December 1, 2009

• new things

  I mentioned in passing that the last entry was written from the office, the day after Thanksgiving. It was completely empty, except for me. I actually like going into the office on weekends and holidays, because I think I get more work done when I have absolute quiet and isolation. That said, I would still like to have the same number of days off -- in an ideal world, I would take two days off per week, plus the same number of holidays and vacation days, but I would just take them off at different times than everyone else. I would also start and end the day later than everyone else. I'm just not designed to be a Monday-to-Friday, normal business hours kind of person.

  I resolved to start doing more things outside of my comfort zone. I figured I should document some of the new things I've tried recently. They weren't particularly uncomfortable, but they were new, and I need to remind myself that I'm not becoming another suburban robot of habit.

  Recent new things I've tried (other than blogging more often -- I've stepped up my game lately):

  (1) Jujubes (the fruit, not the candy)
  (2) Cherimoyas
  (3) Truffled lobster risotto -- we made this for friends on Sunday, and tinkered with the recipe to suit our tastes.

  In case you're interested in the recipe we ended up with:

  Truffled Lobster Risotto
  Serves 5-6 people as main dish

  • ~6 pounds of lobster, steamed, in shells
  • ~7 cups low-salt chicken broth (make this ahead of time)
  • ~6 tablespoons white or black truffle oil
  • 1.5 cups chopped shiitake mushrooms (stems removed)
  • 1/2 cup chopped shallots
  • 2 cups arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup brandy
  • 2/3 cup whipping cream
  • 2/3 cup chopped fresh chives
  • Fresh arugula, washed
  • Salt, pepper, parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil

  Remove lobster meat from shells; reserve shells. Cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces, set aside. Pack shells into a pot with 2 cups of chicken broth, plus enough water to cover; boil for 60-90 minutes, or until water is reduced to half of its volume. Strain and reserve lobster broth; discard shells.

  Bring 5 cups chicken broth to simmer; keep hot.

  Heat 2 tbsp oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots; sauté 3 minutes.
  Add rice; stir 3 minutes. Add brandy; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until brandy is absorbed, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes.

  Add 2 cups of lobster broth (you can freeze the extra for another time), stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed. Add chicken broth 1/4 cup at a time, stirring often, and simmer until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy. (This may take up to 45 minutes, and you may not need to use all of the chicken broth).

  Add most of the lobster and all of the cream; stir until heated through. Remove from heat. Stir in truffle oil and chives. Season with salt and pepper.

  To serve, top with arugula, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and a few more pieces of lobster.

  • 12:24 am
  • 5 Comments