My husband and I both swooned over this risotto at Cinghiale last week. It was the kind of dish I just had to re-create at home, which is exactly what I did last night. Success! Wow was this ever delicious. I will be making this risotto every spring when the strawberries are perfect. I made it up as I went along, but I did manage to put together a basic recipe for future reference. See below:

Risotto with Blue Cheese, Strawberries & Black Pepper

Ingredients:

1 cup arborio or other risotto rice

1 cup dry white wine

3 to 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (get this hot on the stove. It needs to be hot as you incorporate the liquid into the risotto)

1 cup or so of fresh, ripe strawberries, halved or quartered if large

Plenty of freshly ground black pepper (I used quite a bit, about 1/2 TBSP, as I love the combination of berries and black pepper, so you’ll have to play with the quantity).

Blue cheese (pick a soft type so that it melts seamlessly into the risotto. I used Point Reyes and it was outstanding, certainly a gorgonzola would also be delicious). I used about 3/4 of a cup, but would definitely go with a full cup next time as the blue cheese flavor was very light.

2 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP unsalted butter

Fresh basil, chopped

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in large sauce pan over medium heat. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper and stir, allowing the pepper to toast, about 2 to 3 minutes. Dump in all of the risotto rice and stir, allowing the rice to toast slightly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cup of white wine and stir until it evaporates. Immediately start adding the hot broth to the risotto 1/4 to 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until liquid is incorporated before adding additional broth. Keep adding the broth slowly and stirring the risotto until the grains become tender, creamy and al dente, about 20 minutes total. (You may not need all of the broth). Once risotto is done, lower the heat and stir in the butter until incorporated, then stir in  all of the blue cheese until melted and incorporated. Add salt and additional pepper to taste. Remove from heat and fold in most of the strawberries (save some to add on top of each bowl once plated). Scoop risotto onto plates, sprinkle with reserved strawberries and chopped fresh basil. Serves 4.

The roasted rhubarb would also be spectacular with pork

Ingredients:

3 TBSP whole grain Dijon mustard

2 TBSP cream-style prepared horseradish (or more if you prefer a bit more kick)

1 1/2 pounds slender fresh rhubarb, stalks trimmed and cut crosswise into 3-inch long pieces. Halve any pieces length-wise that are thicker than 3/4 inch

1/2 cup dry red wine (such as Pinot Noir)

1/2 cup of sugar

2 to 4 individual filet mignon steaks

Preparation:

Make the sauce: mix mustard and horseradish in a small bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange rhubarb pieces in a single layer in a 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Pour wine over rhubarb then sprinkle with sugar. Roast rhubarb in the oven until pieces are tender but still intact — about 5 to 8 minutes. Watch carefully or you will end up with pink mush. When done, use a slotted spoon to transfer rhubarb to plates, dividing equally. Pour juices from rhubarb baking pan into small sauce pan and boil until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Pour syrup over rhubarb on each plate.

Meanwhile, rub steaks with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook them as you wish – grill, sear in a cast iron skillet, etc.

Slice steak crosswise and arrange over rhubarb slices on each plate. Spoon mustard sauce over beef and serve.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine

One of my poached eggs emerged from its water bath wearing a pointy hat. I am not exactly sure how this happened, but it sure was cute and it certainly didn’t alter that oozy, creamy perfection of a freshly poached egg.

Poached Egg With Pointy Hat

Yes, I had poached eggs on my menu this week, but I admit, I did veer from my original recipe. I traded the frisee for roasted mushrooms and wilted spinach, kept the Canadian bacon and showered the whole thing with freshly grated pecorino romano cheese. What a lovely one-dish meal on a weeknight. The switch from my original plan was inspired by my very good friend and fellow food-lover Eryn (from my past life in Las Vegas), who made the dish the night before and raved about it. She was right. Here is the link to the recipe for the roasted mushrooms. I added in fresh spinach during the last 10 minutes of cooking (per Eryn’s suggestion) and then topped the whole mess with poached eggs and the Canadian bacon sauteed with black pepper until crispy. It’s breakfast for dinner.