Fall is Here - Roast Mushroom and Butternut Squash Risotto

I needed some comfort food while under the weather and decided risotto was just what I needed (I’m generally not a soup-person, it’s a consistency thing, there are obviously exceptions). I couldn’t decide on a butternut squash risotto or mushroom risotto so I combined the two.

I always have problems with risotto – I follow the directions to a T, stirring, feeding it with slow additions of warm broth - it always turns out gummy AND at the same time, slightly undercooked, each grain having a slight crunch. I think the gummy is just that I let too much of the liquid cook off. The undercooked I just can’t understand – it says it will take 20 minutes but I’m at the stove for 45 . . . The good news on this front  is that I finally feel redeemed and my risotto turned out well.

I began by cutting my butternut squash in half (a feat in and of itself) and roasting it in a 350 degree oven with olive oil and sea salt until it was tender, about 45 minutes. While the squash was roasting away I chopped up my mushrooms (baby shiitake supplemented with some regular button mushrooms) and threw them in a sauté pan with some caramelizing onions and a healthy helping of crushed garlic. Once my shiitakes were roasted I pulled them out of the pan and set them aside. Next, I poured a dollop of olive oil into the pan and sautéed about 1.5 cups of Arborio rice until it was translucent.

 At this point, I would normally add in a ½ cup of white wine BUT I didn’t have any on hand and so I skipped this step (rest assured, it was a-ok). I had warmed about 4 cups of veal stock with 1 cup of water in a sauce pot. I added in my first ladle-ful of stock and a few sprigs of thyme and set to work stirring. With every addition of stock I gave my rice a stir and watched my little risotto come to life. 

Once I had run out of liquid (adding more if necessary) and my risotto was the right consistency, I turned off the heat and folded in 1/4 cup grated parmesan, the shiitakes and 1 cup of the butternut squash that I pureed with a bit of cream and water. I chopped up the rest of the squash and topped my risotto with some of the cubed squash and a sprig of fresh thyme. It was the perfect runny consistency and I loved the veal broth which gave it a nice heartiness that complimented the mushrooms nicely. I deemed it a successful under-the-weather-cold-weather meal.

Pasta Inspiration

The latest issue of Bon Appetit sucked me into trying more than the just the Rhubarb Crostata. They had an article discussing 10 steps to making fabulous pasta dishes and I have thrown myself into that, trying a different sauce using the same basic method each week. The first one I tried was the pasta with sun gold tomatoes.

It is not tomato time yet but I couldn't help myself. I bought two baskets of cherry tomatoes and tossed them in a saute pan with a few cloves of minced garlic, a coating of olive oil and some sea salt and crushed red pepper flakes.

I partially covered the pan as instructed, swirled and waited for the tomatoes to blister. Meanwhile, I added my pasta to a pot of boiling salted water. The pasta was supposed to cook for 7 minutes and I pulled it out after 4ish - which seemed to work well. Before dumping the pasta water reserve a few cups to add to your sauce (I always reserve more than is actually called for - can't hurt to have extra on hand). I popped all the tomatoes (a very satisfying process) and added in the ultra al dente pasta and 3/4 cup pasta water. Keep tossing with your trusty tongs (another Bon Appetit must and common restaurant staple). 

Once the sauce has thickened, add in 1/2 cup cheese and some shredded basil (they say to add in more cheese and some olive oil - I didn't think it needed that much and just added a little more salt and pepper, to taste). I love this recipe - I love my tongs and my pasta water and the simplicity - and I loved the addition of the toasty breadcrumbs on top. 

P.S. There were no leftovers.

Japanese Eggplant Sauce with Hot Sausage

Pasta is always one of my go-to meals. It's comfort and it's soothing, and I feel like I move through it naturally without having to think too hard. 

One of my favorite neighborhood haunts when visiting home is La Pergola, an Italian hole-in-the-wall that has that old world chianti-on-the-table charm. They have a little garden across the street and when it's in season they offer, as a special, a japanese eggplant sauce that's fantastic. I set out to mimic La Pergola's eggplant sauce . . . I was nowhere near theirs, but hey -- whatever it was that I came up with was pretty good.

To start: Dice up 4 or 5 japanese eggplants. In a medium saucepan, heat a little olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is nice and warm, squeeze out 4 sausage links' worth of a nice fennel-y, spicy Italian sausage and break them into chunks (see above). Add some fresh torn oregano and marjoram, and brown the sausage. 

In the remaining fat, add 5 smashed cloves of garlic and the diced eggplant. Add a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil as needed.

Once the eggplant begins to caramelize, add the sausage back in along with one large can of whole roma tomatoes. Toss in some fresh mashed basil leaves and two bay leaves. Re-season and add a pinch of sugar for good measure. Let simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.

Serve with a nice sauce-catching pasta like rigatoni. Shave some parmesan over the dish as you plate, and add a few leaves of fresh shredded basil . . . and a healthy glass of red wine never hurts.

Georgio's Cucina: A Pop-Up in the Valley

I flew to LA this weekend and had great plans to take advantage of dineLA Restaurant Week (reservations at Ortolan and illusions of more prix-fixe grandeur). Unsurprisingly, my flight was delayed...and then delayed further. Forty-five minutes into the delay, we came to terms with the fact that we were going to have to cancel our reservation, and I put Ortolan back onto my wish list. (It worked out for the best, as I was greeted by a fantastic throw-together, home-cooked meal of veal with chanterelles and salad with purple basil.)
I did, however, take advantage of an exciting development -- a pop-up restaurant had come to the valley (could it be the valley's first?). Georgio's Cucina is a two-month West Coast venture by New York-based chef, Gary Robins. It is in a strip mall off of a relatively foodie-rich part of Ventura Blvd (home to Sushi Nozawa, Asanebo, and Laurel Tavern), and the restaurant itself was an old school pizzeria complete with deep-red leather booths and a dark woody interior. I kind of loved the setting just for being so unpolished (and so valley) and it made the dining experience all about the food, which was fine because everything we had was delicious.
The meal began well with fabulous olive bread (care of La Brea Bakery) and citrus-y Arbequina olive oil (we asked for seconds...and thirds). We tried the house sangria (made simply with fruit and wine due to liquor license restrictions), which was pleasant and nicely infused with blood orange.
For starters, we ordered two different crudos -- they have a variety of flatbreads and an assortment of appetizers including duck polpette (meatballs) and grilled octopus. The crudos: first, the "capesante," which was sea scallop with pomegranate, basil, and toasted hazelnuts in a flavorful broth. The scallop was the most buttery and tender that I have ever tasted.
The second crudo was a thai snapper accompanied by japanese horseradish (I think this would be wasabi, and while I LOVED the dish, I could not detect a hint of the horseradish), yuzu and green apple. This dish was unique and supremely tasty.
For my entrée I ordered the pappardelle with braised duck in a porcini fennel broth topped off with aged pecorino. It was a perfect cozy-feeling Fall meal with a scent of tarragon and maybe a touch of five-spice. We also ordered the pumpkin gnocchi with sage brown butter, walnuts and pecorino -- this is a fairly common pairing but it was done exquisitely. The gnocchi were made without any potato, and they appeared to have been sautéed on the outside to give it a little crust. They were perfectly fluffy and creamy on the inside (some declared this the best dish of the night). Our final entrée selection was the porchetta served with polenta and broccoli rabe. Another great dish. The highlight: the most beautifully crisp skin I've ever tasted.
We couldn't leave without trying a dessert, so we all split the flourless chocolate cake. I really enjoyed it, some wanted it to be more dense. It tasted like a chocolate mousse with a crispy top crust -- what is there to complain about?
I really enjoyed Georgio's (also, our server was lovely, and to top it off we could actually hear one another speaking) and I hope hope hope that Gary Robins decides to take up permanent residence in the 818.

8.23.10

Mozza2Go - Another Blackboard Eats inspired meal.

The food was great and the service dismal. Ordered: Roasted red pepper focaccia a la Nancy Silverton, only offered on Monday nights; meatballs al forno (I happily ate the leftovers over fresh pasta as a midnight snack the following night); Mario's lasagna - fabulous bechamel. Almost seems unfair to call it lasagna because it was so superior to anything I have ever encountered that goes by the same name.
Pizzas: squash blossom with burrata and tomatoes (yum); Mozza's version of the 'meat lover's pizza' - speck, fennel sausage, salami, and pancetta (one piece is a meal unto itself, I had three meals' worth).

Click here for Saveur's version of the squash blossom pizza.