What are we drinking?

The Adonis

This cocktail was named after the 1884 Broadway show by William Gill called “Adonis,” often cited as the first Broadway musical. While the show was in production, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel created this cocktail in its honor.

Ingredients

2 oz. Fino Sherry

2 oz. Cinzano Rosso Vermouth

2 dashes orange bitters

Directions:

Add ice and ingredients to a mixing glass and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe. Twist a 1″ strip orange peel over cocktail; drop peel into glass.

Cocktail hour - what’s on our minds?  

I’ve also decided that we should treat garlic like salt - it belongs in everything!

The component of rice that defines Risotto

amylopectin - Responsible for the creamy texture

You also need amylose- this helps keep the texture of the rice grain itself. Does not 

Becca will be glad that I started to look into the science of this and decided I wasn’t ready to take it on. Suffice to say that for risotto you want a higher proportion of Amylopectin but since Amylose seems to be responsible for helping you keep your rice grains looking “rice-y” it is important to have in there. 

Types of rice to use:

Arborio 

• Widely available

• It's short-grained with almost zero amylose. 

• Kenji 

• “It has a tendency to create a very thick sauce, and can very easily be overcooked to the point of mush because of its lack of structure. Even perfectly cooked Arborio will tend to be relatively soft.”

• Marcella

• It is the rice of preference to achieve the denser consistency that is popular with cooks in the regions of Lombardy, Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna where they make risotto with saffron or with parmesan and white truffles, with meat sauce or with game. This can be a fine all-purpose variety yielding a luscious risotto but because of all the soft starch that envelops it, it must be followed with great care in the cooking. When inattentive cooks use arborio they are rewarded with gummy risotto.

Vialone Nano 

• Hard to find. I don’t think I’ve ever even heard of this one.

• Recommended by Kenji Lopez-Alt (as is Carnaroli)

• Marcella

• A small, stubby, homely grain well endowed with Amylose, the starch that does not soften easily in cooking, although it has enough of the softer starch (Amylopectin) to qualify as a suitable variety for risotto. It is nearly the Unanimous choice in the veneto, where the preferred consistency is loose-rippling or all’onda, to use the venetian expression and where people are partial to a kernel that offers considerable resistance to the bite. It is an excellent variety to use for the delicately conceived Venetian-style risotto with seafood or spring vegetables. 

Carnaroli 

• Harder to find, but these days not really all that hard

• Developed in 1945 by a milanese rice grower who crossed Vialone Nano with a Japanese Strain of rice

• Has enough amylopectin to get nice and creamy while having enough Amylose to keep a nice texture in the grains.

• Kenji

• “They strike a good balance between creaminess and intact texture. If you can find one of these, use them.” (about both Vialone Nano and Carnaroli)

Bomba

• Actually is the spanish rice for paella but apparently makes quite a good risotto.

Risotto Myth:

Continuous stirring to release starch - disproven by many no stir recipes/instapot recipes. 

Recipe Source

Autumn Squash Risotto with Parmigiano Reggiano - Garlic & Zest

Perfect Risotto Recipe- Serious Eats - Kenji Lopez-Alt

Ingredients 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 2 cups fall squash such as butternut, honeynut or acorn 1/2" dice

• 2 shallots minced

• Garlic - optional but G going to add 1 pressed clove. 

• 1 medium apple peeled, seeded, diced

• 3/4 cup arborio rice

• 3-4 cups vegetable broth (1 cup can be replaced with wine)

• 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano finely grated

• 3/4 teaspoon dried sage crumbled (G May use fresh since she has fresh.)

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 tablespoon parsley chopped (optional)

• ⅓ C Heavy Cream (Optional) even more optional - whip the cream (say what???)

Special Equipment 

Pan that provides large surface area for the rice to cook. 

Large Measuring cup or Bowl.

World Level 

2

Steps

1. Combine rice, chicken stock, and wine in a large bowl. Agitate rice with fingers or a whisk to release starch. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer set in a 2-quart liquid cup measure or another large bowl. Allow to drain 5 minutes, stirring rice occasionally.

2. Heat a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium heat, add the part of the butter and heat until bubbly.  Saute the apples until just starting to brown around the edges. Remove from the pan (May also decide we need to rinse the pan because of the sugar content of the apples, will add that instruction to the final recipe.)

3. Add more butter (and/or oil) to the pan over medium-high heat until foaming subsides.

Stir in the diced squash and cook, stirring occasionally for 5-6 minutes until slightly softened. Add the shallots and stir for one minute until softened. (If you want to add garlic, do so at this time)

1. Give reserved broth a good stir and pour all but 1 cup over rice. Increase heat to high and heat until simmering. Once it is simmering, stir rice once, cover, and reduce heat to lowest possible setting.

2. Cook rice for 10 minutes, undisturbed. Stir once, shake pan gently to redistribute rice, cover, and continue cooking until liquid is mostly absorbed and rice is tender with just a faint bite, about 10 minutes longer.

3. Remove lid and add final cup of stock. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring and shaking rice constantly, until risotto is thick and creamy. Off heat, fold in heavy cream and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in herbs as desired. Tope with the reserved apples. Serve immediately on hot plates.

NOTE: If you are making this ahead of time, stop at step 5. Use step six as your reheat on the risotto.