T Inspired Mushroom Risotto There are two constants in my life: coffee in a travel mug and a true crime podcast delivered in a voice so calm it could narrate a bank heist as a scheduling conflict. After enough episodes that begin with, “It was a quiet beach community,” one’s imagination develops production value.
by Denise Copeland
So when my mother decided to explore behind the downdraft vent under my JennAir cooktop at the beach cottage and triumphantly announced she had found something, I certainly did not assume it was misplaced cookware. I assumed buried treasure. A brick of hundred dollar bills. A velvet pouch of gold coins. My slightly skewed brain immediately supplied dramatic lighting and a slow zoom. Something that required gloves, a whispered phone call, and possibly a discreet offshore account. What she actually pulled out was a cast iron skillet. Tucked away like it had entered witness protection. Naturally, my podcast saturated self leapt straight to scandal. Late night rehearsals. Secret rendezvous. A chorus line conspiracy. Had there been a clandestine culinary society of high kicking dancers carbo loading under cover of darkness? Because here’s the twist. I recently learned one of the previous owners of said cottage had been a Rockette, as in the legendary Radio City dancers famous for impossibly synchronized high kicks, dazzling precision, and enough sequins to temporarily blind the front row. Instead of scandal, there were sequins. Instead of mystery, precision choreography and impeccable posture. The skillet was not evading authorities. It was lying low after fueling decades of synchronized kicks and Broadway level stamina. If anything, it deserved top billing. So in honor of its clearly glamorous past and my wildly overactive imagination, we are paying homage to the skillet in hiding with my famous Mushroom Risotto. Rich, earthy, and just dramatic enough to honor its stage worthy past. The creamy rice and savory mushrooms find their perfect partner in a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio, bright and refreshing, cutting through the richness like a spotlight through velvet curtains. One sip, one bite, and suddenly the only thing unfolding in this kitchen is applause and a standing ovation.
Ingredients •
2 tablespoons olive oil
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2 tablespoons butter
1 small shallot, finely diced 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
10 ounces Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 ½ cups Arborio rice ½ cup dry white wine
4 to 5 cups warm vegetable or chicken broth ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
52 Coastal Pearl Living - INSPIRE
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