FUSION RISOTTO

In the show mentioned earlier the two Partners-in-Food visited a new wave fusion restaurant in a small Italian town. The young lady chef prepared a vegetarian risotto with (get this) miso stock, lemon grass rings, pak choy, shitake, coriander, cashew nuts ... and Laurel & Hardy turned visibly white. What started as a humor attempt, calling it 'Misotto' and 'Fusotto' ended up as a solid lecture on why mainstream Italian traditions must not be compromised, must be preserved, and they will defend them at all costs.

'Young chefs, especially the talented ones, are unwilling to spend time to truly appreciate the depth of our culinary heritage, and to fully understand the Italian palate which is the only basis for development or improvisation'.  'You are a wonderful chef' ... they told the young professional ... 'but what you served is just a warm rice salad with Eastern spices, it is different, even pleasurable to taste but please, do not call it or compare it to a risotto because it is not risotto, period'.  Right on the $!

I am no fan of fusion anything, I simply do not go to fusion restaurants, and I rest my case.