Desperately Seeking Mushroom Risotto (and Someone to Cook It)

Are you cooking a lot? Once a week? Every day? The New York Times cooking writers, bless 'em, have all sorts of ideas for the rest of us. In one way I'm very happy about this because Lord knows I need some ideas.

I have officially gotten sick of my own cooking. For one thing, it's boring and I can hardly eat it any more, let alone cook it. Desperate to liven things up, I started looking at food blogs to see if I can get myself out of this rut; in fact, it's not a rut, because that would imply that I had some abilities to cook before the pandemic. I did not.

But hey, food bloggers. Do you know who you are talking to? Here's what you suggest I make while I'm at home working and writing and trying to remember to exercise:

Mushroom risotto with funnel

Crisp gnochi with brussels sprouts and brown butter

Butternut squash pasta with parmesan

Bricklayer style nachos recipe

Vegan main dishes like Three Sisters Squash

Of course, you have to subscribe to the Times to get these recipes, which I don't, but that hardly matters since I couldn't make them anyway.

For fun, though, I'm going to share the mushroom-fennel-risotto ingredients and recipe. My questions are as follows:

1. Who is making the creme fraiche? Is that supposed to be me? Because, uh, no.

Why do we need Arborio rice? What IS that, anyway?

What if your husband is in AA and you don't HAVE white wine on hand?

But somehow, let's say you get through those answers, you still have to do things like find assorted wild mushrooms (at Cub?), stand there at your skillet and simmer (which I do anyway all day long, having nothing to do with food), and then whip up that creme fraiche (or beg someone you know to do it for you and deliver it).

NY Times writers; food bloggers; friends. 

I stink at cooking. I just want some easy-peasy recipes that will get me interested in eating again. Can you publish any? PLEASE?

Meanwhile, for those of you who love cooking, here is the mushroom fennel recipe from Williams Sonoma. My favorite words in it are "somewhat translucent." Like I would know.

Mushroom-fennel-risotto Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 cups (48 fl. oz./1.5 l) chicken or vegetable broth
• 4 Tbs. (2 fl. oz./60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and finely diced
• 1/2 lb. (250 g) assorted wild mushrooms, trimmed and halved or quartered, depending on size
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups (10 oz./315 g) Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) dry white wine
• 1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) crème fraîche
• 1/4 cup (1 oz./30 g) grated Parmesan cheese, plus shaved Parmesan for garnish
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the broth to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and keep the broth warm.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the fennel and sauté until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer the vegetables to a plate. Set aside.

Add the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil to the same pan and warm over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the grains are coated with the oil and somewhat translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add the wine and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) of the hot broth and cook, stirring constantly, until it is almost completely absorbed, about 10 minutes. Continue adding the broth 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) at a time, stirring frequently after each addition and waiting until the broth is almost completely absorbed before adding more.

When the rice is creamy and the grains are tender yet still slightly firm to the bite, after about 25 minutes, stir in the crème fraîche until combined. Add the mushroom and fennel mixture to the risotto and stir until warmed through. Stir in the grated Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in more broth if the risotto is too thick. Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls and garnish with shaved Parmesan and the parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

The final amazing thing about this recipe? I have several friends that cannot only make it, but make it easily. God love you all.

Mushroom risotto photo: Gloria Cabada-Leman