Lobster Risotto & Caprese Salad

So I finally got to cook a meal at home - just been working too much to do it lately. Our good friend came over and brought fixings for the caprese salad. The angelo & franco mozzarella (ciliegine with cream) cheese blew my mind!!! We opened a bottle of 2006 Domaine de la Charbonniere Vacqueyras. OH MY - very likely some of the best wine I've had. (Thanks Accidental Wine!) I found this description and it's perfect: "Dark purple. Smoky blackberry, kirsch and licorice on the seductively aromatic nose. Deep and sweet on the palate, offering well-delineated dark fruit liqueur flavors, chewy tannins and a bright jolt of cracked pepper." (Josh Raynolds)


We sipped on this while I made the lobster risotto. 


It was a damn fine evening.

Rainy Day Comfort Food

I LOVE risotto. It's a staple in our house and generally the first thing I look for on the dinner menu in a new restaurant. This is one of our favorites, "Risotto with Chicken and Caramelized Onions" from my Williams-Sonoma Risotto Book. It's not a stellar recipe, but simple (okay my idea of simple might not be yours; this is a four-burner to-do).  I substitute Marsala for the Madeira, and skip the leeks. I use one large hawaiian sweet onion, and I make only a half recipe which is enough for the two of us for two nights. Served with my favorite beer, Trois Pistoles (available at Trader Joe's) I'm in heaven.