Professional chef, educator and artist Gigia Kolouch remembers people and events by what foods were being eaten at the time. Oral history became edible when her son Fred, made reservations for two at the StoryCorps MobileBooth.
2 TB butter
2 TB olive oil
1/2 lg. onion, mined very finely
10 mushrooms, chopped very finely
2 cups aborio rice
pinch saffron 4-5 cups chicken broth
1 cup white wine
1/2 -1 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste…..Saute onion and mushrooms in olive oil and butter. When soft, add rice and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the saffron, 1/2 cup wine and 1 cup broth and let simmer with the lid off, stirring frequently. As the liquid is absorbed, add more, a cup at a time until the rice is cooked, about 20 minutes. Add the rest of the wine last. Before serving, add the parmesan cheese and let cook 5 minutes stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve AT ONCE with parmesan cheese. Risotto waits for no man (or woman)!
“If I make something that they taught me how to make, they’re still alive…they’ll be alive because you’re eating the food that they made.”
July 26th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Sounds delicious. Thanks for the edible story.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Good food and good friends – nothing like that in the world – wonderful!
July 29th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Amazing Risotto from an Amazing Famalia!! Love It
March 18th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Gigia, it’s lovely to see Lala Dea’s risotto on the internet. She would be astounded.