Dinner Fit For Guests...But Not THAT One

After I posted my September bucket list, a little birdie pointed me in the direction of a risotto recipe that was supposed to be ah-mazing.

I made that recipe this evening, and, three-out-of-three diners gave it an enthusiastic thumbs-up. I actually felt like an accomplished chef the minute the shallots started to sauté in the butter, and, the aroma wafting from the pot when I added the chardonnay and saffron? I can't even. It was intoxicating. In fact, the whole kitchen still smells like a gourmet restaurant, and I finished the last dish half an hour ago.

Ina Garten knows what the hell she is doing. That's all I have to say about that.

The ingredients are pretty simple, and, most of them I already had on hand (Hello, dry white wine? Pfft, amateur time).

Luckily, I  still had saffron in the spice cabinet, left over from another recipe that I made a while back. Good thing, too, because I didn't think to add the price of a few threads of the stuff to our recent mortgage refinance.

The rice is a bit time consuming, and it requires a lot of stirring as well as a cook who is capable of watching the pot so that broth can be added at just the right time. Unfortunately, I was the only cook on duty, today.

It worked out, though.

I am no food photographer, and, even if I were, I'm pretty sure that risotto would pose a challenge. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Despite the crappy picture, the dish turned out fantastic and I will absolutely make it again. Hell, I might even read the recipe in advance and purchase the pancetta that it calls for (spoiler: no one missed it!), but, no promises.

While the rice was simmering away, the Man-Cub was helping his father mow the lawn. At one point, he knocked on the back door and asked me to come out into the yard, where he introduced me to his new friend...

...and, while he was tiny and could probably have used a good meal, I instructed the Cub to set him loose in what is left of my garden. I know he didn't come close to finding a meal there, but, you know, I draw the line at amphibians at the dinner table.

Too bad for him.