Day Two Hundred Forty-Nine

Hey! Christmas Crazy!

We're a few weeks into our little project where we translate kindness from the internet into gifts for kids who could use a little magic this holiday season. So far, we have a pile of nearly $3000 worth of magic. Given the ~literally everything~ going on around us, I'm thinking we can call this whole party a success when we get to $5000.

Yes, that is half of our normal pile of magic. Yes, that does make me sad. Yes, it is very understandable, though. A few of the connections I usually count on for a favor or ten aren't going to work out this year. And this year has been HARD for a lot of people.

Despite that, there have been a few people who have worked some serious magic.

Each and every small act matters. Have no doubt about that. The small acts add up to big acts and that is how we get this done every year. But sometimes a few big acts come along and they push us a little further. So, Cheryl, thank you. Your big act was a big help.

And Rose.

Rose is a local author. She's the author of this book, in fact. She donated a huge pile of said book, which is pretty fantastic considering it's a great book for older kids. Thank you, Rose.

Little by little and big by big ... we're getting there. We've got another two weeks to wrap this whole thing up for the year. So, LET'S DO THIS.

Here's the Amazon list.

Here's the Paypal link.

Day Two Hundred Forty-Eight

Well, Thanksgiving is going to be different this year. We know that much. I'm working Monday through Wednesday this week because it turns out that you might as well work if you aren't travelling. And not travelling means I'm cooking and ... I'm pretty okay with that.

There will be excessive quantities of tofurkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberries, stuffing, and risotto.

Oh, yes. Risotto. As far as I'm concerned, it is very much so a core Thanksgiving side.

I have about ten risotto recipes I love, but this one is the best. The very best. 

Parmesan Risotto

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (I use a mini food processor)
1 cup arborio rice
4 cups chicken broth (I substitute and use this instead)
5-6 threads of saffron (Whole Foods oddly has really good prices on it.)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1. Put your broth and saffron in a saucepan and turn the heat on medium.

2. While the broth is warming up, toss the olive oil into a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to turn clear. Your mission is to move on to the next step just before the onion starts to brown. (I usually fail at this mission. Life goes on.)

3. Add the rice and cook until it starts to turn clear as well (about three minutes).

Optional step: If you're fancy enough to have some white wine sitting around, you can throw 1/2 cup of it in there now and heat until it reduces. White wine adds a nice flavor to risotto, but it's really not all that necessary.

It certainly doesn't change the look of anything.

4. At this point, you should have two burners earning their keep. It's going to stay that way because you are going to add the broth little by little to the rice. Here's what my setup looks like when I make it:

I have the skillet in front with the rice and onion, the saucepan in the back with the broth and saffron, and a scary looking measuring cup sitting on a folded paper towel next to the whole shebang. The reason for that scary looking measuring cup is that you need to add the broth 3/4 cup at a time.  That setup is the least messy one I've been able to find.

So, your rice and onion are sort of clear and your broth is heated. It's no coincidence that both burners are set to medium--you need your broth to be the same temperature as the fun in your skillet. Now the fun begins!

5. Add your first 3/4 cup of broth to the rice and start stirring (It's going to sizzle. Don't stress over it.). And stirring. And stirring. In fact, you're going to be stirring for the next 20 minutes, so I hope you've figured out how to scross through Tik Tok one-handed.

After a few minutes, that first 3/4 cup of broth that you added will seem to have disappeared. Once it does, it's time to add another 3/4 cup. And stir. And stir. And stir. Once that 3/4 cup of broth disappears, add another 3/4 cup and stir. And stir. And stir. Are you sensing a pattern yet? Yeah? Follow the pattern until you run out of broth.

It's sort of magical how the rice absorbs the broth.

6. Once you're out of broth, test a bit of the rice. It should be al dente. If it's crunchier than al dente, you can add 1/2 cup of water and cook until it reduces (just like you did with the broth).

7. Once you're happy with the state of the rice, turn off the heat and add your parmesan cheese. Stir, stir, stir, and you'll wind up with a creamy rice.

It's really good. It's even better if you top it with some steamed asparagus, but I suppose not everyone would agree with that assessment.

Day Two Hundred Forty-Seven