Gettin' My Grub On!

As you can probably tell from my last post, I like Gordon Ramsay. I've decided to start amping up my cooking skills by pulling a "Julie and Julia" and start cooking my way through GR's, "Gordon Ramsay Makes it Easy" cookbook. So far I've made three yummy recipes and have learned lots of things- like what arborio rice, shallots, and oyster mushrooms are. I'm also learning a bit more of the metric system, as he's included both the US standard of measurment and the practical one that the rest of the world uses.

So I shall take you on the journey of my first recipe: Risotto with Wild Mushrooms.

My first day of cooking actually began with the purchasing of GRMIE ("Gordon Ramsay Makes it Easy." Julie abbreviated "Mastering the Art of French Cuisine," so I figure I can abbreviate my cookbook as well). It was quite a lot of fun! I went to the Barnes and Noble on the Upper West Side after work and perused the cookbook section. I actually stumbled onto MtAoFC, flipped through it's massive weight and knew it wasn't for me. It was kind of like stumbling onto some ancient holy text.

I also picked up Alton Brown's latest book. I've always liked him. I remember being introduced to him in one of my video production classes in college. The professor used his TV show, "Good Eats" as an example of some cool camera shots and great production value. Plus he grew up in Georgia, like me.

And I learned that Kelis has a cookbook! Who knew? I wonder if there's a recipe in there for milkshakes...

I finally found the section I was looking for- cookbooks alphabetically arranged by author's last name. I found the GR section on the very bottom shelf, practically hidden behind a big beam. I was a little miffed by this blatant disregard for Mr. Ramsay, but I got over it and pulled out GRMIE (yes, it was my very first pick) and sat on the floor, leaned up against said beam, crossed my legs, as I am apt to do, and flipped through the pages.

(This was actually taken on the floor of the Barnes and Noble. Note the carpet a the top of the photo).

I found it to be quite easy to read, really liked the font and format and all the fun pictures! It also comes with a DVD that I have yet to watch. (Mainly because I am one of the most technically unsavvy 32 year olds I know and I don't know how to work the many different DVD/Playstation/Wii sources attached to our ginormous, fancy new TV. [Thanks Christine!]).

The next stop was the grocery store, as I'd already decided to make risotto. I have, in fact, made risotto twice before, having been inspired by "Hell's Kitchen." And, actually, the first page I opened the book to was the mushroom risotto- it was obviously meant to be. That's where I learned about the rice and the shallots and the mushrooms. Picture it- me, at prime grocery shopping time, in one of the smallest grocery stores I've ever been in, on the UWS, bustling with post-work suits (male and female suits), and me on my smart phone, with my NYC purse large enough to hold my work shoes and Krav Maga gloves and now, a Gordon Ramsay cookbook, looking up shallots, oyster mushrooms and the difference between chives and scallions.

(This is how I marked items off my shopping list. I took a pic of the book, then crossed items out with the editing function of my phone. Who says I'm not technically savvy??)

They fit a surprisingly large amount of food in that tiny, fancy, two story grocery store. The best part, though, was the check out. They have a separate line just for strollers. Then the rest of us go through the smallest amusement park-like line I've ever been in, complete with steel barriers to keep you in order. There's no way a stroller is fitting on that ride. (I really wanted to take a picture of this system, but I thought the people in line might not appreciate that).

I made it home with all my bags and cookbook and bottle of cheap cooking wine and got started! Risotto takes a little bit of time and I have always wondered how they made it in Hell's Kitchen in such a short amount of time- you have to slowly add broth to the rice and be constantly stirring it. Maybe one day GR will tell me his restaurant secret.

The final product was pretty yummy, if I do say so myself, although not as creamy as it looked in the photo. My roommates seemed to like it pretty well. But for this first recipe, I think I had the most fun shopping for the ingredients and learning all the new things I learned!

Next up: GR Sublime Scrambled Eggs.