Risotto: High & Low
Me with Dad & Mom at my first solo gallery show. Moody Gallery, Houston, TX 2002. They came from NC. It was such a big deal to me. My grandmother (Nonnie) died before the show happened, but she knew it was scheduled so I have peace with that. Nonnie was a painter and a big inspiration to me.
P.S. This is the one time I was tan - glad it’s documented! And, how cute are my parents?!
I saw my first Rauschenberg when I was 15. We were visiting my Grandparents on Fripp Island and their friends had a Rauschenberg lithograph in their living room. It was cool - a vintage car with some other signature details. I was shook! It cemented the fact that art could be anything, really. High art, low art …. who cares?!
Mom recognized my enthusiasm for the artist and drove me to Washington DC for the Rauschenberg exhibition at the National Gallery. It was just the two of us, setting up a tradition that we carried out over the years. DC was the closest “big city” to us - around five hours from Chapel Hill. We went to the exhibition and had lunch in the fancy cafe: risotto & salad with a cappuccino to follow. This is what we would order every time. Years later when I took my daughter to the 2017 Women’s March in DC, we were starving and cold and I kept thinking “if we duck out now, we could squeeze in a nice risotto lunch”. But, we persisted ….
As I mentioned in my Pimento Cheese post, Mom had a way of making me feel seen. DC was super glamorous to this college town girl. In addition to the Rauschenberg show we went to Saks in Chevy Chase and Commander Salamander, the infamous punk store, in Georgetown. (Talk about high / low - you’ll see this as a recurring theme with the Reeds.)
Mom went on to encourage my art. She enthusiastically displayed it all over her house, both inside and out! I recall a particularly quirky junk pterodactyl sculpture I did that she hung from a tree over her wildflower garden. She always made sure I had the supplies I needed, and some I didn’t know I needed. And, when it came to be exhibition time, she showed up ready to work. For my high school degree project at the NC School of the Arts, Mom drove over to Winston-Salem and helped me hang my art. I had the gallery for a limited period of time and we were down to the wire with people literally banging on the doors to get in at the time I listed on the invitation. Stressful! Mom took me out to a nice dinner at the Rose & Thistle afterward. I remember breathing a HUGE sigh of relief over a plate of spaghetti. In college, Mom and Dad both showed up to help me with my RISD senior thesis. Having no idea how much work it would be, I painted the entire gallery a dark red to complement my art. We all took turns with the paint roller and going on snack runs. Mom made her famous chocolate fondue (recipe coming!) and sangria for the gallery opening. It was a family affair and I was grateful for it.
In remembrance of my classy National Gallery risotto lunches with mom, I’ll post two of her risotto recipes, one “high” / one “low”, as it should be.
WILD MUSHROOM & ASPARAGUS RISOTTO
6 cups chicken broth (sub veggie if desired)
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups Arborio rice
5 ounces wild mushrooms, cooked and coarsely chopped, approximately 3/4 cup
7 ounces asparagus, cooked and cut into 1-inch pieces, approximately 1 1/2 cups
2 ounces grated Parmesan, approximately 1/2 cup
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
In an electric kettle or medium saucepan with a lid, combine chicken broth and white wine and heat just to simmering. Keep warm.
In a large 3 to 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and sweat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the grains are translucent around the edges. Be careful not to allow the grains or the onions to brown.
Reduce the heat to low. Add enough of the wine and chicken stock just to cover the top of the rice. Stir or move the pan often, until the liquid is completely absorbed into rice. Once absorbed, add another amount of liquid just to cover the rice and continue stirring or moving as before. There should be just enough liquid left to repeat 1 more time. It should take approximately 35 to 40 minutes for all of the liquid to be absorbed. After the last addition of liquid has been mostly absorbed, add the mushrooms and asparagus and stir until risotto is creamy and asparagus is heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, lemon zest, and nutmeg. Taste and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Note: If fresh wild mushrooms are not available, reconstituted dried mushrooms can be used instead. Place 2 ounces of dried mushrooms into a bowl and cover with warm water. Allow to sit for about 30 minutes or until all the mushrooms are soft and pliable.
REDNECK RISOTTO
1 cup stone-ground coarse-cut grits
4 ½ cups stock—any kind
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2-3 tsp fine sea salt
¾ lb spicy sausage, cooked and cut into small cubes
2 lbs mushrooms
¼ c olive oil
sea salt
pepper
4 tbsps unsalted butter, cubed
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 shallots, peeled and minced
¼ c fresh parmesan.
Cook grits in 4 c stock 15-20 min. Add butter and season.
Heat sausage and keep warm
Slice mushrooms
Saute mushrooms in oil in skillet. Add salt and pepper, then butter, garlic, and shallots. Saute 1 min. Add rest of stock. Mix all. Sprinkle with rest of cheese.
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