Cooking at Home = Total Joy

My nearly two year relationship with an inordinately talented and perfectionist chef turned me from an enthusiastic home cook to a self-conscious one. (I wrote about it over at Serious Eats).

The broken heart remains, but my cooking anxiety has vanished.

I’m back! I’m back!

When my lovely friend Emma from college suggested dinner I said: "My place?"

I owed Emma a meal. When the breakup was still stinging and fresh, my stomach churning constantly and miserably, I traversed the long route to Bed-Stuy for red wine and Mexican comfort food: a sort of lasagna made from tortillas, tomato sauce, winter squash, fresh cheese, and topped with a squeeze of lime and a handful of cilantro. Soul-warming and happy-making and awesome.

Now it was my turn to feed her!

I went to the little market by my apartment for inspiration and what did I find? Mushrooms galore!



I adore mushrooms. Photo: Gabriella Opaz

Stunning hen of the woods, chanterelles, and oyster mushrooms. And the prices? Not exorbitant! No way to cheer me up like some beautiful mushrooms. I was all smiles all the way back to my apartment.

I remembered that mushrooms are nearly all water, and that a big generous bag of 'shrooms cooks down to almost nothing. So I did it up with my bounty. No such thing as too many mushrooms.

What better way to showcase earthy, unami-packed, rich mushrooms than with creamy risotto? Back when I thought I wanted to be a chef, I spent a summer cooking in a sweaty midtown kitchen. I worked mostly at the station that made all the hot sides and pasta. It was a really American, classic sort of menu: I cooked mashed potatoes, sauteed spinach, succotash, mac n' cheese. But my absolute favorite thing to make was risotto.

I make badass risotto. Photo: Bomee

I've loved making and eating risotto since. It has a reputation for being a butter and fat and calorie bomb. But here's how I make mine:

1. Saute my mountain of mushrooms in as many batches as it takes, with just a bit of olive oil, butter, and salt.
2. In a separate pan, saute leeks, shallots, and garlic in a bit of butter and olive oil, til translucent.
3. Add aborio rice, season generously. Let rice toast for about 5 minutes.
4. Deglaze the pan with a glug of white wine.
5. Here's where all the stirring comes in. Keep adding stock--veggie or chicken or whatever you have--and stirring, adding stock, and stirring, until the rice gets creamy and perfect and fabulous (For me, this requires a watchful eye + tasting)
6. Add all the mushrooms in and stir. Finish with a big handful of grated parmesan, a bit of butter, and a sprinkle of parsley.

So easy, and tasty, and good! At my restaurant, we were proponents of "the more butter, the better" philosophy. But I prefer not to eat a stick of butter for dinner, so I use a rather modest amount. The result is still totally creamy, lush and feels decadent, not health-foody or something. It was some bang up risotto.

Served with a big green salad with a mustardy vinaigrette, to play off the risotto's richness. And a bottle of riseling, for the same reason.

I Love Cooking!!

Got me thinking how much I love the ritual of cooking. Whether it's an elaborate dinner party or a midnight bowl of pasta. Chopping veggies. Mixing things. Washing lettuce. Whatever. Just being in the kitchen.

I have little patience and am terrible at slowing down. Making things in my kitchen forces me to stand back, to stop running. It takes how long it takes. Just gotta stand there and stir. Maybe with a glass of riesling and some oldschool Lauryn Hill blasting.

Time passes differently, slowly. Good smells happen and magic is made. This brings me some peace, some satisfaction. Note to myself: cook as much as possible!