There are sometimes that comfort food is exactly what you need.

In the winter, things like chicken and dumplings meet that need.?? For me, risotto is my version of comfort food.?? Eating it feels really good, however for me, cooking my own risotto and then eating it seems to make it even more of a comfort food.?? Figuring out what I??m going to put in the risotto and the process of making it really helps.

I like to use Carnaroli rice instead of Arborio rice.  It seems to produce a creamier risotto.  First, I like to cook all the ingredients that I am putting most of the ingredients that I am put into the risotto.  Tonight, I found some really nice chicken garlic sausage, red peppers, orange peppers and tomato that I saut?ed by themselves they went into risotto.  I always start with saut?ing some onion and garlic in olive oil until they are translucent on around medium heat, then cooking the rice until starts to get a little almost toasty, right before the end of the rice browns, I usually use about 2 and half cups of rice.  I start to add my liquids, I usually use about 8 and half cups total.  I like to add some white wine and cook the rice until wine is incorporated, then then ingredients.  Next, I add the stock a little at a time, about a ladle or two at a then, cook and stir it until it??s all incorporated, then repeat this until I have used up all of the liquid.  After that, I like to add some butter, fresh herbs and parmesan.  Then it??s ready, and it feels really comfortable.  Having to watch while I am making food, somehow helps me to relax.

On our San Francisco Food Tour of North Beach\Little Italy and Chinatown, a lot of the people at the stops are like me, the cooking process is something that people seem to like almost as much as eating the food.  Maybe it??s that for many people, like me, cooking helps me focus on something other myself.  Then, relaxing with the food is that much more special.  On our San Francisco Food Tours relaxing and enjoying the food is a great way to taste the food.  It gives me a chance to savor all of the flavors, such as when I am eating risotto.  It??s that way of eating comfort food, taking oneself away from all of the worries and world and savoring that perfect bite.