Risotto: The food that takes so long to prepare, you're no longer hungry enough to eat it once it's ready

I have a very strong belief in taking time to do things.  Maybe it's my Irish heritage coming through (they have a saying, "When God made time, He made plenty of it").  When I have a decision to make about something, I think it to death...obsess about it until I get to the point where I know I'm making the best possible decision.  Don't get me wrong, I don't fault that method...the poorest decisions I've made in my life were ones that were made too quickly.

I think food is the same way.  Sure, throw some meat on the grill, it'll be ready in under 10 minutes, and it'll be delicious.  As I sit here though, I am thinking about things that are just stop-you-in-your-tracks delicious...and they are all things that take a long time to cook, and often require a lot of attention...like risotto.

Ironically, the decision to make risotto for dinner a couple of nights ago was a quick decision...I did not give adequate thought to the time it would take me to go to the store after work for the necessary ingredients, and then get home to cook it in time for a 5:45 dinner bell.

I know that there are all kinds of recipes for risotto that are cooked without constantly stirring, and without adding the broth in stages.  I've even seen a couple that advise cooking in the oven, of all places.  I haven't tried any of these...for the same reason that I've never tried cooking chicken in the microwave to save time...if something is worth doing, it's worth doing well.

The risotto took me about 30 minutes to make, as I needed to sauté mushrooms first...and I'm a firm believer in REALLY cooking mushrooms...sure, you're left with very few, almost chewy pieces, but the concentrated flavour is fantastic.  I stood at the stove and stirred, and stirred, AND STIRRED to the point where I was losing my will to live, let alone my will to eat dinner.

As predicted, it was great risotto...not as great the night after when I had to reheat it as leftovers, to be honest...but I have a plan for the leftovers the next time I make it!

Mushroom Risotto

2 tbsp. each shitake, Portobello, and field mushrooms

2 tbsp. leeks
1 small onion
2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. garlic
1 cup Arborio rice
1-4 cups chicken stock, room temperature**
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 
Sauté leeks, mushrooms, onion, and garlic in the oil.  Add the rice and continue to cook for another minute or 2, making sure that the rice does not brown.

Slowly add the stock, about 1/2 cup at a time.  Add more stock when the rice has absorbed the moisture in the pan, adding only a little at a time.  When the rice is cooked and firm, but not mushy, finish by adding parmesan cheese and heavy cream.  Season to taste.

**I know that the cardinal rule of risotto is to have the stock hot, but the chef who gave me the recipe insisted that less stock would be needed if it was room temperature.  I would also recommend using a low-sodium stock, as a regular chicken broth will become too salty as it concentrates.