Until the last couple of years I never really made risotto and was not overly keen on it, probably for several reasons. One was that I was not very good at it and never seemed to be able to get that nice risotto consistency and texture, nor had I had it anywhere else that convinced me it was worth my time investing in learning. It shouldn’t be hard to make but it’s not called the curse of the Masterchef kitchen for no reason. Another was who wants to spend 20 minutes or more continuously stirring stock into rice, especially if you’re pretty sure the end result won’t live up to expectations. But then two things happened for me – I had a risotto that convinced me to try again, and I discovered doing it in the pressure cooker.
One of the things I love about food is the memories it is capable of evoking, partly through association of a particular dish with a place, and no doubt strongly driven by smell. Smells in particular seem to be a very powerful memory driver matching the power of music to do the same thing. Moussaka is one such dish that brings back pleasant memories of Greece and Athens in particular, and our young child-free days.
Do you like tofu? I don’t! It’s commonly referred to in our house as ‘stinkin’ tofu’. Perhaps more correctly, I haven’t found recipes that can make tofu appealing. Ms Onion (my significant other) and I try to eat vegetarian meals about three to four times a week, and I’ve tried and tried with tofu, but alas to no avail.
