Another edition of FSB is here with dear gal pal Mittu setting up this month's theme with colors. We had to blind pick a random number that coordinated with a color. Mine turned out to be YELLOW.  The use of artificial colors was to be kept at its minimal (if at all using). Yellow is an easy color to work with since it occurs naturally and the first thought was to post this Italian classic that's made with Saffron. When you think Italian, you think Pizza, Pasta and Risotto. Oh yes, Focaccia too. And..and.. Italian Cannoli. And OMG,  how could I forget - you remember the classic Tiramisu! Phew! That's one narrow escape - I would have been mauled by the dessert lovers for even forgetting it and mentioning it last. But hey, I never claimed to be a dessert person. But this Saffron Risotto here - now that has all my heart and soul.

This was the first risotto recipe I ever tried. The original version uses Beef stock (and marrow) along with cartloads of butter and cheese and of course, generous helping of saffron. My version is vegetarian (duh!) and a non-alcoholic version (Refer tips section if you want to add in some alcohol). I also toned down the fat a bit since, personally, I think that the arborio rice is creamy and delicious enough and does not need such generous dose of butter and oil. This makes for a great gourmet dish for special occasions. We enjoyed it along with grilled vegetables and crusty dinner rolls.