Orange and Rosemary Risotto

I tasted risotto for the first time in 2000 when my daughter made it for me at her first apartment.  She made  Champagne Risotto which was delicious, especially so because my girl made it in her own home.  I've loved risotto ever since and often order it in restaurants.

I got the recipe for risotto with orange zest and rosemary oil in my email from the La Cucina Italiana magazine site.  It sounded good and it turned out to be really, really, really good.   I didn't follow the recipe exactly.  I used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and I substituted 1 Cup of white wine (Ferarri Carrano Fume Blanc) for part of the liquid.  I added the wine first and used the broth/water mixture for the additional liquid.  I also did not cover up the zest with plastic or wrap the zest strips in plastic.  As you can see in the photo, I didn't really have stripes, I had chunks.  I didn't measure my rosemary oil or the cheese, just added what seemed like a reasonable amount.

This was one of the best risottos I've every had. The orange zest and rosemary combo is just amazing.  Make it, you'll love it.