Mushroom Pancetta Risotto

After nearly two months of living in the library and staying away from the kitchen I finally had the opportunity to make my first post-bar exam meal...


Two simultaneous event occurred to prompt the above meal:

     1.   After three days of testings for nine hours a day, yours truly drove in traffic for nearly two hours to her parents house. Depleted, exhausted, depressed, and disappointed by the anticlimactic conclusion of the often darkly described exam I walked over the threshold and made a beeline straight for the piano. Granted, by the time I got home it was about 9:40 p.m.  and apparently my mother had decided it was time to call it a night.  " Oh no! Piano at this hour?!  Please, I just want to go to sleep."  The look on her face said it all, she was genuinely exhausted and knowing she, like myself, had difficulties falling asleep I took pity on her. "Ok" I responded, " Just two songs please, let me just play two songs, I NEED IT".  In a combined effort of understanding an compromise I was able to play a couple songs on the piano I had missed so much. She knew very well if allowed, those couple songs would have turned into a couple hours...

         The next day, still unaccepting of the fact that my summer of legal immersion had come to its conclusion, I set about to filling my day with long-ignored hobbies. Among these, a trip to the local library and of course dinner plans.  " I'll take care of dinner today mom, just let me know what you want, and consider it done."  Excitedly my youngest sister interrupts with " Risotto please please! Make us some risotto!" 

         2.   A simple Facebook request. I announced the impending return of my food blog ( optimistic thinking here)  and asked if anyone had specific requests. Much to my delight, my best friend from elementary school made a request for my risotto!  Granted, this post won't have the recipe because I believe risotto requires step-by-step pictures to get the full impact of the process. But, she has been promised a private lesson as soon as I hop on a plane to the East Coast ;)

Two requests for risotto from two valued members of my life was enough to make the decision for me :)

One last exam this coming Friday and academic freedom will hopefully be mine. Life will move onto new(and old) goals  of health/fitness, piano, reading books for pleasure, writing and of course blogging.



 

Wild Mushroom Bulgur

This may sound odd, but the fact that I'm finally using wild mushrooms in a recipe is a great sign that life is slowly settling into place.

Typically, when faced with life's obstacles and curve balls I run to the kitchen and begin frantically baking and cooking to calm my nerves -- using ingredients as a creative outlet.

At some point last year, even the kitchen failed to provide a safe haven for me. That is when I knew something was seriously wrong.  At around this time, Justin from Marx Foods generously sent me a sample of his dried wild mushrooms. Though a part of me was extremely excited about participating in this mushroom challenge, everything else was holding me back.

Well Justin, I am finally posting a recipe using your delicious mushrooms. Thank you for being so patient.

Ingredients:


A few pieces each of the following mushrooms: Lobster, Porcini, Black Trumpet, and Chanterelle
1 cup organic bulgur
1 cup chicken  or vegetable stock
1 cup water
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
3/4 tsp turmeric 
1 medium onion
3 cloves of garlic
salt
pepper
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil


Directions:

The night before, place the dried mushroom in a cup of water, and let it sit overnight in the fridge.

Preparation:  Dice the onion and garlic, set aside; Pick out the mushrooms from the water and dice them to your desired size, save the "water" which has now become a broth ( hereafter "mushroom broth")

The day of: Dice the onion and garlic and sauté it in the olive oil until they become translucent. Next, add salt and pepper to taste along with the turmeric and smoked paprika. Sauté for another minute. Now add the bulgur, diced mushrooms, and butter. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Finally add the mushroom broth and chicken/vegetable broth ( totaling two cups of liquid). Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed.

Serve:  Either fluff with a fork and serve in a bowl topped with vegetables or along side some chicken or do as I did and pack the bulgur into a mold, according to your desired serving size.

Are you up for a challenge?

Hi everyone!

Recently, Justin from Marx Foods contacted me and asked if I was interested to take part in his " Blogger Mushroom Recipe Challenge".

I don't know about you, but I LOVE mushrooms -- especially when its not your average crimini, portobello, or button.

I of course jumped at the opportunity to participate :)

Though he already has some participants lined up, he would love a few more to make the challenge all that more exciting. So are you interested? Would you like to battle me in a challenge to come up with a winning wild mushroom recipe?

If you are, just check out Justin's website and let him know you would like to join in.

I look forward to finding out which of you become my competitors....

" I need to feel better ASAP " Soup

Wow, I went an entire semester of not getting sick -- not even for half a day. But of course as soon as finals rolls around and I have to study like a madwoman WHAM , hello symptoms.... goodbye energy.

The symptoms like to come and go. It's like they are taking turns: sore throat one day, fever the next, then one day of only nausea and nothing else. Whats next, and when will it go away??? I have my first final on Friday, International Business Transactions Law. I would like to be conscious and coherent. That would be a plus -- considering its a three hour exam, closed book, covering oh... about 1000 pages of material.

::SIGH:: If you have a law student in your life, or used to be one, I'm sure this is all familiar banter. Either way,  thanks for listening.

Since today I wokeup nauseous, I survived mostly on tea throughout the day. When it came time for dinner, I wanted something simple, nutritious and full of magical ingredients that would boost my immune system and have me up and running.

So.... my soup  

Ingredients

1/2 a medium onion, sliced
1 tbsp chopped jalapeno
5 cloves of garlic
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
Pam
Mushrooms, sliced thinly for garnish
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp or less of rice vinegar ( optional)
1 tsp brown sugar
4 cups of beef broth

Sautee the onions in Pam first, then add the jalapeno, garlic and ginger. "Deglaze" with the soy sauce/rice vinegar combo. Quickly thereafter, add the broth and brown sugar and let it simmer.  ( If you have scallions, they would be a great garnish as well)

Garnish with sliced mushrooms.... and pray for a miracle.