Review: Smoked Gouda Risotto w/ Mushrooms & Spinach (May 1999)

[aggie94]

I think that's the issue it's from -- I don't have it, but someone posted the recipe awhile back.

I thought this was pretty good, but it didn't quite meet my expectations. There was nothing wrong with it, but after last week's leek & mascarpone cheese risotto, this one couldn't quite cut it. It was still yummy, but I think I'd try something else before making this again. Both of the other risottos I've made (the leek risotto and the crab risotto) were better.

[emilycat]

Eva,

I could just ditto what you said about this, but I'll add some, too http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

This was yummy, just not stellar. All the ingredients were delicious (how can you go wrong with shiitake and oyster mushrooms, spinach and smoked Gouda??) but it just didn't wow me nearly as much as some of the others. I think the problem for me was that the mushroom flavor wasn't integrated into the risotto -- the topping was good with the risotto, but I think maybe it would have been enhanced a bit if some of the mushrooms had been cooked into the risotto, as well.

Not as good as the Greens and Gorgonzola, Leek and Mascarpone, Salmon, Shiitake and Asparagus, or some of the Wild Mushroom ones I've made.

[aggie94]

Emily,

I had the same complaint when I started cooking this dish and discovered that the mushrooms get cooked separately and thrown on top of the risotto. I did cook the mushrooms separately but then I mixed them in with the risotto. I found that the flavors got more integrated when I had leftovers the next day and the day after that, but I know you usually only make enough for a couple of servings. Unlike most others, as I discovered from the risotto thread, I like sticky/gummy rice, so the leftovers are always better for me. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[valchemist]

Back in that recent risotto thread, I posted a recipe for gorogonzola risotto cakes with portobellos. Again, you don't incorporate the portobellos into the rice; you serve them on top. I wonder why. I would think if you cut them up small enough (the recipe calls for them to be very thinly sliced) they wouldn't cause too much of a problem in the cakes holding together.

Even though I haven't made this recipe, I agree that incorporating the mushrooms into the risotto would somehow help this dish.