Mad Men Martini Mondays and Risotto ai Funghi (e Asparagi)

Having a second baby started out much better than I had anticipated. Let's face it - having Baz really kicked my ass. I was stunned by the sleep deprivation and had this false notion that I would be able to control things. I quickly learned that you can function on much less sleep than what I was used to (hello, I use to sleep 9 or 10 hours a night pre-baby) and that the babies control everything. There is no rushing them to eat, sleep or adjust. They do everything on their own, unrelenting time.

Amelia has been a sweet relief. She took to breastfeeding super well. She started sleeping 6 hours a night very early on and she takes her brother's "attention" with a grain of salt. It's only now, almost 8 weeks later, that I am starting to feel a little "fatigued". Baz at 18 1/2 months has way more energy than my 36 year old body can handle and Amelia is figuring out that control thing. She cries less than Baz did, but boy does she make up for lost time when she does. Her mind-bending screams in the car are stuff of legends.

So, right about now I needed to figure out some sort of pick-me-up. My answer: Don Draper. I don't know about you, but I love the show Mad Men. Damien and I bought the first couple of seasons on DVD when Baz was first born and we were hooked immediately. This season started a couple of weeks ago but we are finding it just way too hard to stay up until 10pm to watch the fresh episodes on Sunday nights. So, I came up with a plan: We save Sunday's show on our DVR until Monday night so that after the kids were fed, bathed and put to bed, we can have martinis and a date with Don Draper. Last night was our first Mad Men Martini Monday.

In honor of the event, I also decided to be a little ambitious with dinner. After all, Don deserved it. And I guess Damien did, too. He's been a great big help despite the fact that work has been a little challenging lately. (It's all Wyclef Jean's fault.) So, I decided to make risotto -- a dish I know he loves.

Without further ado, here is the way I made Risotto ai Funghi with a little bit of asparagus for color and nutrition:

Risotto ai Funghi e Asparagi)

6 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 or 6 stalks of asparagus, cut into small pieces
1/4 oyster mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 cup shitake mushrooms, finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, broken up into small pieces by hand
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter

Heat up the chicken stock so that it is warm but not too hot. Set it aside over low heat.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium to large pot. When it's nice and hot, add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is translucent but not yet browned (about 8 minutes).

At the same time, heat up two more tablespoons of olive oil in a separate pan. When it is hot, add the asparagus, oyster mushrooms and shitake mushrooms. Saute just a bit, coating the vegetables with the olive oil (the asparagus should be slightly softened but not mushy.) Season with salt and pepper.

Returning to the first pot, when the onions are translucent, add the rice and toast it for about 4 or 5 minutes or until the rice is opaque. Add the dried porcini mushrooms. Then add the wine. Stir constantly until the wine seems to be absorbed into the rice.

Now you will start adding in the chicken stock one ladle at a time. It is very important that you let each ladle's worth of stock absorb into the rice before adding another. Stir it constantly as it is added. When you have added about 3 cups, start tasting the rice to make sure you do not overcook it. You'll probably need close to 5 or 6 cups, but the tenderness of the rice and consistency are what's important. The rice should be al dente but not hard, but it should also not be mushy.

When you are one ladle shy of reaching the right consistency, add in the sauteed asparagus and mushroom mixture from earlier. Add the last ladle continuing to stir constantly. Now add in the parmesan cheese and butter. You should have a rich, creamy risotto now with rice that is still slightly al dente.

Serve immediately.

The constant stirring as you patiently add the ladles of chicken stock are the toughest part. It'll make your arms tired, for sure. But it really only takes about 30 to 40 minutes from start to finish to make this dish and it is absolutely delicious, especially with an extra sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top. Of course, I do think risotto takes some practice. Mine was a little bit mushier than I would have liked, but still really tasty.

Mad Men Martini Monday #1 - a complete success. Next week, maybe we'll have oysters and steak.