I love Italian food and I really love my David Rocco Dolce Vita cookbook so when dderrick suggested on my first recipe attempt post (remember the broiled chicken?) that I try risotto I couldn’t resist. Not only was this the perfect opportunity to try making something new but also to share with all of you one of my favourite cookbooks.
I also feel I must add for full disclosure that this recipe test doesn’t have me all that worried. While I’ve never made risotto before anyone I’ve ever heard talk about says that you’ll be fine as long as you remember that stirring is key. As it turns out, that really is the truth.
To keep things interesting, I decided to try David’s Risotto Alla Puttanesca. What’s interesting about this recipe is that while most risottos call for a stock base David mainly uses water assuring me the flavourful ingredients will be enough. Well, we shall see, er taste, won’t we?
You’ll be happy to hear that I only needed to hit my regular grocery store this week, as this recipe calls for nothing out of the ordinary. Meaning this dish could easily become a staple in my house. I was also able to handle this dish pretty much solo, though T. did chop my parsley (he wanted to try my handy PC Chopper – love it!) and take over for a few minutes of stirring. Really the steps are simply chop, sauté, stir, stir, stir and stir some more. I’m telling you, you can handle this.
In terms of lessons, I have a few. Turns out red wine works as a substitute for white in this recipe, or at least it still tasted delicious to us. It was after 7 on Sunday when I started my cooking and somehow I had missed the wine component on the ingredient list. Not like me at all.
My second lesson, make your own tomato puree. It takes almost no time to pop canned or fresh tomatoes in the blender so just do it. I was lazy and purchased a can of crushed tomatoes…boo! While this didn't ruined our dinner, I have no doubt the flavour and texture would have been even more amazing if I hadn’t cut the corner.
Finally, while this definitely stands as a meal on its own, I wished I had made thick, juicy steaks au jus to accompany. We would have been in heaven. As it was, we were pretty close just with our Wolf Blass. This is an amazing dish (pine nuts taking it over the top) and as I expected this is a new regular in the Rogers household.
To try more recipes from David's cookbook check out our Dolce Vita menu. I've managed to master the Drunken Spaghetti and Rolled Beef.
PLUS get a sneak peek at Julie & Julia in theatres August 7, click here. You are going to love it, I promise!
WIN a copy of David Rocco's Dolce Vita!
Share your feedback, advice, tips and recipe suggestions for testing in future posts in the comments section below and you'll be entered for a chance to WIN one of three copies of David Rocco's Dolce Vita by David Rocco (HarperCollins 2008). Click here to read full contest details including rules and regulations.
 Read Tribute.ca’s Julie & Julia Movie Preview!
If Julia Child taught us anything about food, it's that everything tastes better with butter, and that a little "cognac never hurt anything." Whether it was her enormous presence on her televised cooking show, her passion for French cuisine or the charming warble of her voice, Child had that "it" factor that inspired audiences to get their gastronomy on and cook with flair. "She was one of those people whose character was sort of as huge as what she was trying to say," Meryl Streep says.... Read the more at www.tribute.ca. |