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Catch a C.L.U.E.: A new club for cooks (#BLOGGERCLUE)

By Eliot, on November 12th, 2014

Welcome to the new “Blogger C.L.U.E. Society.”   This brand new group of rogue cooks, bakers, and bloggers was started to celebrate all the good foods and great cooking ideas that are out there in the blog-o-sphere.   Much like the game CLUE, this blogger society involves secrecy, fun, challenge and cooperation with the other game playing members. The good news about this, however, is that in the end, everyone’s a winner.   No Colonel Mustards in the library with a candlestick…just lots of fun, good food, and cooking camaraderie.

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My assignment for this inaugural round was From Cupcakes to Caviar.   There, Janet blogs from the perspective of a “mom on the edge of insanity.”   Although not a mom, I am regularly “on the edge,” so-to-speak, so I knew I had found a kindred spirit in Janet.

Since we are getting into the holiday season, the theme for November was finding a recipe that we would love on our Thanksgiving table.  I set about at once to peruse Janet’s site to find the perfect Thanksgiving side-dish.

I like to think I am a traditionalist when it comes to Thanksgiving, but if I honestly review past menus, I see some non-traditional themes:  maple glazed turkey, riesling gravy, mascarpone sweet potatoes, wild rice with cranberries…. (Hmmm….I must post some of these recipes.)

As I read through Janet’s extensive recipe files, I found what I hoped would be the most exciting and unexpected side:  Lemony Cheese Risotto.     I had high expectations for this dish.

Janet sets up this dish with the following musing:

There are some foods that transcend space, time and all things earthly. Once upon a time, I would have put Twinkies and Ho Ho’s in that category. Yeah yeah, I know. Who the heck puts snack cakes in with transcendental foods? I also put Cheetos, a rare ribeye steak, roasted brussel sprouts and salted caramel gelato in there so am I forgiven? 

But one food that always seem to fit the whole beyond earthly, etc etc, is a good risotto. 

Well, Janet, you had my interest peaked with the ingredients for this transcendent side—lemons, blue cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, white wine…..how could one go wrong, I ask you?

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Lemony Cheese Risotto
From Cupcakes to Caviar (by Janet)

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. Arborio rice
1/2 c.  white wine
42 oz. low sodium chicken broth, heated to a simmer and kept hot
2 T. lemon juice
1/4 c. crumbled bleu cheese
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. freshly grated Mozzarella
zest of one lemon
4 T. unsalted butter, in chunks
freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large sauce pot, combine olive oil, onions and minced garlic.

Cook over low heat until the onions are soft and tender, about ten minutes.

Pour in the rice. Stir well and cook for about 2 minutes, until all the rice is well coated.

Put the heat on medium and pour in the wine. Cook, stirring constantly, until all the wine is absorbed.

Pour the lemon juice into the broth.  Add in 1/2 cup of hot broth to the rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until all the broth is absorbed. Add new broth, continuing to stir, 1/2 cup at a time, each time the previous amount is absorbed.  When all the broth has been used, add in the cheeses and  lemon zest.

Stir in the butter and stir until it is melted. Season with pepper.  Garnish with parsley.

For the final step, Janet suggests, “Thank me. Preferably with big bills. :-P”

Janet, here you go.  You deserve all this and more for this deliciously creamy, lemony cheesey dish!

big bills

This risotto is worth every penny!

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Just for fun, I also made Janet’s Greek Yogurt Lemon-Ginger Muffins.  I highly recommend these for Thanksgiving morning.  (I guess I owe her another $100,000!)

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These are creamy and delicious!

Please check out the other C.L.U.E. Society members.

 

 

Join us on December 10th when the theme will  be “food your grandmother would have cooked. ”  Now, this one is going to be a bit different.  We are tasked to find something that our grandmother would have  cooked (from the assigned blog)  AND also highlight a recipe that our own grandmothers  DID cook.    Interesting, righ?

Postscript:   Thanks to Kate, Christiane, and Liz for putting this fun group together!   

 

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