Letters to Juliet Inspires Mushroom Risotto #MoviesandMunchies

I hadn't heard of this movie until our host for the month, Camille, from Culinary Adventures with Camille selected it for our movie of the month.  I love a good romantic movie, and so I snuggled down with some good wine and the mushroom risotto that I happened to make ahead of time.  

Synopsis of the movie:  Engaged Amanda Seyfried is a writer about to embark on a "pre-moon," a honeymoon that takes place before the wedding. Her fiance and she are headed to romantic Italy to look at vendors for the new restaurant that Franco Nero (the fiance) is opening in New York City.  To keep from being bored, Sophie (Seyfried) finds the Verona balcony where Romeo and Juliet once fell in love.  In the years following Shakespeare's play, the broken hearted lovers began making pilgrimages there to tuck love letters into the wall below the balcony.  

A group of Italian women, Juliet's secretaries, answers each letter.  Sophie loves the idea of answering the letters and then discovers a letter tucked deep into a crevice in the rock wall. The letter is 50 years old and was written by Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) who left her Italian lover without any type of communication.  Sophie decides to answer the letter.  Sophie's fiance supports the idea, then leaves her to go to a wine auction for several days.  To find out what happens in the rest of the movie, you will need to rent it out here:  Letters to Juliet

Remember I said I made a bowl of risotto before sitting down to watch the movie?  Here's the recipe I used to whip up some delicious mushroom risotto.

Yield 2

Author Terri Steffes

Prep time

10 Min

Cook time

45 Min

Total time

55 Min

Easy Mushroom Risotto

If you can stir, you can make this delicious mushroom risotto.

Ingredients

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided use
• 2 pounds mushrooms thinly sliced and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 medium shallots minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
• 1/2 c frozen peas

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the chicken broth and water to a simmer.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat.
3. Add in the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and saute until nicely browned 3-4 minutes.
4. Remove them from the pan and set them aside for now.
5. Using the same skillet heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
6. Saute the shallots for a minute and then add the rice.
7. Toast the rice in the olive oil for about 3 to 4 minutes until golden.
8. Pour in 1 cup of the simmering chicken broth in with the rice, stirring constantly.
9. Once the rice absorbs all of the liquid, reduce the heat to medium and continue adding 1/2 cup at a time until all 6 cups of chicken broth have been added in and absorbed.
10. Stirring consistently will help the rice cook evenly.
11. It should take about 30 minutes to add the entire 6 cups of chicken broth.
12. Once all the liquid has been used, stir in the mushrooms, the butter, and the parmesan. Taste, and salt and pepper to taste.
13. In the end, add in 1/2 c frozen peas and cook until the peas are hot.

Notes

Toasting the rice heightens the flavor. Don't skip this step!

Did you make this recipe?

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