faux risotto

2AW9CMEX6PZQ Spring must be on many minds today. I had a hankering for asparagus risotto, but didn't have the time at lunch to whip up one up. So I faked it. And as I sit here and enjoy my faux risotto, I have to laugh. You see, Cindy, over at Figs, Lavender and Cheese (over there, on the right) apparently had a similar craving.

A nice little burst of lemon zest, a salty bite of pecorino, asparagus and peas. Does it get more spring-y than that? What's that? There's still snow on the ground? Well, this lunch has momentarily transported me to warmer weather and emerging daffodils. It was yummy, and I dare say "light"! Best of all...no stirring!

 

Insalata di Riso (or as it shall now be known in my house, Faux Spring Risotto)

very loosely interpreted from Michael Chiarello

I halved this for a generous single serving

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into spoon-size bites

1/2-1 cup peas

2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp lemon juice
Olive Oil
Italian parsley, chopped (as much or as little as you like)
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup diced Pecorino Romano

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Cook for 15 minutes. In the last 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, add asparagus and peas to blanch.

Drain well and return to pot. Add lemon zest, parsley, cheese, olive oil and lemon juice. Toss well to blend. Season with S&P.

Some chopped basil would be a nice addition. You can also make this ahead and toss with the olive oil and lemon juice just before serving.

wine school

As a lover of all things wine, and in particular Chardonnay, I was super-excited to hone my tasting skills when a local wine bar announced they were starting wine school! What I realized after class #1 is....

my tasting skills suck.

Does anyone know what a "wet meadow" tastes like? How about leather? Or tar. Seriously? TAR?

So, there are clearly numerous nuances you can detect in a glass of wine. Here's the starter list for red wine:
Berry - strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, currant
Tree Fruit - red cherry, black cherry, plum
Dried Fruit - jam, raisin, prune
Floral - violet, rose petal, lilac
Herbal - bell pepper, olive, sage, mint, anise, tobacco
Earth - mushroom, tar, truffle (here's where the good ole wet meadow comes in...or perhaps barnyard - yum)
Meat -  smoked meat, bacon, leather
Spice - cinnamon, clove, black pepper, white pepper
Wood - vanilla, oak, smoke, toast
Other - chocolate, coffee

Now, not every wine will have every one of these elements. But I may have to start licking, smelling or eating some of these things in order to be able to smell them in my Cabernet!

the new pitchman?

Is anyone else sick of seeing Brooke Shields pitching everything on TV? Toothpaste commercials, eyelash commercials...where does it end? Ugh!

frozen in time

So, one of my nephews came to visit us this past weekend. What a sweetheart. Just graduated from college and came to hang out with his Aunt and Uncle. Although he is in his early twenties, I think I will always think of him as 5. I mean, look at this kid:

Could he be any cuter?! I know it drives my husband crazy, but seriously, this is how I see him. And I think it's what makes me so protective of him. I don't have any children of my own, but I can only imagine that you parents out there experience the same kind of freeze in the time/space continuum! I wonder if I'll ever move past it?

hullo.

News flash. I haven't been posting here. I started another blog more work-related (houseaboutgr.blogspot.com). Plus, I wasn't feeling all that creative. Not when compared to the fabulous blogs I follow (over there, on the right). But I miss lipstick and chardonnay. So, who knows. I see that my profile has changed to reflect that from my other blog - so it probably doesn't make sense in this format, but I don't know how to separate the two. Hmmm...any ideas?

Anyway, I am back in training. A 25k run on May 8. Intimidating? Yes. Can it be done? Of course. Time to hit the treadmill.

withdrawal

I think I'm going through training withdrawal. Now that the race is over, I really don't have to make myself get in the pool, get on the bike, go for a run. You know.

But I actually want to do all those things - and I can't! My leg injury is apparently a strain of some sort to my "I.T. Band". A friend of mine who is knowledgeable in all things muscular showed me a picture of it in her muscle/anatomy book last night. It's a long muscle-y, bone-y sort of thing that runs along the outside of your leg from your hip to your knee. And it's giving me a fit.

I went on a nice little 12 mile ride yesterday, and Bam! I get off the bike and hobble to my kitchen for an ice pack. Damn.

I know I need to take it easy and let it heal. I just don't want to lose my momentum. I'm sure swimming would be okay...but swimming in the ocean while on vacation next week is not an option. Blame it on Jaws.

So, a week's vacation it is. Hopefully that will be long enough so I can get back at it when I get home!

you won't know until you tri

Well, I did it. I finished the race!

It was so much fun - much more fun than I anticipated. A beautiful day, warm water (about 72 degrees), cow bells, a cheering crowd, and words of encouragement throughout each stage.

Stage 1: a half-mile swim. Surprisingly to me, this was my best event. I remember thinking

upon entering the water, "how can I be swimming so fast?" It must have been adrenaline. I set a personal best for time. I'm not saying it was easy, but I did it, and did it pretty well!

Stage 2: a 17.2 mile bike. I don't really have a good biking picture. Finished five minutes faster than I anticipated. Excellent!

Stage 3: A 4.9 mile run. Here I am getting ready to head out on the course. I was confident this

was going to be my best stage, but actually, I ended up with a weird, sharp pain in my knee about a mile in. So, it took me a little longer than I would have liked, but you can bet I ran across that finish line!

(I'm not the one on the leash. As you can see, they're going the wrong way.)

While I am relieved it is over, I am proud of myself for this accomplishment. I proved to myself that when I put my mind to something, I can really do what I set out to do. A good lesson for many areas of life, I think.

Finally, here I am with my friend Dustin - who talked me into doing this crazy race. It was the first triathlon for us both - and something neither of us thought we'd ever do. Lucky for us we have great spouses and friends who encouraged and helped us along the way. And who took us out for a well-deserved cheeseburger and beer after the race!