Make this dish when wild mushrooms become available at your local farmers' market. The greater the variety of mushrooms, the more flavour your risotto will have -- each mushroom adds its own complex flavor, aroma and color. In the restaurant, we use foraged wild mushrooms. While in Italy, I had the opportunity to purchase a beautiful Italian white truffle, so I jumped at it.

Ingredients
- 3⁄4 cup unsalted butter, divided
- 5 cups wild mushrooms (such as oyster or shiitake), thinly sliced
- 3 cups small cauliflower florets
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 1⁄4 cup diced pancetta
- 11⁄2 cups Arborio rice
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups hot Chicken Stock (see recipe, page 297), divided
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1 tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
- 1 tsp minced fresh thyme
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Shaved fresh white truffle (as much as you can afford), or 2 tsp white truffle oil

Directions
1 In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp of the butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, cauliflower, a pinch of salt and a splash of water; sauté until liquid is evaporated and mushrooms appear dry, about 15 minutes. Transfer mushroom mixture to a plate and set aside.

2 In the same skillet, melt 2 tbsp of the butter over medium heat. Add shallots and pancetta; sauté until shallots are softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in rice until well coated (do not let brown). Stir in wine and cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is absorbed. Stir in 1⁄2 cup stock and cook, stirring constantly, until stock is absorbed. Continue adding stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly until absorbed before adding more. It will take about 20 minutes to incorporate all the liquid.

3 Stir in mushroom mixture and cook until vegetables are tender and rice is creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining butter, cheese, parsley and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand for 2 minutes.

4 Ladle risotto into warm bowls and garnish with shaved truffle or drizzle with truffle oil.

SERVES 4

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Excerpted from Earth to Table by Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann Copyright © 2009 by Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann. Photographs Copyright © 2009 by Edward Pond. Excerpted by permission of Random House Canada, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.