To Food With Love

I typically like to switch up my cuisines - sushi one night, Mexican the next. But the theme of this weekend was Italian, and I'm not complaining. Maybe I'm biased because of my Italian roots, but I don't think I could ever get sick of Italian food, even after an entire weekend full of it...

It started with dinner at Il Bagatto in the East Village on Friday night. Hidden on 2nd Street between Avenues A & B, Il Bagatto is old school, no frills, authentic Italian food. After the waiter spewed off a looong list of specials (completely by memorization, too!), I decided on two specials: grilled calamari to start and fettuccine with shrimp, grape tomatoes and pesto. Though simple, the calamari was perfectly tender, not rubbery at all, and very light. The pasta was also not too heavy, yet nicely satisfying for a hot summer evening. Afterwards and very apropos, we saw Woody Allen's To Rome With Love, which I highly recommend for anyone who has a love affair for all things European, like me! 

Continuing the trend, Saturday I spent at an Italian cooking class at The Blue Burner in Midtown. Another Groupon purchase and having taken a cookie baking class there a few months ago that was somewhat unfulfilling, I was a little weary for this one. But we were pleasantly surprised, as this class was much more hands-on and involved. During the 3 hour class, we made a white wine risotto, a red wine risotto, pesto, and chicken cacciatore. It was quite the indulgent meal for a Saturday afternoon, but also made for the perfect excuse to take a long nap after. 

To cap it all off, Sunday's excursion was to L & B Spumoni Gardens in the depths of Brooklyn. I've read about Spumoni Gardens on several "best pizza" round-ups from other food blogs, so it was about time I saw what the buzz was all about. And the buzz is 100% deserved. Also a very old school, no frills place, you order your pizza by the slice or pie at a window and then devour it on several red picnic tables out front. (There's also a sit-down restaurant attached to the pizza window). Spumoni's signature is a tomato pie, which has a thick crust, a little bit of cheese and topped with tomato sauce. A departure from your typical New York slice, this was the best Sicilian style pizza I've ever had. And though it's a bit of a trek into Brooklyn, I'm not one to pass on quality food for the sake of time. 

Celebrate Good Food, C'mon!

For me, food is the answer to all of life's ups and downs: break ups, hangovers, birthdays, new jobs. There is no better way to feel better or to celebrate than through food. So upon starting my new job at Benchmarc Restaurants, you can bet I toasted myself with a delicious, gourmet meal.

On the eve before my new adventure, I was craving something elegant yet hearty. With some butternut squash in the fridge and arborio rice in my pantry, I decided that a butternut squash risotto would be the perfect self-celebratory dinner. After making a quick trip down to Westside Market to pick up a few other ingredients - vegetable stock, sage, and of course, white wine (for cooking and consuming) - I was ready to go.

This wasn't the first time I attempted butternut squash risotto. Unfortunately my first try last year at Christmas was a bit of a flop. First, the squash was already spoiled by the time I went to use it, so I was forced to improvise. Being my first time ever making risotto, I was definitely not experienced enough to do so. What I ended up with was a grayish, purple risotto (from red wine) and grains that were still quite starchy and chewy. My first risotto was as sad as a lump of coal on Christmas morning. But thankfully, I lived and I learned...

And this second attempt at butternut squash risotto certainly was something to celebrate! So creamy and hearty, with a touch of sweetness from the squash and vanilla bean, and a lovely earthiness from the sage. The dish was exactly what I had been craving and was luxurious enough to feel like I was "treating" myself even while I ate in my sweatpants and slippers.

Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto (adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)
serves 4-6

Ingredients:
4 cups vegetable stock
1 vanilla bean
3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash (I buy the pre-cut squash from Trader Joe's)
2 tbs butter, plus 1 tbs
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
8-10 sage leaves, roughly chopped

1. In a medium saucepan, heat stock over medium-high heat. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and pod to the pot.
2. When the broth comes to a simmer, add the squash and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, move the squash to a side dish. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat.
3.  In a large, heavy saucepan melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until it has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes.
4. Add 1/2 cup of the hot broth to the rice and stir until almost completely absorbed, about  2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding 1/2 cup of broth at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed in between additions. The rice should be creamy and tender to the bite when finished cooking. (If you're starting to run low on the broth and the rice is still too firm, just heat up more broth or water until the rice is cooked).
5. When the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and discard the vanilla bean pod. Gently stir in the Parmesan cheese, sage, salt and remaining tablespoon of butter. Serve immediately.

Going Green: Asparagus, Edamame & Artichoke Risotto

Since starting a full-time job in November, it's taken me a while to get into a "food routine"--knowing how much produce to buy without going to waste, planning meals ahead for busy nights. While there is still plenty-a-night when the last thing I feel like doing after work is sautéing or chopping, it's safe to say I've got a better handle on time management.

One of my favorite time-savers is making a week's worth of lunch on a Sunday afternoon. Not only does it free up a few minutes each night during the week, but it's always a nice distraction from my dread of work the next morning. Plus, since I have more time on a Sunday afternoon to cook than I would on a weeknight, I can get a little fancy with my creations.

This week's lunch is inspired by the veggie of the moment and one of my personal favorites: asparagus. When cooked properly, asparagus is perfectly tasty sans butter or salt. Obviously just asparagus isn't enough to satisfy my insatiable appetite, so I've incorporated it into a well-rounded risotto dish.

This is only the second time I've ever made risotto--the first was at last year's Christmas. I planned to make butternut squash risotto, but the squash was already spoiled by the time I went to use it. So I was forced to improvise using red wine and a mish-mash of herbs. The finished product was more of a grayish mush than risotto. Needless to say, the "risotto" ended up in the trash along with crazy Aunt Helen's presents (family, you know what I mean).

So I went into today's dish a little nervous that it would wind up like last Christmas' trash, but my nerves were soon calmed by the creamy sound as I stirred the risotto. My one piece of advice with risotto is to add the liquid in small batches very slowly. If you add too much liquid at once, it will just be absorbed before the rice is done cooking--no one likes a crunchy risotto.

In the end, the dish wound up better than I'd hoped, and now I have a delicious, gourmet lunch for the whole week! Now if only I could be as excited about work as I am about tomorrow's lunch...

Green Spring Risotto (recipe inspired by Eating Well magazine)
Serves 4-5, or a week's worth of lunches for one

Ingredients:
1 lb asparagus, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup frozen edamame
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbs chopped fresh thyme
grated Parmesan, for garnish

1. Boil 4 cups water. Add asparagus and cook 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In another saucepan, bring 2 cups water and chicken broth to a simmer.
3. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, cook 4 minutes. Add garlic, cook 2 minutes.
4. Stir in rice, edamame, and salt. Cook 1 minute then 1/2 cup broth mixture. Stir until nearly absorbed. Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring in between until liquid has been absorbed. This should take about 20-30 minutes.
5. Lower heat and add asparagus, cream cheese and pepper. Stir to combine.
6. Top with Parmesan and thyme.