October 9

In a tale that would read more like the begets in Genesis and Matthew, I somehow stumbled onto a couple of blogs that did TWD (Tuesday’s With Dorie) and then on to BB (Barefoot Bloggers), a group  that makes Ina Garten’s recipes at least twice a month, with a bonus recipe thrown in.

Cool!

I like Ina.   She is a mix between Martha Stewart and my BFF, Paula Deene.

I have always liked trying new foods (unless it is something like collard greens~~please Southerners don’t be hatin’) but because Superman’s desperate love for all things meat and potatoes, corn and the occasional green bean, anything else is akin to Kryptonite.

“Broccoli!?!?!  You made Broccoli?!?!?!   You are making 3 pounds of cheese sauce to go on my 2 broccoli spears, right????”

I showed Superman the BB site, and asked if it was ok if I began to participate because I would occasionally have to purchase an extra ingredient or 2, and some of them are Kryptonite.

Superman is generous to a fault to me, and said “Sure you can”.   But I am kind of thinking that he thought that the extra ingredient or 2 would be steak,  potatoes or maybe the occasional green bean.

The first BB recipe that I should have made was a Cream of Wild Mushroom soup.   Pothole, Ohio doesn’t even know what fresh Shiitake mushrooms are, let alone carry them in the grocery store, and to make matters worse, I would be the only one eating it for days on end, and this girl just isn’t all that fond of Shiitake mushrooms.

So, it didn’t happen.

When I saw today’s recipe Butternut Squash Risotto that Rachel of Rachel likes to Cook choose I couldn’t wait.   I love squash, (Kryptonite) and I have never tried Risotto before.   Perfect!

Or not.

I looked at the recipe.

Butternut squash~~check

Pancetta(Italian bacon)~~I doubt any grocery store in this area has even heard of this, let alone carry it.  But that’s ok, I can substitute bacon.   I have bacon.

Shallots~~nope.   I have never seen these in the area stores either.   But that’s ok.  I can substitute onion.

Saffron threads~~bwahahahahahaha!   Even if some place in or around Pothole would even consider carrying this, it is waaaaay beyond the realm of my pocketbook.

Arborio rice~~check (but very surprised to find it)

With all this substituting and leaving out, I thought that that isn’t even Ina’s recipe anymore.   Then I read that it is ok to subsitute.

I halved the recipe because I kind of figured that I would be the only one eating it, but rice, bacon and squash all are fine with me.

This dish is fabulous.

I had just finished making it, when Superman got home from work.   I took a bite out to him and said “Superman, you just have to try this rice I just made”

Notice I convienently left out the word Squash…muahahahahha.

He loved it, Internet.  L.O.V.E.D it.    Loved it so much that he took it all to work, and I didn’t even get leftovers.

So, I made it again.   This time not halving it because…hellooooo….cook wants leftovers!

I dare you to make this.

Double-dog dare you.

Did I mention that this dish is fabulous???

Here is the recipe straight from the Food Network site.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 ounces pancetta, diced ~~substitute bacon
• 1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large) ~~substitute onion
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine ~~can leave out or use  stock like I did
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads ~~bwahahahaha
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan. Mix well and serve.

~~~

Oh…and don’t forget to make sure that you have your chef son make you chicken stock.

Chicken stock is not chicken broth.   Something that your chef son will regale you with immediately when you suggest substituting stock with broth.

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