Wild Mushroom Risotto

The 40 minutes of constant stirring over the stove are always well worth it when you taste the resulting risotto. Wild Mushrooms are one of my favorite foods, being so earthy, with their depth of flavor, and power to infuse other foods.

Risotto is best stirred with a wooden, paddle style spoon.

Ingredients

1/2 Onion, diced
Dried Porcini Mushrooms, reconstituted in a hot sherry/water mixture (Drain and Chop Porcini and Reserve liquid for risotto)
Shiitake Mushrooms, diced. (I used about 8 ounces.)
Butter
Olive Oil
2 Cups Rice (Short-Grain Arborio works best. I use whatever i have on hand. It always comes out good.)
1 Quart Good-Quality Chicken Stock.
Salt
Pepper


In large saucepan, melt 1 teaspoon each of butter and olive oil. Add onions and saute on medium until translucent. Add diced Shiitake and add more olive oil if necessary to saute until par-cooked. Add 2 cups of rice, drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat. Saute over medium heat 3-4 minutes, toasting the rice lightly, until mixture dries out. Add Porcini and stir.
Add reserved porcini liquid, stirring quickly with a wooden spoon or paddle. (Be cautions: Liquid will bubble, boil, and steam.) Continue stirring until most liquid is absorbed. In small batches, add Chicken Stock (1/2 Cup at a time. Ish.) Keep stirring the entire time, adding more Stock as the liquid is absorbed. You will do this for at least 25 minutes. At that point, taste the rice for done-ness and add salt and pepper to season to taste. (The rice will probably still be too al-dente.)
If the rice is still al-dente, add more of the stock, stirring, stirring, stirring *It's a great workout* until the rice is the consistency you'd like.

I prefer mine still a LIIIIITLE firm, but not crunchy. The liquid starts to "creamify" as time goes on, making a "sticky" texture that is the key of Risotto.

When the Risotto is the texture you'd like, remove from heat source.

You can finish with fresh, chopped parsley, if you like. It compliments the risotto quite nicely.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Macaroni and Cheese

Les Ingredients:
2 Acorn Squash, Split
4 Thick Cut Strips of Bacon
2 Tablespoons of Butter
2.5 Tablespoons of Flour
3 Cups Milk
Freshly Grated Nutmeg
Cayenne Pepper
Kosher Salt
2.5 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded (Additional for Sprinkling)
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
8 Ounces Pasta. (Shells, Elbows, Penne. Whatever.)

Preheat oven to 350.

Halve the Acorn Squash and remove the seeds. Place in Pyrex Baking Dish cut side up. Add water to bottom of pan (Maybe half an inch). Salt the top of the halved squash. Cover with Tin Foil and Bake for 45-60 minutes.

Meanwhile...

Boil 8 ounces of Pasta 1-2 minutes less than package directions. Drain well.
In large saucepan over medium-low heat, render fat from and cook 4 thick strips of bacon.
Remove bacon when cooked to paper towels.
Add 2 Tablespoons of Butter and melt.
Whisk in 2.5 Tablespoons of flour to make a roux.
Stir the roux over medium heat 2-3 minutes
(At this point I add some flavoring. Freshly Grated Nutmeg and a pinch of Cayenne Pepper are my favorite)
Slowly Whisk in 3 cups of Milk. Continue whisking until it's incorporated. Stir until sauce thickens (5 minutes usually does it)
This is where I add my Kosher Salt. Coupla Pinches.
Add 2.5 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, a little at a time, stirring to incorporate each handful.
Add 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese and stir to incorporate.
Sauce should be thick but not stiff.
Return Par-Boiled Pasta to Cheese Saucepan and Mix Well.
Crumble Bacon into smaller pieces, sprinkle them over the Macaroni and Cheese and Mix to Incorporate.
***The Cheese Sauce will look like it's "Too Much" for the Pasta. It isn't. That's the key to this dish. The pasta should look "over sauced" at this point!***
Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, in casserole or Pyrex dish. (I usually put it beside the squash for the last half of cooking)
Remove Baked Macaroni from oven and set on cooktop.
Remove Squash from oven, drain water and return to Pyrex.
Top each half with generous, heaping portion of Macaroni and Cheese.
Sprinkle with Cheddar and return to oven for 10 minutes, to meld and melt.

Yum. (No, seriously. YUM. This stuff ROCKS!)

So Much For Low Carb Cooking...

Pork Cutlet Marsala

Preheat Oven to 350.

Ingredient Type Stuff
Sauce:
4 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Flour (I use Wondra Flour for Sauces.)
Half onion, thinly sliced.
Salt
Marsala Wine (As much as you want, simmer and reduce to thicken. I used 3/4 of a bottle.)
1 Cup Hot Water or Chicken Stock

Melt half the butter and sautee the onions till transluscent.
Add the rest of the butter and melt.
Stir in the flour and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until flour turns golden. Increase heat to medium high, and add the Marsala Wine, stirring constantly. Bring to simmer, and add hot Water or Stock. Reduce heat to low simmer as you cook the pork.

Pork-y Parts
Thin-Sliced pork chops (Enough to feed whomever you're feeding)
Flour Dusting (Wondra Flour, Paprika, Salt, Garlic/Seasoned Pepper)
Olive Oil for Sauteeing
Pat of Butter for Sauteeing (Butter helps brown the chops)
16 Ounces of Mushrooms, Sliced.
1/2 cup Marsala Wine

Heat large Saute Pan over medium heat.
Rinse pork chops and pat dry.
Dust in four.
Swirl pan with oil and add half pat of butter.
Cook the pork chops until browned, flip and brown other side. Cook 3 at a time, leaving plenty of room in the pan. As they are done, just plop them over into the simmering marsala sauce. Add more oil and butter as needed.
When all the pork chops have been browned and are in the simmering sauce (Adjust temp to keep sauce simmering)... add the sliced mushrooms to the saute pan. If needed, swirl extra olive oil over them, and fry over medium high heat till mushrooms are browned on both sides. Deglaze pan with 1/2 cup of marsala wine, and cook down till it's almost syrupy.
Add the mushrooms to the simmering sauce and pork chops and stir to mix in.

For the Fixins'
Angel Hair/Capellini Pasta (Enough to serve the peeps you be feeding. Duh.)
Brussels Sprouts.

Put Salted Water on to boil.


Halve and trim Brussels Sprouts.
Coat with Olive Oil and Kosher Salt.
Place cut-side-down on foil lined cookie sheet.
Roast in oven for 10-15 minutes, until edges and top start to brown/char.

Remove from oven and tent Foil till serving.

When water boils, add angel hair/capellini (DO NOT OVERCOOK. Two minutes is all it needs.) Drain well.

~*Le Presentation*~
Swirl a serving of pasta on the side of a large plate. Place 2-3 Pork Cutlets per person (Depending on the person. Or rather, their appetite) on the plate next to the pasta. Top both pasta and chops with Marsala Mushroom Sauce. Add a serving of brussels sprouts and Voila.