Ask and you shall receive:


8 cups water
6 bouillon cubes (beef, vegetable, or chicken)
1/4 cup
10 TBS butter, unsalted
3 TBS olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups sliced or chopped assorted fresh wild mushrooms
2 1/4 cups arborio rice
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (freshly grated is best)


1. Add bouillon and water to large pot, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and keep it simmering.

2. Heat 1 TBS of the olive oil and 7 TBS of the butter in a deep pot over medium heat until butter is melted.

3. Add onion, garlic, and 1 1/2 cups of the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are golden.

4. Add the rice and mix to coat it with the butter mixture. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes.

5. Gradually add the water, roughly a cup at a tme. Increase heat very slightly so that the liquid bubbles. Stir constantly and add more water after the rice absorbs it.

6. After you've added the last of the water, cook for 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. While it's cooking, make the cooked mushrooms (below).

7. Remove from heat and mix in 1 TBS butter, then stir in Parmesan cheese until it melts.

8. Sprinkle each individual serving with cooked mushrooms.


Cooked Mushrooms

2 TBS olive oil
1/2 cup of the mushrooms

Cook the mushrooms in the oil over high heat until they are light brown and a little crispy. Remove from heat and drain.


Notes: It is very important to stir constantly when adding the water. I like my risotto with a little "bite," it's not going to be as soft to the bite as regular rice.

Also, sometimes I'll chop and cook a slice of bacon and use the drippings to cook the mushrooms for the topping, then I'll use the chopped bacon along with the mushrooms on each serving.

If you have any flavored oil, you can drizzle a little of that over each serving, too. Because I am a food geek, I use a little walnut oil or truffle oil when I make this.



-- Edited by Buttercup at 11:28, 2006-01-29