Falling in Line

I read a blog at www.thepioneerwoman.com every day. She's funny and wise and takes great pictures. She's also a pretty good cook and keeps a recipe section at her website with step by step instructions. Most of what she posts is pretty down home stuff, lasagna, dump cake, doughnuts, etc. Things for which I already have recipes I love. However, there are lots of women out in cyber space singing the praises of PW mashed potatoes (She puts in cream cheese and lots of butter. I already knew that secret.) I did keep an eye on the site though just in case she posted something I might want to try.

She did this week: risotto. I've always been curious about the stuff, heard foodies rave about it and all that. It's just tediously cooked rice, right? A few months ago though, Steve took me to a nice restaurant where I was served risotto as a side dish. It was heavenly. Risotto is pilaf on steroids. Creamy, savory, cheesy.

However, the standard risotto recipe starts by dumping a cup of white wine into the rice. I don't cook with wine because I don't buy wine or keep it in my home. Pioneer Woman saved me though. Her risotto is a complete teetotaler. No alcohol allowed. Anyway, go to this web page right here and cook some. It's not cheap. I spent over $10 on enough risotto to feed 4-6 adults a side portion. I served it with a romaine salad and grilled chicken but next time I'm going to serve it with Chicken Kiev.