my first risotto!

Sunday night for dinner I made Sweet Potato Risotto.  I have a friend from high school that is an AMAZING cook, and he has made me great risotto in the past... but this was my first time doing it on my own.  I forgot it can take a REALLY long time to cook Arborio rice correctly, and this recipe took a bit longer than the time it said in the cookbook.

It was a challenge for me to mash the sweet potato!  I've never mashed a potato before, and I don't own a masher.  So, I cut it up into small pieces and then used a fork to mash it.  The result was quasi mashed sweet potato with lots of chunks left in the dish.  I'm sure it would have been much better if the sweet potato had been mashed and thus mixed into the dish more thoroughly.

Overall,. I think I wanted to like this recipe more than I actually liked it.  I think it had too much nutmeg, and ended up being too sweet for me.  I also forgot to add the Parmesan cheese until halfway through.  I think a different, creamier/melty-er cheese (maybe shredded mozzarella or crumbled goat cheese) would have made the risotto's flavor and texture better.  Something to try next time!

So, this recipe was good but not great - and I think with less nutmeg and creamier cheese it could definitely be awesome!  I will also say that it was EXTREMELY filling, and after Day #1 I am not missing meat!