Welcome to Fare Exchange 2026. As we survey the leftovers, the triumphs and also the occasional losses of feeding our people well, here’s an open invitation to enter the broad discussion about home cooking.
One reader, who describes her cooking style as “choosing the easy way without avoiding good taste,” had an inspiration to try risotto made in the slow cooker.
“So I got out the Crock-Pot and the recipe and the Arborio rice I had been saving. Yes, the white wine, too. Although someone online said it was a delicious recipe, it was a gummy disappointment. If anyone has a Crock-Pot risotto that you know works, I would be glad to have it. But it really doesn’t make any sense that it would work. Maybe the better request is for an old-fashioned risotto recipe.”
A few years ago, a friend brought the Arborio, the white wine, the broth and the shallots to our house, and we visited in the kitchen while she stirred the mixture on the stove top until it was perfection. The hosts may have prepared the meat and salad, but they are long forgotten.
The guest’s risotto was unforgettable.