carbon era

the much famed Spaghetti Alla Carbonara, an Italian staple, is filled with delicious ingredients that can be found within most cupboards and fridges year round. often referred to as "coal miner's spaghetti", it is said to have been created by charcoal workers looking for a sturdy meal after a long day of physical exertion, otherwise known as a meal that sticks to the ribs. it's also thought that Italians began making this dish in WWII when there was an influx of eggs and bacon supplied by U.S. troops, and that soldiers brought the recipe back to their homes when they returned from war. whatever the origin, it's full of flavor and has a certain nostalgic appeal, perfect for a night spent watching many an episode of Mad Men and admiring Donald Draper in the company of good friends.


I made other versions of this a few times before posting it, and found it to be slightly bland. Trial and error led me to the addition of garlic, and higher-quality bacon cooked more crisply. Also, salt and pepper are key because this is truly a minimalist dish.

bacon, onions and garlic cooking.

Cheese and egg mixture.

the finished product.  bacon was a little on the dark side, hence the browner color.

SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA

• 5 oz bacon or pancetta
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 lb spaghetti
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano blend, finely grated 
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cut bacon or pancetta into 1/3-inch dice, then cook in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until fat begins to render, 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes.

Cook spaghetti in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente.

While pasta is cooking, whisk together eggs, cheese, 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

Drain spaghetti in a colander and add to onion mixture, then toss with tongs over moderate heat until coated. Remove from heat and add egg mixture, tossing to combine. Serve immediately.

spicy & savory tamale pie with polenta

my mom introduced me to this delicious Tex-Mexican standby. It's a great one to keep in your arsenal of easy recipes, as it's good on a warm spring or summer day, or even in the winter when you're looking for something spicy.  Basically, a dish for all seasons, as they say.  Plus, it's pretty much all the same ingredients as tacos, but it changes things up by using polenta rather than tacos.

Tamale Pie with Polenta
For filling:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 packet taco seasoning (I use spicy)
1 can of seasoned chili or pinto beans
1 (8 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes
1 cup salsa or enchilada sauce
1 cup grated cheese
For Polenta:

3 cups water

1 cup corn grits

1 tsp. salt

Begin by heating olive oil, add onion, garlic and pepper, saute and add ground turkey and taco seasoning.  Saute until turkey is cooked through.  Add can of chili or pinto beans and the can of mexican tomatoes.

In a separate pot make the polenta. Bring the salted water to a boil and slowly stir in polenta.  Stir for about 30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Add more salt if needed.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 9x12 baking dish or pie pan.  Spread polenta in a thin layer on the bottom of the pan.  Cover with turkey and veggie filling.  Cover with salsa or enchilada sauce. Cover the entire mixture with cheese.  Bake for 15-25 minutes or until cheese is melted to your liking.  

crunchy like granola

Granola Bars

(Makes 12 to 16 granola bars)

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

1/2 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed (I used unsweetened)

1/2 cup wheat germ

2/3 cup honey

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cup dried fruit, or a mix of dried fruit (I used chopped apricots and raisins)

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 8x12 or 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, nuts, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

While the mixture is still warm, stir in the honey, oil, vanilla, salt, cloves and cinnamon until the mixture is well coated, then the dried fruit. Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish and press it down with a wooden spoon or spatula until the mixture is packed as tightly as possible.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares.

You can store these in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or two, as you would cookies. If you prefer a crisper granola bar, store in the freezer.

love, love me 'due

on valentine's day Dan and I made a chocolate pecan pie for dessert, and decided to put the fondue and fondue fixings on hold.  too much chocolate and too much richness for one day.

instead we made the fondue this past Monday.  not too shabby for a monday, if you ask me.  we ate it with bananas, strawberries, amaretto injected strawberries, walnuts and an apple. sounds like a lot, but once you start dipping you just get curious about flavor combinations. let the dipping begin! 


Chocolate Fondue
1 pound of  semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, well chopped or chips
1 1/2 cups of organic heavy cream


For dipping (really, anything is delicious dipped in chocolate goodness):
strawberries
bananas
marshmallows
graham crackers
apples
nuts
cake?


Set aside the chocolate. Pour the cream into a medium, thick-bottomed saucepan (or double boiler if you have one) over low heat. Bring the cream to a simmer and add the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted.


Transfer the chocolate to a fondue pot and enjoy.

alligator pudding

this is not literally a pudding made of alligators, it is a pudding made of chocolate for an alligator. this little pudding treat was made for Allison on her bday day. she deserved a special, and gluten-free, treat on this day. Luckily this pudding was sturdy enough to hold a candle in order for us to sing the birthday song and for her to make a happy birthday wish. 

I had a little trouble getting the pudding to set, as I cooked it in a double boiler.  If I were to do it again, I would do it as detailed below sans double boiler, just straight-up in a non-stick pot.  If the idea of milk directly atop a burner scares you, no matter, just remember to stir religiously with a whisk or rubber spatula so that the milk doesn't burn. 

also, i'd really like to make a shout out (yeah that's right, a shout out), to Jean and Leslie who really outdid themselves this year with a whole-body alligator cupcake cake made especially for Allison.  very impressed. that is some crafty baking and cake decorating, if I've ever seen it. the alligator now lives on as our house pet. until we eat it all.  

jean posing in front of Allison's bday alligator.

the finished pudding product.

Chocolate Pudding

Serves 6
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, or a bar coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in a non-stick saucepan. Slowly whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides with a heatproof spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients. Place over gently simmering water and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides. Use a whisk as necessary should lumps begin to form. After 15 to 20 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until the pudding is smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.


Pour into dishes or a large serving bowl, and cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.

creamy polenta with sausage

i spotted this little number in today's minimalist column. from time to time, i find myself stuck in a pasta rut, where all of my dinner ideas revolve around a noodle mixed with different ingredients. i want to switch things up, but lack a substantial fall back plan. here's a new go to: polenta.  It's quick, it's simple, it's forgiving and has a flavor that compliments almost any sauce, sautéed veggie or meat item.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH SAUSAGE
Courtesy of Mark Bittman

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 good-quality sweet Italian sausages

1 cup medium-to-coarse cornmeal

Salt

1/2 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

2 tablespoons butter

Freshly ground black pepper.

Put oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, put cornmeal in a medium saucepan along with 1 cup water and whisk well to make a slurry; continue whisking mixture to eliminate any lumps. Put pan over medium-high heat, sprinkle with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking frequently and adding water as needed to keep mixture loose and free of lumps, between 3 and 4 more cups. If mixture becomes too thick, simply add a bit more water; consistency should be similar to sour cream’s.

Polenta will be done in 15 to 30 minutes, depending on grind. Add cheese and butter. Taste and add salt, if necessary, and lots of pepper; serve topped with sausages.

Yield: 4 servings.

spicy sausage pappardelle

Are you in need of a quick weeknight meal that is meaty, but also easy to prepare? Look no further. I've recently received feedback that MORE dishes with LESS ingredients would be most appreciated. Since I'm a lady of the people, I'm going to work on collecting accessible recipes with simplicity in mind.
This pasta dish contains approximately eight ingredients, only four of which you probably need to go out and buy...these would be the sausage, tomatoes, cream and red onion(and fresh thyme if you don't harvest your own herbs). Chances are if you cook from time to time you already own your own garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and some pasta noodles. Enjoy!

SPICY Sausage Pasta
(serves 2)
olive oil
1 red onion, diced
a handful of thyme leaves (fresh or dried)
1/2 tbsp. red pepper flakes (dried chili flakes)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 pork sausages (Uli's HOT italian!), meat removed from casings and separated into small pieces
1 28 oz. can of peeled, sliced or diced tomatoes
1/2 pint cream
salt and pepper
pappardelle (from trader joe's, any noodle that you love will work)
parmesan to serve
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Brown the pieces of sausage in the oil, breaking the sausages as you cook. Add the thyme leaves to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and cook until soft. Add the chopped garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add the sliced or diced tomatoes to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook the pasta in salted water. A few minutes before the pasta is ready, add the cream to the sauce and stir. When the pasta is cooked, plate and serve with a heaping spoon of sauce.