the large stock pot in the long pantry and stacks of soup bowls readied for ladeling, the sauce pot simmering away while the women busily prepared the antipasto trays. Sometimes they would even let the children grate the fresh cheese to be served. The aroma that permeated through her home was absolutely wonderful and oddly enough the essence of Easter lilies mingled in around everything else.



These time treasured traditions are held close to the hearts of so many Italian families.. signifying the renewal of faith and spirit to all.


Minestra Soup

In years gone by, the minestra was always made with a prosciutto bone. Today, prosciutto bones are hard to come by as this Italian ham is now processed with the bone removed.

Chicken stock - make a day ahead
* 5 lb whole chicken
*1 celery stalk-chopped, 2 carrots-chopped 1 med onion-chopped } add to stock
8 cups water - enough to cover your chicken

5 lb escarole, chopped
1 large cabbage head, chopped
1 lb prosciutto
3 pigs feet ( have your butcher crack them in half)
3 ham hocks
2 qt water
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
4 cups pre-made chicken stock
1/2 cup tiny pasta soup mac
1/2 lb salt pork, minced
2 clove garlic, crushed
1 TBLS fresh parsley, chopped
sea salt, ground pepper to taste
*optional - very small meatballs may be added to the soup


Make a chicken stock in a large pot adding celery, onion and a few diced carrots. Slow cook the chicken until it begins to pull away from the bones. Once done, remove the chicken from bones and set aside. Allow your stock to cool overnight.

Prepare Minestra

Place the salt pork in a large stock pot with the garlic and parsley. Brown lightly and add 2 quarts of water and 4 cups of chicken stock. Add the pigs feet, prosciutto and ham hocks, bringing it to a boil. Place a loose lid on the pot and simmer until meats are tender.

Remove the tough outer leaves of the cabbage and escarole, separating all the leaves and rinsing thoroughly and chop all. Parboil the greens in 4 qts of water for 5 minutes and drain. Add the parboiled greens to the stockpot containing the meats, along with the cooked chicken and seasonings & pasta. I sometimes like to add very small meatballs to my minestra. Simmer for an hour and serve with plenty of grated parmesan cheese and a nice bottle of red wine. Enjoy!

A good friend sent me this video clip about what it was like growing up Italian in America. It brought back floods of memories & warm remembrances of days gone by.