My guilty pleasure: Watching David Rocco’s Dolce Vita on the Cooking Network. I wish I could visit all those beautiful Italian wineries, markets and food spots. He makes life look sweet and easy in Florence.
Sometimes, his cutaway shots show the Duomo. It reminds me of my short weekend trip to Italy. It felt wonderful to take communion inside this epic cathedral.
His weekend in Chianti inspired me to try farro for risotto.
We also wanted to do some grilling yesterday. Farro Risotto Al Chianti paired nicely with these yummy rib-eye steaks.
Mark marinated the steaks for about 8 hours. He used the so-called “Best Steak Marinade in Existence.”
I added a fresh herb butter compound when they rested in the kitchen. I used a super-easy recipe by the Hungry Mouse. I mixed Rosemary, sage and chives into the softened butter.
As for the risotto, I tweaked Rocco’s recipe to utilize staples leftover from another dinner.
I thought fondo bruno would swap out nicely with the vegetable stock. I had at least a pint of the Piemontese meat broth in the fridge. I used Jeffery Steingarten’s recipe in his book: “The Man Who Ate Everything.”
Fondo bruno added a delightful, meaty component to the creamy farro. I was quite pleased with using this grain for risotto instead of the traditional arborio rice. My hubby said it tasted healthy. My mouth melted with all those layered flavors: rich wine, butter, meat broth and cheese.