Archive for April 1st, 2007

I had the idea of making a verdant, spring risotto based on asparagus.

• 1 bunch asparagus
• risotto rice (aborio)
• olive oil
• salt, pepper
• boiling water
• chicken stock
• red pepper flakes
• 1 lemon; zest removed
• parmesan cheese
• Italian parsley, chopped
• prosciutto, chopped (San Daniele)
• one onion, chopped/minced
• 4 cloves garlic

In hot extra-virgin olive oil, sauté the onion. Once it begins to take on color, add garlic, pepper flakes, and rice. Stir for 3-4 minutes until well coated, and the rice is toasted. As this process begins, blanche the asparagus in boiling, salted water. Remove asparagus after 4 minutes. Add asparagus water to the rice, stirring.

In this recipe, you will use 2 parts salted water, 1 part wine, and 2 parts chicken stock for the risotto liquid.

Mid-way through cooking, add salt and pepper, and add the lemon zest. I separated the tips and stalk of the asparagus. Marinate the tips in the juice from one lemon; chop the rest in manageable, small chunks. Near the end of cooking, add the small pieces, and stir-in the parsley.

To finish the dish, add the tops of asparagus, half of the lemon juice, and add grated parmesan cheese. Top each plate with shreds of uncooked prosciutto ham.

For dessert, I served tiramisù, the Italian favorite. Since it is laborious to make well, I used the most delicious made, from Cavanna Pasta here in Richmond’s far west-end. It is really primo, grade-AA, delicious Italian dessert, with marscapone cheese.

“Yumm-o!” Rachael might say.

I have eaten once at Azurro, off River Road in Richmond. I recall taking my mother there for dinner (yet, she paid), and finding a hair in my creamy ravioli dish.

Four years later, it called me back, after reading in Style Weekly that it’s rated as one of Richmond’s top 50.

We were seated without reservation, outside. We sat, with menus, and water, for over 15 minutes. Everyone around us was receiving service and attention. We sat.

We left.

I am not sure what prompted this behavior. I went back to the front desk to complain, but the line was too long for Azurro to suck up any more of my time. The wait was both insulting and discouraging. The menu looked great, but I took my business elsewhere.