Risotto and a potluck

Years ago I found a local gourmet cooking group while looking through Meetup, but I never did anything about it. I discovered a month or three ago that they've started back up again post-pandemic and joined, but didn't RSVP to any events immediately. However, the next event was Italian-themed, and the weekend prior I went to a secondhand book store and bought an Italian cookbook - after which I thought, well, I've spent money on the idea, I'd best actually sign up.

I had been thinking of making a zucchini casserole, but I wasn't going to have time to do the whole recipe between work and the potluck and wasn't sure the zucchini could be salted and drained the day before without its texture suffering. Then I thought of something involving polenta, but I don't really know my way around polenta yet, and the cookbook I got gave dire warnings about the cornmeal being ground fresh lest it taste like paste (another cookbook I've read in since says the key to unlocking the corn flavor is long cooking: 30-45 minutes).

So I went with something I've made many times, risotto. Though I tried to make it in a more authentic way than usual. Which was maybe a mistake - I found it underwhelming to say the least.

I also underestimated the amount of time it would require and perhaps rushed it a bit. But let's review:

The idea was mushroom risotto. I had true arborio rice (this may be a new item at the store I usually go to; I've made many a risotto with sushi rice), fresh and dried mushrooms, fresh and dried sage, white wine, onion, and parmesan. Along the way I used both butter and olive oil.

So far so good. The problems: I sauteed the onion, diced fine, and probably not as much of it as I'd like. Added the fresh mushrooms after realizing I didn't have time to soak the dried ones, again not as much of them as I would have done well to use, and since in a rush I didn't cook them completely dry and I didn't remove them to a plate after cooking. I added the rice directly and maybe some butter, but with a wet pan the rice isn't going to toast at all so there's hardly a reason to try.

Then half a glass of white wine, something in all the "authentic" recipes but which I've never used. Oh did I not like the smell of that, and even with vegetable stock and dried sage and pepper, that did not go away until I added the parmesan at the very end.

Actually cooking the risotto seemed to take forever. Along the way I tried to crisp the fresh sage in butter in another pan to sprinkle on top, but first I had too much for the pan and couldn't get it spread out in a single layer, and then I burned it. Womp womp.

It was edible but I was pretty disappointed in it. The one good thing was that my usual risotto is butternut squash, which would have been a duplicate dish at the potluck if I'd brought it. Well, and the potluck itself was lovely; good home cooking at various degrees of fanciness and authenticity. Next time I'll have a better idea of what I can and should do (no to brand new recipes; yes to something I can prep at least the components of ahead)!