Mushroom Truffle Risotto

Around Christmas time I was shopping or a truffle for a friend. She had mentioned, many times, how much she wanted to cook with a truffle and I thought it would make a good gift. While looking for truffles, which I found, I also found a jar of this mushroom and truffle sauce like stuff which I ended up buying for myself. I had no idea what I was going to do with it but had to have it. It sat on my counter for a couple of months and then one day it just hit me....dah.. risotto.

Salsa Tartufata is a mushroom and truffle mixture that comes in a small 2 oz jar. The one I bought is from Urbani Tartufi and imported from Italy. I purchased it at Whole Foods but located the web site and attached a link on this blog should you wish to view or order on line.

I made the risotto once and was very happy with the results. In fact when we sat down to eat it my husband and I just looked at each other and said wow this is really gooooood! Weeks after eating it I was still experiencing afterglow and wondered if it was really that good so I made it again just to make sure. It is that good.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Canola oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 14 oz cans chicken broth, heated (vegetable stock could be used as well)
• 1 oz (half the jar) salsa tartufata
• White pepper to taste
• Salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Hot water, if needed
• Parmesan, Pecorino, and Asigo cheese, finely grated
  
  

Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan and have a ladle ready to add to the rice. Keep on a low flame to keep hot.

In heavy bottomed saute pan heat the oil, add the onions, and saute gently only until translucent, as you do not want them to brown. Add the rice and allow to toast slightly for about two minutes. Add the wine and stir well until it evaporates. At this point start adding the chicken stock one ladle at a time and stirring almost constantly. After each ladle of stock, stir and allow the risotto to absorb the stock before adding the next. Stirring the rice with the stock brings out the starch which the whole point of acheiving a rich and creamy dish. Do not allow the rice to get dry or it will stick to the skillet. This process will take approximately 15 minutes. Add the tarfuti, some white pepper, and salt. Stirring well after each addition.

If, after using all the stock, you need more liquid, heat some water and use that. The chicken stock has given it enough flavor. Use the same saucepan to heat the water and ladle it into the rice as you are finishing the dish.

Once the rice is done (you must taste) turn off the heat and add the butter then the cheeses. I use the three because I think it gives the dish such a depth of flavor. Of course if you have only one type of cheese on hand you can still use only the one.

The perfect way to serve this is with a simple green salad. I also use canola oil in this dish because the flavor is more neutral. In addition the chicken stock you use will have an impact on the final flavor of the dish so choose one you really like.

Fruit labels

I am a supporter of buying organic. To that end I have spent some time researching how we, as consumers, can determine what we are purchasing.

There is a PLU labeling system for fruit that is helpful. If you would like to learn more log on to: http://www.naturalnews.com/.

The one piece of information I use daily is this.

Numbers starting with 9 are organic. This will always be my personal preference.

Numbers starting with 8 are genetically modified. I will not purchase those.

Numbers starting with 4 indicate conventional.

There are other web sites out there so if you want to know more just do a google search on fruit labels.

Menu - items for purchase

Denise's Delights Menu

About our Ingredients:

We use only all natural high quality ingredients in our cooking and baking such as cage free organic eggs, all natural peanut butter, high quality chocolate, and organic produce. When possible our produce is purchased from the local farmers market. Our baked goods contain no preservatives and are therefore baked to order.

Occassions to order:

Office parties or meetings

Birthdays

Dinner Parties

Gifts

Holiday specials

House guests

Baby or Bridal showers

Peanut Butter Cookies - $15.00 per dozen
The ultimate peanut butter cookie. Made with all natural peanut butter and rolled in sugar which gives the cookie a slightly cunchyexterior while still being soft inside.



Peanut Butter with Chocolate Cookies - $20.00 per dozen
The same cookie as above but with chunks of chocolate.


Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - $15.00 per dozen
Soft and chewy with just the right amount of spice.


Not your everyday Chocolate Chip Cookies - $20.00 per dozen
Three different kinds of high quality chocolate are in these cookies creating a much richer tasting cookie.


Pumpkin Cookies - $15.00 per dozen
Soft, light and airy. Not very sweet. Perfect for the holidays.


French Butter Cookies - $15.00 per dozen

High quality French butter gives the flavor to this cookie. The ends are rolled in sugar prior to slicing and baking which gives the edge a sweet crunch.

Iced Sugar Cookies - These start at $3.00 per cookie and go up depending on the decoration requested.

Mexican Wedding Cookies - $15.00 per dozen
Also known as Pecan Butter Balls. Small, round, buttery and coated in powered sugar. They melt in your mouth.


Balsamic vinegar salad dressing - $7.95 bottle
A lighter version of balsamic dressing made with mirin, walnut oil and maple syrup.

Oven dried tomatoes canned in Rosemary Olive Oil - $8.95

We use heirloom tomatoes when available. Good to have on hand for quick appetizers like crostini with goat cheese and these tomatoes. Can also be used over pasta or chicken.

Fig Jam - $6.95 jar

Depending on the season either fresh or dried figs are soaked in simple syrup and brandy. Toasted hazelnuts are added. Serving suggestion: Manchego cheese and crostini.

Prices subject to change.

Make checks payable to Denise Grinols.

Fig Jam

Who'd a thunk? Fig Jam? I would never have believed I would like it so much. I am not a huge fan of figs in the first place so imagine my surprise when I tasted it. I fully expected not to care for it. But then I tried it and something happened in my mouth....I had a moment..... you know what I mean.....I was totally surprised. I had to admit it was really good. What the hell?

Fig jam is not like a jelly or something that is used in the typical way a fruit jam is used. It is like a condiment. It is used to enhance the flavor of another food source. In this case cheese is the food source and the fig jam enjoyed with it. It adds to the enjoyment of the cheese and offers a different taste sensation.

Fresh figs are always preferred but this recipe is made with dried. They are soaked in simple syrup and brandy (hello...anything with brandy has to be good) and then put in the food processor with some toasted hazelnuts. The result is amazing. The consistency of the end product is course, somewhat chunky.

To serve: start with a beautiful platter or plate, get yourself a hunk of manchego cheese and some slightly salty crackers and a jar of the jam. Then open a bottle of wine and dig in. I used multigrain crackers and found that they added to the full flavor and the salt of the cracker pumps up the taste.

If you entertain it is nice to have something to serve as an appetizer that is different, tasty, and still allow you the energy to make dinner.

I now make this on a regular basis so that I always have jars on hand to open for guests or to give to friends.

Fig Jam $ 6.95

Cheerleader cookies

There are times when cooking, or baking, is simply about having fun... it's not always about making dinner. It's about doing something creative... spending the afternoon totally immersed in the task at hand... and making something for someone who will really appreciate your efforts.

I was asked to make cookies for a group of young girls who are cheerleaders. One of the girls on the team wanted to give her teammates a special gift after the homecoming game. I made sugar cookies, iced them, then used icing to pipe team cheers on them.... spirit, score, fight, go team, win.... and I made sure to use the team colors. Sugar cookies are nothing special and everyone has made them, but decorating them in this way made everyone think they were something other than ordinary.

I packed each cookie in a clear bag and each with ribbon, again in team colors.

The girls were so delighted and got such a kick out of them. I can still hear the squeals!

I spent many hours working on these cookies and had a moment when I questioned what I was doing... but in the end hearing about how excited the girls were made it all worth while.