in the last thirty years, i have been lucky enough to acquire some amazing life long friends. until the last year, there has always been some built in network in my life. school, swimming, work and sorority all brought me strong, interesting, dynamic women.

but now that i am mostly self employed/doing contract work and most of my best girls are all over the world, i have found myself having to make new friends. and honestly, it's been way more fun than i expected. i've thrown caution to the wind and shown up to parties solo, gone on lady dates with girls i've only met once and have taken tons of yoga classes with new friends. and i've met a lot of really great people.

last week i got so bold to invite a new friend over to my house to cook with me. marlene and i met at yas and she has too many jobs just like me. and just like me she has an alternative schedule that finds her free at noon on a tuesday. so last week we got together to cook up this delicious risotto. too bad we talked so much i didn't actually finish cooking. hopefully it left her wanting more? 

she may not have sampled any of this dish, but i promise it was delicious. i'm even considering using it as my entry for the first ever samuels family thanksgiving cook off. 

now keep in mind if you are going to make this dish, it is not hard, but it is labor intense. meaning, you need to be able to stand at the stove or near the stove for about an hour. mostly all you need to do is stand there and stir, but you need to stand there and stir. the good news is you can keep the rest of the bottle of white wine handy to sip as you stir. 

pumpkin risotto
serves: 4
prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 1 hour
total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
ingredients: .5 lb pumpkin, pealed and diced (about 2 cups). 2 onions, diced. 3 garlic cloves, smashed. 2 tbs olive oil. 1 tsp nutmeg. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. .75 c dry white wine. 1.5 c arborio rice (recommended, but you can sub other rice if it is all you have). 5 tbs butter. 7 c chicken stock. 1 c parmesan, grated. 3 tbs parsley, chopped. blender, food processor or emersion blender to puree pumpkin. 

start by combining half the onion, pumpkin, garlic and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. season with half the salt, pepper and nutmeg. cook until the onions are translucent and starting to brown, about 5-7 minutes.
when the onions are translucent, pour in the wine, the rest of the salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir well to combine. continue to cook over medium heat until the liquid has evaporated and the pumpkin is tender. another 10 to 15 minutes. stir ever few minutes. 

while the pumpkin is cooking down, combine the remaining onion, rice and butter in a heavy pot. 

heat the mixture over medium high heat until the onions are translucent and the rice is toasted, stirring every few minutes. about 7-10 minutes.
as your rice is toasting, put your chicken stock in a pot and bring the stock to a slow simmer. you want the liquid to be hot when it goes into the rice mixture. 

once your rice is toasted, pour in 1 cup of chicken stock. simmer till the liquid is almost completely evaporated. about 2 minutes. 

once the liquid is almost evaporated, reduce the heat to medium and continue that process with three more cups of stock, one cup at a time. should take 5 to 7 minutes per cup at medium heat. 

somewhere in the process of adding the stock, your pumpkin will become tender. 

remove the pumpkin mix from the heat and place it in your blending device. blend till mostly smooth, with just a few small pieces still remaining for texture. 

after your 4 cups of stock have been absorbed, stir in the pumpkin puree. 

once the puree has been completely combined, once again add the stock one cup at a time until all the stock is absorbed.

remove the risotto from the heat and stir in half of the parmesan, most of the parsley and the remaining butter and stir until everything melts together. 

the rice should be tender with just the slightest bite to it and very creamy.

top with desired amount of cheese and a sprinkling of parsley and serve hot. 

xo, a

pumpkin risotto
serves: 4
prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 1 hour
total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
ingredients: .5 lb pumpkin, pealed and diced (about 2 cups). 2 onions, diced. 3 garlic cloves, smashed. 2 tbs olive oil. 1 tsp nutmeg. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. .75 c dry white wine. 1.5 c arborio rice (recommended, but you can sub other rice if it is all you have). 5 tbs butter. 7 c chicken stock. 1 c parmesan, grated. 3 tbs parsley, chopped. blender, food processor or emersion blender to puree pumpkin.
start by combining half the onion, pumpkin, garlic and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. season with half the salt, pepper and nutmeg. cook until the onions are translucent and starting to brown, about 5-7 minutes.
when the onions are translucent, pour in the wine, the rest of the salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir well to combine. continue to cook over medium heat until the liquid has evaporated and the pumpkin is tender. another 10 to 15 minutes. stir ever few minutes.
while the pumpkin is cooking down, combine the remaining onion, rice and butter in a heavy pot. heat the mixture over medium high heat until the onions are translucent and the rice is toasted, stirring every few minutes. about 7-10 minutes.
as your rice is toasting, put your chicken stock in a pot and bring the stock to a slow simmer. you want the liquid to be hot when it goes into the rice mixture. once your rice is toasted, pour in 1 cup of chicken stock. simmer till the liquid is almost completely evaporated. about 2 minutes.
once the liquid is almost evaporated, reduce the heat to medium and continue that process with three more cups of stock, one cup at a time. should take 5 to 7 minutes per cup at medium heat.
somewhere in the process of adding the stock, your pumpkin will become tender. remove the pumpkin mix from the heat and place it in your blending device. blend till mostly smooth, with just a few small pieces still remaining for texture.
after your 4 cups of stock have been absorbed, stir in the pumpkin puree.
once the puree has been completely combined, once again add the stock one cup at a time until all the stock is absorbed.
remove the risotto from the heat and stir in half of the parmesan, most of the parsley and the remaining butter and stir until everything melts together. the rice should be tender with just the slightest bite to it and very creamy.
top with desired amount of cheese and a sprinkling of parsley and serve hot. 

not that I would have used it because i seem to enjoy doing things the hard way, but it would have been really nice when I started cooking if i'd had some sort of guide to what i would need in the kitchen. cooking can be intimidating at first, but just like most scary things in life, the first step is the hardest. so let me simplify the first step for you. many of the things on this list are a part of almost every culture's cuisine as well as every dish. the rest are what i think are the essentials for easily adding flavor to anything you are making. plus a go to dish when all you have is the basics.

kosher salt - salt is not just a flavor. salt is something that EXTRACTS flavors from other foods. it makes all of your ingredients MORE flavorful. instead of seasoning your food when your dish is already done, try using the recommended serving of salt a little at a time while you are cooking. every time you add something to the pan, add a little bit of salt. that way, every ingredient will be at it’s most flavorful and you won’t need to salt it at the end.

fresh ground black peppercorns - you can by a reasonably priced black pepper grinder full of whole peppercorns at any major grocery store in the spice section and it will be WELL worth it. spices and herbs have oils and when they are crushed or broken those flavors are extracted. grinding your pepper fresh will have a way bigger impact on all your dishes. like salt, you should add it a little bit at a time instead of all at the end.

good olive oil - next to salt and pepper, this is probably the ingredient i use most. i use it to cook, marinate and season. it is insanely versatile and i use it in almost every dish i make.

fresh garlic - besides the fact that it is very good for your health, it is freaking delicious. not to mention, it is used in pretty much every culture’s food so it is a perfect staple to have on hand and is easy to come by.

balsamic vinegar - something tangy in the kitchen is a must. making homemade dressing is one of the easiest ways to seriously improve your salad game. just a little oil and vinegar with salt and pepper on greens or vegetables can completely morph them from dull to delicious. it’s also great when roasting veggies or in a meat marinade. you could sub red wine vinegar if you prefer it.

dijon or whole grain mustard - dijon is not just for your sammy’s. i use it in marinades, dressings and sauces. mustards can add delicious flavors and textures and don’t be afraid to try different kinds. a Dijon with herbs I picked up on a trip to france has become my fast favorite!

fresh lemon - aside from being a great garnish for my occasional vodka soda, lemon is a necessary staple in the kitchen.cooking is all about balance and acids are a major component. like vinegar, lemon is perfect for marinades and dressings. it’s also great if you juice and it can also work as a natural ant killer when you don’t want to use harsh chemicals in the kitchen.

brown sugar or honeysugar - like salt extracts flavors from ingredients it is cooked with. it creates great flavors when cooking and roasting as well as adding great flavor to marinades and vinaigrettes. i personally think brown sugar provides much more flavor than white, but honey is a great sub and is also great in tea.

italian spice blend - people always ask me what spice is most important to have on hand in the kitchen. to be honest the real answer is whichever one is your favorite. you don’t need to have a ton of spices on hand because they expire after 6 months. some markets have bulk spices you can purchase as you need them. i keep Italian blend on hand because it is versatile, flavorful and you are getting at least three for one!

red pepper flakes - to fulfill your pantry, we have to round things off with something spicy. just a few shakes of red pepper flakes into a dish as you are cooking and you will give it the perfect heat.

now that your kitchen is stocked, you can show off your skills with this quick and tasty chicken dish.

brown sugar and garlic chicken
serves 4
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 10 minutes
total cook time: 20 minutes

ingredients: 1lb chicken tenders. 4 cloves garlic, minced.4 tablespoons olive oil, divided.2 tablespoons dijon or whole grain mustard.2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey.1 teaspoon salt.½ teaspoon pepper.½ lemon, sliced.optional fresh chopped parsley for garnish.

in a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper.pat the chicken dry and place it in a shallow dish.

drizzle the chicken with the marinade and place the lemon slices on top. allow it to marinate for 5 minutes or up to 24 hours covered in the fridge. 

when you are ready to cook, heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan till it is hot. when the oil is hot, add the chicken and lemons to the pan. if the chicken doesn’t make a sizzling sound when it hits the oil, the oil is not hot enough yet. cook the chicken tenders until browned on each side and cooked through. about 3-4 minutes a side. garnish with parsley and serve hot. 

xoxo
a

brown sugar and garlic chicken
serves 4
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 10 minutes
total cook time: 20 minutes
ingredients:1lb chicken tenders. 4 cloves garlic, minced.4 tablespoons olive oil, divided.2 tablespoons dijon or whole grain mustard.2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey.1 teaspoon salt.½ teaspoon pepper.½ lemon, sliced.optional fresh chopped parsley for garnish.
in a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper.pat the chicken dry and place it in a shallow dish.
drizzle the chicken with the marinade and place the lemon slices on top. allow it to marinate for 5 minutes or up to 24 hours covered in the fridge.
when you are ready to cook, heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan till it is hot. when the oil is hot, add the chicken and lemons to the pan. if the chicken doesn’t make a sizzling sound when it hits the oil, the oil is not hot enough yet. cook the chicken tenders until browned on each side and cooked through. about 3-4 minutes a side. garnish with parsley and serve hot.