Ever been to a high-class restaurant and seen risotto on the menu, whether you've eaten it or not? Or watched a cooking show, be it Good Eats, Top Chef, Iron Chef, Hell's Kitchen, or something else and seen them cook risotto? And you think to yourself "That's just something I could never do. Look at everything it takes! That's too fancy."

Think again. And I'm here to tell you how you do it.

What you'll need:

1 pkg Arborio Rice
1 small yellow onion
1 stalk celery
2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp saffron or 1/2 tsp sage and 1/2 tsp cloves
2 bay leaves
2 tsp sea or kosher salt
1 cup white wine
3 oz vodka
4-6 cups low sodium organic chicken broth
Heavy saucier or deep sauce pan
2 cups shredded (not grated) parmesan and romano cheese blend

Dice the onion and celery, while melting one stick of butter in the heavy saucier. Once butter finishes foaming, stir in the onion and celery. Saute until transparent over medium heat.

Add wine and vodka, stir until bubbling. Add the arborio rice (recipe is based on 1 1/2 cups) and spices; and stir 3-5 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Maintain medium heat. Simmer chicken broth in a separate pan over low heat during the entire cooking process.

Once liquid is absorbed, add chicken broth until it just covers the rice, and stir every 2-3 minutes, adding more broth as necessary, 20-25 minutes until rice is tender, or al dente to your tastes.

Transfer to serving bowl (don't forget to remove the bay leaves), stir in cheese and any additions you'd like - cooked shrimp, chicken bits, mushrooms, steamed carrots, heated creamed spinach or asparagus, get creative!!!

And you have a meal in a bowl just as fancy - and delicious - as you'll find in a high dollar restaurant or on any super cooking show.