I don’t generally care for cauliflower. The aversion isn’t as intense as Brussel sprouts which cannot be redeemed no matter how much bacon they’re baked with. I thought dressing cauliflower up in risotto added another veg element while still eating gooey risotto. By now, I’ve made several different risottos, all based on Jamie Oliver’s Risotto Bianco which is a basic white risotto which can then be changed all sorts of ways. This is a great vegetarian option, just sub the chicken stock for veg stock and you’re golden. The other thing I also like best about risotto is the commitment to it - you’re basically massaging you’re meal until it’s done, it’s very intimate and soothing. Anyway, here’s Jamie’s recipe. Sneak in some veggies this week!

Price Breakdown:

Cauliflower - $1.49

Celery 2 stalks - $1.99

I already had Arborio rice, Vermouth (I only use it for risotto, so it lasts a while), butter, onions, and the last of Parm from last week. I also used up the rest of a carton of chicken stock I had in the fridge. For the bread crumbs, I used anchovy paste I already had and chili pepper. Also you can use the baguette from the onion soup for these bread crumbs!

So this recipe said it made 4 servings. Granted, I didn’t make the scallop part - they’re really expensive! But the risotto to pumpkin ratio didn’t really leave enough risotto for 3 people. If you really like pumpkin, then that’s fine, but we all wanted a bit more creamy risotto goodness. It was good though - just a basic basic white risotto recipe with some blanched pumpkin added - lot of goodness though. I’d like to try the whole recipe someday with the scallops when my pocketbook allows. This with a great salad and white wine - Bon Appétit!

I probably won’t recommend making a whole week of pumpkin dishes, but by me doing this, you can pick and choose, and what better week to do this experiment. Johnathan’s enthusiasm might wane a bit by the end of the week, but I hope to make these dishes interesting enough that even if you did do a whole week of them you won’t hate pumpkins forever. Friday we’re having some close friends over for Halloween, as we all have an equal disinterest in Halloween celebrations. However I am making a festive dish using butternut squash and black fettuccine, and the pumpkin will be in the dessert. Here’s what I’m thinking for this week:

Monday - a Rachael Ray pasta I saw this weekend - Penne with a pumpkin cream sauce

Tuesday - Pumpkin Crab Cakes

Wednesday - Warm Pumpkin Salad with Polenta

Thursday - Pumpkin Risotto

Friday - Black Fettuccine with Shrimp and Butternut Squash with Pumpkin Crumb Cake for dessert.

Risotto can seem intimidating, but it’s really just massaging your food, in between sips of wine. It’s actually quite theraputic. I really enjoy risotto, and this one has bacon, which is even better. The salty of the bacon, and the sweet squash is really nice. You don’t need a lot of this - it’s so filling, and we have A LOT left over. Risottos are also really impressive dishes, that really aren’t that difficult. You just have to pay attention, so it’s best made before a dinner party just because you can’t socialize and massage the pasta  at the same time. Also, this recipe doesn’t have the traditional amounts of butter and parm, and it’s less decadent and more hearty. Make sure you cook the squash enough and it’s done all the way through. This is also a great one dish dinner. Ok, enough good things, just try this.

Today I’m off to the Green Market for a class that tours the market then heads back to the Astor Center for a day long pasta making/wine pairing class. I’m expecting this to be a great day - good weather, good food, good people. Stay tuned for pics and review. I’ll also be posting a menu tomorrow - this week I”ll also be posting on Jamati.com so we’ll be doing African fare, which will be interesting!

Serves 6

Squash:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cups 1/2 to 3/4 inch cubes peeled, seeded butternut squash (about 2 lbs)

1.5 teaspoons brown sugar (I just used raw sugar)

Risotto:

3 cups low salt chicken broth

3 cups beef broth (I used veggie broth)

1.5 tablespoons olive oil

3 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3/4 cup chopped shallots (about 5 large)

3/4 teaspoon finely chopped sage

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped thyme

2 cups arborio rice

1/3 cup dry Riesling (I used Pinot Gris because it’s what I had on the shelf)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Fresh Parm

1. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add squash. Sprinkle with sugar., then salt and pepper. Sauté 6 minutes. Cover: cook until almost tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Uncover: sauté until browned but still holding shape, about 8 minutes. Can be made 1 day ahead, refrigerate, but bring to room temp before using.

2. Combine chicken broth and beef (or veg) broth in large saucepan and bring to simmer: cover and set aside to keep warm.

3. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add bacon; sauté until beginning to brown. Add shallots. Sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Mix in sage and thyme; stir 1 minute. Add rice; sauté until kernels are white with translucent edges, about 4 minutes. Add wine; stir until wine evaporates, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup warm broth; simmer until broth is absorbed, stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup broth; simmer until almost all liquid absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Continue adding broth 1 cup at a time and cooking until rice is just tender and risotto is creamy, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in parsley and squash. Cook until squash is heated, about 1 minute. Serve, and grate cheese onto each plate.

Mondavi Vineyard, Napa Valley

After 2 weeks away from my kitchen, I’m having a hard time getting back into my routine. We’ve reunited with the cat and dog, and adjusting to our new time zone. I was so inspired by the dishes I ate in Northern California - not so much the over fried plates from Honolulu. We got to go to some of the best spots in San Fran - Nopa, Foreign Cinema, Hog Island Oyster, and Dottie’s. I also got to take a day trip up to Napa to scope it out - my parents want to take their dream vacation there next year. It was stunning - once the fog burned off - which seemed later and later every day. I stopped at the Marin Farmer’s Market - the best I’ve ever been to. This blows Union Square out of the water - and I went on the slow day (Thursday). There were a lot more purveyors, and vendors set up to cook - and there were places to sit!! I had a wheat crepe with heirloom tomatoes, brie, and pesto for breakfast - great way to start the day. I also tasted the best strawberries I’d ever had, and actually had great conversations with people there. I think the longer people live in New York, the lower their expectations are for everyday encounters - I was shocked how friendly, helpful, and interested people were there, and at the restaurants we ate at.

If you’ve ever been to the Bay Area, especially in San Fran itself, it gets chilly, and fast. It didn’t rise about 70F the whole time we were there. It did get a bit toasty in Napa, but Fall was certainly in the air. I woke up this morning to a muggy 86F and was dripping by the time we walked back from the crappy, stressful market with eggs, bacon, and cheese for breakfast. However, I’m still in Fall mode, even if NYC isn’t, and it might not be till late October. So this week’s menu is a bit homey, warm, and rich. We also have a friend of a friend from England via Figi (not sure how that works yet) staying with us Wednesday and he requested a good old American roast, which I’m so happy to do. Now I’m not sure how traditional this recipe is, but beetroots are in season and a rib of roast beef can’t be too bad. So if you can crank up your A/C here in NYC and pretend it’s fall or if you’re lucky enough to be experiencing it right now, enjoy these homey treats!

Monday - Mushroom Soup with Hazelnut Gremolata

Tuesday - Belgian Leek Tart with Aged Goad Cheese

Wednesday - Rib roast of beef with Beetroot and Horseradish

Thursday - Cheesy Baked Penne with Cauliflower and Creme Fraiche

Friday - Risotto with Butternut Squash and Sage/ Carrots with Ginger-Honey Glaze

This meal was great - despite the badly lit picture you see here (I promise I’m working on it). We had my foodie friend Adrienne over to share in the feast and risotto from scratch is not as intimidating as you would think. I was able to chat, snack on cheese and crackers, and prepare dinner. I really tried to loosen up, and did a lot of changes and measurements based on how it looked and tasted. I didn’t add the fennel - I have a strong, demon-like aversion to the stuff. I added marjoram instead, and of course the saffron which makes everything oh so pretty. Like I was expecting the Whole Foods mussels were very disappointing. We had to throw out 2/3 of the bag before we could start cooking, and then half of those didn’t open after cooking which equals no eating. Next time I want seafood, it’s the crustacean experts from Long Island that set up at the Green Market for me. The squid was tender, but the Tilapia I added didn’t add a whole lot of meatiness or flavor. The frozen shrimp tasted great - a tip here - add the shrimp to dishes frozen so you know when they’re done and pink, and you’re more likely not to over cook them. I also didn’t make my own fish stock, I know, a Jamie Oliver sin, but the whole thing turned out great. I hope the leftovers are ok, sans mussels of course. Here’s the recipe below. Don’t be afraid of different creatures from the deep!

Risotto ai Frutti de Mare (Seafood Risotto)

3.5 lb (about) mixed seafood, cleaned

pinch of dried chili

pinch of saffron strands

juice of 1 lemon

32fl oz of fish stock

olive oil, butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 a head of celery, trimmed and finely chopped

2 cups risotto (Arborio) rice

2 wineglasses of dry vermouth or dry white wine

1. Heat the stock. Put the olive oil and butter into a separate pan, add the onion, garlic, celery, saffron, chili, and fennel (if you so choose…) and cook very slowly for about 15 minutes without coloring. When the veggies have softened, add the rice and turn up the heat.

2. The rice will now begin to lightly fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent. Add the vermouth or wine and keep stirring. Any harsh alcohol flavors will evaporate and leave a tasty essence.

3. Once the wine or vermouth has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and good pinch of salt. Turn the heat down to a simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and massaging the creamy starch out of the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15 minutes. When the rice is nearly cooked, add your fish and shellfish *note: I sauteed the squid and fish fillets slightly before I added them). Taste the rice to check if it’s cooked. If not, keep adding stock until the rice is soft, with a slight bite. Remove from the heat once the shellfish have opened or the shrimps are all pink. * If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked, you can use boiling water.

4. This is SEAFOOD risotto - don’t add Parmesan, as tempting as it may be! Fish and cheese bad. Instead, add about 4 tablespoons of butter, check the seasoning, and drizzle a bit of olive oil as well as the lemon juice on the top. If you have any stock left over ( I didn’t) you can add a bit of that to the individual serving bowls.