what I ate last: Risotto ai funghi and a green salad

After election night tacos and post-election nothingness, tonight it's back to cooking, thank god. Risotto, one of my most loved foods, though this one has been a long time coming. First, it was impossible to find risotto rice, even in Super Target in Tuscaloosa where they sell that despicable pre-mixed dried rice and mushrooms, but not the rice by itself. After a birthday night conversation with fellow food fascist Frank, the German second year tutor, a packet of very good arborio was dropped in my lap one day in the computer room. Where he got it from I have no idea. Next, stock: it took some time to summon up the courage to buy and cook one of the dubious battery-farmed chickens from Piggly WIggly who swim in their plastic bags in a mixture of blood and water. But I took the plunge and was rewarded by some decent home-made stock. Last, the ingredients to flavour the thing - and I had to fall back on tight button mushrooms which after half an hour of simmering managed to grow some flavour. And cheese - well, you can imagine, it was Kraft shredded parmesan out of a plastic bottle. The saviour of the enterprise was some fresh parsley which I found hidden at the back of the vegetable shelf.



If I say so myself, it turned out remarkably well - al dente, flavorsome, fresh - though maybe my starved taste-buds were over-reacting. And mushroom risotto is the taste of autumn, which has suddenly arrived with piercing blue sky and chilly air. English friends tempt my with talk of pigeon and other game, and reading 'Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness' makes me wonder why this lush land isn't offering me these joys, but still, my stomach is happy...