My first risotto. When I was in college, I was on a double date with my friend. I was doing the cooking and my friend had told our dates we would make them risotto. Me being overly self confident, I took on the task, having never eaten risotto before nor understanding what it even was. I knew about rice, but not risotto. What was the deal with coating the rice in the olive oil? What is all this stirring?  Anyway, I just winged it, and when it came time to eat, we had on each plate a grey looking unappetizing hard ball.  It was difficult to get a fork through it. Our dates, being very kind, choked down the risotto with a glass wine and awkwardly tried not to talk about it too much.  Later there was much laughter about it and it sent me on a quest to really learn a how make it.  It had to be better than that!

Over the years risotto has become something I adore!  Creamy, gloppy and sloppy, it is so so good.  I have made it for 150 people at time, and there is something profound about standing in front of a giant vat stirring and mixing in intention and good will a giant spoon.