milanese risotto and stewed okra and tomatoes

i found a buy one get one free food & wine magazine deal around christmastime, so i got it for liberal foodie and me. LF got her first issue and demanded that we plan a monthly cooking extravaganza. we have only done this once so far, with the february issue. we decided we were going to each pick two recipes, cook them together, and then eat the results. we just picked what we wanted to make, regardless of whether it went together or not.

i am sure LF will write about her recipes (she has been demanding photos from me so a post is definitely on its way on her blog) so i will write about mine. i chose risotto because it is something i love to eat and had always been intimidated by. and i chose okra because i have had some really delicious okra and have always been scared to make it because of the potential sliminess factor. it can come out so good or so gross. how the hell to cook it?

the fact that i was going to have a master chef (aka LF) at my beck and call to give me cooking tips gave me the confidence to try these recipes. i'm going to post the original versions of the recipes here, with my modifications in parentheses. both of these recipes came out absolutely delicious and i would totally recommend them.

milanese risotto (original recipe here)


Ingredients

1. 5 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade (i used 7 1/2 cups total, and i bought a really delicious boxed stock from dean's mediterranean imports)
   
2. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3. 1 small onion, finely chopped (i used a yellow onion)
   
4. Salt and freshly ground pepper
5. 1 1/2 cups arborio rice (10 ounces)
6. Pinch of saffron threads
7. 1/2 cup dry white wine (i chose a pinot grigio)
   
8. 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (i found the best parmesan ever at krause's)
   
9. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (i used salted)
   
10. 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
    

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a simmer; keep warm. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. (under LF's direction, i cooked the onion probably 6-7 minutes until it was really soft)

Add the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring to thoroughly coat. Crumble the saffron into the wine and add it to the rice. Cook, stirring, until the wine is absorbed. Add 1 cup of the warm stock and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, until it is nearly absorbed between additions. (LF and kate both advised me to stir constantly, so i literally stirred the entire time the rice cooked, about a half hour total. i also needed to use much more stock than the recipe said. i think the amount of stock you need probably depends on the arborio rice you use, so heat up more stock than you think you'll need just in case)

The risotto is done when the rice is al dente and suspended in a thick, creamy sauce, about 20 minutes total. Season the risotto with salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese, butter and parsley and serve immediately.

i don't know what the secret was (the high quality ingredients? the constant stirring? the magic of LF in the kitchen?) but this risotto was amazing. avani said it was some of the best risotto she has ever had! it really was damn good. you have to try it. now that i have done it, i can say that it really is much easier and less intimidating than i thought.

stewed okra and tomatoes (original recipe here)


Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2. 2 garlic cloves, minced
3. 1 small red onion, thinly sliced (i chopped instead of slicing)
   
4. 1 teaspoon pure chile powder, such as ancho (i got all my spices at dean's mediterranean imports and they were super fresh and potent)
   
5. Pinch of cayenne pepper
6. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
7. 1 teaspoon turmeric
8. 1 pound okra, stemmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick (i used frozen baby okra, again from dean's, and did not slice them)
   
9. 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
10. 1/2 cup water
11. Salt

Directions

In a medium skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the minced garlic and sliced red onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the chile powder, cayenne pepper, cumin seeds and turmeric and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add the okra and cook for 2 minutes, tossing. Add the tomatoes and cook over high heat until they release their juices, about 1 minute. Add the water, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the okra is just tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and serve. (i stewed for probably 15-20 minutes. it was still tender but gave the flavors a longer time to develop.)

this dish was delicious the day of. the next day, it was nasty. after sitting in the fridge overnight and then being reheated in the microwave for lunch the next day, it became totally slimy and disgusting. i could not eat it.

i don't think i would make this with okra again because the leftovers taste like hell. however, i loved the flavors and simplicity of this dish and would definitely do it again with a different vegetable. i think green beans would be good, or spinach, or zucchini. you could also try it with meat or tofu. it is so easy and really you could do it all, start to finish, in probably 20 minutes. i highly recommend this dish, but unless you are going to eat it all in one sitting, don't use okra.