lemon risotto

This dish sounds so simple, yet it was so delicious! Sometimes it is amazing how much flavor you can get from using the simplest ingredients. I happened to have everything already on hand to make this risotto so I whipped it up last week kind of spur of the moment. It turned out to be so fantastic in every way and I am already craving it again. I just love anything lemon, and if you do too you will adore this dish. The lemon flavor is bright but not overpowering so it lightens up the risotto, and plays beautifully off the parmesan cheese. For the wine, I used some cava since it was what I happened to already have opened, and it worked really well.

For me, it may very possibly be my new go to risotto recipe. And dare I say quite possibly take the place of my old favorite, Ina's butternut squash risotto- which a friend of mine went as far as describing as "life changing!"

We enjoyed our risotto with some simple roasted asparagus on the side, but I think it could also be chopped up and stirred in at the end as well. I am also imagining this dish as the perfect bed for all kinds of seafood, especially some seared scallops or grilled shrimp. I have also been thinking about adding a shot of limoncello in when I add the wine the next time I make it since we still have an abundance from our trip to Amalfi last year. Any thoughts?

Lemon Risotto
Source: Bon Appetit May 2002

Ingredients:

• 6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 3 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large shallots, chopped
• 2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Bring broth to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; cover to keep warm. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups hot broth; simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is creamy and tender, about 35 minutes. Stir in cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in parsley, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Season risotto with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Levain Bakery chocolate chip cookies

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes. The cookies will turn out thick, HUGE, and perfectly chewy if made correctly. They are the perfect giant and HIGH chocolate chip cookie. Forget the wide and flat cookies you're used to. My favorite thing about these cookies though, is the hint of sea salt that comes through in the end result, and the flavor of the salt against the semi-sweet chocolate. I have had many requests for this recipe and it is probably tied with my other all-time favorite cookie recipe, the chocolate chip oatmeal Neiman Marcus cookie recipe (that also gets many requests!) if you aren't in the mood for the oatmeal. I have never had a Levain Bakery cookie, but if it is much better than this they must really be amazing. Hopefully on my upcoming trip to New York city this coming weekend I will finally find the time to stop by.

I found the trick to these cookies to be getting the butter good and cold before you shred it. I stick 2 sticks into the freezer about a half hour before I attempt to grate them and find a simple box grater to work best. I have tried the food processor but the results are not as good. If you get the butter grated correctly, you are good to go! Also, do not forget to stick the dough balls in the fridge before you bake them, it will help the cookies to rise extra high.

Levain Bakery-ish Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter shredded like cheese with a box grater (freeze butter, then shred)
3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 and 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 oz good quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional- I left out)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat the cold shredded butter and both sugars until JUST combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until JUST incorporated.

Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the mixer bowl and mix just until blended. Add the chocolate chips (and walnuts) and mix until distributed. The dough will be very thick and stiff at this point.

Divide the dough into 12-18 balls, approximately 4 oz each. I make mine a little larger than a golf ball and they turn out plenty big. If you have a cookie scooper, about 2 scoops. Do not worry about the size of the balls being so large, they will still cook properly! If you make 12 balls they will probably be the size of tennis balls!

Place dough balls on a large ungreased baking pan. Chill in the refridgerator about 20 minutes and then bake 18-22 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges and set in the center. Let cool on pans about 5 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.

white chocolate raspberry truffle cheesecake

I have been obsessed with the White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory for as long as I can remember. I order it almost every single time we go and rarely risk trying something else in fear that it won't be quite as good as this one. Because well, what possibly goes better together than white chocolate and raspberries?

When I stumbled upon this copy-cat recipe a few weeks ago for one of my most favorite desserts, I knew I had to test it out soooner rather than later. (Especially with my search for the perfect Thanksgiving dessert recipe in full fail, and Thanksgiving only a week away!)

The cheesecake turned out to be spot on in taste to the authentic afore-mentioned version and wonderfully delicious- it was firm yet creamy, with a perfectly thick yet crumbly crust made from buttery chocolate wafer cookies. The velvety white chocolate texture of the cake accented by the touch raspberry were a perfect match. All topped with fresh whipped cream and raspberries had my co-workers (my test audience) exclaiming that this was quite possibly one of the best cheesecakes they had ever tasted.

I can't wait to make this next week for my family since it is sure to be an absolute hit!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Adapted from this copy-cat recipe on food.com

Ingredients:
Crust

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (chocolate wafer cookie crumbs)
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Filling

• 3/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves (this is important and saves so much work)
• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 eggs
• 6 ounces white chocolate, chopped into chunks (I used Godiva white chocolate bars found in the baking section of the supermarket)

Optional Garnish

• 2 ounces shaved white chocolate (just use a vegetable peeler)
• Fresh whipped cream (recipe will follow)
• Fresh raspberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

2. Create a water bath by placing a large pan filled with about 1/2-inch of water into the oven while it preheats.

*Note-I did not have a pan big enough to use as a water bath, so I placed a large sheet pan on the bottom oven rack filled with 1/2 inch water to add moisture to the oven.

3. Place raspberry preserves in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 1/2 minutes on high in your microwave. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.

4. Blend about 1/2 box of chocolate wafer cookies in a food processor or blender. Measure 1 1/2 cups  cookie crumbs and place in a medium bowl. Mix in 1/3 cup melted margarine. Press the crumb mixture into a 9-inch spring form pan that has been lined on the bottom and side with parchment paper. (I used a 9.5 inch and sprayed liberally with cooking spray, this worked well and I did not have a problem with it sticking, perhaps when I make it again I will line the bottom only so it is easier to completely remove from the springform pan for presentation purposes only.)

Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press the crumb mixture flat into the bottom of the pan and about 2/3 the way up the side.

5. Wrap a large piece of foil around the bottom of the pan to keep the cheesecake. Put the crust in your freezer until the filling is done. 

6. Use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese with the sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix for a couple minutes or until the ingredients are smooth and creamy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl and then add them to the cream cheese mixture. Blend the mixture JUST ENOUGH to incorporate the eggs.

7.  Remove the crust from the freezer and sprinkle 6 ounces of white chocolate chunks onto the bottom of the crust.

8. Pour half of the cream cheese filling into the crust. Drizzle the raspberry preserves over the entire surface of the filling. Use a butter knife to swirl the raspberry into the cream cheese. Pour the other half of the filling into the crust. You may choose to reserve some of the preserves to swirl on top of the cheesecake as well.

9. Carefully place the cheesecake into the water bath in the oven (or on above rack as I did). Bake for 12 minutes at 475 degrees, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake turns a light brown or tan color. If you are using a slightly bigger pan (9.5 to 10 inch) bake closer to around 10 minutes at 475 and 40-50 at 350 degrees.

When you remove the cheesecake, the top should be lightly golden and still very wobbly when moved side to side. I was concerned with how wobbly mine was, but it firmed up just fine.

10. Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool. When the cheesecake is cool, use the foil from the bottom to cover the cheesecake and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. (Overnight is ideal for it to set completely!)

11. Before serving, pipe whipped cream around the top edge to decorate the cake and sprinkle the entire center surface of cheesecake with 2 ounces of shaved white chocolate. Top with fresh raspberries. Reserve extra whipped cream for plate presentations.

Whipped Cream Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in vanilla and sugar until peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat, cream will then become lumpy and butter-like.

taste the season

{icewine grapes at Inniskillin}

We were lucky enough to spend this past weekend exploring the 22 wineries of Niagara on the Lake taking part in their annual "Taste the Season" event. Each stop on our tour featured a premium VQA wine and small food pairing geared toward the fall season. I managed to pick up nearly a dozen bottles of wine throughout our travels and can't wait to start enjoying them throughout the upcoming holiday season. We had so much fun and will definately be doing this again next year!

Pairing highlights of the trip included :
Inniskillin Wines
2007 Vidal Icewine paired with Blue Benedictine Mousse & Vidal Poached Apple

Marynissen Estates Winery
2008 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay paired with Squash Soup (I hope to share this soup recipe with you soon- TDF!)

Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery
2008 Riesling paired with Mini Goat Cheesecake with Vanilla Poached Peaches (the cheesecake was the highlight here!)

Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery
2008 Silver Series Shiraz paired with Chevre Noir with Cocoa Nib Brittle

Southbrook
2007 Cabernet Merlot Shiraz paired with Stone Road Grille Cassoulet with Cabernet Bread

{Hillebrand tasting display}

{Jackson Triggs}

{Stratus Vineyards}

{Strewn}

{Stonechurch}

{Chateau des Charmes}

{Ravine}

{Inniskillin}