# Risotto in the Pressure Cooker!



## FryBoy (Aug 18, 2006)

*The discussion of cooking rice brought to mind one of my favorite foods, risotto. I think the hype that it's too hard to make or too time consuming is overblown -- I don't mind stirring it for 25 minutes (hint -- use a nonstick pot and you won't have to stir it nearly as often). All of that's worth it, IMHO, for a superb wild mushroom risotto or something of that ilk.*

*I do mind, however, having to do all of that when I'm cooking something else, such as lamb shanks (for which Risotto Milanese is the perfect accompaniment) and would prefer to be drinking wine with my guests (well, with some of them anyway). Last winter I found a solution -- my beloved Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker.*

*Here's the recipe:*

*RISOTTO MILANESE*
*Pressure-Cooker Method*​ 
*1 tablespoon olive oil*
*1 small onion, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)*
*1 cup arborio rice*
*2 cups low-fat chicken stock*
*1/4 cup vermouth or dry white wine*
*1/8 **teaspoon crushed saffron*
*1/8 **teaspoon ground white pepper*
*1/2 teaspoon salt*
*1 tablespoon butter*
*1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese*

*Heat the oil in a pressure cooker over high heat. **Add the onion, cook, stirring, until translucent, **about 2 minutes.*

*Add the rice and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds **until the outer edges turn translucent.*

*Add the stock, wine, and saffron.*

*Cover and bring to high pressure over high heat.*

*Reduce heat to stabilize pressure. Cook 7 minutes.*

*Quick-release pressure and remove cover.*

*Stir in white pepper, salt, butter, and Parmesan.*

*Let sit for 2 minutes before serving.*

*Makes 4 Servings*


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## Michael in FtW (Aug 18, 2006)

Risotto is a food of love (or at least requires some time and a little concious effort - the stirring and slow incremental addition of stock has a purpose to develop it's creamy texture) - not some _*glop*_ you scrape out of a pressure cooker pot!

Of course we have a few members here who live in Italy ... would love to see what they have to say on the matter ...


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## GB (Aug 18, 2006)

FryBoy said:
			
		

> I don't mind stirring it for 25 minutes (hint -- use a nonstick pot and you won't have to stir it nearly as often).


The stirring is not to keep it from sticking, but it is actually to bring out the starch of the grains. Constant stirring is not really required though as some will lead you to believe.


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## karadekoolaid (Aug 18, 2006)

A pressure-cooker risotto...
Why? 
What is the problem with cooking some rice for 15-20 minutes ( which is the time it takes to cook anyway) and stirring, tasting, adding, etc. 
I thought that was what cooking was all about!
No, with all due respect,  Fryboy - it's like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. 
Part of the delight of risotto is the process, _¡El Amor! _

It's like barbecuing meat on an open wood fire!!


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## Gretchen (Aug 18, 2006)

According to some on another board, it is VERY good. And while the process may be the delight, sometimes it is nice just to get it done.  At a culinary arts demo last year the chef from Julia's Kitchen also described how to "hold" risotto for service which is also helpful.


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## Half Baked (Aug 18, 2006)

Gary, I thought you were on vacation...does your wife know you're on the computer?


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## GB (Aug 18, 2006)

Shhhh don't tell her. She thinks I am paying bills online 

We got back today. I think I am going to make risotto tomorrow thanks to this thread.


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## Half Baked (Aug 18, 2006)

I'm sure you had a wonderful time and she'll enjoy tomorrow's risotto...and the bills will be paid.


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## FryBoy (Aug 18, 2006)

Michael in FtW said:
			
		

> Risotto is a food of love (or at least requires some time and a little concious effort - the stirring and slow incremental addition of stock has a purpose to develop it's creamy texture) - not some _*glop*_ you scrape out of a pressure cooker pot!


 
My, you're certainly open to new ideas, Michael! I've made more kinds of risotto than you can imagine, and I must say I'm very good at it. When it's the main course, as it often is in our house, I make it the old fashioned way. When it's a side dish, however, and I have guests waiting, I need a quicker method that produces good results. The pressure cooker does that, your skepticism notwithstanding. 

Lorna Sass, who is generally recognized as the foremost expert on pressure cookers, rightfully calls risotto nothing less than "one of the pressure cooker's greatest triumphs" (_Pressure Perfect,_ page 196). The fact is that rather than producing "glop," as you so graciously put it, pressure cooking brings out the starch that creates the creamy texture that defines risotto, and it does it much faster and more efficiently that hand stirring. Anyone who would botther to try the method would understand that. 

True, making good risotto in the pressure cooker may not be as much fun as standing over a hot steaming pot of rice during the last 30 minutes before serving dinner, but some of us prefer to concentrate on our friends rather than the stove.


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## Lynan (Aug 19, 2006)

Welcome back GB!! 

Now, I have to say that I dont think I will EVER see an Italian mama cook her risotto in a pressure cooker. Not to say the end result is not OK, just that in Italy, tradition dictates it is to be stirred. For 20 to 25 minutes. And that is why I love the Slow Food Movement...we have got to keep to it alive.
I get SO much pleasure from that stirring and seeing this gorgeous, creamy mass forming with my love and attention, its what cooking is all about.
We have a great Wine Master here in NZ who does his in the microwave and swears by it. Ok again.
Im sticking to stirring, and loving it. lolol   

BTW, I spent 10 years in Italy, and pressure cookers were constantly being used. Just never for risotto.


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## Chopstix (Aug 19, 2006)

Fryboy, thanks for the recipe.  I bought a set of WMF pressure cookers two weeks ago and have used them many times already.  I've fallen in love with it!  

Risotto for me is almost frustrating to cook.  Labor-intensive and the rice takes forever to get to the desired doneness.  That's why I've never served it to guests. It's too time-critical and has to be served immediately. 

I'm going to try your recipe!


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## Chopstix (Aug 19, 2006)

Gretchen said:
			
		

> According to some on another board, it is VERY good. And while the process may be the delight, sometimes it is nice just to get it done. At a culinary arts demo last year the chef from Julia's Kitchen also described how to "hold" risotto for service which is also helpful.


 
Gretchen, would you  mind sharing what you learned on how to 'hold' risotto for service?  Thanks!


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## Gretchen (Aug 19, 2006)

He said to bring the risotto to the last addition of liquid where you would be adding your "extras" (he was making lobster risotto). Spread in a baking sheet and cool. Then for service put your plated amount in the pot, add the hot liquid and the additions and finish. Pretty easy--apparently the way restaurants prepare it for service.


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## lyndalou (Aug 19, 2006)

Dave Lieberman's wild mushroom risotto is great and does not require constant stirring. I've made it for guests and they couldn't get enough of it.

Try it, if you can find it. I don't know how to give you a link on here. Barely know how to turn this contraption on.

Lyndalou


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## suzyQ3 (Aug 19, 2006)

cliveb said:
			
		

> A pressure-cooker risotto...
> Why?
> What is the problem with cooking some rice for 15-20 minutes ( which is the time it takes to cook anyway) and stirring, tasting, adding, etc.
> I thought that was what cooking was all about!
> ...


 
There is no problem with devoting your attention to risotto -- when it's your main dish or when it's just family. But if you're entertaining guests for dinner and are making several other dishes and the risotto is not the star of the meal, why dismiss an easy method if it produces good results? 

I've had regular risotto, and I've had pressure cooker risotto. They are equal in taste and texture...in fact, I might even rate the pressure cooker risotto a tad higher.


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## suzyQ3 (Aug 19, 2006)

Michael in FtW said:
			
		

> Risotto is a food of love (or at least requires some time and a little concious effort - the stirring and slow incremental addition of stock has a purpose to develop it's creamy texture) - not some _*glop*_ you scrape out of a pressure cooker pot!
> 
> Of course we have a few members here who live in Italy ... would love to see what they have to say on the matter ...


 
I'm a bit surpised at seeing a member dismiss another's recipe as "glop." Isn't there a more civilized way to express disagreement regarding a cooking method or recipe? I thought this site prided itself on its politeness. Personally, I detest recipes that feature canned cream soup, so I just say nothing in reply to those recipes here or, at most, suggest an alternative. 

As for pressure cooker risotto, I agree that it's not traditional. But that doesn't mean it should be automatically dismissed without a trial. I have made it, and it's excellent. When you're busy with other dishes and/or kids or guests, it's a simple alternative -- and simple is something I would think a fan of Occam's razor might appreciate.


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## FryBoy (Aug 19, 2006)

Chopstix said:
			
		

> Gretchen, would you mind sharing what you learned on how to 'hold' risotto for service? Thanks!


 
As an alternative to holding the risotto for service, the pressure cooker method allows you to prepare everything in advance, saute the onions, and set it aside. When you're ready to return to the kitchen to get everything on the table, reheat the onions and oil for a few seconds and then follow the remaining instructions. Your risotto will be ready in another 7 minutes, just as you're about ready to sit down with your guests. 

I prefer to do it this way because I've found that risotto doesn't hold all that well once it's done -- although it is pretty good reheated the next day in (dare I say it without fear of ridicule from the great masters?) the microwave. It may be glop, but it's delicious glop!


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## Gretchen (Aug 19, 2006)

Absolutely--another great reason for the PC. But he was giving the restaurant method for their ability to have risotto ready at any point in a diner's order.
It ain't glop, by any means. No apology needed!!


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## FryBoy (Aug 19, 2006)

Thanks. I appreciate your comments.

To tell you the truth, I've rarely had risotto in a restaurant that's as good as what I make at home -- by either the traditional methods or in the PC. It's so time-consuming and last-minute that I don't think most restaurant kitchens can do it justice.


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## VegasDramaQueen (Aug 19, 2006)

_Te each their own, but I make a lot of risotto by the old fashioned method. I love watching the rice turn creamy with each addition of liquid and the finished product is a work of art. I can't even imagine cooking risotto in a pressure cooker. This is indeed a labor of love and I'm never in so much of a hurry that I have to use the "instant" method. But hey, if it works for you then have at it. As for me, I want to watch my risotto go through each stage. It only takes about 20 minutes to make perfect risotto, so what's the hurry??_


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## Gretchen (Aug 19, 2006)

FryBoy said:
			
		

> Thanks. I appreciate your comments.
> 
> To tell you the truth, I've rarely had risotto in a restaurant that's as good as what I make at home -- by either the traditional methods or in the PC. It's so time-consuming and last-minute that I don't think most restaurant kitchens can do it justice.


 
That may be partially true, but not if they know how to run a high end kitchen, which risotto would be an offering from.
We had an Italian resto that opened and may have been the first time I had risotto. It was sublime. And the kitchen was open and you could see the cook standing at the stove. THEN, success struck--too many orders--no knowledge of how to manage it (see my preivious note about what the chef at Julia's Kitchen does). and they were passing off long grain rice as "risotto". I sent it back.


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## suzyQ3 (Aug 19, 2006)

Drama Queen said:
			
		

> _Te each their own, but I make a lot of risotto by the old fashioned method. I love watching the rice turn creamy with each addition of liquid and the finished product is a work of art. I can't even imagine cooking risotto in a pressure cooker. This is indeed a labor of love and I'm never in so much of a hurry that I have to use the "instant" method. But hey, if it works for you then have at it. As for me, I want to watch my risotto go through each stage. It only takes about 20 minutes to make perfect risotto, so what's the hurry??_[/quote
> 
> I didn't get the impression that anyone was suggesting the pressure cooker for merely saving time, so I don't think it's a matter of being in a hurry. The posters were suggesting that if risotto is merely a side dish and you're busy with other recipes and with socializing or, as one poster mentioned, if you just can't seem to master the technique, the pressure cooker is a fine alternative.
> 
> As you so astutely point out, each to his own. But I have to wonder whether we sometimes tend to become overly enamored with the process as opposed to the end result. I can almost hear my ancestors waxing on about the delights of lovingly washing their clothes by hand at the river's edge and looking askance at any newfangled method.


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## FryBoy (Aug 19, 2006)

Drama Queen said:
			
		

> _Te each their own, but I make a lot of risotto by the old fashioned method. I love watching the rice turn creamy with each addition of liquid and the finished product is a work of art. I can't even imagine cooking risotto in a pressure cooker. This is indeed a labor of love and I'm never in so much of a hurry that I have to use the "instant" method. But hey, if it works for you then have at it. As for me, I want to watch my risotto go through each stage. It only takes about 20 minutes to make perfect risotto, so what's the hurry??_


 
I enjoy cooking, but I like eating a whole lot more.  

When I have time, I do cook risotto the traditional way -- it can be quite relaxing and, of course, rewarding. But like most people, I often have other things to do and can't spend time standing over a bubbling pot of rice for 20 minutes or more, as much fun as that can be. That time is often better devoted to other last-minute dishes, or to my guests, and thus the choice is between having risotto as a side dish or not. 

And BTW, when I have opted for the pressure cooker to prepare risotto, my guests have been blown away by both the results and the seeming magic of the device.


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## Andy M. (Aug 19, 2006)

The final test, IMO, is how it tastes.  Side by side, if you can't tell the difference, use the PC if you prefer.  I have no problem with using modern conveniences as long as the finished product doesn't suffer.

If there IS a difference in taste, then you have to decide if you want to compromise.


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## Chopstix (Aug 20, 2006)

Gretchen said:
			
		

> He said to bring the risotto to the last addition of liquid where you would be adding your "extras" (he was making lobster risotto). Spread in a baking sheet and cool. Then for service put your plated amount in the pot, add the hot liquid and the additions and finish. Pretty easy--apparently the way restaurants prepare it for service.


 
Thanks Gretchen!


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## Chopstix (Aug 20, 2006)

Gretchen said:
			
		

> He said to bring the risotto to the last addition of liquid where you would be adding your "extras" (he was making lobster risotto). Spread in a baking sheet and cool. Then for service put your plated amount in the pot, add the hot liquid and the additions and finish. Pretty easy--apparently the way restaurants prepare it for service.


 
Thanks for the info, Gretchen!


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## VegasDramaQueen (Aug 20, 2006)

suzyQ3 said:
			
		

> Drama Queen said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Chopstix (Sep 4, 2006)

Fryboy, tried your recipe today.  I made only 1/4 of the recipe as I was eating alone.  Was a bit worried about the liquid drying up inside the pressure cooker.  But no. It turned out perfect!  SO EASY! First time I didn't feel impatient while having a facial over the cooking risotto.  I'm not going back to the traditional way of cooking it anymore! Thank you!!!  I'm going to try this method on other risotto recipes...


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 4, 2006)

Sorry I missed this thread earlier. Yes to the defence of Fryboy, cooking risotto in a pressure cooker does the job, *to a certain degree*, and if you just don't have the time to give your risotto all the attention that requires because you ABSOLUTELY need to do something else at the same time, it can be a solution.

Having said that though, we have experimented this as we also heard a lot about cooking them in a pressure cooker, nothing can beat the wonderful texture and flavour of a risotto cooked in a traditional way. It is just something else. Pressure cooker method should be considered as the last resort when you are in a pinch.


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## Robo410 (Sep 4, 2006)

I love making risotto.  I even make brown rice risotto, which takes quite awhile, up to 1hr 15 min.  (the flavor is so good tho)  A chef I was studying with recommended a presure cooker for brown rice risotto. THe results can be fantastic.  However, I like the slow process...just me.


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 4, 2006)

I also like to apply the risotto recipe using farro.  It does take considerably longer to cook, even though soaking them in a water with baking soda for a couple of hours helps somewhat.  It gives a wonderful al dente texture and nutty full flavour.  I haven't try the pressure cooker with it, but this may be worth trying.


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## karadekoolaid (Sep 4, 2006)

suzyQ3 said:
			
		

> There is no problem with devoting your attention to risotto -- when it's your main dish or when it's just family. But if you're entertaining guests for dinner and are making several other dishes and the risotto is not the star of the meal, why dismiss an easy method if it produces good results?
> 
> I've had regular risotto, and I've had pressure cooker risotto. They are equal in taste and texture...in fact, I might even rate the pressure cooker risotto a tad higher.


 
SuzyQ3 - I've just stumbled on your reply when the  post is almost done. Sorry for not replying earlier. 
I'd just like to make it clear I'd never reject a new method of cooking a traditional dish if it were (a) easier (b) quicker and (c) tastier. So in that case, when I fix the pressure cooker, ( the safety valve blew because it was left on the cooker unattended) I promise to make pressure-cooker risotto! 

My original concerns were regarding time-saving ( which I didn't see as particularly relevant - maybe 5 minutes?) and the stirring process, which does make the starch come out. I'll have to give it a go, again. 

Anything that's new should be looked at, cooking-wise, art-wise, everything -wise. That's called progress. Remember the fear and trembling when personal computers came on to the market? I was one of the first to acquire one, even though I'm a tech idiot. 

As for the risotto not being the main attraction at my dinner table - I personally take as much care over the salad dressing and the decoration of the dishes as I do over all the other dishes. EVERYthing is important. Yes, it sometimes involves my rushing around at the last minute like a hysterical warthog in a Lion's Pen, but then that's just me


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## suzyQ3 (Sep 4, 2006)

"As for the risotto not being the main attraction at my dinner table - I personally take as much care over the salad dressing and the decoration of the dishes as I do over all the other dishes. EVERYthing is important. Yes, it sometimes involves my rushing around at the last minute like a hysterical warthog in a Lion's Pen, but then that's just me  "

Hahahahaha...You sound like a marvelous -- and very entertaining  -- host indeed.

You remind me of a neighbor and dear friend whom I was fortunate to know for too brief a time. He was a stickler, that one -- down to the perfect snip of herb placed in the center of a perfect pat of butter. Somehow he did it all with a relaxed flourish (oxymoron notwithstanding) that boggled my mind.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Sep 11, 2006)

suzyQ3 said:
			
		

> I'm a bit surpised at seeing a member dismiss another's recipe as "glop." Isn't there a more civilized way to express disagreement regarding a cooking method or recipe? I thought this site prided itself on its politeness. Personally, I detest recipes that feature canned cream soup, so I just say nothing in reply to those recipes here or, at most, suggest an alternative.
> 
> As for pressure cooker risotto, I agree that it's not traditional. But that doesn't mean it should be automatically dismissed without a trial. I have made it, and it's excellent. When you're busy with other dishes and/or kids or guests, it's a simple alternative -- and simple is something I would think a fan of Occam's razor might appreciate.



I am suprized as well at Michael's post.  This is the first time I have ever seen a thread from my freind that I didn't agree with completely.  I can see the value of pressure cooked risoto, but agree that I would make it by stirring, as it puts more of me into the dish.  And the risoto would always be the star in any meal I would use it in.

But that's just me.  Michael, you are one of my heroes on this site, one of my peers, and because of your accuracy and graciousness.  You aren't usually the condescending type.  What happened on this post?

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Slicer (Sep 11, 2006)

Sounds like a good idea to me. Putting more of me in my food doesn't appeal as much as putting more of my food in me! 

It's sort of like making bread; the purists knead by hand and sneer at people who use a mixer or food processor or, horror of horrors, a bread machine, even though hardly anyone can tell the difference in the finished product. 

Every religion has its fanatics!


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Sep 13, 2006)

Slicer said:
			
		

> ...It's sort of like making bread; the purists knead by hand and sneer at people who use a mixer or food processor or, horror of horrors, a bread machine, even though hardly anyone can tell the difference in the finished product.
> 
> Every religion has its fanatics!



I kind of find your tone condescending as well.  Remember, there are those who eat to live, and those who live to eat. 

It's the same with food preperation.  Yes there are "purists" out there who sneer at who sneer at bread machines.  But there are also artists, who view breadmaking, or risoto, or whatever food theyu are prepairing as an art form.  I have seen amazing breads, made by true artisans, that could not be made by a bread machine.  I have seen edible bread sculptures that were the centerpiece at a table.  I have seen sweet pastries that took the stage at a christmas feast, not only because they tasted incredible, bit because the presentation was a work of art.

Don't sneer at us who love the process.  Just as I believe it's wrong to sneer at those who like to make the sometimes daunting job of food preperation a bit easier,  There is room in this world, and on this site for both.

Some people enjoy the beutifully crafted vase.  Some people enjoy making it.  And some people carve beautiful ice sculptures with a chain saw.  It's all good.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Yakuta (Sep 13, 2006)

I love the way you write Goodweed.  You hit the nail on the head.  Just like Fryboy I love my pressure cooker and I will cook almost anything in it.  Indians cook kichdi which is just like a risotto but is made with rice and moong beans along with aromatics and ghee and cooked until it's nice and soft and creamy.  Its a different name but the same concept.  We cook it in the pressure cooker all the time. 

I say cooking is a personal thing.  Do it the way you feel comfortable.  There is nothing wrong in speeding things up or slowing things down.  The end result may be or not be perfect using either method but all that matters is whether you enjoyed and learned during the process.


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## karadekoolaid (Sep 14, 2006)

suzyQ3 said:
			
		

> "As for the risotto not being the main attraction at my dinner table - I personally take as much care over the salad dressing and the decoration of the dishes as I do over all the other dishes. EVERYthing is important. Yes, it sometimes involves my rushing around at the last minute like a hysterical warthog in a Lion's Pen, but then that's just me  "
> 
> Hahahahaha...You sound like a marvelous -- and very entertaining  -- host indeed.
> 
> You remind me of a neighbor and dear friend whom I was fortunate to know for too brief a time. He was a stickler, that one -- down to the perfect snip of herb placed in the center of a perfect pat of butter. Somehow he did it all with a relaxed flourish (oxymoron notwithstanding) that boggled my mind.


 
Crikey, Suzy - you were watching me decorate the dishes the last time I had a dinner party!!


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## Snoop Puss (Sep 15, 2006)

I'll be giving pressure-cooked saffron risotto a try. To stir up another controversy, I have never managed to make a risotto in just 20 minutes. It always takes me much longer than that. I understand in Italy there's also a baked version of risotto. I'd be interested to hear what Urmaniac and RDG have to say about that.

I love risotto and make it quite often. It's the perfect meal for the $5 thread. Luxurious and creamy but not necessarily hugely expensive, even if you use proper Arborio or Carnaroli rice. In fact, I'm inspired by this thread to go off and find some cuttlefish for Risotto Nero, though I'll cook it using the traditional method!


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