Italian

The excuse to just hang out in the kitchen for a few hours. Usually on Sunday afternoons, by the way. Making tomato sauce for later this year. Slow cooking to the max. Sterilizing bottles. The promise that that delicious sauce will be in the pantry waiting for you. For that day where you do not know what to prepare. Or exactly know what you want to make. And you decide that this is the perfect occasion to open up this bottle or jar. Yes, that sounds like the perfect day.
It’s according to the recipe from the kitchen of our Italian friend Giancarlo from Napoli. It doesn’t get any more authentic. Nor classic. Typical à la Damaris.

This is one of those pasta sauces that takes me back to when all the kids were still living at home. To a day where you looked in the fridge and thought … what kind of pasta sauce will I make today… there are some onions, garlic, a bunch of celery, tomatoes… let’s put it together let it all simmer wonderfully. Stir occasionally. Look out at the birds flying by. Stir again. Answer a question from one of the kids. Stir again. Let’s take make that phone call. And stir again. And then we can yell, guys, diner is ready. And the happy faces when they see what’s being served. Such a sauce is this…

Risotto in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening. I’m insatiable when it comes to risotto. Every risotto. All the time. I also always present and serve it with the utmost love and attention. Because creamy risotto, however delicious, does not always look equally attractive. For risotto I always go that extra mile or two or three. It’s just secretly my “favorite.” And in this case, not only does it look delicious, but of course the portabello also adds real flavour and texture to the risotto.