Everything's Bigger in Texas - Including my Stomach

The last few weeks have been incredibly hectic. I have assembled approximately 9 pieces of furniture (and accumulated 9 Allen wrenches in the process), painted (some of) said furniture, hosted a dinner party, re-celebrated being Irish (which I am.. not), and spent a great week in Texas visiting family and celebrating the marriage of one of my childhood friends (and Nikita's older brother), Stan.

My trip to Texas was exciting for so many reasons. Those reasons mainly revolve around food. The first night in Dallas we started off at Nick & Sam's, the steakhouse where my uncle is the Corporate Chef. My mom, my aunt Lori, and I were treated to plates of amazing food from their new Omi beef from Japan to deep-fried Kung Pao lobster. Then it was off to Nobu Dallas where we had pretty much everything from their toro to their miso cod lettuce wraps to a King crab leg with truffles. Life is good when your uncle's a chef.

The first few days of the trip were some of my favorites because I was able to spend time with my little cousins. Mia and Cole remind me so much of my little brother and me - except they are way nicer to each other. I have really loved watching them grow up (thank you technology and Apple) and can't wait to see them again. Those days with my family were naturally centered around food. We snacked on truffle burgers and parmesan fries after a morning at the Dallas Museum of Art, had bahn mis from Ba Le in Garland, ate sous-vide fried chicken made by my talented aunt, and of course we couldn't resist:

Most important food stop? I think so.

That week in Dallas was also Wedding Week - bridal shower, bachelorette (and bachelor) party, and wedding all in the same week! It was so great to be a part of all the festivities and (duh) the food was amazing too. The maid of honor laid out a fantastic spread at the shower with quiches, kolaches, and bundt cakes. The bachelorette party dinner at Hattie's was delicious and sated the Southern girl in me. And instead of a groom's cake at the wedding, they had pies. Need I say more?

After eating out so much you start to miss home-cooked food. Although I'll miss the BBQ and tacos, few things warm my heart like a good Italian meal. While my mother opts for a more Indian route, I bypass my usual go-to sausage and pork ragu for another favorite.

Risotto is a really wonderful dish. It takes time and patience and love, but you're left with this incredibly versatile dish that can take so many different forms. It's great as a main dish or a side, you can form it into round flat discs for risotto cakes, but one of my favorite things to make are arancini - fried risotto balls with mozzarella cheese in the centers.

Corn Risotto with Parsley and Chives
Serves 4 people

Ingredients
2 Tbsps. butter
2 shallots (or 1 medium onion), chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
5-6 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen corn
2 Tbsps. chives, finely chopped
3 Tbsps. parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste
2 tsp. grated lemon zest

Steps
1. Heat the butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and stir. Saute until softened, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the rice and cook, stirring often until lightly toasted, 1-2 minutes. **Make sure you keep stirring and adjust the heat if necessary to prevent burning the shallots or rice.

3. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed.

4. Ladle about 1 cup chicken stock into the saucepan and cook at a strong simmer, stirring constantly until absorbed. Continue to simmer and add stock a little at a time. Allow time for each addition to be absorbed before adding more. Cook until rice is tender and creamy looking, about 20-30 minutes. It is important to not rush this step - if the heat is too high it can burn the risotto.


































5. Add the frozen corn when risotto is about 10 minutes away from done. The corn will defrost as the rice continues to cook. Fold in the herbs gently and add the Parmesan and stir. **Salt to taste -- the amount you add depends on the kind of chicken stock used -- ready-made stock is usually saltier than the home-made kind. The Parmesan also adds some saltiness. Top with lemon zest and serve immediately.

One of the reasons I love risotto so much is because you can keep the same base but add different vegetables each time. I am partial to asparagus and artichokes. Frozen vegetables can usually be folded into the risotto like with the corn, but fresh veggies should be cooked beforehand. Fully cooked vegetables can be added to the risotto before adding the cheese. I've used mushrooms, peas, artichokes, spring onions, and asparagus. You can experiment with your favorite veggies and herbs to find your own combination.

So I'll end with a song that's been in my head all day and reminds me of something else that brings me comfort - Love Actually: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOMyS78o5YI.