When Googling for parsnip recipes, I stumbled across something called orzotto. Now, I am not a fan of rice, eating it primarily with the Thai Honey Peanut Chicken. This is because, when younger, we had rice with far, far, far too many meals. I think I went about 15 years of not eating rice at all. So, I have not really had much risotto. If I am understand correctly, orzotto is sort of like a pasta version of risotto. Tonight, I made a full batch of the Zesty Roasted Rutabaga and Carrots (that I had been wanting to have for a second time), and I tried out an orzotto recipe.
This is my beloved sauteuse pan that is so often mentioned in my recipes. It is magical and make magnificent dishes.
For a totally new sort of dish, I was rather bold about the changes I made. Mostly, I thought I was on the safe side. The first thing I did was add garlic, because who ever heard of a lemon and basil dish without garlic. And, of course, I completely ditched the idea of peas. [UGH]
As for the rest of the ingredients, I would say that I sort of "tweaked" the recipe. I used the homemade vegetable stock, primarily because I have come to believe that you should only use chicken stock with chicken recipes. Plus, my vegetable stock is rather hearty! Since I only drink my beloved Barefoot Moscato, I used that instead of dry white wine. And I changed the main cheese from Parmesan to Romano and increased the amount, but I used shaved Parmesan as a garnish.
To test my freezing measures, I used the frozen basil, as opposed to the hoards of basil growing in my bed. I found it to be the same as using fresh, taste wise. I mean, it was coated with olive oil, but I don't think that made a difference in the dish. And the basil certainly smelled quite fragrant.
So, in my opinion, my Lemon Basil Orzotto turned out just fine, despite all my mucking about with the recipe. I ate it as a main dish, as I believe the original recipe presents. However, I think it would make a good side dish, as well. Yes, I plan to fully investigate the many ways one could make orzotto. Eventually.
I wanted very much to tell someone about my tasty new discovery, but settled with talking to Amos about it as he pre-cleaned my bowl. I have enjoyed my neighbor getting through her struggles and being able to socialize again. However, the other day she admitted that she did not care to hear me talk about all the cooking I have been doing. Since she left her job as a cook under a cloud, hearing about cooking distresses her.
This was news to me. I mean, ever since her husband abruptly died, my neighbor sort of just put life on hold. She gave up teaching high school English and took a simple job as a cafeteria cook in an private elementary school. She did so with great probity and raised the productivity and quality of the kitchen. I thought she moved to custodial work because it meant moving from partial year, hourly work, to yearly, full-time work with insurance and benefits. In fact, she just took her first paid vacation in five (six?) years.
Since she left the kitchen, in just eight months, the school is on its 5th cook, who has already given notice. The way I interpret the situation is that the school is discovering just want a great cook my neighbor was and all the ways she went above and beyond her duties. But my neighbor said she left because the school moms didn't find her perky enough and had started a campaign to have her leave.
The teachers at the same school are all really, really, really happy that my neighbor made the change of job. They love the attention to detail she gives to their classrooms and oft leave her little thank-you notes and small gifts. Doesn't that sound like a win?
My neighbor, though, is consumed by her perceived failure in the cafeteria and wants nothing to do with cooking talk. I tried to point out that being "perky" for school moms who wanted her to do things that were actually in violation of food service and federal school food guidelines was not actually on her job description. And, seriously, the fact that my neighbor is currently technically irreplaceable simply points to a success in her previous job, not a failure.
But my perspective doesn't matter.
Only hers.
So, Amos is the one who listens to my culinary adventures.
Four days from now is the hardest day of the year for me. And is part of the reason for the recent spate of cooking (and a bit of organizing) thrown in for good measure. The fourth anniversary of the hardest day of my life on many levels. For one, it is the fourth anniversary of being diagnosed with dysautonomia. As for the rest, I still cannot really write about it. But, in so many ways, that day was the beginning of the end of so much of my life, physically, mentally, professionally, and ... maybe ... even spiritually.
My freezers are really, really, really full. I will be able to make some more White Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal cookies, once I finish emptying another dessert container. But I actually do not need to cook for a while. A long while. I certainly don't need to organize. I am done with the hard labor of home improvement projects. I am caught up on laundry and dishes. Amos has had a bath, haircut, and nail trim. I have nothing to edit. I am not sure when the next mailing will occur. I finished the information cut sheet a friend asked me to design for her. Hence, there is little left to distract me from my thoughts ... and fears.
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