Romantic dinners are a common activity couples share together. To save money we have been eating at home instead of going out to eat. I decided to make risotto, steak and Cesar salad. The steak was very basic with a balsamic herb marinade. The salad and risotto were the stars of the dinner. Several months ago I began experimenting with making my own croutons. If you have the time please try making your own croutons. It is worth the effort, which is very little. The method I use is to melt butter, olive oil, garlic, and spices in a pan. Then I toss them with cubed bread. Any bread will work. The last step is to toast the cubes in a low over. The dressing was a traditional Caesar, containing egg yolk, lemon, olive oil, and garlic. The salad was the bright accompaniment to the heavier risotto and steak.
I have been fascinated with making risotto for a long time. The rice was the main reason I have not tried to make it because I could not find it. By luck I was given arborio rice, so now I could make my risotto. I had made chicken stock the week before so I had almost everything I needed on hand. At the store I purchased mushrooms and shallots. The process is not difficult but requires patience and diligence. To my boyfriend's dismay there is not an exact time that a risotto needs to cook. You simply stir and add stock till the rice is perfectly cooked. At the end I added parmesan cheese. I thought it was incredible. I was glad to have leftovers because it was so delicious. I cannot wait to make risotto again.
