So, for my final blog post of my recent series of three, I get to tell you all, the collective blogosphere, that I have made it to Williamsburg, the town of my fiancee. This is honestly the first time I have visited Sarah since she left Austin. It has been almost two months, but after a couple of days together, it honestly felt like we were apart only a few days. Crazy how that works. Anyways, I figure I would tell you about a few of the things we have been up to here, with a focus on food. Exciting, eh?
One of the things Sarah and I have always enjoyed doing together is exploring trails. Walk 'em, run 'em, bike 'em, climb 'em. Well, we did not get too adventurous while here, but we did travel down the highway to York River State Park to get in a short hike this past Saturday. The park contains over 25 miles of trails for the casual hiker or mountain biker. Unfortunately, many of these trails also allow for horses and the waste that comes with it. Nonetheless, the trails really were nice and pretty and allowed a nice view of the York River. They seemed ideal for a morning jog (note for next time!).
On Sunday, Sarah and I went to the CIAO (Colonial Italian American Organization) Italian Festival to do some fun crafts browsing, music listening, and wine tasting. Sarah also went for the delicious but unfortunately gluten-filled food =P. Overall, the festival was a great deal at only twelve dollars a ticket. The festival version of wine tasting was quite fun (and a bit intoxicating) - instead of sampling just one winery, we ended up sampling eight. There were wines of all kinds for all kinds of people, from the super sweet to the super dry to the super fruity. Our favorite wine of the day was probably the Barboursville 2007 Carbernet Franc Reserve. It was bolder than many of the other dry wines at the festival without being overbearing which is, in my opinion, a great combination of properties to have. I should make a final note that the best part of the festival was the free wine glasses, as displayed below with a bottle of 2009 Placido Chianti (also a great deal at under $7!) and a Halloween-style tablecloth.
After returning from the Italian festival, we went to a little restaurant called Food for Thought for dinner. If you are Celiac and find yourself in Williamsburg in the future, make sure you go here. It has an absolutely wonderful gluten-free menu. And you must try the Down South, a combination of grits, sauteed shrimp, bell peppers, mushrooms, and pan gravy. Make sure to get the "extra spicy" version - it is not as spicy as it sounds, and the spice does not come in the way of taste.
To conclude this post, let me make a trip around the world from the American south to northern Italy. That's right, last night, Sarah and I made risotto, that creamy and rich Italian rice dish. Sarah and I first tried to make risotto this past summer with mixed success. The dish we created was delicious but a bit too crunchy - not quite the ideal al dente one would like. This time, the dish turned out perfect. The base recipe for the risotto dish comes from Gluten-Free Girl's blog, but we made a couple of changes. I detail the recipe below.
Rich and Creamy Bacon Spinach Risotto
Ingredients:
5 cups of chicken stock
1/4 cup of butter
1 large red onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
6 pieces of bacon, shredded
2 cups of arborio rice
large pinch of nutmeg
3 tomatoes off the vine, chopped
6 ounce of spinach
1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Steps:
1. Pour the stock into a large saucepan and slowly bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat until the stock is gently simmering.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in large skillet under medium heat and gently fry the onion, garlic, and bacon for 2-3 minutes until the onion has softened but not browned and the bacon is sealed. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring all the while, for 2 minutes until the rice is well cooked and starting to toast. This "toasting" stage is key to a classically made risotto.
3. Add a ladleful of the stock to the pan and cook gently until the stock is absorbed and stir continuously. Continue to add the stock in small quantities. I found I added stock every two minutes or so. When half of the stock has been used and the rice is creamy, season well and add the nutmeg and tomatoes.
4. Continue to add the stock until the risotto becomes thick but not sticky. This should be about 25-26 minutes from the time you started cooking.
5. Stir the spinach into the risotto for 2 minutes, then add the cheese at the last moment. Serve and eat immediately.
That's it. Make sure to use a large pan as to not make a mess, and do not overcook the risotto. The goal is al dente not mushy. I have included a few fun pictures of the cooking process below. Enjoy!
The Toasting of the Grains:
The Addition of Tomatoes:
The Addition of Spinach:
Dinner is Served:
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