Hi, foodies in the Hive!

The first time I had real risotto was at L'Ancora, a small restaurant in Lecheria. It was kind of fancy, and times were different, better. It was more than twenty years ago; ironically, I was a college student and could afford it, but now I'm a college professor working two jobs, I can't. I haven't come back to this restaurant since 2010. Fortunately, I can cook decent risotto at home, and this time I must say it came out very well.

I've cooked a plant-based version of my longed-for risotto ai funghi porcini, the dish I used to always order no matter what wonders were on the menu.

I've used champignons instead of porcini as they're the ones sold in supermarkets around here (most of the time).

Perhaps the most relevant details of this recipe are that I've used homemade almond milk to make it creamy, and that I've used a little tomato to add an extra slight acidity and color.

Thank you for joining me in cooking this simple but delicious and nutritious dish. Feeling already aromas coming from old Italy.

Let's say that what is important when it comes to cooking a good risotto is that it has a creamy consistency, in addition to using the appropriate type of rice, to have the texture we are looking for (carnalori or arboro).

Personally, I'm only happy when I use a generous amount of white wine to cook risotto, because it adds the characteristic acidity I'm looking for. And I'm doubly happy if it can have cream, as this way we avoid the parmesan cheese while getting an equally lovely texture. This is just the opinion of an amateur cook who loves to eat risotto but doesn't have enough money to order it at a good restaurant. But hey, it's OK, for I love to cook just as I love to eat 😁

100 gr carnalori risotto
150 gr mushrooms (I used champignon instead of porcini)
2 cups white wine
100 ml homemade creamy almond milk
2 cups finely chopped onion (I used yellow onion)
1/2 cup chopped tomato
2 tablespoons finely sliced garlic
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons margarine
salt to taste
cracked pepper to taste
ciboulette to taste for garnish

I also used:

3 cups of grated potato + spicy paprika + black pepper + salt + olive oil to make crusts as a side.
1 cup of yellow peas + 1 tablespoon of fresh garlic + 2 bay leaves + salt + 2 basil leaves to make creamy soup as a side
Julienned red onion + olives

First, I finely chopped the onion and sautéed it in a mixture of olive oil and margarine. Sautéing the onion is always the first step.

Once the onion had started to brown, it was time to add a little salt and the sliced garlic.

Immediately, I cut the tomato and mushrooms, to add them to the cooking.

I had these 150 gr of cleaned champignon in my freezer. Half of this tomato was eaten by Queen Guinevere, one of our tortoises; she came to the kitchen, I couldn't say no; I cut the tomato in half and you can guess the rest of the story.

Half of it was just fine for each of us.

I added the chopped tomato and mushroom in the pan and stirred the mix a little.

Time to deglaze the pan and add a good quantity of wine.

I added dome of the wine. With the help of the paddle, I deglazed the pan, so that the wine made a delicious sauce. I added the rest of the wine and let it reduce.

A couple of minutes after I added the wine, I measured the rice and added it, along with a cup of water and a tablespoon of garlic powder (I used this as I didn't have stock; it works fine!).

From then on, I had to stir the rice from time to time to help it release the starch. So that it would not dry out too much, I put the lid on; this way, the rice would absorb the broth more easily. The idea is that there should always be liquid covering the rice in the pot and then we can see how it gets thicker and thicker; it means we can add more water or stock, as needed, as the risotto cooks.

After another couple of minutes, I added black pepper and almond milk. I had made this milk myself the day before: I soaked 100 gr of almonds for 6 hours, peeled them, processed them in the blender with a cup of hot water, pinch of salt, e questo è tutto!

You can see how your risotto goes from watery rice to creamy, heavenly risotto 😁

Mushroom risotto takes about 30 minutes to cook. After you add the rice, you should not cook for more than 15 to 20 minutes. After removing the pot--I used my old wok--from the heat, it's important to let it rest, so that it absorbs as much of the sauce as possible. Then, you can serve it.

I served all the rice in two plates; I always estimate 50 grams of rice per diner. I drizzled a little olive oil on top, cracked more black pepper on top and also garnished a little with ciboulette from my garden.

No matter how much I love risotto, it's not a dish that leaves me satisfied; I usually accompany it with soup and bread, but since I didn't want to eat anything with flour today, I made these potato crusts--that I use for breadless sandwiches--and just a little creamy yellow pea soup, plain.