italian for dinner

last night we had friends for dinner.
I made bruschettas and a tiramisu, both of them, not to brag, were really delicious!

Daniela, my mother's friend, made an amazing risotto and a stunnig beringela parmegiana.
(the risotto is below, as for the rest, no pictures were taken)

In masterchef they call risotto, "the death dish" but, for what I saw, it isn't that hard to do.
I picked up some tips and I think that there are 3 crucial points to make the perfect risotto:

1. different temperatures for different stages of cooking: low heat to soften the onions (1st stage) and high heat to cook the rice (2nd stage), adding boiling watter or vegetables stock to the rice.
2. for a strong flavour in herbs (basil, mint,..) add them while the rice cooks and then, at the very end, fresh herbs to garnish. it will give a wonderfull flavour and an amazing perfume.
3. add an huge (and I mean h u g e ) spoon of butter and a handfull of parmesan cheese at the end, for extra flavour and a super creamy risotto.

It doesn't seem that hard, does it?
As for the flavours, anything you have in your pantry and fridge will do, as long as it goes well together, you can choose pretty much anything you want.

This one had peas, zucchini, basil, watercress and tomato. (and of course lots of parmesan cheese)