risotto

Spinach and rocket risotto with roast tomatoes

Spinach and rocket risotto with roast tomatoes excerpted from I’ll Have the Risotto!: 50 delicious recipes for Italian rice dishes by Maxine Clark.

I'll Have the Risotto!: 50 delicious recipes for Italian rice dishes by Maxine Clark

Creamy, satisfying and delicious, risotto is one of the world’s favourite rice dishes. This Italian comfort food is so versatile and works well made with vegetables, fish, shellfish, meat and poultry.

Different regions of Italy have their own classic rice dishes, from the soupy Rice and Peas of the Veneto to the Hunter’s-style Rabbit Risotto of Umbria and Tuscany, but what they all have in common is the careful cooking of the rice to perfection. For a simple but comforting dinner, there are plenty of dishes packed full of warming cheese and butter, such as Saffron Risotto, Wild Mushroom Risotto or Artichoke and Pecorino Risotto. Lighter fish and shellfish dishes include the dramatic Black Risotto, flavoured with squid ink, Seafood Risotto or Crab and Chilli Risotto.

There are also many tempting meaty options, from hearty family meals to dinner party dishes. Children and adults alike will enjoy Ham and Leek Risotto, while you can impress guests with Pheasant and Red Wine Risotto. There are also a few ideas for using up leftover risotto (or for when you simply want to ring the changes), such as Arancini or Rice Croquettes with Tomato Sauce, as well as some surprising sweet delights such as Cherry and Almond Risotto Puddings or Risotto Ice Cream. (more…)

Restaurant Review: Restaurant 18

Sometimes friends fade from your life and you wake up one day and say, “Whatever happened to so and so?” There was no scrap or disagreement. Life merely got in the way. As with an old friend, this can also happen with some formerly often-visited haunt. Back in the day, for me, Restaurant 18 was the place to be. Then, for no apparent reason, it faded from my consciousness. So after Restaurant 18’s decade-long absence from my regular restaurant rotation, I decided it was high time for me to zip back in and visit my old friend.

Much has happened there since I last visited. After a company shake-up last fall, Kirk Morrison was installed as the restaurant’s Chef de cuisine. Now at the helm of one of the top restaurants in the city, Mr. Morrison reinvigorated the menu, displaying an impressive set of skills he’s been developing since he interned under superstar Chef Lynn Crawford at the Four Seasons. The dining room has been made over in muted earth tones, rendering the space dark, moody and elegant. Think Paris-chic with striking modernistic design influences. But, it’s the food that stands out the most for me at Restaurant 18. And, there is no better way to test the mettle of a chef than to make your way through the tasting menu.

The evening started off on the right foot with an amuse bouche, Pacific northwest oysters on the half-shell. Although I was self-conscious about tossing back a few in such a graceful setting, I knew after the first bite that Restaurant 18 and I were taking up where we had left off all those many years ago. The initial slurp was briny and oceanic; the flesh of the oyster, robust. Then the flavours crescendoed to a fruity, cucumber-melon finish. Unfussy and flawless.

(more…)

Boston Birthday Bash

There is some inexplicable and subconscious comfort in being around good friends. Especially ones that are full of generosity, good humour and affability. Friends who will honour your birthday with a night centered around your favourite team even when it is not theirs.

Recently, I was feted with a Boston-themed soiree by these friends of mine and treated to a meal of staggering proportions, a ‘Best of New England’ menu accessorized with Red Sox napkins, balloons, plates and cups. The crab salad was fresh, fragrant, zingy, crunchy with equal parts sweet and creamy. The chowdah was the best I’ve ever had. And I’ve had plenty. The broth was clean and allowed the palate to fully access all the flavours of the ingredients with the corn and the chives providing a boost of flavour. The risotto was decadent and flawless. Hefty chunks of perfectly cooked lobster surrounded by tender rice in the most tasty of broths accented by a side of fresh greens.

(more…)