In the Kitchen with Risotto

I've decided once a week to hang up the tried-and-true; procure an ingredient that I had never cooked with, and let the creativity flow. So many times I fall into the rut of cooking what is familiar...definately the dark side of being a Comfort Foodie! But I've been reading Amanda Hesser's novel "Cooking for Mr. Latte" and today it has inspired me to try "risotto". I once caught Giada on FoodTV's Everyday Italian making a sweet risotto with raspberries for Valentine's Day - which wasn't enough to convince me. I'm the queen of pilaf, a brown rice babe - till now, risotto, has been foreign territory (is it pasta or is it rice ?). Amanda's "Creamy Risotto with Lemon" (page 141) jumped off the page and turned out to be a fabulous initiation. The secret to making great risotto is not to oversaturate the grains with liquid while it is cooking. Only add more broth (chicken or beef stock) once the previous amount has been absorbed. Sticking to this method will conjure a fluffy grain that is still firm to the bite. I adapted her recipe by adding 1/4 cup reconstituted Porcini mushrooms (with the water for soaking) half way through the process and substituted sour cream for the creme fraiche. This fabulous dish was served with grilled wild mushroom chicken sausage, and a simple salad of Vidalia onions and fresh garden tomatoes. Delicious! Italian cooks have recognized risotto as a comfort food for centuries.