The Sunday Chef: Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

Ingredients:
-6-8 cups of chicken stock
-1/3 cup of olive oil
-1/2 cup finely chopped onion (white)
-1/2 cup finely chopped celery
-2 tsp salt
-2 cups of arborio rice
-Cup dry white wine
-1/2 cup grated parmiagiano reggiano
-1 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes
-5 cloves of garlic

Directions:
1. On a cookie sheet, spread out tomatoes and garlic.  Drizzle olive oil over the top.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
2. In a separate pot, heat up stock (almost to a boil).
3.  Put the olive oil in the risotto pan.  Add the onions and celery and 1 teaspoon of salt.  When the onions begin to color, add the rice all at once.
4. Stir for a couple of minutes until the grains are toasted, but not browned.
5. Pour in the wine and cook, stirring continuously until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed.
6. Ladle in 2 cups of hot stock and stir steadily as the rice absorbs the liquid.  When you can see the bottom of the pan, quickly ladle in another couple of cups and the remaining salt.
7. Cook until the stock is almost completely absorbed.  You should be stirring this whole time.  Ladle in another cup or so of stock.  Continue this process until you have used about 6 cups of stock and about 15-20 minutes has passed.
8. Remove the tomatoes and garlic from the oven.  Remove garlic from the skin and pour the garlic and tomatoes into the risotto.  Stir.
9.  Add cheese while stirring.  Serve immediately.

Review:
The risotto came out al dente.  The sauce was creamy and the rice was not mushy, but had substance to it.  I made a half of a serving because that is a lot of risotto that it makes.  You can add almost any ingredients you wish (i.e. mushrooms, meat, spinach, etc.).  I would recommend using a food processor for the onion and celery.  You almost want it to blend in with the rice and mine was too large.  I do not recommend this recipe when hosting because it requires a 20 minute block of time that you cannot leave your risotto.  You really must stir the whole time otherwise it will burn and not cook evenly.  A great side dish worth the effort!