Delicious Recipes with Cheese

Mushroom Risotto from Valvona & Crolla by Mary Contini

Cheap Eats Recipes By Amy @ cookbookmaniac

Cutting corners. If you have read my previous post about patience you'll know that I have very little of it... except when it comes to cooking. I will not tolerate waiting in line for a sandwich but I can stand over a pot and stir a risotto for ages. There is something about the stirring that brings me joy and comfort. However, time is not the kind of corner that I am writing about. It's the expense of ingredients. I try my best to stay faithful to a recipe when I am cooking. However, I am not opposed to substituting, adding or eliminating ingredients if I find them unnecessary, difficult to find, or ridiculously expensive. My jaw nearly hit the floor when I approached the cheese counter at the local delicatessen only to find that the fontina cheese that this recipe called for was $65.99 per kilogram. Good golly! Although…

Eggplant Parmigiana – A Vegetarians Delight

Cheap Eats Recipes By Amy @ cookbookmaniac

I've never been a big fan of eggplant. The oblong, deep purple nightshade has always struck me as somewhat bland and mealy. One day, Pizzaboy's Italian Aunt, made eggplant parmigiana as an entree for a Christmas Eve meal. I have been converted ever since. Parmigiana is a classic Southern Italian dish made with thick slices of eggplant that are fried in olive oil until golden then layered with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil and baked until bubbly. Variations made with breaded meat cutlets, such as veal and chicken parmigiana, have been developed in other countries, usually in areas of Italian immigration. In some recipes the eggplant is breaded and fried. While this adds a whole extra layer of texture, I don't think it's necessary. There are many versions of eggplant parmigiana. I probably like them all. The earthy sweetness of the eggplant and tomato sauce, the gooey mozzarella, and…