Saturday, October 26, 2024

Torino, Italia

Good morning. Yet another relaxing day. This morning we got up and went to The Palace for a cappuccino and brioche. We are heading to Lulu’s to watch the granddaughters while mom and dad go check out another school. Tonight, for dinner we’ll be making risotto. On September 3, 2018 we took a cooking class in Verona at La Soffritta (Vicolo Carmelitani Scalzi, 14c, 37122 Verona VR, Italy). We remembered cooking a vegetable risotto which was excellent.

A couple days ago we wrote them asking if they could send us the recipe. While we didn’t expect an answer, we got one within a few minutes of writing. In fact we got the entire cookbook we received over 6 years ago. This is part of the reason for writing the blog and taking photos. After our duty as sitters was over, we went to Borello Supermercati and got things for tonight and tomorrow night’s dinners.

We also stopped at the macelleria, Agrisalumeria Luisett, at Via Po 39, and got some sausages and pork chops for Sunday night’s dinner. It is an interesting shop with a wide variety of salumi. Agrisalumeria Luiset is a short supply chain farm with pig breeding and a related delicatessen that transforms it into gluten-free meats and cured meats, typical of Piedmont, with natural casings. They raise pigs outdoors in the hills of Monferrato Astigiano, in Ferrere, about 40 km southeast of Torino in the Providence of Asti. All this fresh farm raised pork is turned into ribs, capocollo, chops, and typical Piedmontese cured meats such as Salame Cotto, Salame crudo della Rosa, Salame al Tartufo, Salame al Barolo, Sausage, Cooked Ham, Raw Ham, Cotechino and many others.

Why is this important? We’ll because their farm isn’t too far from Castello Praloramo. Castello Praloramo is one of those places we want to visit. However, the visit has to take place at the beginning of April or end of March when the tulips are in bloom. You can look it up at https://castellodipralormo.com/en/.

Anyway, we went home napped, played cards and returned to Lulu’s in time to make dinner. Even Lulu like the risotto with verdure. After dinner we headed home for a good night’s rest.

Buonanotte e ciao, Enrico e Maria

Risotto alle Verdura

From Class September 3, 2018, Verona, Italia

Ingredients

4 Servings

320 g - 11 oz Carnaroli or Arborio rice

500 g - 2 cups seasonal vegetables, diced or cut in small ribbons

1 small onion, finely minced

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Grana cheese

80 g - 3 oz unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salt, pepper

1 teaspoon wine vinegar

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

Preparation

Put onion in a skillet, add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and sauté until translucent.

Add vegetables, a pinch of salt and half cup of water; cover with a lid and cook over low heat until the vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Reheat broth. (Note: You always want to add warm/hot broth to your rice, never use room temperature or cold broth, it changes the cooking of the rice and you get a less creamy product)

Put rice in a heavy based pot and toast it over medium/high heat, stirring

continuously for about 2 minutes until rice is hot and fragrant. (Tasting rice helps release the starch making the risotto creamy)

Add the vinegar and stir until evaporated.

Cover the rice with simmering broth.

Stir and cook for approximately 12 minutes. During the cooking time stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking; if necessary add a small quantity of broth.

Add cooked vegetables, stir and cook for 2 minutes longer.

Remove from the heat when the rice is cooked “al dente”.

Add Parmesan cheese, butter and stir vigorously (mantecare) with a ladle for about 1 minute. We didn’t have Parmesan so we used some of the Bitto. The Bitto being stronger in flavor use used a little less.)

Add salt to taste.

If the risotto looks too thick and dry, add 1/2 cup of broth and stir again.