I realize that Tuesday is the usual recipe day around these parts, but you're getting one on Wednesday anyway. Much like my last recipe, this one is tested and true by yours truly.

It's sort of a long running joke between a certain (Cult)ure editor and me (I won't say which one in case it's a secret) that risottos are notoriously hard to make. Risottos are, in fact, easy to make, but they require diligence, patience, and concentration, which are apparently qualities we do not possess in abundance. Still, when I found cremini mushrooms in my fridge that needed to be used up, my first thoughts were of a risotto. I gave this recipe a whirl (don't let Emeril put you off), and it was my most successful risotto to date.  The secret to my success (I think) was using my medium sized cast iron skillet instead of a pot. Without further ado, the winning risotto:

Ingredients

Easter weekend (April 10-13, 2009) is fast approaching. The religious event’s modern tranditions include the Easter bunny and the Easter egg hunts. These commercialized aspects of the once ancient Egyptian and Persian New Year customs turned Christian tradition are celebrated by both Christians and non-Christians alike. The universal Easter egg hunt often includes hours spent prepping the eggs followed by carefully hiding them.

Instead of decorating the eggs using the less-environmentally friendly dyes found in decorating kits,  such as acrylic paints (which contain mould preventing preservatives such as formaldehyde and/or ammonia), this Easter try a more eco-friendly alternative. Apply natural dyes from spices, fruits and vegetables to your eggs to get a variety of colours!

Good natural dying recipes can be found at here.

"play" is Stephen Beckta's second restaurant in Ottawa, following up on "Beckta," which opened in 2003. "play" is more casual, and less expensive, but still a great experience. I was there on three separate occasions, the first two just killing time after work, and the third was a Saturday night dinner.

 The dinner involved an appetizer of san daniele prosciutto with fig compote, followed by a duck confit with white beans and sherry reduction (fantastically tasty), a light salad, and a plate of three different kinds of cheese to finish up. The atmosphere was lively but not too noisy, and the service was impeccable - prompt and friendly and never overbearing.

A bartender told me that they're going to work on making the bar area feel a little more intimate - high ceilings with industrial pipes currently give it a bit of a "cold" look - which should make it even nicer.