14.3.10

Lobstersquad made it to a Forbes list (and a pressure cooker risotto)


Here are two things I never expected to happen: one, the most amazing, is to find my name on a Forbes list. Not the one headed by Oprah, but deeply exciting all the same; I can now paraphrase all those Oscar winners and say how honoured I am to be named alongside such talent, etc, etc.

The second thing is that yesterday´s pressure cooker rice was excellent. Call it risotto or call it arroz caldoso, it was just unbeleivable, as in, hard to beleive: creamy, perfectly cooked rice, full of flavour, in less than fifteen minutes from the minute I turned on the hob to sitting down? I was deeply sceptical, but figured it worth a try, and so it was. Risotto, long banished from my kitchen except as an occasional treat, comes back as a weeknight dinner staple.

The rice cooker reigns supreme for white rice and for truly hands off restful cooking, but for quick and incredibly delicious results, this is the one. Here is what I did yesterday with what I had, but of course onions can take the place of leeks, chorizo for bacon if you´re so inclined, any other vetetable for the peas, and aromatics can vary: saffron, herbs, etc.

Pressure cooker arroz caldoso, or risotto
adapted from Lorna Sass

Sautee two chopped leeks and bacon until the bacon releases its fat and the leeks begin to look floppy. Deglaze with some white wine, let it bubble up and add 1 1/2 cups short grain rice. Stir, add 3 1/2 cups of stock and cover the pressure cooker. Let it come uo to high pressure and count five minutes (five!!! seriously, aren´t you in love already?).
Now release the pressure and have a look. You might want a bit more broth, or you might want to let some of it evaporate. I thought it was just fine with those meassures. Add butter and parmesan and there you are, risotto for three hungry people or four staid ones.

24 comentarios:

Tim Vidra dijo...

Wow. Very nice!

Andrea @ Fork Fingers Chopsticks dijo...

Felicidades on the blog recognition. I agree your illustrations are lovely.

la ninja dijo...

¡felicidades! did this high accolade entail a gruelling lobbying campaign just like at the oscars? (I am kidding, of course I am kidding.)

many many congrats, vib (same as vip but with blogger, just made that one up.)

arroz caldoso.... hmmm. haaaambre.

Kaitlin Wainwright dijo...

congratulations! risotto sounds like a nice, celebrating dinner.

i can't remember how i have come to your blog, but i love the drawings :) they make me smile.

my husband & i are coming to spain in april for three weeks, and we can hardly wait to sop up all the goodness that the country has to offer.

i'm not sure how much you eat out, and i'm not expecting any sort of response, in part because of the whole new-again mom thing. but, we will be in madrid for two days. i'm wondering where you have had your most relaxing meal in the city...

thank you.

Patty dijo...

Congratulations on making that Forbes list! Thanks for the recipe I can't wait to try it out!

Dina dijo...

Congrats on making the Forbes list!

Tenina dijo...

Congratulations on the Forbes list thingy! WOW, impressive.

Dagmara dijo...

Well deserved!
:-)

lobstersquad dijo...

Tim: yep, very!
Andrea: thanks, it´s a lovely pat on the back.
La Ninja: you know, Harvey Weinstein and I, same publicist
Marquesa: gracias
Kaitlin: Hi, glad you´ll be here. Email me at ximena at ximenamaier dot com and I´ll send you a list of places. they´re mostly tapas bars, because I´m not much of a restaurant person, but there are some too.
Patty: the recipe works, it´s amazing
Dina: thanks, it´s great
Tenina: amazing, really, a little blog like this!

The Paris Food Blague dijo...

congrats!
a bientot
the paris food blague

Anónimo dijo...

Congrats!!!

Raquel dijo...

Con lo de la lista aún no he cerrado la boca. Qué grande eres.

Y el arroz, también lo he probado en la olla pero con atún. Con el aceite de oliva de la lata sofrío la verdurita y luego ya sigo los mismos pasos que tú. ¡Queda rico!

LE BLOG dijo...

Tíaaaaa que lo acabo de ver!!! Estoy orgullosísima, que lo sepas, pero vamos, que no te llegan a meter en la lista, y les mato, porque es verdad que los demás son todos con fotos y no conozco ninguno con dibujos tan bonitos y tan originales. Por cierto, que el de este post me encanta, ese fondo azul negroso te ha quedado muy chulo, a la par que profundo...

Landon dijo...

Congrats on the Forbes list. Keep up the good works.

Anónimo dijo...

OK I´m converted. I used some bits from my Barcelo half-chicken and a few dodgy veggies that were cowering at the back of the fridge to make a stock -and then risotto. It was yum, and better than I make with my usual packet stock!

prayer.t dijo...

thanks for sharing!

i've always wondered if it could work other ways! we used to make arroz caldoso in pan sort of like a paella.

do you think pressure cooker would also work for paella with maybe a finish on a pan over real flame?

lobstersquad dijo...

Hi prayer.t
I dont think this would work for paella. The pressure brings out the starch like crazy, which works great for caldoso but would ruin a paella, I think. But if you try it and it works, let me know please

Amy dijo...

I've tried "arroz caldoso", in my country its called arrozcaldo :) pretty same, its just combined. Yeah, you're right, creamy and full of flavor and of course easy to cook ^^

Carrie dijo...

I've always wondered if it could work other waysThe pressure brings out the starch like crazy, which works great for caldoso but would ruin a paella, I think But if you try it and it works.

Becky dijo...

Wow, i'm wondering where you have had your most relaxing meal in the city, waiting for your answer.

Sadie dijo...

Well,i would also work for paella with maybe a finish on a pan over real flame.

lobstersquad dijo...

Sadie, hi. I don´t think paella would work at all, the pressure cooker makes the starch burst out of the rice like crazy and it would be sticky and gross. Don´t blame me if it goes strange. Just do this method and call it "arroz caldoso" and use Spanish ingredients

Allison Clark dijo...

I love arroz caldo. Especially when my mom puts chicken in it. Do you have any other idea's how to make our arroz caldo more delicious with a new taste?

James dijo...

Don't be so pessimistic who knows maybe one day you'll see your photo and your name in Forbes, I'm not talking about the front page, but on others, who knows.

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