Vegetarian done right
Tonight I made Quinoa Risotto with Mushrooms and Thyme. I think of Risotto as a rice dish, so I figured it must be one of those Italian terms that refers to the cooking method rather than the ingredients. Nope — risotto is rice, period. Whoever came up with this recipe simply took liberties. I’m glad they did, because it was delicious.
My assumption that risotto might have a different meaning stems from an experience I had in Italy 10 years ago. I was in Florence, at a restaurant off the beaten tourist path. The menu, of course, was in Italian, and while I’m an adventurous eater, I found myself looking for familiar terms.
The first course I ordered wasn’t vegetables and pasta like I expected, but some kind of mixed organ meat platter. When I saw Carpaccio on the menu, I was thrilled. What better place to sample one of my favorite dishes than here? I anticipated a lovely plate of thinly-sliced raw beef.
But no.
Turns out carpaccio means “thinly-sliced and raw” but not necessarily “beef”. The dish that arrived clearly wasn’t dead cow. I look to the waiter, who spoke no English, pointed to the plate, and asked “Moooo?”
He shook his head no, put his hands in his armpits, flapped his elbows, and said “Quack, quack, quack!”
Great. Raw duck. Naturally I had to at least try it. And it was fabulous. Served with a bit of olive oil and arugula, it was some of the best raw meat I’ve ever had. It made me grateful to be willing to experiement.