Duty is done

i was SUPPOSED to be in grand jury duty. but, after expressing concern about being accessible to an immediate family member with a chronic illness, the judge had my service changed to petit juror (one day or one trial) and since i wasn't selected, i was promptly dismissed. good thing too because...DC COURT WILL TAKE YOUR KNITTING AND CROCHETING AWAY FROM YOU!!!!!!!! and this is after i called in advance to make sure i could take my knitting with me.

go figure. everyone i know does everything they can to avoid jury duty. i go, willing to serve and get sent home. oh well, i'm sure i'll get a summons in two year.

anyhoo, there are loads of pics to take and new projects happening. i do have one thing to show. i've been cooking again and THE thing is risotto. here's one i've done so far:

Risotto with Smoked Bacon and Peas

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked risotto

2 cups of unsalted chicken stock/broth

2 cups of water (optional)

approx 1 tablespoon of butter

approx 1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 finely chopped shallots

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

6-8 slices of smoked peppered bacon

grated parmesean cheese

Notes: bacon used in recipe purchased from a farmers' market. you want a smokey, cured, heavily seasoned meat. if substituting plain bacon, canadian bacon or pork cracklings, liberally season with coarsely crush black pepper
How to make Risotto with Smoked Bacon and Peas
Begin by cooking bacon on medium heat, draining the fat frequently. you want evenly browned, cripsy pieces. once cooked, drain bacon on paper towels. coarsely chop bacon into bits and set aside.

Drain any remaining grease from pan, leaving it lightly coated with grease and lovely bits of flavor from the bacon. Add shallots, a drizzle of olive oil and sautee until shallots become tender and clear. Add risotto, half of butter and sautee until shallots begin to carmalize and risotto starts to turn golden in color.

At this point, begin adding the broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing liquid to be absorb by the risotto before adding the next cup. when risotto is almost done, toss in peas, bacon, and any remaining butter.

[when using canned broth, I alternate with 1 cup of water the first time, 1 cup of broth the second, and a slightly diluted mix the third time I added liquid. I do this to cut down on the salt. If you are using a low-sodium or no-salt broth, then don't use water. for this, i used homemade unsalted chicken stock]


yes, i know, this is vegetarian, and i do apologize....but dayum this was sooooo good. i have a few more recipes that i'm working on...a mushroom risotto and a dessert one.

so until next time.