a bowl of warmth for the new year

mushroom risotto III, originally uploaded by shaunaforce.

On the first day of the year, I had an outrageous mushroom risotto, unexpectedly, courtesy of an Italian mama from Tuscany, through Kabul. And with a bit of Tanzania and India thrown in for good measure.

After a quiet New Year’s Eve, I was prepared for another quiet day alone. But imagine my happy surprise when my friend Amal showed up with risotto makings, a bottle of red wine, and chocolate from Paris.

Amal and I became friends years ago, when we took the same African dance class together. Both of us tumble toed and laughing at the back, we started talking about our spiritual lives and making fart jokes. And when I told her the sad little joke my brother and I used to make about Billy Barty as kids, she just wouldn’t let it go. Instantly friends, we’ve been trying to untangle the confusing stories of our lives and laughing down the street loudly ever since. Somehow, we won’t talk for months at a time, but we always end up somewhere in Seattle, sharing a meal, the months evaporating before our eyes.

A few years ago, Amal shifted her life dramatically. Tired of working at the biggest coffee company in the world as a designer (she may have designed the shop you’re sitting in right now, as you read this), she decided to give her life to a third-world country. Her parents, both from India, were raised in Tanzania. Then moved to Canada, where my friend was raised. They instilled in her how necessary it is to work for others, and particularly, to work in a third-world country to make lives better there. And so, she quit her job at Coffee Conglomerate, and moved to Afghanistan.

Her time there is her story. I can’t really tell it. Suffice it to say there were small villages where Amal helped to bring shelter and water for the first time. There were terrifying encounters with Taliban members. There were terrible scenes of bombings and dehumanization. And there was a member of the Italian military, with whom she fell in love, in Kabul.

That’s how Amal ended up living in Tuscany last year, learning how to make risotto from his Italian mama. Slowly, with fresh ingredients, and with enormous patience. Nothing packaged. Nothing rushed. Everything tasting of confusion and love.

Will her relationship work? It still remains to be seen. Now that she’s back, will Amal stay in Seattle much longer ? Probably not. But she’s here now, with more questions than answers, a much softer face, and a killer recipe for mushroom risotto.

And I was happy to receive them all, with warmth, on the first day of the year.


Wild Mushroom Risotto

Take the time to soak the chanterelle mushrooms the day before you plan to make this risotto. Amal did this for me, and I certainly felt loved. This step may make the dish seem intimidating, but don’t be intimidated. Imagine the sharp aroma of rosemary infusing chewy chanterelle mushrooms, with their scent of the forest. Taste the sage, with its faint tang and crumble. And the arborio rice, plump on your tongue, filled with the memories of all these foods, and the places they have been.

four ounces wild mushrooms, dried
sea salt (preferably one with herbs infused in it, such as Vignalta)
two stalks fresh rosemary (or dried, if fresh is not available)
one teaspoon dried sage
two stalks fresh rosemary (or dried, if fresh is not available)
bay leaf
one-half onion, diced fine
one-quarter cup chanterelle mushrooms, marinated in olive oil and rosemary
one and one-half cup of arborio rice
shaved parmesan to top, if desired

In a small saucepan, make a broth with the wild mushrooms, sea salt, and herbs. Bring it to a simmer, but do not boil. Keep it warm, on low heat, through this process.
Dice the chanterelles, which have been marinating in olive oil and rosemary for twenty-four hours. (This is preferable. However, if you forget to plan ahead, one hour of marinating will do.)
Sautee the finely diced onion on medium heat in a large pot. When the onion has softened and started to brown, add the diced chanterelles to the pot. Sautee for a moment, then add one cup of broth. When it is heated, add the arborio rice to the pot.
Stir and stir and stir. When the rice seems to have soaked up that broth, slowly add more broth. Stir and stir and stir. Continue this step until the rice has plumped up and fully absorbed all the wild mushroom broth. When the rice is tender, without being mushy, the risotto is ready.