Spaghetti Carbonara

Can you say cholesterol?
Yummy ,delicious, cholesterol.
This was the first time I've ever made this dish. I wasn't even sure what it was exactly, but it sounded good so I thought, why not. I looked online at several recipes and then used my big Italian Cooking Encyclopedia as a basic guide. I went ahead and made it the old-fashioned way - bacon grease and everything. Next time I'll make a few changes.

The dish in english is called Spaghetti with Eggs and Bacon. Here is how I prepared it.

Ingredients:
6 strips of bacon
2 cloves of garlic
2 leeks, thinly sliced (white parts only)
1/4 C white wine
3 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste (I skipped the salt, considering I was already using bacon)
1 lb spaghetti

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. In a frying pan, cook bacon and set aside when crispy. Chop into small pieces. Drain off all but 1 T of bacon fat.

2. Add spaghetti to boiling water and cook to al dente. (You want everything to be hot at the same time) In a large serving bowl beat together the eggs and Parmesan cheese with a fork. Season with salt and pepper.

3. While the pasta is cooking, saute garlic and leeks in bacon fat for 3-4 minutes. Add wine, scraping the pan clean. Add bacon back into mixture and reheat.

4. As soon as the pasta is done, pour 1/4 C boiling water into the eggs to temper them. Drain the pasta and quickly mix all ingredients together. Stir well. The heat from the pasta and bacon fat will finish cooking the eggs. Serve immediately.

I served this with fresh spinach. The sauce is creamy and savory - no kidding!

Salmon with Orange en papillote

We were able to share this yummy dish with the Potter's. In each packet I added a beautiful leaf of swiss chard and a slice of orange for color.

Marinade:
1/4 C orange juice
1 T lemon juice
1 T dry vermouth
2 T soy sauce
1 T minced ginger
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste

ingredients:
Olive oil
4 skinless fillets of salmon (about 4 oz each)
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small saucepan combine all marinade ingredients. Simmer over medium heat until marinade is reduced by half. Set aside.

Cut 8 large pieces of parchment paper into squares large enough to cover each fish fillet and leave a 2-in border all around. Lightly brush each square with oil.

Put each salmon fillet in the center of the oiled square and drizzle with marinade. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the remaining square on top and fold up the edges to form packets. Put the "papillotes" on a baking sheet, and bake 12 to 15 minutes.

Beef Bourguignon

Wow! Dinner tonight was great. This dish was so delicious.

I really enjoyed the process of cooking this meal. And the only reason it was possible was because Douglas was watching the kids. I was really able to focus on the beauty of the ingredients and the steps of the recipe.


The dish is pretty simple, with only a few ingredients so its important that each ingredient is cooked well. The beef was cooked to perfection and just melted in our mouths. I browned it in very hot oil and then took it out while it was still raw in the center. You add it back in at the end and reheat it gently - Mmmmm good.

I did make several mistakes. Next time I will use beef broth instead of bullion which made it too salty. Also, I next time I will use more liquid. I let it cook down too far and we didn't have enough "sauce," instead everything was coated in a nice glaze. More liquid would have also cut down on the saltiness. But overall, for a first time recipe - a success!

Here is the recipe:

Filet of Beef Bourguignon_Ina Garten From The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
1 3-pound filet of beef, trimmed_Kosher salt_Freshly ground black pepper_3 to 4 tablespoons good olive oil_1/4 pound bacon, diced_2 garlic cloves, minced_1 1/2 cups good dry red wine, such as Burgundy or Chianti_2 cups beef stock_1 tablespoon tomato paste_1 sprig fresh thyme_1/2 pound pearl onions, peeled_8 to 10 carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices_3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature_2 tablespoons butter at room temperature_1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick (domestic or wild)

With a sharp knife, cut the filet crosswise into 1-inch thick slices. Salt and pepper the filets on both sides. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan on medium-high heat, saute the slices of beef in batches with 2 to 3 tablespoons oil* until browned on the outside and very rare on the inside, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove the filets from the pan and set aside on a platter.
In the same pan, saute the bacon on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove the bacon and set it aside. Drain all the fat, except 2 tablespoons, from the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine and cook on high heat for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered on medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Strain the sauce and return it to the pan. Add the onions and carrots and simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and the vegetables are cooked.

With a fork mash 2 tablespoons of butter and flour into a paste and whisk it gently into the sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes to thicken.

Meanwhile, saute the mushrooms separately in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil for about 10 minutes, until browned and tender.

Add the filet of beef slices, the mushrooms, and the bacon to the pan with the vegetables and the sauce. Cover and reheat gently for 5 to 10 minutes. Do not overcook. Season to taste and serve immediately.

Note: This dish is excellent made in advance and refrigerated in the pan. When you are ready to serve, heat the filets and sauce over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until heated through.