I had a ton of stuff just hanging out in the fridge, most of it dairy. Cream, cheese, eggs — all there. There was also a huge amount of bacon and herbs, so…
…carbonara for me and my flatmate! Looks goopy, but it was pretty good for a last-minute dinner. But god, I need to start eating better…
What’s wrong, you ask? Try about 3/4 cup cheese, one cup heavy cream, and three eggs…
That is not a flattering picture. We need to get you a better camera.
Sounds like your flatmate’s gonna miss you.
Oh well…his loss is our gain!! [So many puns…Ha!]
You give me a cooking lesson or just the finished product[I’m not picky] and I’ll give you a hands on tutorial on lighting and composition to make your food LOOK as delicious as it tastes!!
Deal?!
Matt, Charlaine: Yes, please. I’m a HORRID photographer! For some reason I cannot take any decent pictures of food. It could be the camera, but I’m pretty sure it’s just me.
Lewis: I did add wine and poured out excess bacon fat. When you do carbonara, do you just use eggs, then? When I was in Italy I didn’t give it a chance, as normally it’s waaaay too heavy for me. This was more of an opportunity to use up leftover ingredients 😀 Thanks for the tip!
I love carbonara, but if it’s going to be authentic, leave out the cream. I never tasted it in Italy made with cream, neither at our relatives nor at restaurants. We make it often. While you cook down the bacon, add about 1/3 cup of white wine. Don’t use all of the bacon fat when you mix it with the pasta.
I use everything you use except the cream. The grated cheese is beat in with the 3 eggs. At the very end add fresh chopped Italian parsley – fresh pepper and additional cheese at the table.
If you like pancakes/waffles, I have a recipe that uses cottage cheese or ricotta cheese and not much flour – interested?
I have a seafood/pasta recipe I’ve worked up that I’m willing to share with you – let me know. It’s quite good – expensive but easy to make.
I like all foods! I’d love the recipes, and expense isn’t that much of an issue since I’m more or a less a crackwhore for new foods. ;D
Hmmm…that sounds lovely. Get ready for some serious cooking on Friday.
Carbonara, what sins are committed in thy name! There are restaurants in Chicago that label as carbonara what is clearly pasta con piselli e prosciutto. Anyway, no cream. Only a bit of the cooking water if necessary. No extraneous herbs or spices except parsley and an abundance of freshly ground black pepper (characteristic of Roman cuisine). The meat should be unsmoked guanciale (cured jowl), though pancetta is acceptable. (Unsmoked forms of pork belly are hard to come by in the U.S., though I have a supplier for smoked jowl). Cheese should be pecorino rather than Parmesan. The number of eggs can vary.
As far as I’ve been able to determine this was not invented by charcoal sellers nor to suit the taste of WW2 occupation soldiers, but was named for the restaurant where it was a specialty–La Carbonara in Campo de’ Fiori. It’s made pretty much the same way all over Rome, even at Piperno’s in Piazza dei Cenci, a mainly Jewish restaurant, where I followed it with a Carciofo alla Giudea and where I sampled bressaola for the first time.
You may blame Matt for this post. He goaded me into it.
Ed
Wow, Ed, that was the most educated comment I’ve ever read. You’re officially a superstar.
Brian,
If you only knew. Ed, has more brain power in his little finger than I will ever hope to attain.
He’s definitely a keeper. 😀
Alan
Alan, don’t worry. I never suspected you of having much. ;D
oooo,ouch.