Shrimp risotto. It's a real pain to de-vein and peel the shrimp and then boil the shells to make shrimp stock, not to mention the constant stirring of the risotto.

We had a party a couple of weeks ago and my favorite patissier, who used to make us mini pastries, left town. We had to make our own desserts. There is this raspberry cookie that is time consuming. You have to make a shortbread crust and then bake it, let it cool, spread it with raspberry jam and then cover it with a concoction of beaten eggs, brown sugar, pecans and coconut, then return it to the oven and bake it until it is firm. Once cool, then you have to cut it with a thin bladed knife or it will crack to pieces. It's time consuming and delicate, but oh so good. Our guests from Paris loved them!