Riso alla Lombarda

For some time now I have watched Lidia Bastianich cooking on television and really appreciate and admire her approach. Every time I watch, I think “oh that looks so good”, but I had not tried any of her recipes. Even though it is by no means a show dedicated to vegetarian cooking, many of the recipes are vegetable based. Last week I was browsing in a local bookstore and saw her book “Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy” and started flipping through it. I had the idea right there in the store to cook my way through the book and really learn some authentic Italian dishes.

I know, it’s been done. The thing about that whole Julie/Julia Project…it’s a really good idea for learning someone’s approach to a particular type of cuisine. Lidia’s book is arranged by region, so it is also an interesting way to get to know a bit about the different regions of Italy.

Arborio Rice

On Thursday 2/25/10 I took the plunge into the Lombardy region with the recipe for Riso alla Lombarda (Rice Lombardy Style). It was a revelation. First, it was wonderful to know that a risotto style rice dish could be made without the constant stirring, allowing the cook to multitask and make the other dishes for the meal. Second, the technique of adding a paste of olive oil, egg yolk and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano which added such wonderful creaminess and color was a surprise—I will file that away for future application.

The Magic Paste

Instead of water, I used as my liquid another recent cooking revelation: the Herb and Garlic Broth from the book “Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison’s Kitchen”. This flavorful liquid has rapidly become indispensable in my kitchen and I find myself making it nearly every week.

The final result came together in less than 20 minutes and was silky, full of flavor and just plain delicious. I paired it with a crisp green salad, with some thinly sliced carrots onions and celery and garbanzos in a balsamic vinaigrette.

Riso alla Lombarda

This was such a wonderful start to this adventure. Not only were the results perfect, I found a new recipe that I know I will use often. Thanks Lidia!

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