Bakelist

Many tricks in cooking and baking—those two mystical practices that happen in at the Altar of the Kitchen—are less tricky than they would appear, or have been built up to be. Pie crust, biscuits, rice on the stove, the perfect sear; these are all tricks that done correctly once, with just the right timing, temperature, and seasonings, never need be learned again. Granted, all cooking and baking is just the right amount of timing, temperature, and seasonings. However, the big secret is, the simple things are really quite easy. If you spend time mastering the technique at first, you’ll have delicious, homemade goodness forever. (Forever is a long time. Filled with more pie if you start practicing now.)

Risotto, that perfectly creamy, nutty, rich comforting Italian porridge, is just the kind of thing to master early. To whip up a risotto is easy, and it will never fail to impress. There are just a few things you need to make a phenomenal risotto—rice, chicken broth, a shallot, and some parmesan. That’s it. (Butter is a given. Always.) Throw in a crack of pepper and a dash of salt, and an elegant, filling risotto is just a half hour away. Honestly. But in that half hour, many magical things take place. 

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