[what's cookin'] Risotto Milanese or Food and Gaming

I currently am running a group of players through the Call of Cthulhu campaign, Horror on the Orient Express.  It's part of our usual Monday Night gaming group, so we only get together about once a month to play my game.  As such, I do sometimes look for ways to make the night memorable outside of just what happens in the game, itself.

One such way is to look at ways to incorporate snacks and drinks into the setting.  Since the Investigators are traveling across 1920s Europe, I've done things like bring tea and sandwiches, themed cocktails, and the like.

The party just entered Milan during the last session and while I had hoped to have had some sort of Milanese snack or similar to offer, I found myself too busy to put something together.  But the idea had not left my head even after the game session.

While digging around for typical Milanese delights, I found this recipe for risotto.  As I actually had all of the ingredients, or their vegan-friendly substitutions, on hand, I decided that I wanted to give it a try.  And oh! am I glad that I did.  It's delicious!

Vegan Risotto Milanese

Ingredients:

Olive or any mostly neutral-tasting oil

1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

salt

2 cups short-grain rice

2 large pinches saffron (I like the Trader Joe's brand)

4 cups of Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken broth

1/2 to 1 cup dry vermouth or a dry white wine

2 tablespoons Earth Balance

1/2 to 3/4 cup grated Violife Parm

Instructions:

In an Instant Pot, press the SAUTE button and allow it to come to heat.  Add a good drizzle of olive oil and once shimmering, add the diced onion to the pot.  Sweat the onions thoroughly, add a pinch or two of salt if needed.  

While the onions sweat, add the saffron to the broth and allow it to steep a bit.

Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil, adding more oil if needed.  Allow some of the rice to brown a bit, so do not go too vigorous on the stirring.  After about four minutes, deglaze the pan with the vermouth or white wine.  I do not usually measure out the wine exactly.  Rather, I pour enough into the pan to deglaze the browned bit from the bottom of the pot.

Next, add the broth and the saffron to the pot.  Close the lid and set the iPot to MANUAL for five minutes.  Be sure that the release valve is locked!

After the five minutes are up, turn off the Instant Pot and open the steam release.  You can do this in bursts if you prefer.  Once the steam is released and the pot is no longer locked, carefully open the pot.  Add the Earth Balance and Violife to the hot risotto and give it all a good stir.  Add salt to taste.

Optional: I do love to add a little green to my risotto dishes and while that would not be exactly traditional, the fact that this is already a veganized version means that we've pretty much thrown tradition right out on its ass.  So, throw in a half cup or so of frozen peas right after opening, if you want.  Fresh parsley could also be a tasty addition.

[what's cookin'] Frozen Spiked Lemonade

When the mercury rises here in Southern California, I like to relax on our back patio with a frosty beverage. As the temps got up to a sweltering 88 degrees Fahrenheit (no giggles from you, Arizona and Texas), I blended up a batch of yummy to cool off tonight. Want to try your own frozen Tom Collins?  Here you go:

Frozen Tom Collins/Spiked Lemonade

1/4C water

6oz quality gin 

2oz Cointreau (friends don't let friends drink triple sec)

3 lemons--peeled, halved, seeded

1/4 cup sugar

6C ice

If using a high powered blender, throw all the ingredients in and blend for a minute or so. Otherwise, add everything but the ice and blend until liquified. Add ice (in batches, if necessary) and blend. 

Pour and enjoy!

[what's cookin'] Family Movie Night means POPCORN FOR DINNER!

Leftovers, anyone? How about a beer?

When my eldest was younger, we often designated Friday evenings as “Family Movie Night.”  Now that Declan is getting older, I have brought back our movie-watching nights.  He is still a touch too young for it, not usually sitting through the entire film (though animated or “puppeted/Muppeted” features fare better), but it gives all a night to come together and have fun.  

Taylor, my eldest, is always invited, of course, but being a young woman with different priorities, she is absent from the festivities from time to time.  (I could write a whole post on how watching children become highly independent adults is both heartbreaking and wonderful.  I miss that kid like crazy, but she needs to have the freedom to make her own choices about how she spends her free time.  But I digress.)

Recently, I heard about the idea of Popcorn-for-Dinner.  I think that it’s a great idea for Family Movie Nights.  Everyone can forage for leftovers, or make their own quick meal.  I whip up a few batches of my famous (and addicting) popcorn.  And we all graze while snuggled on the couch watching a movie.  It’s pretty perfect, actually.  (And Declan WILL sit for a long period of time if the popcorn bowl is in his lap.  He is a fiend for popcorn.)

Here’s my recipe for amazingly good popcorn at home.  I do not usually measure the ingredients, choosing to season to taste, but these measurements are a good starting point.  Obviously feel free to adjust proportions to your tastes.  Enjoy!

Lily’s Omnom-popcorn

6 cups of prepared quality popcorn*

2-3 tablespoons of olive oil (I use an oil sprayer)

2-3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast (Bob’s Red Mill brand is widely available, not to be confused with brewer’s yeast)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Garlic powder, optional

*I use an old-fashioned, crank operated, stove-top oil popper.  I provides the tastiest popcorn I’ve ever enjoyed.  I pop mine with about two tablespoons of Earth Balance spread or high-quality butter.  If i’m feeling particularly fancy, I add a splash of truffle oil.

In a large bowl, toss popcorn with olive oil.  I use a sprayer and spray the top, toss the popcorn, spray the top, toss the popcorn, repeat until the popcorn has a light coating of oil.  Sprinkle nutritional yeast and toss until evenly distributed through the bowl.  Add salt and, if desired, a shake or two of garlic powder.  Eat immediately for best flavor.

Do you have any weekly/monthly family traditions?  

Recipe: Sourdough Pancakes

The sourdough bug has taken hold.  I'd had starter a few times in the past, be it sourdough or "friendship" bread, but inevitably life would take over and the starter would find itself in the compost heap once I'd managed to starve it to death.

Several weeks ago, I was able to enjoy some homemade pita bread at a fellow LLL mom's house.  When I asked for the recipe, she informed me that she'd used her starter for it and gave me some to take home (along with the recipe).

Since then, I've been playing with a few different recipes.  I've found that the most useful so far is the following recipe for pancakes that I adapted from this site.  Why so useful?  Well, if you're keeping your starter out on your countertop, it's important to feed it twice a day.  In so doing, you can quickly end up with a LOT of starter.  Many recipes only use a half cup to a cup of starter.  This one uses TWO cups.  It's a great way to use up starter and it makes the easiest, tastiest pancakes.

Sourdough Pancakes

• 2 cups sourdough starter at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar or brown rice syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 egg or banana (or egg substitute)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Warm water (just a splash for dissolving the baking soda)

In a large bowl, add the first four ingredients and mix.  I use my trusty stand mixer.

In a glass, add the baking soda and just a splash of warm water.  Stir until the soda is fully dissolved.  Add the soda solution to the batter and gently fold in.  It'll foam a tad and rise.

Heat a skillet, pan, or griddle to medium high heat.  (I use a crepe pan.)  Add oil or fat as desired.  Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the hot pan and cook until bubbly and the edges are set.  Flip and cook for another thirty seconds to one minute or so.

Typically this recipes yields about ten pancakes for me.  Yours may vary.


If you try this recipe, feel free to let me know how it works out of you.  We've had a lot of success with it and it's already a family favorite.