The Cooking Critic

You’ve probably heard the rumors about risotto. It’s high-maintenance and constantly needs attention. Just like a woman. You’re always stirring stirring stirring to make risotto, 20 minutes worth of non-stop stirring while you ladle in warm broth intermittingly to get that creamy but al dente texture. Risotto is, indeed, a commitment. Some people will try to make you think it’s not a difficult dish, and there’s truth to this claim since a basic risotto requires few ingredients. But if you aren’t into stirring for 20 minutes (plus additional sautéing and chopping) then you couldn’t possibly be into making risotto.

While I don’t mind all the stirring myself, I had always wondered how necessary it really was. I’ve looked far and wide for an explanation about the necessity of non-stop risotto-stirring (okay, I looked once, and that was today, but I’ve wondered a lot), and while I keep coming across promising websites that insist on the stirring and even acknowledge that you may want to dump all the broth in at once and not stir, no one explains why we stir. My guess? Nobody knows. That’s right—no one in the whole world knows.

Actually, the Home and Garden TV website claims the stirring is required so the risotto doesn’t stick to the pan. But this seems suspect to me. Occasional (and not constant) stirring would prevent sticking. Anyhow, all this is a long way of saying I have found a risotto recipe that doesn’t require stirring and tastes good to me. It’s not as creamy as your average risotto (I believe the stirring is a texture issue, though I can’t find any source to back me up on this), but once I added the Parmesan at the end, I was surprised by how creamy and flavorful this non-stirring version was. With Easy Risotto, you do some initial chopping and sautéing, then pour all the broth into the risotto just as you’ve always been told not to, put a lid on the thing and let it simmer while you do other things for twenty minutes (the freedom!), and you return to cooked risotto.

Adjustments: The most significant adjustment was the addition of more liquid because when I made this once before, the risotto cooked up kind of dry. And if I’m going to add more liquid, I might as well add an interesting liquid, so ¼ cup of white wine got thrown into the pot. Instead of water and chicken bouillon, I used canned chicken stock. Also diced regular onions replaced green onions.

Assessment: As I’ve been typing this entry, I’ve debated, would I recommend this for company? No doubt, I will make this for myself again, but others? Here’s the answer: if you are making risotto as an entrée, then get to stirring because it’s the centerpiece of your meal and you need to do it right. If you’re offering risotto as a side (and especially if you have other more important dishes that require last-minute attention before dinner is served) make Easy Risotto. I suspect no one will know the difference. Even my friends who cook are not risotto snobs (to my knowledge, well, maybe Meghann Barloewen is a risotto snob–she always seems to be making risotto anyways), so I think they would be fine with this and may very well not notice the difference.

>>Buy the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.

There are few things in life more satisfying than a good dumpling. Actually, there are few things in life more satisfying than a mediocre dumpling for that matter. I make my dumplings with Bisquick, and I’m not afraid to admit it. They puff up nice and fluffy as you please, and I toss in a little parsley to throw people off the Bisquick scent. In fact, I bet you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between my Bisquick dumplings and somebody else’s homemade dumplings. Actually, I’m sure some people could tell the difference, but I suspect those people aren’t reading my blog. Not now anyways. Someday they will. Some day THE WHOLE WORLD will be reading my blog. Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha! And I will hold them in thrall with my ruminations on dumplings. (You are getting very sleepy. You like dumplings. Dumplings are your friend.)

So while the Better Homes New Cookbook provided the base for this Chicken Stew with Dumplings (they even recommended I use Bisquick, more or less), Cooking Light provided some ideas for additional flavor, so I’m citing them here. Cite your sources, people! Don’t plagiarize like my students like to do sometimes. Boo, plagiarism!

Adjustments: I sautéed fresh celery and onions and garlic instead of using frozen onions, frozen vegetables and garlic powder. Dill was my fresh herb of choice for this dish since I had some around. And add 2 tablespoons of sherry at the end for additional flavor.

Assessment: Not the most amazing Chicken ’n Dumplings I’ve ever made but good, and I felt very, very comforted. I make this dish differently every time, but I think my most successful rendition (and also the most time-consuming) took heavily from Emeril’s TV Dinners, which uses heavy cream, made-from-scratch dumplings and fresh jalapeños, among other ingredients—I hear he likes to kick things up a notch.

Dill Dip isn’t the most memorable food. People eat it with their veggies, enjoy it, but it’s not as if a few days later they’re telling someone, “I had the most amazing Dill Dip the other day.” Dill Dip is doomed to live a life in the shadow of the preferred Ranch Dressing. Such a shame, because Dill Dip is infinitely more interesting and complex than Ranch Dressing. Ranch Dressing may be the head cheerleader and Homecoming Queen of the dip world, but Dill Dip will end up going much further in life.

Assessment: So easy, so good. Besides serving with vegetables, you can smear this on a BLT, or create a tuna salad sandwich with it.

There was a moment when I poured the can of tomato sauce into the skillet and thought “Uh-oh.” There was no way this dish could be good. Of course, the pan contained nothing more than bulgur wheat, water, onions, and a can of plain old tomato sauce at the time. And then came the glorious taco seasoning. Since Trader Joe’s doesn’t carry such things, and I wasn’t about to go to a second grocery store, I promptly got online and found this gem of a recipe (drumroll please): Taco Seasoning Mix. I want to put this taco seasoning on EVERYTHING. (Well, maybe not the Chocolate Whopper cookies—they’re perfect as they are.)

I was really bowled over by these Bulgur Tacos, which came from Better Home and Gardens New Cookbook, one of the standards of my family’s collection (even my brother has one.) I’m willing to admit that since my expectations were low for this dish, this might have made it seem more amazing than it was. BUT it was also easy and also good for you (tofu is in it too!) No wonder I’m smitten.

Adjustments: Instead of taco shells, I used whole-wheat tortillas and heated them in the oven with some cheddar, so the cheese would be all melted and waiting for the bulgur wheat. (Yum!) Instead of shredded lettuce, I used spinach since that’s the greens I keep on hand. And naturally, I used homemade taco seasoning instead of the envelope suggested. As much as I loved it, it does pack a wallop. I might use 4 or 4-1/2 teaspoons of it next time, instead of 5, or maybe reduce the salt in the mix. Then again, I may not. Also, the mix called for 1/2 tsp of instant minced garlic. I didn’t have this, nor was sure what it was, so I used 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder instead since dried herbs are usually stronger than fresh. (But does garlic powder count as dried? And could something described as “instant minced” possibly be fresh? Ah, well.)

Assessment: I loved this. I’ll make it again. I will try to make my parents cook this even though I imagine they’ll be wary of the tofu. I would consider making this for a casual dinner for friends. (That’s a solid endorsement if ever there was one.)