Barley risotto with porcini and fresh thyme

"Falling in love is like eating mushrooms. You never know if it's the real thing until it's too late!"

I'm back on track to empty my fridge! Last year was unbelievably generous with mushrooms. Facebook was loaded with everyone's photos of porcini. Those gorgeous mushrooms where growing even in places where usually you wouldn't find them. At some point it was even beyond a joke. One morning, when I was staying at my parent's cabin, we took dogs out for a walk with my Dad, while enjoying our morning coffee on the go. Found so many porcini on the side of the road, that we had to rush back for a huge basket! Needless to say, whatever we cooked included mushrooms!

Barley, chanterelle and spinach risotto

"The trouble with eating italian food is that 5 or 6 days later you are hungry again!"

I love risotto. There are many different risotto recipes with different ingredients, but they are all based on rice cooked in a standard procedure. I've always been cooking it with Arborio or Carnaroli rice. In Italy a much wider variety besides those mentioned is used - Baldo, Maratelli, Padano, Roma, and Vialone Nano. 

Risotto with porcini

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." Virginia Wofl

A while ago making risotto seemed like a big deal until I tried it the very first time, following the general rules of cooking risotto. It turns out to be a simple, subtle and very satisfying dish. My favorite is with mushrooms - usually porcini or chanterelles - and sometimes I go with the seafood.

And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE mushroom picking. Finding porcini is like the best treat or like finding real treasure on a treasure hunt. Here are some shots from this year's mushroom picking - just look at those beauties... Mmm... 

Mushroom and fennel risotto... Inspired by empty stomach and love for risotto!

"Rice is born in water and must die in wine." Italian proverb

Today is October 22nd, Saturday. It is sunny yet chilly and hard enough to believe that at this time of year I was still able to find mushrooms in the forest. After a long late breakfast with Zucchini - ricotta fritters, a long walk in the forest with my Mom and dogs was the perfect choice. Besides mushrooms, we also brought back some wild thyme and oregano that I used in making the risotto. 

Eggplant stuffed with dried porcini risotto oven baked with parmigiano reggiano crust...

Wikipedia: Risotto is a class of Italian dishes of rice cooked in broth to a creamy consistency

I absolutely love risotto! Especially with mushrooms - let it be chanterelles, porcini or any other kind of good mushroom. Top that with hand picked mushrooms in the forest by yourself - makes it so much tastier and exciting!

Mushroom picking in itself is already an adventure. Spending all of my summers by the forest while growing up kind of got it in my blood. When the mushroom season begins, I just have to spend time walking in the forest with the dogs and helping myself to all the treasure that can be found there. Last year was amazing for all kinds of mushrooms and I still have quite a stock of dried porcini and chanterelles. Well, correction - the stock is quickly reducing since I have been making quite a bit of mushroom risotto lately and also have used a part of it for the creamy pumpkin soup.