Finally back at work after three days in Vegas and two days spent locked up in my apartment detoxing from flashing lights, the "ding, ding, ding!" of slot machines and the smell of second hand smoke seeping through air conditioning vents. Yes, it is good to be back in the real world.
While the Tea Expo was inspiring, Vegas leaves little for the imagination. Drunken women zig-zag down carpeted corridors cross-eyed and yanking down their florescent mini skirts, while testosterone-filled men throw back a shot, pump their fists in the air and eagerly look for the easiest lay. Fun? For a fleeting moment. Relaxing? Not in the slightest.
When not basking in the safe walls of tea tranquility I spent most of my time overwhelmed by the constant stimulation. Floating around glassy-eyed and confused, often running into walls, people and occasionally tripping over my own two feet, I was unable to focus on the simple task of getting from one end of a casino to the other. Drunk? I was not. Slightly stupid? I may be.
The only road to recovery was some serious hibernation. I have spent the last two days in my very own castle...well perhaps more like a two bedroom victorian nestled in the sunny hills of the Castro, but none the less it's paradise to me. Here I have made a very large batch of hearty soup, baked an ultra-sweet pecan pie (which I quickly brought to work...once you bake a pecan pie you understand the danger of keeping it around), made some serious progress on my latest bead mosaic arts and crafts project, snuck out for a brisk yoga session, caught up on my latest book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (if you haven't read it yet I strongly recommend it), and drooled over season four's True Blood cast. And yes, clearly I drank far too much caffeinated tea all the while.
The result? Absolute and utter piece of mind. I literally shot out of bed this morning, anticipating my first day back at the tea lounge. It was exactly what I expected it to be: pure chaotic amazingness. It reminded me of the first time I made Jamie Oliver's (yes, this guy again) Risotto ai Frutti di Mare for a dinner party of fifteen. I began at the outdoor market in Barcelona excitedly stopping by my favorite fish and vegetables stalls to pick up the creme de la creme of ingredients. Once home I put everything away in it's proper place, looked down at the recipe and suddenly panic struck. What the hell was I thinking? I was no chef, no Anthony Bourdain! Fish stock from scratch?! Perfectly cooked rice?! I was just some silly girl in her early twenties with a dream and ladle.
But I drank a glass of wine, took a deep breath and jumped in head first, following each instruction step-by-step and as I went comfort set in (it may have been the three glasses of wine, but let's just call it confidence for now). Each bite tasted better, each step felt easier and a few hours later I had mastered the perfect risotto.
This was my day...well, minus the wine. It took a little while to get back into the grove, to feel comfortable and confident, but finally Ayesha got her grove back (yes, I said it) and it felt just right. This is what I was looking forward to all morning! So here I am back in my kitchen after nine hours at Samovar and all I can do is compare my day to seafood risotto, but if you ask me it's a pretty fair comparison.
Photo from Jamieoliver.com
Recipe from Jamie Oliver's Jamie's Italy
Serves 6
3 pints water
2 small carrots, roughly chopped
3 tomatoes, squashed
1 bay leaf
A small bunch of fresh parsley, one sprig left whole, remaining leaves picked and finely chopped
3 1/2 lbs mixed seafood: clams, mussels (debearded and cleaned) , shrimp, sliced squid and monk fish, scaled, cleaned, gutted, with heads and gills removed
1 risotto bianco (recipe below)
1/2 a bulb of fennel, finely chopped, herby tops reserved
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
A pinch of crumbled dried chili
A pinch of saffron strands
Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 small carrots, roughly chopped
3 tomatoes, squashed
1 bay leaf
A small bunch of fresh parsley, one sprig left whole, remaining leaves picked and finely chopped
3 1/2 lbs mixed seafood: clams, mussels (debearded and cleaned) , shrimp, sliced squid and monk fish, scaled, cleaned, gutted, with heads and gills removed
1 risotto bianco (recipe below)
1/2 a bulb of fennel, finely chopped, herby tops reserved
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
A pinch of crumbled dried chili
A pinch of saffron strands
Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1. Put the exact amount of water into a large pan with the carrots, tomatoes, bay leaf, and whole parsley sprig and bring to a boil, adding your whole fish but not your shellfish. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove each fish from the pan and flake the flesh away from the bones. 2. Put the flaked fish on a plate to one side; return any bones to the stock to simmer for another 15 minutes max, skimming any froth off the surface every so often. Meanwhile, start your basic risotto bianco, adding the fennel, fennel seeds, chili, and saffron to the pan at Stage one.
3.Pass the stock through a colander into another pan and throw away the vegetables and bones. Add most of the fish stock to your risotto, keeping a little to finish the dish. When the rice is nearly cooked toward the end of Stage 3, add your flaked fish and shellfish. After 3 or 4 minutes the shellfish will have opened (discard any that remain closed); then remove from the heat.
4. Add the butter, check the seasoning, drizzle with a glug of extra virgin olive oil, and squeeze over the lemon juice. To serve, divide the risotto between your plates and spoon over the remaining stock.
3.Pass the stock through a colander into another pan and throw away the vegetables and bones. Add most of the fish stock to your risotto, keeping a little to finish the dish. When the rice is nearly cooked toward the end of Stage 3, add your flaked fish and shellfish. After 3 or 4 minutes the shellfish will have opened (discard any that remain closed); then remove from the heat.
4. Add the butter, check the seasoning, drizzle with a glug of extra virgin olive oil, and squeeze over the lemon juice. To serve, divide the risotto between your plates and spoon over the remaining stock.
5. Drizzle with some more extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining parsley and the reserved fennel tops.
Recipe from Jamie Oliver's Jamie's Italy
Approximately 2 pints fish stock (chicken, fish or vegetable as appropriate)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pat of butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
½ head of celery, finely chopped
14oz risotto rice
2 wine glasses of dry white vermouth (dry Martini or Noilly Prat) or dry white wine
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pat of butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
½ head of celery, finely chopped
14oz risotto rice
2 wine glasses of dry white vermouth (dry Martini or Noilly Prat) or dry white wine
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons butter
1. Heat the stock. In a separate pan, heat the olive oil and butter, add the onion, garlic and celery, and fry very slowly for about 15 minutes without coloring. When the vegetables have softened, add the rice and turn up the heat.
2. The rice will now begin to lightly fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent. Add the vermouth or wine and keep stirring. Any harsh alcohol flavors will evaporate and leave the rice with a tasty essence.
3. Once the vermouth or wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of salt. Turn down the heat to a simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and almost massaging the creamy starch out of the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15 minutes. Taste the rice and see if it's cooked. Continue adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. Don’t forget to check the seasoning carefully. If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked, add some boiling water.
4. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Stir well. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes. This is the most important part of making the perfect risotto, as this is when it becomes outrageously creamy and oozy like it should be. Eat it as soon as possible, while the risotto retains its beautiful texture.
2. The rice will now begin to lightly fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent. Add the vermouth or wine and keep stirring. Any harsh alcohol flavors will evaporate and leave the rice with a tasty essence.
3. Once the vermouth or wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of salt. Turn down the heat to a simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and almost massaging the creamy starch out of the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15 minutes. Taste the rice and see if it's cooked. Continue adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. Don’t forget to check the seasoning carefully. If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked, add some boiling water.
4. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Stir well. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes. This is the most important part of making the perfect risotto, as this is when it becomes outrageously creamy and oozy like it should be. Eat it as soon as possible, while the risotto retains its beautiful texture.
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