My Madison Bistro

A bowl of risotto and a glass of wine are quite possibly the perfect simple dinner in my world. Really good risotto has me closing my eyes and tipping back my head in pure delight. It’s so good that I really savor that first taste, and the second, and the last, searching for each layer of flavor, enjoying each texture.

I suppose it really shouldn’t be a shock that risotto is a favorite of mine. When I was in college, I was addicted to Rice-A-Roni. Yes, that San Francisco treat was a mainstay in my kitchen. Anytime I would be up studying until the wee hours of the morning, it’s probably safe to assume I had rice cooking away on the stove.

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Tags: mushrooms, rice

As winter drags on, I find myself craving salads more and more. Perhaps it’s to delude myself that the grass isn’t still blanketed in snow, that the trees are still without leaves, that my garden is simply a memory.

But salads are not confined to the warmer months of the year. With this particular salad, I took advantage of both a winter fruit, and added a few splurges to make it a little more interesting and well-rounded.

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Tags: chicken, fruit, raspberries, Vegetables

A couple of years ago I had a restaurant dinner that was quite delicious, and the memory has stayed with me for quite some time now. All I could really remember was that there was rosemary chicken and a few cherries. Oh, and some white rice.

I decided to take what I remembered from the dish, and just start cooking.

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Tags: chicken, fruit

After Christmas, I swore I wouldn’t eat a cookie again for…well, a very long time. I don’t believe I actually quantified this timeline, but frankly, I was cookied out.

I guess I’m healed. I should have known I wouldn’t even be able to last two months before feeling the need to make another batch of cookies. There’s just something about the the chewy texture, the crumble, the chocolate, the…booze?

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Tags: chocolate, cookies