Risotto, Part 1: Basic Risotto

Risotto is one of my go-to, mid-week dishes, no matter what the season.  It's rich, luxurious, healthy, and easy to do with whatever I have on hand in my pantry.  I have been trying to share the risotto love with my friends and encourage them to try it - it's not so hard!  But many of us are used to ordering risotto at restaurants and depriving ourselves of it in our day-to-day lives.

If you're like me, though, once you start making risottos, you won't be able to stop. You can throw in pretty much anything you have on hand, and it makes for great leftovers.  I like to make a big batch Sunday or Monday, and keep a container of it in the fridge for lunch. When you're reheating the risotto, it helps to put in a little water first so it doesn't dry out in the microwave.

Sausage-stuffed Squash, Latin-Mediterranean Fusion Style

This meal was one of those happy accidents, a surprisingly tasty dish that usually comes together on a hectic weeknight when you get home later than anticipated, and try to make inventive use of some random ingredients strewn around the kitchen. Here is what I faced upon arriving home last night: a single leftover acorn squash from Roomie's endeavors last week, a pint of sketchy grape tomatoes (past their prime for a salad or anything uncooked), and a package of spicy jalapeno chicken sausage from Trader Joe's.

Ode an Fondor

Since Roomie and I are just starting up this blog, I've been thinking a lot about the important people (and meals, places, ingredients, etc.) that have influenced my approach to cooking and eating, so I can be sure to give them adequate mention in this project. It occurred to me early on that ranking quite high on this list of influential people, right up there with my mom and both grandmothers, is the Raeder family—namely, my dear friend Karoline, her parents, Ernst and Barbara, and siblings Sebastian and Sophie.