Classic It

THE FRUGAL GOURMET .

_WE MOST often think of .

pasta when we think of the
starchy. part of an Italian
meal::  -

*. Rice, - ‘however, is very. popular
‘in Italy and has been since ancient

*.'‘times. In Milan the rice dishes-are .

($0 Spectacular, they are more
* popular than the pasta!

The method of. cooking rice in.
“Ttaly is very different from. our’

:own. It takes a bit of time and

*eare.and. the rice must be served...
~ immediately, -but the results will -

make | you proud.

Just be sure to always” use Ar-
‘borio rice for these: Italiar
~Everything ise < wil .
‘raush.”

‘| RISOTTO ‘WITH CHAMPAGNE ;
- (Serves' ‘4-6 as a first course)

Shalt” we ‘talk about rich foods?

‘In Italy cream and: champagne

“belong. together, - as. this - recipe”

TOVES. - ;
You’ can, find such a dish in
fancy: Roman eating houses such
as the wonderful Er. meas (ee

atl.
. " peeled and
* coarsely chopped |.
SAY cups italian: ‘Arborio rice, raw
‘or precooked °-
3 cups . chicken Stock,” fresh. or
nae’.

"yy cup p whippiog cream
Salt...

>.» Soak the mushrooms until soft,

“about 1-hour. Drain’ and use the
- liquid‘ for'-some other purposes,
“perhaps a soup stock. Do not use

; the mushroom water in the risotto «

“because it will cover the. flavor of

the : ‘cream and wine. .Chop the

mushrooms.

Heat a 4-quart heavy saucepan
and add the butter, oil, onions,
and mushrooms. Cook until the
onions are clear, then add the
rice. Stir carefully so each grain is
coated with the oil.

In a separate pan bring the
chicken stock to a simmer. Add |
cup of the stock to the rice, stirr-
ing to ensure a nice creamy dish.
Continue adding broth as it is ab-
sorbed.

When the stock is absorbed,
add the champagne and continue
to cook, stisring gently. When the
rice is beginning to become
tender, add the cream and cook
until the rice is tender but still a
bit chewy.

Taste for salt and serve im-
mediately.

RISOTTO WITH SEAFOOD

_ Gerves 6 asa first course)

This is a.common dish in the
great seaports of Italy. No, I
should not use the word ‘‘com-

“mon.” It is anything but that,

though the dish is not difficult to
find.
“1 had one in Venice that .was

just unbelievable. This is as close

as I can come to the recipe.

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

% medium yeilow onion, peeled
and coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1 pound smail clams or. mussels,
‘scrubbed clean
_ % pound large shrimp, peeled

1 pound squid, cleared and cut

‘into Y2-inch circles -

lecup dry white wine

1% cups Italian Arborio rice, raw
orprecocked .

Chicken broth to make up 5 cups,
including the broth from = the
cooked seafood

1 tavlespoon tomate paste

1 tablespoon chopped parsiey

Salt’ and freshly ground black

pepper to taste

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed,
covered saucepan and add | table-
spoon cf the oil and the butter.
Saute the garlic and onion for a
moment or’ two and add the
cleaned seafood, along with the
wine. Cover and cook until the
seafood is barely tender.

Drain the broth from the pot
and set aside both the seafood and
the broth.

Heat a heavy 6-quart stove-iop
covered casserole. Add the rice
and the remaining tablespoon of
olive oil. Stir to coat each grain of.
rice, _

Heat the 5S cups of chicken
stock and seafood broth combined
and add 1 cup to the rice pot.
Cook until almost absorbed and
add a second cup, stirring

Wednesday, September 30, 1992 - North Shore News - 45

NORTH VANCOUVER'S Cafe Roma does not have Seateod Risotto ‘on thelr regular moni, but ‘dows
occasionally prepare it as a special dish.

constantly to ensure a creamy
consistency.

Add the tomato paste and con: .

tinue to add the broth as it is ab-
sorbed unti! the rice is just tender
but still.a bit chewy. Return the
seafood-to the pot and add the
parsley and salt: and pepper to
taste. Serve immediately.
RISOTTO WITH MUSHROOMS
.. AND HERBS
(Serves 4-6 as a first course)

This makes a lovely change
from your usual starches at din-
ner. It is a classic favorite of the
Milanese. It is usually considered
a pasta course, not a full meal.
1 ounce dried mushrooms (cepe,
boletus or porcini), soaked in 1
cup water, the water reserved
3 tablespoons butter -
2 tablespoens olive oil *
% medium yellow onion, peeled
and coarsely chopped
142 cups raw Italian Arborio rice
2 cups basic brown sauce (recipe
below}
3 cups water (include in this the
water from the soaking

-mushreoms)

% cup chopped, drained, cooked
spinach
Y% cup freshly grated Parmesan
cheese
Oregano, rosemary, salt and
freshly ground black pepper to
faste

Soak the mushrooms until very

soft, about |. hour. Drain, reserv- -

ing the water for the. dish, and:

chop the mushrooms. :

Heat a 4-quart heavy saucepan
and add the butter, oil, onions,
and mushrooms. Cook — until
the. onions are clear, then

add the rice. Stir carefully so each.

grain is coated with the oil.’

In a separate pan bring. the
stock and water, including the
mushroom water, to a simmer and
add 1 cup of this liquid to the

rice. Stir as it cooks to ensure a-

nice creamy dish. .
Continue adding broth as it is

absorbed until the rice is tender ~

but still a bit. chewy.. Add. the
spinach and cook a few ‘more
minutes until the spinach is heated
through. Stir in the cheese and
oregano, rosemary, salt and pep-
per to taste. Serve immediately.
FRIED RISOTTO CAKES
Make small patties .of leftover
mushroom and herb risotto and

fry them in a bit of olive oil.
Serve in a puddle of basic brown’

sauce (recipe below). This ‘will be
ahit, l promise! —
BASIC BROWN SAUCE
(Makes 1 quart)

This sauce takes some doing,
but it.is well worth it and will
keep several days in your
refrigerator.

1 stick (% pound) briter or ve

cup olive oil

| cup peeled and chopped yellow ,
ozion

1 cup: unpeeled and, chopped car-
rots

Y cup chopped parsiey

-Tbayleaf ..

1 teaspoon whole Gries thyme
Y. cup flow

2 cups dry red wine. a
2 quarts beef ‘stock, fresh or can
ned

2 tablespoons tomato paste’

V4 teaspoon freshly ground. black:

- pepper: :
%. cup dry: sherry a

Salt to taste.

- Heat a 4-quart’ heavy stockpot .
and add half the‘ butter: or olive.’
oil. Add the onions,’ carrots an

-parsley. Saute until the vegetables :. a
begin to -lightly brown. Add the...
. bay leaf. and thyme and turn tora Poe

low simmer. ’ :

Ina small frying. ‘pan melt ‘the
remaining butter or oil. Add the =
flour and cook, stirring,. until it is -
light brown. Stir this roux into the
vegetables.. Add the remaining in-
gredients to the pot, except for the
sherry and salt.

Bring to a boil, turn toa heavy
simmer and cook. the sauce, un--
covered, for about 2 hours or un- .

.til it has reduced by half. Add the

sherry and simmer for.5 minutes.
Add salt to taste. Strain before
serving or using.

Several methods possible for reducing kitchen odors.

Inquisitive
Cook

“ANNE

GARDINER WILSON

MOST AROMAS bring
pleasure as they waft from
the kitchen with news of
what’s being prepared.”

But how quickly we detect the
change, if coffee boils rather than
brews, or golden pancakes, left
too long on the griddle, scorch.

In every home. there are occa-
sionally odors we'd rather not,
smell. Usually, most are casily
avoided.

If meat, fish or poultry scraps
need storing before garbage day,
wrap them well and place them in
the freezer. As the speed of en-
zyme reactions and the oxidation

of fats depends on temperature, -

very little happens when
temperatures are below freezing.

Potentially smelly scraps or lef-
tovers wait patiently when frozen,
without being obnoxious.

Make sure cutting boards used
for meats or fish are kept
scrupulously clean. Any nicks and

cracks harbor bacteria and cause’

unpleasant smells. Scrub cutting
boards with hot, soapy water not
only to control kitchen odors, but
also to keep food poisoning
micro-organisms at bay.

Sometimes we use one com-
pound to neutralize the effect of
another in reducing odors. .

A slice of fresh lemon floating
in a finger bowl or the cooking
pan combines the acids in lemon
with the amines in fish to virtually
eliminate a cooked fish odor.

Similarly, some of the pungency

of onions can be reduced’ if
they’re peeled under running
water, as these particular com-
pounds are water-soluble.

Changing the way we cook
some foods also helps reduce
odors. The number of sulphur
compounds that develop in the
cabbage family increases
dramatically the longer they cook.

Cook broccoli, cabbage and
cauliflower quickly to keep these
at a minimum. Keep the saucepan
lid ajar to let some of the volatile
odors escape.

Alt) members of the cabbage
family are milder in both flavor
and smell when cooked only until
tender.

And in baking with yeast, the
optimum temperatures for

. deodorant, .

fermentation and proofing ranges
from 75°F (24°C) to 95°F (35°C).

Yeast breads rising too quickly,
at too high a temperature, pro-
duce soured or off-odors.

Sometimes we use plain baking
soda or charcoal to absorb odors
in the refrigerator and keep it
smelling fresh.

Or we deliberately - mask an
odor by substituting a more
pleasant one. Grinding a lemon or .
orange peel in the garbage
disposal creates an _ effective
and recycles at the ©
same time. “

Pulverizing the rind instantly
releases the aromatic oils from its ©
cells, perfuming the room with. the
aroma of fresh citrus. « - ;