i heart ... U2, risotto and chocolate cake!

brook and i had another recipe exchange.

we turned it into a listening party for "no line on the horizon".

what do i think of "no line on the horizon"?

stay tuned!

for our recipe exchange i made "risotto con mozzarella affumicata"

from trattoria cooking by biba caggiano.

i love risotto and i have wanted to try making it for a long time.

hurrah for the recipe exchange because it gave me the courage to finally try.

and it was easy, after all. just lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of stirring!

brook made italian chocolate mousse cake.

yum!

here's the recipe for the risotto:

risotto con mozzarella affumicata

6 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade

5 tbls. unsalted butter

1 small onion, finely minced

2 cups imported italian arborio rice!!! (molto importante)

1 cup dry white wine (but i used apple juice)

3 oz. smoked mozzarella or smoked gouda, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano

2 tbls. chopped fresh italian parsley

salt, to taste

heat broth in medium size saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

melt 4 tbls. butter in large saucepan over medium heat. when butter foams, add onion and cook, stirring, until onion is pale yellow and soft, 3 to 4 minutes.

add rice and cook until well coated with butter and onion, about 1 minute.

add apple juice and cook, stirring constantly, until juice is almost all reduced.

add just enough broth to barely cover rice. cook, still over medium heat, stirring constantly, until broth is almost completely absorbed.

continue cooking and stirring in this manner (stir constantly until almost all broth is absorbed, then add just enough broth to barely cover rice, then stir constantly until almost all absorbed, add more broth, and on and on...)

continue in this manner until rice is tender, but firm to bite, about 16 minutes.

add a last small bit of broth, then the mozzarella, the remaining 1 tbls. of butter, and the parmigiano.

stir energetically (this gives the risotto its ultimate velvety, creamy consistency) for less than a minute. stir in parsley.

lightly salt.

serve immediately!