L offered to make a risotto dinner for E and I (well, ok, we begged her to) at her place on the Upper East Side this evening. Risotto is a traditional Italian dish usually made with Arborio rice and is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy. L added sliced mushrooms, asparagus, and freshly grated Grana Padano cheese to her risotto. (Grana Padano is a semi-fat hard cheese very similar to Parmigiano Reggiano.) Along with our main dish, L prepared a mesclun salad with a tart but tasty pomegranate vinaigrette. What I loved most about being at L’s place is that she truly enjoys making food from scratch, so I was quite impressed to find out she even made her own chicken stock for the risotto from a leftover roasted chicken meal from last week.

While I only had time to pick up some fresh fruit (cantaloupe and strawberries) to bring with me to L’s place, E outdid herself and showed up with a homemade Toll House Pie to die for. Being as serious a chocolate addict as I am, E doubled the amount of chocolate chips noted in the recipe (smart girl) and ended up making the best dessert ever. Thanks, E! I have four new cavities now and a giant inner tube took up residence in my abdomen, but, boy, was it worth it!