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Friday, March 29, 2019

Ever wake up and not know?
Not know if you had just slept or merely taken a nap?
Not know where you are?
If it’s late afternoon or early morning?

Or if that noise in the adjoining bathroom indicated an intruder?
And getting closer to the bathroom, why an intruder would be brushing her teeth?

I did.

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Postings Count, Weather Brief, and Dinner
Friday, March 29, 2019

My 357th consecutive posting, committed to 5,000.
After 357 posts we’re at the 7.14% mark of my commitment, the commitment a different way of marking the passage of time.

Time is 12.01am.

On Friday Boston’s temperature will reach a high of 57* with a feels-like temperature of 55* under mainly cloudy skies with sunny breaks.

Dinner of Curry Saffron Sauce with Shrimp Medley over Rice

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Question of the Day:
What is Risotto Milanese?

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Chuckle of the Day
So Helvetica and Times New Roman walk into a bar.
The bartender spots them holding hands and shouts, “Hey! Get outta here. We don’t serve your type.”

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Love your notes.
Contact me at existentialautotrip@hotmail.com

This from Tommie T from South Carolina on the upcoming one-year anniversary of existentialautotrip.com.

Dom, congratulations!
You have the will power of steel. I have tried keeping journals and diaries to no avail!
So I truly appreciate your timing, effort, energy, and thoughtfulness.

Thank you for your blog. . . I learn something with each perusal. . . I especially love the recipes and your description of your walks through Beautiful Boston. . . even in the cold, cold winter. 

Again, kudos to you!

Web Meister responds: Thank you Tommie. And more recipes and walks on the way.

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Answer to the Question of the Day:
What is Risotto Milanese?

Risotto, from riso meaning "rice", is a northern Italian rice dish that starts off with a saute in butter and cooked with little broth, more added in small quantities until done.
The broth can be derived from meat, fish, or vegetables.
Many types of risotto contain onion, white wine, and parmesan cheese.
It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy.

Risotto in Italy, like pasta, is normally served on its own as a first course.
Risotto alla Milanese, however, is often served together with the main course as in Ossobuco alla Milanese.

Risotto alla Milanese with Curry Saffron Shrimp Medley.

There are many different risotto recipes with different ingredients, but they are all based on rice of an appropriate variety, cooked in a standard procedure.

Risotto, unlike other rice dishes, requires constant care and attention.
The rice is not to be pre-rinsed, boiled, or drained, as washing would remove much of the starch required for a creamy texture.

The rice is first cooked briefly in a soffritto of onion and butter or olive oil, to coat each grain in a film of fat, called tostatura; white wine is added and must be absorbed by the grains.

When it has been absorbed the heat is raised to medium high, and boiling stock is gradually added in small amounts, while stirring constantly.
The constant stirring, with only a small amount of liquid present, forces the grains to rub against each other and release the starch molecules from the outside of the grains into the surrounding liquid, creating a smooth creamy-textured mass.

(When the rice is cooked many cooks in Italy take the pot off the heat for mantecatura, vigorously beating in refrigerated balls of grated parmigiana cheese and butter, to make the texture as creamy and smooth as possible.)

I simply add some parmigiana cheese to the rice. Adding butter, for me, is gilding the lilly.

The rice may be removed from the heat a few minutes earlier and left to cook with its residual heat.

Properly cooked risotto is rich and creamy even if no cream is added, due to the starch in the grains. It has some resistance or bite (al dente) and separate grains.
The traditional texture is fairly fluid, or all'onda ("wavy, or flowing in waves").
It is served on flat dishes and should easily spread out but not have excess watery liquid around the perimeter.
It must be eaten at once, as it continues to cook in its own heat, making the grains absorb all the liquid and become soft and dry.

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Good Morning on this Friday, the Twenty-Ninth Day of March.

Today we talked about waking up confused.
About the weather, calendar, and dinner of Curry Saffron Shrimp Medley with Risotto Milanese.
We posted a joke and a kind note from Tommie Toner.
And we asked and answered a question on Risotto.
 
And now? Gotta go.

Che vuoi? Le pocketbook?

See you soon.

Your Love