In Jasmine Guillory’s upcoming rom-com, THE PROPOSAL (Berkley, October 30), Doctor Carlos Ibarra knows his way around a kitchen. He happens to be at the Dodger game when Nik Paterson is on the receiving end of the worst Jumbotron proposal of all time. As the two get to know each other, he ends up making risotto for Nik. Inspired by Carlos’ skills in the kitchen, I made a butternut squash risotto with charred radicchio. Although most recipes would have you roast the squash first, I took a shortcut with Trader Joe’s canned butternut squash puree.
Food features prominently in Guillory’s books. In her debut, THE WEDDING DATE (review), heroine Alexa Monroe is all about coffee and pink frosted doughnuts with sprinkles. In THE PROPOSAL, Carlos not only makes a mean risotto, his enchiladas are pretty killer, too.
Of course, it’s not just the foodie-ness that makes THE PROPOSAL great. Guillory excels at bringing realism to Nik and Carlos’ relationship, letting it develop organically. The result is a sexy, grown up romance that proves nice guys don’t finish last.
I loved it — its diverse cast, solid friendships and laugh-out-loud moments. This follow up to the THE WEDDING DATE hits it out of the park.
When someone asks you to spend your life with him, it shouldn’t come as a surprise–or happen in front of 45,000 people.
When freelance writer Nikole Paterson goes to a Dodgers game with her actor boyfriend, his man bun, and his bros, the last thing she expects is a scoreboard proposal. Saying no isn’t the hard part–they’ve only been dating for five months, and he can’t even spell her name correctly. The hard part is having to face a stadium full of disappointed fans…
At the game with his sister, Carlos Ibarra comes to Nik’s rescue and rushes her away from a camera crew. He’s even there for her when the video goes viral and Nik’s social media blows up–in a bad way. Nik knows that in the wilds of LA, a handsome doctor like Carlos can’t be looking for anything serious, so she embarks on an epic rebound with him, filled with food, fun, and fantastic sex. But when their glorified hookups start breaking the rules, one of them has to be smart enough to put on the brakes…
Pre-order THE PROPOSAL at The Ripped Bodice | Amazon | Apple Books
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 3-5 minutes until translucent, stirring occasionally. Do not let them brown. Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil and onions. Add the white wine and cook until almost entirely evaporated.
Stir in one cup of broth and let cook until almost totally absorbed, ~ 3 minutes. Continue adding broth one cup at a time, stirring and letting the rice cook until almost fully absorbed. It'll take about 30 minutes. When the rice is al dente, stir in the butternut squash puree and fresh thyme. Let cook ~3 minutes. Add the parmesan and butter. Salt to taste.
While the risotto is cooking, in a small pan, render the bacon over medium heat (if using) until just crispy. Let the bacon drain on a paper towel. Set aside.
Heat a grill to 500F. Drizzle the radicchio with olive oil and season with kosher salt and make sure it's well coated. Grill for ~1 minute per side. The outer leaves will char, but the inner leaves should still be crispish.
The risotto will continue to absorb liquid and thicken. Add the remaining broth as needed to thin to desired consistency. To serve, scoop risotto into bowls. Garnish with a radicchio quarter, additional parmesan, bacon (if using), and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.