A Taste Of Kindness

 November is the month where there should be kindnesses big and little committed,It could be feeding  those who need it or providing a flavor of one's home to them. Food will always be the tie that binds us together.

I wanted to provide a taste of home for my schools women's volleyba;; team. One  star player is near where my great-grandfahter, my bisnonno came from outside of Torino. Two other players come from the beautiful Veneto area of Northenr Italy where rice is king. I wanted to give these girls a taste of home, sort of like our comforting Thanksgiving food. Mushroom risotto is dish that provides that being loved from the Italian Alps to the Dolomite Mountains. It's an easy cook.It's just sauteing sliced baby Bella's in a mix of plant based butter and Lidl olive oil. I add the tiniest pinch of garlic powder to liven up the mushrooms' flavor

They do have to be rinsed first before cooking.

Each batch  - and there were four!!!! batches has to be sauteed for ten minutes. This draws the water out for the gills (any kind of mushroom acts as a kind of sponge for water).

The rice was from Lidl, a mix of mushroom and truffle flavors. This took three boxes.

It takes a roiling boil and then the arborio  and flavorings  is added to seven cups of water

It takes about twenty minutes to get the rice to be a tender al dente texture.

The end result is a mushroom rich dish that I'm sure the volleyball team will love. It's a warming taste of home, much needed during this point in the semester/

It's November and a time for kindnesses. This pot of risotto al funghi will remind homesick girls of homes. It's the perfect comfort food for this season.