Gee's Nuthorns

This year I participated in something amazing to get me into the holiday spirit: The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap!  I knew the second I joined what cookies I would be making: nuthorns.  This is a very special cookie to me.  My grandmother used to make these every year when I was little.  She would send them to everyone in the extended family... and we are Italian, so let's be honest, big family.  She passed away a few years back and the cookies haven't been made in quite awhile.  So in her honor, I present to you, Gee's Nuthorns!

I would like to thank Lindsay from Love and Olive Oil and Julie from The Little Kitchen for planning this ridiculously awesome cookie extravaganza.  I would also really really like to thank the ladies that sent me cookies. :)  Kathia from Pink Little Cake sent me chocolate milk cookies, Mary from Passionate Perseverance sent me Specaltius cookies, and Julie from the semi-reformed nerd sent me cinnamon spice brown sugar cookies.  They were all quite delicious!

Chanterelle Truffle Risotto

Due to traveling and preparing for my office party, I have taken a brief hiatus from blogging, but alas, I am back.  This recipe is for chanterelle truffle risotto which is really a treat, you see.  The Green City Market continues throughout the winter at a mostly regular schedule (which is incredible if you ask me!), and I was able to get some beautiful dried chanterelle mushrooms for a very reasonable price.  I also managed to find a whole black truffle at Chelsea Market in New York.  Without question I bought it.  I have not been able to find any for sale here in Chicago, does anyone have any clever insights I am missing?  Anyway, these finds resulted in risotto.  I am obsessed with risotto because you can do anything with it.  You can turn leftover vegetables into creamy bliss.

So this is what I did!  First I soaked the dried chanterelle mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes.  It's worth waiting to start on the dish for this because you can use the leftover liquid for your stock.  I chopped and sauteed some cremini mushrooms as well as the chanterelles.  Then I chopped a shallot, also from the people I got the mushrooms from, River Valley Ranch.  These shallots are monsters because they grow them in the compost from the mushrooms!  I sauteed it in some butter, then I added a cup of risotto to the pot and added more butter to get it nice and golden.

I add just a quarter of a cup of white wine for flavor and let it absorb.  Then you add whatever liquid you are using about 3/4 of a cup at a time.  You want to stir it constantly and don't add more liquid until everything has been absorbed.  I used about 2 and a half cups of that mushroom liquid (after straining) and 1 1/2 - 2 cups of beef stock.  You can use vegetable stock or chicken stock as well.  I added a teaspoon or so (maybe more, I am obsessed) of black truffle paste to the risotto to add an extra earthy layer to the dish.  When the risotto is done (25-30 minutes, taste test!), I add the mushrooms to it and let them soak up some flavor and reheat.  Then I topped with parmesan cheese and some of the black truffle.  It was hearty, and warm, and delightful in every way.  I wish I had more pictures to show you because it was incredible.

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season so far :)

Chanterelle Truffle Risotto

Dried Chanterelle mushrooms
Cremini mushrooms
1 cup of risotto
1/4 cup of white wine
1 shallot
Mushroom liquid from rehydrating chanterelles
2 cups of stock (I used beef)
black truffle paste (optional)*
butter
olive oil
parmesan cheese for topping
black truffle (optional)

*For those of you that are on stricter financial diets (such as myself), purchasing truffle in things like salts, oils, or paste is very economical.  It lasts for a very long time and it tastes very strongly of truffle.  If you are in the Chicago area, I suggest checking out Provenance because they are very choosy about their vendors and they sell very high quality products.