By Joanne Macias
Recipes have always been one of those funny things for me. It’s often a fine line between success and failure, no matter how well you think you know a recipe. A successful dish takes a bit of luck and a lot of risk: no risk, no reward. A bit like life, I guess.
I continued to tread that fine line, and I mostly landed on the successful side.
Today, I was to submit my latest recipe. I sat at my computer, handwritten recipe by my side, and began to type.
***
Amelia’s Cheat Cacciatore Risotto
Growing up in an Italian household and knowing how to make the perfect risotto was all part of our cooking training as we grew up. For someone like me, who has always loved to cook, these were cherished memories with my Nonna. The ‘do’s and don’ts’ were strictly enforced, with our family secrets interwoven into every one of our lessons. Every step needed to be completed with love, and that meant time. However, as I got older, I knew that there had to be another way. The traditional process was too labour-intensive. I had worked many hours to adapt our family recipes, simplifying them, sacrificing the time required, but keeping all the flavours, so everyone could experience the nuances of flavour found in my family’s dishes.
I knew that there was going to be some push-back from my strictly traditional family. There were family members who were never happy with anyone else achieving success, especially if it overshadowed them. Knowing what they were capable of, I knew I had to stop them sabotaging my attempts at bringing good food into a world that required us to spend less time chained to the stove, and more time doing the things we needed or wanted to do.
Our family’s cooking secrets had always been heavily guarded, and as I began sharing my adapted recipes, there was a fear that I would tell these to the world. The main gatekeeper was my brother, Salvatore. He took that role upon himself, whether we liked it or not. He would try to stop me telling my stories, but mum raised no pushover. Not that he ever noticed what I was capable of. He was fiercely protective and concerned that I would damage the family name. One night, as I was testing this very recipe, Salvatore came in, asked what I was doing, and how many secrets I would be divulging this time. I assured him that our main secrets were secure (sorry guys!), however he kept at me, all whilst I was preparing the onions. I felt the anger rising in me, knowing that my big brother would rather see my downfall instead of helping celebrate my success. I tried to focus on the onions. As I turned around to tell him I’d had enough and that he had to go away, he got closer, and my freshly sharpened knife collected him. It all happened so fast. One minute we were arguing, and the next, he was on the floor, gasping for air. I think the knife nicked his lung, but I couldn’t be sure. Not wanting this to ruin my life, I dragged him outside the door, laid him in front of the apartment building, then ran back inside and proceeded to clean up the mess he left behind. Rule number 1: Never work in a dirty kitchen. I just left him there. I don’t know why. I hoped someone would come to his aid, as I sure couldn’t. Not anymore. But it was too late. No one came, and he died alone. Even then, I couldn’t call the ambulance, as I feared that I would be questioned. Did I hear anything? Did I see anything strange before I got to my apartment? How was my relationship with him? I would lose everything. All because of an innocent mistake.
I’ve always been asked why recipes like this need chicken thigh and not breast. The slower cooking times mean the thigh remains extra juicy when you dish it up. The best tip (and easiest!) for success is to always use the right cuts when making recipes with meat.
Combining traditional recipes can create some delicious fusion dishes that will fast become family favourites. Cacciatore, alone, can be hard to perfect, as its simplicity means you might be tempted to over-season the dish.
My recipe combines cacciatore flavours with a simple risotto. You can, of course, adjust the seasoning to your taste, but I feel this version is perfectly balanced as is. Remember: all unlisted quantities must be measured by heart.
Ingredients:
2 cups Arborio rice
1 small onion, diced
2.5 cups water
1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
500g chicken thigh, diced
Italian herb seasoning
Crushed Garlic
Oil
Sliced green and black olives
Butter, softened
Parmesan
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees’ celsius.
Preheat a cast iron pan (one which comes with a lid) on the stove with a drizzle of oil, some garlic, and the diced onion. Cook until aromatic. Add the diced chicken to the pan, stirring occasionally.
Once browned, take the pan off the heat. Add the rice, water, diced tomatoes, herbs and sliced olives. Stir well, then place pan on a baking tray, cover with lid, and put into the oven.
Set timer for 40 minutes, and then check to see if ready. It will be ready when most of the liquid is visibly absorbed. If not ready, give it a stir and put back in the oven for a couple of minutes before checking again. Continue this until absorbed.
Liberally add parmesan and butter to the pot, let it sit for a moment to begin melting, then stir.
Serve straight away.
***
I glanced quickly over the recipe and clicked ‘Upload’. As soon as I did, and the recipe was live, I realised what I’d done. I scrolled to the top of the page and felt my heart drop.
All I could do now was wait. Taking it down would look suspicious.
Every noise I heard outside the apartment door, I expected the next noise to be an officer kicking my door down and running to make an arrest. I’d end up in prison, and they’d throw away the key.
My anxiety grew worse by the minute.
But minutes became hours, and hours became days. There was never a knock on the door, and my door was never kicked in.
Maybe no one had seen the recipe? The only way to know was to look at the analytics. I opened the webpage and looked at the counter. It was, by far, my most successful post – yet no one had commented on my introduction.
I guess what they say is true. No one ever reads the recipe intro.
Joanne Macias is a multi-disciplinary writer from Sydney with multiple publications, both online and in print. She is an alumnus of the Westwords Academy, having participated in 2023. Her works explore themes of discovery, identity, and internal strength. She is currently working on her debut YA novel.
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