I don’t know why I’ve always been so intimidated by risotto.

Arborio rice seemed exotic and complicated.

Like most people I assumed that it meant hours standing at the stove; stirring, demanding an almost psychic sense to determine when it is ready.

Well it couldn’t be further from the truth.

This dish is fast and easy and virtually full proof.

I’d say that about 45 minutes is all that you need to have this dish prepared.

Ingredients:

2 cups risotto Arborio rice

8-10 cups water or vegetable stock

Method:

In a deep skillet toast the risotto in about 1/4 cup of olive oil.

Add 4 cups of liquid and allow to simmer slowly until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Then cup by cup add the remaining liquid as it is absobed by the rice while stirring.

Stirring brings out the starch and creates the creamy texture for which this rice is known.

In a seperate skillet sautee shrimp asparagus and scallops in butter and crushed garlic.

Add to the risotto and mix well.

You can add about 1/4 ohf heavy cream and parmesan cheese if desired.

Sliced peppers go well with eggplant dip which is light and garlicky!

I couln’t help but to end this meal with a little Dulce de Leche Cheesecake!

Pier W never lets me down.

From the fantastic Happy Hour to the incredible views this place is a winner every time.

Not only is the happy hour a great value; 1/2 price bar food and select drinks, but the quality is first class.

These calamari must be some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Light and crispy calamari are fried to perfection with delicate fragrant dipping sauces; a spicy mayonnaise and a tamarind sauce.

This is a far cry from the usual bar food you’d find elsewhere and you get the incredible atmosphere as a bonus!

The view!

The wine!

The scallops!

Pan seared scallops with goat cheese, thyme and lemon gnocchi with an asparagus coulis was amazing!

Sous Chef Jack Ahern was on board this night and his precision in the execution of this dish was out of this world.

The tempura fish and green beans looked yummy…

…but I couldn’t get over the flavor pairings of my scallops.

I usually feel that mushrooms with any seafood is a risk; the earthiness of the mushrooms can overpower and compete with delicate sea flavors but it was not the case tonight.

Lemon and thyme kept the gnocchi light and the mushrooms and asparagus lent smoky and bitter notes, respectively that were enhanced by the subtle creaminess of the goat cheese.

Asparagus coulis was a light sauce of everything beautiful about asparagus!

Dante was the scene of a fabulous late night supper and wine tasting.

Not only did Dante roll sushi just for us; Sushi is a happy hour hour item and we were well past happy hour! But he was gracious enough to accommodate my lust.

I find that it is best just to sit back and enjoy. I never order. I just graciously accept what this world class chef puts in front of me.

Hearts of palm with spinach, portobello and ginger vinaigrette was amazing with crispy fried red onions.

Our bartender kept the wines flowing as we took a world tour of reds from Italy to France, California and South America!

There were Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Pinot, Malbec…..

This was, by far, one of the best dining experiences that I have had in a while.

Dante is a true gem! In Cleveland or otherwise; world class!

Scallops and polenta are divine!

Fresh, warm and light; this dish is a nice compromise between soup and a meal!

The flavors of Spring come together to offer a hearty meal which features cilantro and lime.

Warm and spicy ingredients go great with beer on a sunny but cool Spring evening!

Ingredients

1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/2 white onion, peeled and finely chopped
small bunch scallions finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 lime, juiced
1 bell pepper chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons canola oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 2 pound shrimp, shell and tail left on
1 cup small scallops
2 dozen mussels
Bunch of fresh cilantro for garnish

Method

Whisk together coconut milk, curry paste, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and oil in a large bowl. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Place shrimp in the bowl and toss to coat. Cover and let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Stir red curry paste in large skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add coconut milk and clam juice and bring to boil, whisking until paste dissolves.

Boil until sauce is thick enough to coat spoon, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes.

Add shrimp to sauce.

Add chopped bell pepper.

Cook until shrimp turn pink and are just opaque in center, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes.

Stir in cilantro.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide shrimp and sauce among 4 shallow bowls. Garnish with cilantro, lime wedges and serve.

This is the time of year when I feel that we are turning a corner. Summer gives way to Autumn, daylight savings time starts, the school year is in full swing, my eldest daughter celebrates another birthday , as do I, and the holidays are bearing down on us like a locomotive at full speed. All good stuff!

We are preparing for the winter ahead and nesting; battening the hatches and our menus are becoming hardier. Rich thick smells are coming out of the kitchen now. We are baking more bread and using cinnamon in the squash. I’m stuffing fish and roasting root vegetables with wine, garlic and butter.

I’ve talked to famous chefs and asked them what they like to cook for family and friends and the overwhelming response that I get is comfort food with lots of ingredients.

It seems to me that our cooking instinct is to fill our meals with the ingredients that evoke the best of our childhood memories. And food smells always seem to have that effect.

I will never forget my daughter’s 16th birthday this past week. We had dinner at Pier W, a lovely seafood restaurant complete with a piano bar and vast water and city views.

She has definitely turned the corner from little girl to young lady. She, of course, ordered the lobster and had white chocolate cheesecake for dessert. Her younger sister had a swanky version of macaroni and cheese.

As I sit at the table I am drinking in every nuance, every smell and every feeling. I am taking mental notes; notes on ingredients and techniques for meals that I want to cook and on flavors long forgotten and rediscovered. And remembering meals past, like this one; celebrations with family and friends.

Listening to Jazzy standards on the piano and being with my family, sharing a glass of wine and beautiful food; I felt the weight of this moment, the grand significance of a threshold being crossed. You could almost see it; I could definitely feel it and holding back the tears became my challenge

So, for now, back to the food, because the tastes and smells will forever create these stirrings of love and family and the memory of the innocence of a journey just begun.

The Scallops Piccata was perfect and served with braised spinach and crispy fried carrot strings. We had a bottle of, surprise, Colume Malbec. What can I say? It is my current favorite grape and complimented our meals quite nicely.

We finished with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot; it’s a family favorite and the kids love it. (Just special occasions, of course!)

I will never think of scallops the same, again. And I am sure that I will never be able to eat white chocolate cheesecake without tearing up just a bit.