Rachael Ray
From Every Day with Rachael Ray
November-December 2005
My Girl Boo
My dog Boo was my best girlfriend and official taste tester for 10 cookbooks during the 11 years we were together. She passed away last year at age 13. She was a pit bull on the outside, but no one told her that! She could meditate under a tree, perfectly still, for as long as an hour, then hop in the Mini Cooper with her grandma and bellow out high notes while singing along, the radio cranked up, wind blowing in her hair. Boo was a great dancer, and she loved to lecture me on any subject. She was quite a talker.
Everyone in town knew Boo, too. I'd pull into the drive-through and order a plain burger (no onions) and a large water (no ice), and the kids would come running to see her and share her dog kisses. One special UPS man and his wife even baked for her, from scratch! She loved food: butternut squash, cheese, peanut butter, garlic and especially pasta. She loved her family, too. (We came in a close second to pasta with cheese.) I know I'll see her again one day. When I do, I'll still be cooking, and she'll still be hungry.
In her honor, I will share some recipes of hers, which I call "Boo Food." If you have a dog, always check with your vet about which foods are appropriate for you to share with your pooch. Different breeds have different needs (though Boo seemed to "need" to eat everything). I have adapted each recipe to work for humans, too. So, whether you are dining with a four-legged guest or not, have a bite for my girl Boo.
Boo-sotto
4 Servings
PREP TIME: 20 min; COOK TIME: 40 min
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), 2 turns of the pan
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small onion (to be grated for its juice—Boo loved the flavor but couldn't break down onions)
2/3 cup arborio rice
2/3 cup barley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups warm chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth (keep over low flame)
1 pound ground veal or turkey
1 cup grated Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese (a few good handfuls)
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Preheat a deep skillet (or wide 4-quart saucepan) over medium heat. Add the EVOO (2 turns of the pan), and the garlic, then grate the onion juice into the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the rice and barley. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the wine, raise the heat to medium-high and cook away the liquid, about 1 minute. Add a few ladles of the warm stock to cover the rice and barley, then drop in the ground meat in small bits. Stir frequently and continue to ladle in the stock until the rice and barley are cooked al dente, about 22 minutes. Stir in the cheese, adjust the seasoning and garnish with the parsley.
As Boo got older, she needed a careful balance of meat and carbs: lean protein and a large amount of carbs. (Yup, that was my girl!) My mom and I would make this for Boo and end up eating as much as she did. Humans: Eat this with a green salad.
Click here for Rach's fabulous 30-Minute Meals.
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