Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Risotto

After a very long hiatus (winter break) from writing due to the slowest internet connection at least in the Midwest, and possibly the country, I am finally back at school and beautiful wireless. If you haven't noticed already, I LOVE mushrooms in really all forms, and eat them quite often. This was a recipe I made while home, a slight twist on my normal go-to risotto recipe, but I really liked the additions of roasted garlic and thyme. If you don't have roasted garlic on hand, it takes a little while to make, but is completely worth it.

Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Risotto (adapted from Bon Appétit)

5 cups chicken broth
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms,* rinsed (optional, but adds great flavor)
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
12 ounces baby bella or other wild mushrooms, sliced
5 garlic cloves, roasted
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram
1 1/2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Additional grated Parmesan cheese


Preparation

To roast garlic: preheat oven to 375. Cut off the top of an entire head of garlic and put in a small roasting pan. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top, then cover with foil. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until golden and a knife easily goes into one of the cloves. Alternately, if you are like me and only want to roast a few cloves at a time, you can just pull them apart, drizzle with oil, and bake for about 25 minutes instead.

For risotto: Bring broth to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Add porcini and simmer until just tender, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to plate. Cool mushrooms and chop finely. Cover broth and keep warm over very low heat.

Melt butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add porcini, garlic and both herbs; sauté 4 minutes. Add rice; stir 2 minutes. Add wine; cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup hot broth; simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Continue to cook until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, adding more broth by half cupfuls and stirring often, about 30 minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing additional cheese separately.

*Porcini are available at Italian markets and many supermarkets.

Gnocchi with Mushroom Sauce

I have been in love with gnocchi ever since my family went to Italy when I was 16. These little potato dumplings can hold up to many different kinds of sauces, and I ate them at least once a week when I studied in Bologna.
My mom made this particular recipe when I was home for Thanksgiving, and it was so delicious I had to make it again with Ari. It is a really great recipe to make with someone else, since one person can make the gnocchi and the other can make the sauce. You can also use store bought gnocchi, but I swear making them by hand isn't that hard or time consuming, and is really worth the effort. They practically melt in your mouth.

Gnocchi with Mushroom Sauce (adapted from Bon Appétit, serves 4)

For gnocchi:
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (2 large)
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
pinch nutmeg
7 (or more) tablespoons flour

For sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces fresh shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
6 ounces fresh baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup sliced shallots
1 3/4 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

3 cups coarsely chopped arugula or spinach
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Bake the potatoes, pierced with a fork, at 450 degrees for about an hour. When finished, mash and mix with egg and spices. Add the flour and mix until firm but elastic, adding more flour as needed. Divide dough into four portions. Roll out one portion on a floured surface into a long tube, about one inch thick, then cut into 1 inch pieces. Roll each piece off of the tines of a fork to get a ridged effect. (This takes a little practice) Place gnocchi on a flour covered baking sheet. Repeat with other three portions. Cook for 3-4 minutes in a pot of boiling salted water.
Meanwhile, sauté the butter and olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat for two minutes. Add the mushrooms and shallots and sauté for ten minutes. Add the stock and sage and simmer for eight minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and add the cooked gnocchi and simmer for another minute. Add the arugula or spinach and stir until wilted. Top with cheese.

We accompanied this with a really lovely 2005 Masi Campfiorin, from Verona. It was a birthday gift from my housemates, and was a perfect compliment to the gnocchi. I am a little biased towards Italian wines, but this one was full and smooth, with a wonderful taste in the mouth.

Thanksgiving (a little late)

I realize that it has been a couple of weeks since Thanksgiving, but due to the end of the semester and work piling up, I haven't had a lot of time to write. However, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, so it really deserves a spot on here.
My parents started hosting Thanksgiving at our house more than 20 years ago when they moved to Woodbury and I was just a wee thing. Ever since then, it has only grown and just about anyone is welcome. In the past, we have had family, friends, (ex) significant others and a few random people who came along. It is inevitably chaotic, loud, messy, and delicious, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Since much of my family is based in Minnesota, a small year means around 30 people for dinner, and if my mom's side can come, there are about 60 of us. It sounds a little crazy, and it is never very calm, but it means that I get to see people who I haven't seen in a while and of course, there is the food.
My parents are always in charge of the turkey and the dressing. This year, they bought two organic free range turkeys from a nearby farm, and I have to say it was definitely worth it. It wasn't at all dry, and the skin was crispy and salty and delicious. The dressing is a classic, the same one my mom makes every year. I used to hate it when I was little, but now it is one of my favorite parts of the meal, especially on leftover sandwiches. It is pretty simple, just croutons, carrots, and celery and some spices, but it makes a perfect compliment to the turkey. This year she also made maple cranberries, which were fantastic. Instead of the typical jellied cranberries, these were sweetened just enough and tasted more like candy than fruit.
The rest of the meal consisted of dishes that all of the guests brought. This was a small year, only around 25, so there wasn't as much (but still a ton of leftovers). My favorites were an amazing corn pudding that tasted almost like a frittata, and a green salad with tofu with a really great dressing. Of course, the Minnesota classic of baked green beans with cream of mushroom soup, topped with fried onion bits also made an appearance. I know it sounds a little odd, but beleive me, it is wonderful. The meal finished with five different kinds of pie, which I only ate a few bites of because after two plates of food, I was about to burst. I actually tried to lay on my stomach, but it hurt too much. However, it was, as always, worth it, and this Thanksgiving was just as wonderful as the last.
There is never exactly the same group of people at our house, but every year there is always enough food for everyone, the kids are still running around outside, and the kitchen is always way too crowded. This is probably my favorite tradition, and I am really glad that it has continued for so long. Of course, the turkey sandwhiches the next day don't hurt either.

Restaurant Review: Pylos

If asked to go out to a restaurant, I would probably choose French or Italian. However, I am always up for new things, and on Saturday night I got to go to a great Greek place on the Lower East Side called Pylos. Ari and his friend Will have been there a couple times and said great things, so we all went there with his parents to celebrate various birthdays and visits. The first thing you see when you walk in is that the ceiling is covered in clay pots, which look rather like they are about to crash onto your table.
Will's dad John is very knowledgeable about wine, so he took over talking to the waiter and asked for a medium dry red, something similar to a burgundy. He presented us with a Megapanos Nevea Peloponese from 2005, which was lovely -- dry and a little fruity, with just a hint of honey and an almost grassy taste. We then entrusted the waiter to order a variety of hot and cold appetizers for the table. However, as a preliminary appetizer, we got pita bread with hummus. The pita bread was excellent, hot and a little crispy but not dry. The hummus, however was a bit bland and didn't have a lot of flavor. Luckily, the cold appetizers came shortly. We began with a trio of dipping sauces -- moussaka, tzatziki, and some sort of fish sauce. The moussaka was my favorite, garlicky and perfectly seasoned. We also had a delicious Greek salad consisting of fresh tomatoes, capers, red onions, olives, feta cheese, and cucumber. The other salad I found a little odd, which was made of romaine lettuce and small pieces of feta tossed in a very acidic vinaigrette.
We then moved on to the hot appetizers, which were overall incredible. The first was grilled octopus, which I had never had and was not expecting to like. It was firm, a little fishy, and not at all chewy, and the grilled barbecue flavor set it off wonderfully. We also got calamari, which I love, and was excellent. It was prefefctly fried and crispy, and great with just a little lemon juice over the top. Next was fried eggplant, sliced extremely thin and crispy. Then came a mixture of three Greek cheeses, melted and mixed with a little tomato sauce. That was followed by squares of puff pastry filled with beef, tomatos, and a mild cheese.
After all of that, I was beginning to feel a little full, but the entrées were still to come. I ordered a pistachio-crusted wild sea bass, topped with a little feta cheese and served over a bed of kale and tomatoes. It was an excellent choice, well seasoned and crispy on the outside. The kale perfectly complemented the fish, which was flaky and mild. Ari had the braised short ribs, which I tried a little of and have to say, even though I am not a big red meat eater, it was delicious. The meat practically fell off the bone, and it was served with a potato and porcini mushroom mash, which gets me every time. Actually, I am pretty much guaranteed to like anything with porcini mushrooms, especially when butter is added.
Even though we were all extremely full at this point, dessert was a necessity. Ari and I split an almond honey cake with flakes of chocolate and espresso mixed in, accompanied by a Greek yogurt ice cream. At this point I was so full of food and wine that I could only manage a few bites (a rarity, I promise, as I always have room for dessert). Will and John also tried 100 year old dessert wine, which was incredibly rich and almost syrupy. I tried a sip and while it was very sweet, it also had hints of spice and an almost maple flavor. I don't know if I could handle a whole glass of it, but just a sip was lovely. A perfect end to a wonderful meal.

Photo from greecefoods.com
For more information, go to pylosrestaurant.com/

Spaghetti alla Ricotta

This is an incredibly simple recipe that I learned while studying in Bologna last fall. We were lucky enough to take cooking lessons from a woman named Rita Mazzoli, an incredible person and a fantastic cook. These lessons were the some of the highlights of my semester, and we learned how to make everything from homemade pasta to tiramisù. However, this was one of the simplest recipes and holds true to the saying that if you use great ingredients, the simplest preparation is all you need.
However, I like to have pasta with some vegetables, so I usually add peas or other vegetables. I ate this pretty much every week in Bologna, so this time I decided to change it up a little and add some sauteed mushrooms and toasted pine nuts. However, the original preparation is beautiful in its simplicity, and makes a great first course or light dinner. The ricotta makes a deliciously creamy sauce, and the lemon zest adds just the right amount of tang.

Spaghetti alla Ricotta (serves 2)

4 oz spaghetti
1/3 cup ricotta cheese (if you can, get the real Italian kind from a deli, but the supermarket brand will do)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup Parmiggiano Reggiano, grated (you can also use cheaper parmesan, but I think that the real stuff is worth the investment)
2-3 tablespoons water
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the spaghetti al dente in a pot of boiling water, 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix all other ingredients in a medium bowl, taking care to mix thoroughly and season well. When the pasta is done boiling, add to sauce and mix. Top with more parmiggiano reggiano.

That's it. I typically add 1/4-1/3 cup of frozen peas (boiled for 2-3 minutes), and this time added some sauteed mushrooms and pine nuts, which were a nice addition. The mushrooms should be sliced thinly and sauteed in 1 tablespoon of olive oil with a little salt and pepper, for about seven minutes. The pine nuts can be toasted in a sauté pan over medium heat for 5 minutes or so, or roasted in the oven at 375 for 7-8 minutes.

Enjoy!

Carmelized-Onion Pizza with Mushrooms

I used to hate onions and mushrooms, so it was a pretty big step for me to try this, but now it is one of my favorite dinners of all time. My mom found this a few years ago in Gourmet (which I still can't believe is closed), and makes it pretty often. I decided to make it for Ari and my housemates, to rave reviews, so I'm sure we will be making it again. The longest part is carmelizing the onions, but it is worth it to get them that deep golden color. As usual, my notes are in italics.

Carmelized-Onion Pizza with Mushrooms (from Gourmet Magazine, March 2006)

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1 1/2 lb onions (3 large), thinly sliced
• 1 lb frozen pizza dough, thawed
• 6 oz fresh cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced (or regular button mushrooms, although they have a milder taste)
  
• 1 (5-oz) package Boursin garlic-herb cheese (or Alouette cheese, which we eat A LOT of in my apartment)
  

Preparation

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onions with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 15 minutes more. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and deep golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Remove from heat and cool to warm, about 10 minutes. This usually takes me longer, around 45 minutes total.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 475°F.

While onions cool, coat pizza dough with 1 tablespoon oil in a 17- by 12-inch shallow baking pan and stretch and press dough to cover bottom (dough may be resistant to stretching at first, but it will soon relax). Spread onions evenly over dough. Toss mushrooms with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and remaining tablespoon oil in a bowl, then spread evenly over onions. Crumble cheese evenly over mushrooms.

Bake pizza until underside of dough is golden and cheese is beginning to brown, 14 to 16 minutes.

Restaurant Review: Adrienne's Pizza

Wall Street is not a place you would expect to find great restaurants. Of course, there are a lot of good lunch places, but many of them close around seven, sort of contradicting the idea that everything is open in New York until late. However, just down from the Stock Exchange is a little cobblestoned street that looks as if you could be in Europe. Stone Street boasts several restaurants of all different cuisines, most of which have tables outside. Being Scandanavian, I was immediately excited about the Norwegian /Swedish restaurant (it is impossible to find good Swedish meatballs outside of Minnesota), but I'll have to save that for another time.
Instead, Ari and I decided to try Adrienne's Pizza across the street. A friend of his had been there and said that it was excellent. We didn't have to wait for a table, even on a Saturday night, and the interior is modern and dimly lit, with candles at each table. It is not overly romantic though, with techno music blasting from the speakers (which actually reminded me of Italy and their fondness for techno). The menu is short (always a good sign for me), with about eight different kinds of pizza, some antipasti and salads, and a few pastas. The wine list was pretty extensive, but a little on the expensive side with the cheapest bottle of wine starting at $30. I still wanted a glass of wine, however, so I ordered one of Sangiovese for $9. It was pretty good, dry and a nice accompaniment to the meal. If I go back, however, I will probably see if they have a corkage fee and bring my own.
To eat, we decided on an antipasto of four different cheeses and a pizza with prosciutto, potatoes, and scallions ($15). The antipasto was perfect -- we ordered the smaller size ($8), which was perfect and came with a piece of bruschetta, topped with a mixture of tomatos, basil, and onions, as well as some olives. The cheese was a perfect accompaniment to my glass of wine. Then, the pizza came. This was definitely one of the best pizzas I have had since returning from Italy. The prosciutto was salty and crispy, the potatoes balanced it perfectly, and the scallions were a great addition. The crust might have been the best part, not at all soggy and perfectly seasoned. My only complaint would be that both Ari and I needed to add pepper.
The service was also only so-so. We received everything very quickly, but almost too quickly. It felt more like we were rushed through the whole meal, rather than being able to savor it. However, I want to go back and try more of their pizzas, so I guess I can just put up with the service. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures, but for more information you can go to:
adriennespizzabar.com