So I had a vision of my holiday weekend and for some reason it did not include Vicks vap-o-rub, 2 boxes of Kleenex and throat lozenges but alas that is my reality. And although I have continued to follow through with my planned cooking adventures they just aren't quite the same without my sense of taste and smell. I haven't paid attention in the past to how awkward it is to try and cook when you can't really smell or taste and it is strange blindly going by others judgments....is there enough salt? Does it need more pepper? Is this too spicy? Oh you say it smells good? Oh really you think this tastes really good?

I have also found that right now I have an affinity for some foods that I don't normally enjoy...like my super spicy chili I made the other night or IPA beer...usually the flavor is too intense but right now its mildly hoppy and the bubbles feel pleasant on my throat. And I have found that I have been putting salsa on everything...scrambled eggs, english muffins, avocado, etc. However, there are also some activities that would just be lost on me this weekend such as wine tasting, olive oil tasting or high quality restaurants...just wouldn't appreciate them with a vengeance like normal.



Last night I decided to make Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Mascarpone. I have never used porcini mushrooms or mascarpone cheese so I thought this would be a nice little food adventure. Unfortunately the recipe called for dried porcini mushrooms and after trying every grocery store in Moorpark I had to settle for Shitaki mushrooms...they were good but I don't know how much this switch changed the recipe. However, I do have to say even though I couldn't totally taste it I loved the mascarpone cheese its like a cross between Irish butter and cream cheese and the creamy texture was heaven with the mushrooms and risotto. Did you know that mascarpone is actually Italian cream cheese? The mascarpone is actually placed on top of the risotto and it kind of melts due to the heat of the risotto...great compliment to the woodsy taste/texture of the mushrooms, the salt of the beef broth and the flavor of the white wine.

So I love risotto because its easy to make in one pot, you can pretty much add anything you want to it and its just warm comfort food. Here are a few risotto facts I thought you all might enjoy:

• Risotto is traditionally Italian
• The most common type of rice used is arborio which is a short grain rice that is named after the town of its origin. It also has a higher starch content
• Risotto is cooked in broth (can be meat, fish or vegetable broth)
• Traditionally it has parmesan cheese, butter and onion