The Christmas dinner prep has begun...

Cornbread for my cornbread and sausage stuffing...

Sorry so blurry...

On the menu for Christmas Day

Spiral cut ham with mustard vermouth sauce
Cornbread and sausage stuffing
Cauliflower gratin
Roasted green beans
Buttermilk mashed potatoes
Grandma's mac and cheese (provided by Grandma, of course)
Apple upside down cake
Chocolate tart

I've got a lot of cooking to do since mom is still recovering from her shoulder surgery. Wish me luck!

My First Risotto

Yes, somehow this amateur chef somehow has never made a risotto until this weekend. Something about it always made me a little nervous. But, I figured, if I can conquer my fear of yeast and make bread, by golly I can make risotto.

My grocery shopping list is usually built around sales at New Seasons and the need to use up ingredients from past menus. I had a large bag of shredded cabbage that needed a use, so I looked up recipes on CooksIllustrated.com (my new obsession) and found Risotto with Cabbage & Country Ham.

Start olive oil over med-high heat, add diced onion & 4 oz prosciutto (or similar cured ham) and  lower heat to medium. Cook until onion has softened.

Add shredded cabbage and cover. Stirring occasionally, continue to cook until soft and starting to brown.

Add 2 cups of arborio rice and watered-down chicken broth. Let rice absorb liquid.

When rice has absorbed first bath of liquid, add 1/2 cup dry white wine (used Argyle chardonnay...would recommend something cheaper, but I forgot to buy something else, so had to use the good stuff). Let rice absorb wine. Add the rest of your liquid (about 2 cups left at this point) 1/2 cup at a time until rice is tender and no longer crunchy. 

My favorite part! Add the 1/2 cup grated parmesan. Fold in and season with salt and a little pepper.

Serve hot with additional parmesan for flavor.

I'm a big fan of cabbage but I got a few weird looks when I said I was making risotto with cabbage in it. Honestly, you can barely taste it. It does add a little extra texture, but not in a bad way. I am having the leftovers for lunch and couldn't be more excited. Now that I've gotten over my little fear, I think it's time to move on to my favorite risotto: mushroom.