Spaghetti alla Carbonara:Recipe
Bacon and eggs are breakfast food, right? In the United States they are. Eggs especially. Served all kinds of ways--fried, scrambled, baked, boiled, you name it. But a couple of my favorite ways to eat "bacon and eggs" are French or Italian style and most definitely NOT for breakfast, namely Salade Lyonnaise and Spaghetti alla Carbonara. You can split hairs with me if you want, and claim that Salade Lyonnaise uses the French "lardons" a kind of salt pork and that Carbonara uses Italian style cured pork jowl "guanciale" or even pancetta, but either recipe is terrific with bacon. And eggs of course.
Salade Lyonnaise is a salad of curly endive, topped with a poached egg, chunks of bacon, and some croutons. The dressing is a warm combination of bacon fat, and vinegar used to deglaze the bacon fat and caramelization from the bottom of the pan. It's a great dish. Satisfying and yet light at the same time. The crispy crunch of the salad is matched with the oozing lusciousness of the egg yolk and of course the rich smokiness of the bacon. It's perfect for lunch or a light supper.
The alla carbonara in Spaghetti alla Carbonara means in the "manner of coal miners". There are more than a few stories as to why it is called carbonara, the three stories I've heard are because the freshly ground pepper topping the dish resembles flakes of coal, or because it was cooked on the streets of Rome over coal burning stoves or finally that the dish was popular among coal miners and so it was named after them. Spaghetti alla Carbonara is a great winter time dish. It's also one of those things you can whip up when you have almost nothing in the house. My favorite time to eat this is late at night for some reason. While I don't mind using bacon instead of guanciale or pancetta, I do draw the line at adding whipping cream. When made correctly this is a very creamy dish, and needs no cream.
Here's how I make it:
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, smashed with the side of a knife
4 slices diced bacon
2 eggs
1/2 pound of spaghetti or bucatini or linguini
1/3 cup grated Pecorino or Parmigiano (or combination)
salt
fresh ground black pepper
Bring salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water to use in the sauce if needed to thin it out a bit.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon, and saute until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss a smashed clove of garlic into the fat and saute for less than 1 minute to flavor the oil, then remove it.
Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps, set aside. Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the skillet and toss to coat the strands in the bacon fat. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, toss the spaghetti quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (that is why you do this off the heat) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. The sauce should be creamy, not "scrambled egg" crumbly if that makes sense. Season with lots of freshly ground black pepper, a sprinkle more of grated cheese and taste for salt. Serves 2 people.
Enjoy!
Gourmet Indian Food
Indian food is hot. Not just spicy hot but trendy hot. Or on the verge anyway. I've always been a fan of Indian food, but ever since I ate at the Bread Bar at Tabla I've seen new potential for the gourmet side of this cuisine. What I experienced there was traditional Indian spices combined with fresh local seasonal produce and modified cooking styles that kept some of the brighter notes. Some non-Indian ingredients like rhubarb and rosemary were seamlessly integrated into traditional dishes like chutney and bread.
So often Indian food I've eaten in restaurants is cooked ahead of time, the typical "lunch buffet" and not made to order so the food at Tabla was a revelation for me. Early this year I also tried some wonderful packaged Indian food at the Fancy Food Show, it was fresh tasting, organic and truly delicious. I don't usually expect packaged food to taste that good. I'm also a fan of Zante's Indian Pizza while it's not necessarily "gourmet" it is an example of where Indian cuisine can go.
In London where the popularity of Indian food is nothing new, there are several gourmet, upscale, contemporary Indian restaurants. Places like Benares, Cinnamon Club and Chutney Mary's are gaining accolades, and restaurants Tamarind, Amaya and Rasoi Vineet Bhatia each have Michelin stars. Back home the popularity of different styles of Indian food found at places such as Chaat Cafe, the near-legendary Vik's, Dosa, and now Junnoon also add fuel to the fire.
You can't overlook the explosion in Indian food blogs either, though the list is staggering, a couple of my favorites are One Hot Stove, and Mahanandi. There is no doubt Indian bloggers are exposing culinary enthusiasts to their native cuisine in a friendly and approachable way.
As I've gotten more interested in Indian food, I've learned that like every other cuisine, Indian food varies greatly from region to region, city to city. There are a multitude of styles and techniques and ingredients to learn about. Because the cooking techniques and spices are different from what's found in Western cuisine, I wouldn't be surprised to see more Indian cooking classes on the horizon too. Recently we have seen some fantastic Indian cookbooks such as The Dance of Spices by local author Laxmi Hiremath, Mangoes & Curry Leaves by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, as well as just about anything by Madhur Jaffrey.
While gourmet Indian food has been on my mind a lot, apparently I'm not the only one. In the past couple of months at least two food industry publications have predicted the same thing. A Culinary Passage to India, an article in Flavor & The Menu focuses on how to incorporate Indian flavors into restaurant menus, paying attention to spices and their "crossover potential". In Prepared Food magazine, Indian Gourmet: Breaking Trend, the author cites high end Creole, Cajun and Mexican food as groundbreaking, mentions several trendy Indian restaurants and American's hunger for spicy flavors. The article also references the bestselling cookbook by Suvir Saran, Indian Home Cooking. I received this book as a gift from a friend who tells me it's one of her favorites. I will be reviewing it soon and keeping my eyes on this trend, one that excites my imagination in addition to my palate.
FOOD
Cauliflower Soup with Porcini Mushrooms and Parmesan
I made this soup in an effort to move away from the typical pairing of cauliflower with cheddar cheese or heavy cream (even though those pairings are common for a reason - they are delicious). I have my mom to thank for the addition of parmesan cheese; I knew I wanted to pair cauliflower with mushrooms but I wasn't sure where the creamy element should come from. As a lover of both soup and mushrooms, my mother was more than happy to give suggestions for additions and improvements to this creation. And I'm glad she did, because the end result is unique and quite sensational.
Enjoy with a decent amount of bread to soak in the flavors, and make sure you use a big bowl to help yourself to a heaping portion! Thanks and I hope you are getting through the cold winter days as easily as possible.
Happy eating!
Cauliflower Soup w/ Porcini Mushrooms and Parmesan - makes 2 servings (can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days)
Because this soup only calls for 1/2 a head of cauliflower, you might be stuck wondering what do to with the remaining half; please see the bottom of this recipe for several suggestions.
Because this soup only calls for 1/2 a head of cauliflower, you might be stuck wondering what do to with the remaining half; please see the bottom of this recipe for several suggestions.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 small carrot, roughly chopped
2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
8-10 ounces white mushrooms, roughly chopped
1/2-head cauliflower, cut into small florets
Chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4-cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil; take off the heat, add the porcini mushrooms, and let them soak for about 30 minutes
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat; add the onion and garlic and sautée until garlic is fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the carrot and sautée until just softened, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove the porcini mushrooms from their liquid, drain them, and chop roughly. Add them to the large pot along with the white mushrooms, the bay leaf, and the cauliflower. Pour in enough chicken broth to just cover everything, about 3 cups. Bring to a boil and then simmer until cauliflower is fork-tender, 35 minutes.
5. Discard the bay leaf; working in batches, purée the soup in a blender or food processor.
6. Return to the stove and reheat gently on low. Slowly stir in the parmesan; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Not sure what to do with the remaining cauliflower? Why don't you try:
-Cauliflower in a Spicy Peanut Sauce
-Breaded Cauliflower (recipe/idea courtesy of Alon's mom, Hagit Mass):
a. Boil cauliflower for about 20 minutes or until tender
b. Once cool enough to handle, shake in a plastic bag with breadcrumbs to coat.
c. Cook a chopped onion in 1 tbsp oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook until evenly browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
-Boil cauliflower and eat it plain with some coarse sea salt
-Boil cauliflower and toss with your favorite cheese - blue cheese, gruyere, cheddar, parmesan. Make sure to toss together in a bowl while cauliflower is still hot in order to melt cheese evenly.
Hope this helps!
-Cauliflower in a Spicy Peanut Sauce
-Breaded Cauliflower (recipe/idea courtesy of Alon's mom, Hagit Mass):
a. Boil cauliflower for about 20 minutes or until tender
b. Once cool enough to handle, shake in a plastic bag with breadcrumbs to coat.
c. Cook a chopped onion in 1 tbsp oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook until evenly browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
-Boil cauliflower and eat it plain with some coarse sea salt
-Boil cauliflower and toss with your favorite cheese - blue cheese, gruyere, cheddar, parmesan. Make sure to toss together in a bowl while cauliflower is still hot in order to melt cheese evenly.
Hope this helps!
A Whole Lotta Bloggin' Goin' On
Cuisine Quotidienne has been a little sleepy the past few days, but I have been working quite a bit on my other blog, France Profonde. Come by and take a look if you want to learn about the gorgeous and little-known part of France I live in.
The Visual Food Lover's Guide
The Visual Food Lover's Guide is a terrific resource that I can't stop leafing through. In fact, it has taken up residence next to my bed along with a few other treasured tomes. It has the basic information on how to buy, prepare, cook, serve and store over 1,000 types of food. It also gives you the rundown on nutritional information. It's nowhere near as personal or opinionated as Jane Grigon's Vegetable Book, but with hundreds of entries it is much more comprehensive.
I really like that there's a color illustration of each item and some photos for techniques like how to make bread or pry open oyster shells. The entry for anise has an illustration of the flowering plant, star anise seeds and pods. That level of detail is what makes it so worthwhile. They've also done a great job making sure that produce and seafood from different geographic locations are included. My only complaint is that the mushroom section is a bit thin. I would have loved to have seen mushrooms such as hedgehog, lobster and lion's mane included.
The book is in a very convenient small paperback format. I do wish there was an iPhone app so I could it take it with me everywhere! There are still plenty of ingredients that I have yet to explore, and this reference book is a great way to familiarize myself with them before I buy or cook. In fact, I think I could use a copy in my car for my excursions to ethnic markets.
Another must have book for the curious and creative cook is The Flavor Bible. A big congratulations to Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg on the one year anniversary of this landmark book. It has thousands of combinations of ingredients that are tried and true. It actually pairs well with the Visual Food Lover's Guide. It has gotten me out of a rut many times and opened my eyes to some new ways of thinking about ingredients. Like The Visual Food Lover's Guide, it belongs on the shelf of anyone looking to learn more about ingredients and create their own recipes.
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