Primavera Risotto Nests with Fried Eggs

I got this recipe from the Bon Appétit Web site and paired it with their choice of salad, Fennel and Celery with Pumpkin Seeds (pictured here on the left side of the photo) -- it was all better than I could've expected!

Cooking this was fun because I got to also pick a good wine to go into the risotto and into my glass, while I was making it. Hey, cooks need a break from time to time, too, you know? ;)

But more importantly, this recipes is great because, if you don't already know, it teaches you when it is usually a good time to add each ingredient to most meals you cook. For example, you sauté the mushrooms at the start of the process, but then you remove them after just 5 minutes and only add them at the end, after everything has finished cooking. This is helpful to know if you wanted to make, say, mushroom pizza: don't settle for canned mushrooms -- instead, buy fresh ones because it only takes 5 minutes to sauté them before adding them to the pizza! Also, garlic and onions usually go in first because (I think) their flavors keep transforming the more you cook them, and hard veggies like carrots and asparagus take a long time to cook thoroughly. 


So, you see, just by cooking this ONE recipe you can learn so much about flavor blending and cooking times in general. I love it. It was also great as leftovers! 


Well, since I talked so much here, I will link the recipe, instead of pasting it in here. After all, it is from Bon Appétit and all their recipes turn out exactly as they say they will. 

I hope you'll enjoy Primavera risotto Nests with Fried Eggs and Fennel and Celery Salad with Pumpkin Seeds.  It was my first time trying Fennel - hey, who knew it tastes like... Absinthe?? :P