Shiitake and Spinach Risotto

1. You need 2 pots for this one.  One to bring broth to boil and one in which to cook ristto.
2. Bring desired broth to boil in pot.  You can use chicken broth or create a veggie broth with water and a bouillon cube.  Seems like you need about 4 cups of broth for 1 cup of arborio rice. 
3. Thinly slice and sauté up too many shiitake mushrooms in some olive oil or other fat in the same pot in which you will be making risotto.  Remove and set aside.
4. While mushrooms are cooking, mince up some shallots.  After removing mushrooms, add some more fat to pan and sauté shallots.
5. Add arborio rice to shallots and stir to toast up the rice.
6. Most recipes call for cold white wine to be added here.  I no longer drink or have this kind of thing around, so I added white balsamic vinegar and balanced it with a touch of maple syrup.  Worked great.
7. Then start adding the broth about 1/2 cup (or ladle's worth) at a time.  Stirring until all the broth has been absorbed and then add more.
8. Eventually the risotto will no longer be crunchy and the dish will start to have a creamy appearance.  I taste here cuz every brand of rice seems to need more or less broth and different amounts of time.  Usually about 20 minutes for 1 cup rice
9. Add in the fresh spinach and mushrooms back in.  Remove from heat and stir in too much butter and grated parmesan cheese.  Fresh herbs like minced tarragon and rosemary are good.  Any will do.  Salt to taste. Serve.

For the leftover risotto the next day:

1. Mix with enough egg and parmesan.
2. Fry up into patties.  Super yum.