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Author: Michele Carbone

Fish Broth

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On August 30, 2017

In Basics, Broths and Soups, Fish

How to Make Fish Stock

Use only fish from the sea, not from rivers and lakes.  You can use anything you like. For example, you can use 1 pound of sardines and/or fish heads (say salmon, grouper, Mahi Mahi, shirimp, or the “skin” of the shrimp. Always use some, say 10 or so mussels or clams, etc. and their spines. Do not use small fish. Then, you do not have to deal with their small bones that will choke some guests not used to eating fish).

In a pot (really big),  add the fish; it should occupy about 1/3 to ¼ of the pot.  Add 1-2 glasses white wine –depending on how big your pot is, 1 red onion cut in 4, 4 cloves of garlic crushed, 1 bunch of parsley, 1 sprig of rosemary, 1 celery cut in pieces, water up to 2 inches to the top, black peppercorns, and salt. Let it boil lightly for 2-3 hours or three, until the water is about half then what you started with. Drain the broth, set aside until it reaches room temperature, and then freeze. When you need it, you will defrost it.

Pollo alla Diavola, the Devil’s chicken

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On August 23, 2017

In Entrees

Clearly the Devil knows how to cook a chicken!

This is a classic Italian recipe, rarely or maybe never seen in the US restaurants.  Ideal for people who like to grill or who are on a diet and want to eat well.

Ingredients for 4 to 6 people

  • 1 whole chicken
  • Create a marinade by mixing:
    • ½ cup virgin olive oil
    • Juice of 2 lemons
    • 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
    • 6 leaves of fresh sage, minced
    • ¼ of cup of fresh rosemary
    • Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Using a cleaver or sharp knife, cut the chicken along the chest. Open it like a book. Press on it to flatten it.
  2. Pour the marinade over the chicken; massage well and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, preferably for 2 hours.
  3. Start the grill. I prefer mesquite or other natural briquettes (the devil does not use gas!)
  4. Cook the chicken on the grill for about 35 min—depending on the heat of your fire and the size of the chicken, the cooking time may vary between 30-40 minutes.
  • Turn the pieces over a total of 4 times
  • Each time you turn the chicken, brush the pieces with the marinade
  • I put a weight on the chicken to keep it flattened –I use a brick of marble, but a pizza stone works well, too. Of course the chicken will be black and burned: that’s why it is called the Devil’s chicken.  Eat everything, including the burned skin!  It tastes great.
  1. Buon appetito!

If you do not have a grill you can cook in an iron skillet on a (powerful) gas stove with heat at maximum, again putting a weight on the chicken to smash it down as it cooks.

Suggested Wine Pairing

I like a good Rosé from Calabria (Cirò Librandi, for example) or from Sicily (Regaleali Le Rose).

Italian version: Pollo alla Diavola

  1. Pollo aperto come un libro, tagliandolo lungo il petto.
  2. Metterlo a marinare con: 120 ml di olio d’oliva, 2 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati, 4-6 foglie di rosmarino, 6 foglie di salvia a pezzetti, 2 limoni spremuti, sale e pepe.

    Idealmente lo lasciate nella marinara 2 ore, al minimo 30 minuti.

  3. Accendere la griglia a carbone.
  4. Cuocere il pollo circa 35 minuti, dipende dalla potenza del fuoco e dalla grandezza del pollo, girandolo ogni dieci e spalmandolo con la marinata quando lo girate.

    Io uso una lastra di marmo che metto sul pollo per tenerlo schiacciato mentre cuoce.  Il pollo naturalmente sarà un po’ bruciacchiato, perciò si chiama pollo alla diavola!

  5. Buon appetito!

Se non avete la griglia potete cuocerlo in una padella di ferro sul fuoco a gas. Fuoco al massimo sempre usando un peso sul pollo per tenerlo schiacciato.

Vino: a me piace un Ciro Rosé Librandi o un Regaleali Le Rose, ma naturalmente un chianti ci sta a meraviglia, e se preferite, un Regaleali bianco.

mixed heirloom tomatoes

Canned Tomatoes – A Cooking Basic

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On May 19, 2017

In Basics

Although many recipes are very good when you use store-bought canned tomatoes (like Pomì), they reach the next level of excellence when you can use tomatoes you have canned yourself.  My wife and I discovered this when we lived in the Chicago area, and found many varieties of beautiful heirloom tomatoes at a local farmer’s market. We found that the yellow, green, and orange heirlooms provided a lovely balance for fish recipes requiring tomato, while the red heirlooms were milder and more tasty than the store-bought tomatoes. Now, we always keep a supply of canned tomatoes on hand.

Ingredients

  • Ball mason jars and new lids (you can buy these jars at Walmart and in many supermarkets) – washed and drained
  • Fresh basil
  • Lots and lots of mature, clean tomatoes – we typically buy 50 pounds of them from the market and spend the weekend cleaning and canning.

How to make this recipe

 

  • Put a very large pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil
  • Carefully drop the clean tomatoes (in batches) into the water
      1. Leave them there for a minute or two until the skin begins to split
  • Use a slotted spoon to lift the tomatoes from the water and put them on a large flat serving dish to cool
  • Do steps 2 and 3 multiple times until all the tomatoes are ready
  • Peel the tomatoes and put them into the canning jars, filling to near the top (you could also look at the instructions on the Ball Canning website
  • Add one leaf of clean, fresh basil to the jar
  • Use a wooden tool to make sure that there are no air bubbles in the jar
  • Screw on the top of the jar, finger-tight
  • Place the jars into a large pot of cold water or a pressure cooker, with at least 3 inches of water covering the jars.  
    1. You can follow the instructions on the Ball Ball Canning website for cooking.
    2. I do not follow instructions and do as I saw my grandmother did: At sea level, since the water boils, I wait 20 minutes, then I turn off the fire and leave the pot on the stove until it cools down (about 16 hours). Then you can store the jars for several years. However, the time it takes to cook the tomatoes is influenced by the altitude. So, if you live on top of a mountain, you may want to wait 30 minutes or so before turning the fire off.

Italiano:

Come fare la conserva: Tanti pomodori maturi, bollire 1-2 min appena la pelle si spacca metterli in uno scolapasta. Farli raffreddare. Sbuccciarli e metterli in barattoli di vetro per fare conserva -si vendono ovunque, precedentemente lavati in lavastoviglie -che disinfetta molto meglio che lavando a mano. Riempire fino all’olrlo e mettere una foglia di basilico fresco -togliere bolle d’aria con una forchetta. Chiudere il barattolo con gli appositi coperchi. Mettere in un grande pentolone e coprire d’acqua fredda. I barattoli devono essere interamente sommersi. Accendere il fuoco al massimo, da quando bolle, aspettare 20 min. poi spegnere il fuoco e lasciare raffreddare fino al mattino successivo. Pomodori pronti: si conservano vari anni.

Michele Carbone

Limoncello

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On May 1, 2017

In Fun Stuff, Side Dishes

(VERY EASY TO MAKE)

My favorite summertime after-dinner digestivo is the limoncello made from the lemon trees in my mother’s yard in Calabria. You can purchase limoncello in many locations in Italy and the US, but the pre-packaged bottles are never as good as the ones made from those homegrown, freshly-picked Calabrian lemons.

I’ve found that I can make a great limoncello using organic lemons from the supermarket. Of course, they aren’t quite as great as those collected in the warm sunlight of my mother’s garden, but they still make something delicious.

Even the process of making limoncello is a pleasure, because you breath in the aroma of the fresh lemon zest as you prepare it. The only problem with this recipe is that you have to steep the lemon zest in alcohol for a week – or up to three weeks (depends on the point of view). I say 1 week is all is that is needed before you finish the recipe.

Download a PDF with detailed instructions – Limoncello and Crema Recipe [Download]

Ingredients

  • 20 organic lemons, preferably less-mature lemons with a very thick skin
  • 750 ML rectified spirit, or ethyl alcohol, such as Everclear (I do not recommend the use of vodka as a substitute, that is a terrible idea)
  • 750 grams white sugar
  • 1.5 Liters water (purified or bottled)

NOTE:  The simple syrup is made with water and sugar, in a ratio of 1 liter of water to 500 grams of sugar.  If you want 2 liters of simple syrup, just double the quantities (1 KG sugar mixed with 2 liters of water).  Most Americans prefer to mix the infusion (the alcohol infused with the ethyl alcohol) at a combination of 1 liter of infusion to 2 liters of simple syrup (1:2).  My mother’s recipe is much stronger: 1 liter of infusion is combined with 1 liter of simple syrup (1:1).

Additional Supplies

  • A serrated vegetable peeler – One of the most important things about this recipe is that you need to use the lemon peel, avoiding the pith as much as possible. The pith gives the drink a bitter taste. Peeling the lemons “just so” used to be quite difficult, but now I have started using a microplane. It makes the job easy.
  • A large glass jar with a cover. The jar needs to be able to hold at least 1 liter of liquid (more if you choose to double or triple this recipe).
  • Another large glass jar that you use for the filtration process.
  • Aluminum foil to cover the jar as the limoncello steeps in the rectified spirit.
  • Glass bottles for the finished limoncello. You will need 2 1-liter bottles for this recipe.
  • A store-bought permanent coffee filter.

How to make this recipe

This is a two part process:

  1. Create the infusion of lemon zest in alcohol by zesting the lemons, putting the zest in a large jar, and pouring grain alcohol (such as Everclear) into the jar.  Cover the jar with aluminum foil and put it in a dark, cool place. Shake the jar every day for at least 7 days, and up to 3 three weeks.
  2. Once the infusion has matured, make the simple syrup of water and sugar (or alternatively, you can make a “crema” with a combination of heavy cream, milk, and sugar).  Once the simple syrup/crema reaches room temperature, you can mix it with the filtered infusion.
    1. If you have made the limoncello with simple syrup – Cover the jar again and put it in a dark cabinet…and wait at least 2 weeks, preferably 2-3 months, which causes the flavors to blend and become softer.
    2. If you have made a “crema” with the heavy cream, milk, and sugar –  Put the jar into your refrigerator and then wait for 2 weeks. You can then transfer the jar to your freezer.

Preparation

  1. Wash and dry the lemons.
  2. Peel the lemons, making sure that you avoid including the pith.
  3. Chop the lemon zest, just a little bit.
  4. Pour the 750 ml of the rectified spirits into the clean glass jar, then add the lemon zest.
  5. Place the lid on the jar, then wrap it with aluminum foil or a cloth. The reason you cover it with aluminum foil is that the process is photo-sensitive. Therefore, you want to avoid exposing it to light during the one- to three-week steeping process.
  6. Shake the jar, then place it in a cool, dry, and dark place. Some people say that it’s best to shake the bottle each day; others say just leave it alone. My mother leaves the bottle alone with a towel around it for at least one week, so I suggest you do it her way (moms know best)!
  7. After the one-to-three week steeping period, you’re ready for the next steps.  
  8. In a very clean saucepan, heat 1 liter of purified water. Add, slowly, ½ kilogram of superfine sugar to the pan and stir it until the liquid is clear, meaning that the sugar has dissolved completely, creating a supersaturated sugar mixture.
  9. Allow the sugar-water to cool in a glass container.
  10. Strain the steeped limoncello mixture. Don’t squeeze or try to push the saturated lemon zest in order to extract a few extra ml of limoncello.  
  11. Once the limoncello spirits have been filtered, mix 1:1 with the sugar-water.  

    1. NOTE:  Most people perfer a 1:2 ratio of infusion to water, which lowers the alcohol percentage.  But my mother likes it strong!
    2. Decant the limoncello into your clean glass bottles and  cap them.
      While you can drink this right away, it’s even better if you can store it in a dark place for a couple of weeks — or more — before putting it in the freezer.
    3. Italians keep limoncello in the freezer — it won’t freeze.
  • Enjoy after dinner in a shot glass. Remember that this is a highly alcoholic drink, so sip it.

Lobster (The “Lovers Recipe”)

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On April 28, 2017

In Entrees, Fish

There are many recipes to cook lobster, some are excellent but boring, how many times do you want to eat a boiled lobster?  Others are good but quite greasy, cut lobster into half, put butter on top and broil, others are over complicated, and others simply disgusting.  Try my lobster and you will be happy.  This is especially good meal to cook if you want to impress your lover, spouse, significant other, etc.

Time to prepare: 15-20 minutes, depending on your stove.

Lobster with pear tomatoes

Lobster with pear tomatoes

Ingredients:

  • 4 small-to-medium-sized lobsters, with slits on the back.

    Lobsters Slits On Back

    Lobsters with slits along back

  • ½ pound mixed yellow and orange “pear” tomatoes. If you can’t find them, you can use cherry tomatoes mixed with a golden heirloom tomato. Yellow tomatoes provide a very nice balance for seafood, so if you can find them, use them in any seafood dish. Betti and I go to the Farmer’s market every fall and buy and can the yellow and green heirlooms especially for this purpose. (See our canning recipe here: Canned Tomatoes – A Cooking Basic)
  • ½ glass white wine (always use good wine for cooking)
  • ½ bunch of wild arugula, or ½ one of those plastic boxes containing wild arugula
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 crushed garlic cloves
  • 2 TB chopped Italian parsley
  • Salt
  • 1 or 2 spicy peppers (such as a Thai chili pepper), or ¼ teaspoon of dried chili pepper flakes

Recipe Preparation

  1. Using scissors, cut lengthwise along the back shell of the lobster and pull apart with your hands, cracking it well, so the meat is exposed , but the shell is still on the lobster.

    Lobster split along back of shell

    Lobster split along back of shell

  2. Put in a 10-inch pan, (le Crueset, Staub, Calphalon and Circulon are my preferred ones):
    • 4 lobsters,
    • 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
    • 1 or more chopped chili peppers, or red pepper flakes to taste
    • 3 crushed garlic cloves
    • Cherry tomatoes
    • Arugula
    • ½ cup of extra-virgin Italian olive oil
    • Salt to taste
  1. Mix the ingredients well.
  2. With the heat on high, start with with lobsters on their backs.
  3. Move the ingredients around with spoon the ingredients every 2 minutes or so, and after the first 5 min, add ½ glass of white wine, letting it cook 1 more minute, and then turn the lobster on the other side (i.e., on their stomachs).
  4. Cook 5-6 more minutes, moving ingredients around every 2 minutes.
    Now the question is how powerful is your stove? If it is a Viking like mine, then the lobsters are probably ready, if it is a less powerful stove you may need 6 or so more minutes.
    The easiest way to decide is to look at the consistency of the tomatoes; when they become almost a pulp, i.e., you touch them with a wooden spoon and they smash easily, then the lobster is ready.
  5. Turn off the fire, put the lobster in the center of a large plate and put all around it the sauce.
  6. Enjoy with fresh bread.

Suggested Wine Pairing

Serve with champagne if you want to really charm your lover, or any other good wine (both a good white and a “soft’” red, such as a Chianti, Barbera, etc., but not a “super-Tuscan” or Cabernet, match well with this dish).

Italiano: Aragosta (La “Ricetta degli amanti”)

 

Ingredienti:

  • 4 aragoste di taglia medio-piccola, con fessure sul dorso.
  • 0,25 chili di pomodori “pera” gialli e arancioni misti. Se non riesci a trovarli, puoi usare i pomodorini mescolati con un pomodoro dorato di cimelio.I pomodori gialli forniscono un ottimo equilibrio per i frutti di mare, quindi se riesci a trovarli, usali in qualsiasi piatto di pesce. Betti e io andiamo al mercato del contadino ogni autunno e compriamo e possiamo i cimeli gialli e verdi appositamente per questo scopo. (Vedi la nostra ricetta per l’inscatolamento qui: Pomodori in scatola – A Cooking Basic)
  • 120 ml di vino bianco (usare sempre del buon vino per cucinare)
  • ½ mazzo di rucola selvatica, o ½ una di quelle scatole di plastica contenenti rucola selvatica
  • 120 ml di olio extravergine di oliva
  • 3 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati
  • 2 cucchiai di prezzemolo tritato
  • Sale
  • 1 o 2 peperoni piccanti (come un peperoncino thailandese) o ¼ di cucchiaino di fiocchi di peperoncino essiccato

Preparazione

  1. Con le forbici, tagliare longitudinalmente il guscio posteriore dell’aragosta e separarlo con le mani, spezzandolo bene, in modo che la carne sia esposta, ma il guscio è ancora sull’astice.
  2. Mettere in una padella da 10 pollici, (le Crueset, Staub, Calphalon e Circulon sono i miei preferiti):
    1. 4 aragoste
    2. 2 cucchiai di prezzemolo tritato
    3. 1 o più peperoncino tritato o fiocchi di peperoncino a piacere
    4. 3 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati
    5. Pomodori ciliegini
    6. Rucola
    7. 120 ml di olio extravergine di oliva italiano
    8. Sale quanto vuoi
  3. Mescolare bene gli ingredienti.
  4. Con il fuoco alto, inizia con le aragoste sulla schiena.
  5. Spostare gli ingredienti con un cucchiaio gli ingredienti ogni 2 minuti circa, e dopo i primi 5 minuti, aggiungere 120 ml di vino bianco, lasciando cuocere ancora 1 minuto, quindi girare l’aragosta sull’altro lato (cioè sul i loro stomaci).
  6. Cuocere altri 5-6 minuti, spostando gli ingredienti ogni 2 minuti.La domanda è: quanto è potente la tua stufa? Se è un vichingo come il mio, probabilmente le aragoste sono pronte, se è una stufa meno potente potresti aver bisogno di 6 minuti in più.

    Il modo più semplice per decidere è guardare la consistenza dei pomodori; quando diventano quasi una polpa, cioè le tocchi con un cucchiaio di legno e si rompono facilmente, allora l’astice è pronto.

  7. Spegnete il fuoco, mettete l’astice al centro di un piatto largo e mettete tutto intorno la salsa.
  8. Buon appetito. Mangia con pane fresco.

 

 

Funghi Trifolati and Fricassee of Mushroom

By

On March 9, 2017

In Side Dishes

(For 4 people, or for 1 very hungry person)

I’m in the mountains alone with my Bullmastiff and my Boxer, and tonight I cooked the “mushrooms in fricassee,” a delicious recipe that you will never find in a restaurant.  

Now the “fricassee” is just one more step after you prepare the “Mushrooms trifolati”, so the first part of this recipe will give you an excellent dish, called mushrooms trifolati, then when you want to try a variation of it, you add the fricassee.

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 1 pound of mushrooms (preferably a medley of mushroom types) sliced about 1⁄3 cm tick
  • Juice from ½ or 1 fresh lemon (depending on how much juice it makes, and how you like it)
  • 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 1⁄3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1⁄3 cup of finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

Make the Mushrooms Trifolati

  1. In a large non-stick skillet, gently sauté the cloves of crushed garlic in extra-virgin olive oil. Remove the garlic cloves as soon as they take on color.
  2. Adjust the heat to medium-high or high (depending on the intensity of your burners – for a family stove, high, for a professional stove, medium-high).
  3. Add the mushrooms to the skillet together with the chopped parsley. Cook on high heat for about 4 minutes, mixing them often.
  4. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. At this point, the funghi trifolati are ready to eat!

Make the  “Fricassee”

  1. Remove the skillet from the flame, add egg yolks, mixing them well.  Immediately add the lemon juice and mix well.
  2. Serve immediately.
  3. Buon Appetito!

Suggested Wine Pairing.  A good Chianti or Barbera.

Italiano: Funghi Trifolati

Per 4 persone o per 1 persona con molto appetito.

Sono in montagna da solo con il mio Bullmastiff e il mio Boxer, e stasera ho cucinato i “funghi in fricassea”, una ricetta deliziosa che non troverete mai in un ristorante.

La “fricassea” è solo un passo in più dopo aver preparato i “Funghi trifolati”, quindi la prima parte di questa ricetta vi darà un ottimo piatto, i funghi trifolati, poi se volete provare una cosa diversa, buonissima, aggiungete la fricassea.

Ingredienti

  • 450 – 500 grammi di funghi (preferibilmente un miscuglio di tipi di funghi) affettati di circa 1⁄3 cm di spessore
  • Succo di ½ o 1 limone fresco (a seconda di quanto succo produce e di come ti piace)
  • 3 tuorli d’uovo, leggermente sbattuti
  • 1/3 di cu di olio extravergine di oliva
  • 3 spicchi d’aglio, schiacciati
  • Un pugno di prezzemolo italiano fresco tritato finemente
  • Sale e pepe nero appena macinato a piacere

Preparazione

Preparazione

Prepara i Funghi Trifolati

  1. In una grande padella antiaderente, soffriggere delicatamente gli spicchi d’aglio schiacciati nell’ olio extravergine di oliva. Rimuovere gli spicchi d’aglio non appena prendono colore.
  2. Regola il calore su medio-alto o alto (a seconda della forza dei fornelli, per fornelli di cucina di famiglia, alto, per un fornello professionale, medio-alto).
  3. Aggiungere i funghi nella padella insieme al prezzemolo tritato. Cuocere a fuoco vivo per circa 4 minuti, mescolando spesso.
  4. Aggiungere sale e pepe nero appena macinato a piacere. A questo punto i funghi trifolati sono pronti da mangiare!

Crea la “Fricassea”

  • Togliete la padella dal fuoco, aggiungete i tuorli, mescolando bene. Aggiungere subito il succo di limone e continuare mescolare bene per 1-2 minuti.
  • Servire immediatamente.
  • Buon Appetito!

 

 

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

By

On February 20, 2017

In Pasta Dishes

This is, quite possibly, my preferred pasta dish among the four traditional Roman pastas.  Thus, I spent lots of time trying this dish in the best Restaurants in Roma and around the world and I studied the literature related to this dish.  In short, this is the recipe that is most often screwed up, with many—often disgraceful—variations.

This is a new recipe, in that it did not appear in the Italian cookbooks until after the II world war.  There are 2 theories about the origin of this dish: the first one, is that during the end of world war II the American soldiers brought bacon to Italy and that led someone to cook pasta with bacon, parmigiano and eggs.  This recipe is served at  “Il Moro,” a trattoria near Fontana di Trevi (in “Vicolo del Moro) where you can eat possibly the best Carbonara in the world (there it is called “Spaghetti al Moro”).  The other theory, the more widespread theory, is that the Carbonara was a dish made by the shephards in Roma.  This much more common Carbonara, which uses guanciale and pecorino rather than bacon and parmigiano (pecorino is also known in the US as “Romano cheese”) can be found in most restaurants in Roma. After many years of trying, I think the best interpretation of this type of Carbonara is the one at Sora Lella, on the Isola Tiberina where Renato Trabalza, the Chef and nephew of Sora Lella, has perfected it to an art.  Other places in Roma where you can eat an excellent Carbonara are: Maccheroni, in Piazza delle Coppelle, near via della Scrofa; Roscioli, near Campo dei Fiori.

So which one is best? The one with bacon and parmigiano at Il Moro or the one with guanciale and pecorino at Sora Lella?  I am not sure yet, therefore everytime I go to Roma I always go to both restaurants.  As for: can you make it as good as them? Sure, but you need practice. Here are the two recipes.

Important!

This is a fast and apparently very easy dish to prepare, yet it is the most easily screwed up recipe I know of.  Unless you move fast at the end –as you mix the eggs with the pasta , and you eat the pasta immediately, it will not be good.

Ingredients (variant “al Moro” with bacon and parmigiano) for 3 people (or 2 hungry people or 4 people who watch their diet)

  • 300 grams of spaghetti (you can also use rigatoni)
  • 4 eggs – 1 whole egg, and 3 egg yolks, combined together in a small bowl
  • 150 Grams of thick sliced pork bacon.  Cut into strips of about ½ cm tick and 3 cm long
  • Black pepper to taste
  • About 2/3 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated cheese. (I suggest you use a zester/microplane to have the right consistency of the grated parmigiano).

Preparation

  1. In a medium skillet (padella), put the bacon on high heat as soon as it sizzles, low the fire and let it go medium/low for about 8 minutes so it releases the fat and becomes golden –not burned!
    1. It should not become super-crisp, like the kind of bacon you serve with eggs, nor should it be “soft”!
  2. Meanwhile, boil the water in a pot. When it comes to a rapid boil, add the spaghetti.  Mix it with a long-handled wooden spoon so that it separates and does not stick to the bottom of the pan.  Add salt to the pasta water once it has come back to a boil (I usually use about 2 TB of sea salt in the pasta water).
  3. Meanwhile grate the Parmigiano (you need about ½ of a cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.  I’ve found that Americans Restaurants often use much more Parmigiano than Italians do, which ends up covering up the great taste of the food.)
  4. As the spaghetti cook, in a small bowl, combine one entire egg + 3 egg yolks.  Beat the eggs with a whisker or a fork until frothy, add 2 TB of grated parmigiano and 1Tb of the fat from the bacon, mix well.
  5. Warm a pasta serving bowl, or the bowls in which you will serve the pasta, in a microwave oven or with hot water.
  6. The following must be done very rapidly, the faster you move, the better the outcome:
    1. Remove 1 cup of the boiling water with the pasta and save, drain the pasta very al dente and pour into the skillet with the bacon –“medium” fire and adding 1/4 cup of water mix constantly for 2 minutes and then, turn off the fire and add the beaten eggs.  Poor the eggs in center of the skilled over the pasta, mix constantly and rapidly the pasta for 1- 2 minutes, adding the reserved water if necessary.  The goal here is that the egg “cooks” but does not “scramble”: it does not have to become a scramble egg pasta!  As you mix, add a little bit at the time all the the grated parmigiano.  Be careful not to add too much water: you need a cream coating the pasta.  If you add too much water it will be liquid! If you do not add water or mix rapidly will scramble!  The trick is to get it right: creamy yellow sauce!
    2. Transfer in a warm bowl or directly in warm plates and enjoy
    3. Alternative safest strategy if you are not confident that you can mix very rapidly on the skillet which will cause the eggs to scramble.Depending on how salty was the bacon you used, you may need to add salt.

Variant of this recipe substituting guanciale and pecorino (for 4 people)

Here is the varient of the recipe with guanciale and pecorino. Guanciale is the fat from the cheek of the pig, alternatively you may use good pancetta f

  • 400 grams of spaghetti (you can also use rigatoni) –recipe from Renato Trabalza, the Chef at Sora Lella.
  • 4 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks combined together in a small bowl
  • 200 Grams of medium sliced guanciale.  Cut into strips of about ½ inch
  • 1 splash of white wine (about 2 spoons)
  • Black pepper to taste
  • About 2/3 of cup of Pecorino Romano freshly grated cheese. (I suggest you use a zester/microplane to have the right consistency of the grated parmigiano).

Same as above except just before you drain the pasta, add the wine to the skillet with guanciale, and bring the fire to high for 30 seconds so the alcohol evaporates, drain in the main time the pasta, add to the skillet with the guanciale, lower the fire to minimum mix and follow steps as for the variant with bacon.

Suggested Wine Pairing

My preferred wine for this pasta is a Barbaresco (10 or more years old), or a good Barolo of a similar age.  Alternatively, you can pair this with a younger Barbera or Chianti or Cirò Rosso.

Italiano: Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Questo è, forse, il mio piatto di pasta preferito tra le quattro paste tradizionali romane. Questa è la ricetta che spesso è la più incasinata, con molte varianti, spesso vergognose. E` una ricetta “nuova’ che appare nei libri di cucina solo dopo la II guerra mondiale, e ci sono due teorie sulla provenienza: la prima e ‘che i soldati americani avevano il bacon e cosi qualcuno si mise a fare la pasta col bacon e parmigiano, la seconda e ‘che viene dai pastori di pecore, che perciò usavano il pecorino romano e il guanciale.  Probabilmente tutte e due le teorie sono giuste. Quella che seguono sono le due ricette migliori –e ne ho girati di ristoranti per provare le varie carbonare!, che ho imparato da “Il Moro”, una trattoria vicino a Fontana di Trevi (in “Vicolo del Moro) dove si chiama “Spaghetti al Moro” e dove quando abitavo a Roma mangiato una volta la settimana,–questa è la carbonara con bacon e parmigiano; e poi quella più diffusa, dei pastori, con pecorino e guanciale: Renato la fa ottima, da “Sora Lella” sull’isola Tiberina, e` anche ottima da “Maccheroni”, in Piazza delle Coppelle, da “Roscioli”, vicino a Campo dei Fiori e da “Papa Giovanni” in Via dei Sediari di fianco al Senato.

Importante!  Questo è un piatto veloce che pare facile da preparare, ma a meno che non vi muovete velocemente alla fine – quando si aggiungono le uova-, sarà un disastro.  Infatti, è quasi la regola ai ristoranti mangiare carbonare coll’uovo crudo o alla “stracciatella”. Per questo si usa il bianco dell’uovo e l’acqua, per proteggere il rosso e cuocerlo al punto giusto.  Comunque finche` non siete bravi non provate a farla per più di 4 persone.

Ingredienti, per la Carbonara con Bacon e parmigiano (2-4 persone a secondo dell’appetito)

  • 300 grammi di spaghetti (o rigatoni)
  • 4 uova – 1 intero, e 3 rossi, sbattuti insieme
  • 150 grammi di bacon tagliati a strisce di circa 1 cm x 2 cm.
  • pepe nero
  •  2/3 di cup di Parmigiano Reggiano grattato al momento con uno zester  (“grattalimone”, importante dettaglio per averlo della consistenza giusta)

Preparazione

  1. In una padella media, mettere il bacon, fuoco forte appena ‘sfricchiola” abbassare il fuoco a medio-basso e lasciare che rilasci il grasso e si indori per circa 8 minuti. Il guanciale non deve diventare super croccante, come il tipo di pancetta che si serve con le uova!, ne deve rimanere “mollo”.
  2. Nel frattempo, fate bollire l’acqua in una pentola, quando bolle aggiungete il sale e calate la pasta.
  3. Grattugiare il Parmigiano
  4. Un paio di minuti prima che gli spaghetti siano pronti, in una piccola ciotola, sbattete le uova con la frusta o una forchetta fino a renderle spumose, aggiungete 2 cucchiai di parmigiano e 1 cucchiaio del grasso dalla padella con il bacon.
  5. Scaldate con acqua calda (o nel forno a microonde) la zuppiera in cui servirete la pasta.
  6. Quanto segue deve essere fatto molto rapidamente, più veloce ti muovi, migliore è il risultato;
  7. Scolare la pasta molto al dente conservando 1 cup di acqua e versate la pasta nella padella con il guanciale e ¼ di cup cup di acqua e mescolate rapidamente 2 minut1 –fuoco medio, spegnere il fuoco, aggiungete le uova sbattute con parmigiano e grasso, versandole al centro della padella sulla pasta, e girate rapidamente per evitare che l’uovo “stracci” –se luovo va in perfiferia della padella “straccia”, se vedete che si va seccando, un po’ dell’ acqua della pasta che avete messo da perte e continuate a girare rapidamente. Mentre girate aggiungete il resto del parmigiano, un po per volta, e poi il pepe nero. Diventa una salsa gialla cremosa bellissima in un paio di minuti.  Servite subito.  Attenzione a non mettere troppa acqua altrimenti invece che una crema che copre gli spaghetti –perfetta carbonara, la salsa sara` liquida!

Metodo alternativo, per diminuire il rischio che l’uovo stracci:

Dopo che avete mischiato la pasta con il bacon e un po’ d’acqua versatela in una zuppiera tiepida (immersa in acqua calda e poi asciugata), e, qui servono due persone, una gira la pasta rapidamente nella zuppiera senza mai fermarsi, l’altra ci versa sopra lentamente il battuto di uova e poi il resto del parmigiano.

Ingredienti per variante con guanciale e pecorino per 4 persone: 

  • 400 grammi spaghetti o rigatoni –ricotta Renato Trabalza, nipote di Sora lella e Chef a questo famoso ristorante Romano sull’isola Tiberina.
  • 4 uova intere e due rossi sbattuti insieme in una ciotola (cioè un uovo intero e mezzo rosso a persona)
  • 200 grammi di guanciale tagliato a strisce di circa ½ cm di spessore per 2-3 cm di lunghezza una spruzzata di vino bianco (circa 2 cucchiai), non esagerate!
  • Pepe nero
  • Circa 2/3 cup di Pecorino Romano grattato fresco. (Usate uno zester chiamato pure microplane o grattalimoni, per avere la giusta consistenza)

Procedete come per quella “Al Moro” eccetto che prima di scolare la pasta aggiungete il vino alla pancetta alzate il fuoco 30 secondi e fate evaporare l’alcol, poi tutto come sopra, quello che cambia sono gli ingredienti e la proporzione con le uova.

 

Coyote Cafe’s Yucatec Stuffed Turkey

By

On December 21, 2016

In Entrees

When I came to the United States in 1989, I had never eaten turkey.  For the first few years I was here, I had several great Thanksgiving dinners at the houses of American friends.  Then, one year in the early 1990s, I decided to try cooking Thanksgiving dinner myself.  My wife and I had been to a restaurant called the Red Sage, in Washington, D.C., run by Chef Mark Miller.  We loved the restaurant and bought his book Coyote Café. That book had the recipe for a Tex-Mex flavored turkey that was different from any other turkey recipe I had ever eaten.  I decided to try it, and now it’s been my family’s traditional turkey recipe every Thanksgiving.  

Here’s a link to the recipe on the Food and Wine website:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/coyote-cafes-yucatec-stuffed-turkey

Over the years, I have made a couple of small variations to this recipe:

  1. I use a roasting bag to keep the turkey moist as it cooks.
  2. I use the Chipotle in Adobe sauce (from the Mexican section of the supermarket) instead of the recipe’s recommended Cascabel chilis, hot peppers, and achiote.

Suggested Wine Pairing

The added spice and heat that the peppers give this turkey recipe require an assertive red wine.  I suggest you serve it with a Barbaresco or a Cirò Rose.

Pasta with Tuna Sauce

By

On September 29, 2016

In Pasta Dishes

Mediterranean - Blog Title (2)

One of the world’s most palatable styles of food is Mediterranean cuisine. With a historic trinity of basic ingredients in olive, wheat, and tomato, the foundation for this approach to cooking has greatly expanded throughout the years, while still remaining true to its culinary roots. The key to these recipes is using good-quality extra-virgin olive oil (preferably from Italy), Italian plum tomatoes (Pomì is a brand easily available in most supermarkets), and fresh ingredients whenever possible.

Pasta with Tuna Sauce

Ingredients

  • Pomi crushed tomatoes
  • Olive oil
  • Canned tuna, preferably with olive oil
  • Black olives, chopped
  • Grated Pecorino cheese
  • Basil leaves, to taste
  • Salt, red and black pepper, to taste
  • Pasta (your choice of style)

Preparation

Coat the bottom of a large saucepan with olive oil and heat on low to medium. Add roughly half of a box of Pomi tomatoes, sauteing them for about 4-5 minutes. Then, add the tuna, salt, and pepper and cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes. After that, turn off the heat and add the chopped black olives and basil leaves.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta of your choice in a boiling pot. Once that is ready, add the sugo and mix. Then add the grated Pecorino cheese to taste.

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