Spaghetti Carbonara

Some foods require planning, prep time, and special ingredients.  This is not one of them.  I'd be willing to bet that at least 70% of Americans have the basic ingredients for pasta carbonara on hand at any given time - pasta, bacon, eggs, some sort of salty grated cheese and cream or milk.  Throw in some veggies of your choice and you've got dinner in the time it takes to boil the pasta.

Of course, everything is better when made from scratch.  So I've used my own homemade spaghetti here, but this is just as satisfying with the store-bought variety.  This is also a meal that in a month or two can be completely local (except for the flour in the pasta), since the eggs, cream, bacon and cheese were all from Springfield Farm and once late spring rolls around we'll start getting our leeks and spinach from One Star Farm.

Spaghetti Carbonara

4-5 slices bacon, cut into thin strips
1 cup cleaned white and light green parts of leeks, sliced into thin half moons
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups baby spinach, washed and dried

1 lb. fresh spaghetti (or boxed)

3 jumbo or 4 large eggs
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/3 cup grated parmeggiano reggiano or other salty hard cheese
1 Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper

Fill a stockpot with water, salt it generously and place it over high heat for the pasta.

In a medium saucepan, saute bacon until crisp.  Add leeks and saute until slightly tender.  Drain some of the bacon fat out of the pan, then deglaze with white wine.  Turn off the heat and add spinach, stirring occasionally while the spinach wilts.

In the meantime, start cooking the pasta.  Fresh pasta only takes 1-3 minutes so keep an eye on it.

While the pasta cooks, combine the eggs with the cream, cheese and black pepper and whisk to combine.  Temper the eggs by whisking in some of the hot wine then pouring the egg mixture into the pan, constantly stirring until the mixture thickens and comes up to temperature (the heat on the burner should remain turned off, it's just residual heat that cooks it).  You don't want to scramble the eggs.

Drain the pasta and toss with the eggy bacon and veggie mixture.  Serve immediately.

Return to Emilia-Romagna

It's been a while since I had the time to post a Daring Baker's challenge, and for some reason I was still struggling with the whole make a vegan dip and cracker thing. However, there was no way I could pass up a lasagna challenge, and I was curious to see how it would measure up to my own ultimate recipe. The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge. Lasagne is one of my favorite foods and I've traveled through this region of Italy and miss it incredibly. I was so looking forward to the memories I thought this would bring back.


Sadly, it was deeply disappointing. While my recipe may be less authentic, its layers of flavor are richer and more crowd pleasing. L and I agreed that while the meat ragu would have been fabulous on some pappardelle, its complexity was lost when mixed with the spinach of the noodles and the creaminess of the béchamel. Most surprising was how strikingly different it was from my usual version, even though I make my own fresh noodles and a béchamel in mine as well!


So my verdict is, if you want to experience the pleasures of slow cooking demanded by a traditional lasagne, give it a try. But for my time, it was not worth the 6 hours when 1 hour yields a better result!

Lasagne Verdi al Forno


Serves 8 to 10

1 recipe Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna (recipe follows)
1 recipe Parmesan Herb Béchamel (recipe follows)
1 recipe Country Style Ragu (recipe follows)
1 cup (4 ounces/125g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 3 quart shallow baking dish.


Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of about two long overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel. Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu. Sprinkle with about 1&1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese.


Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.


Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the center (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out very warm, the dish is ready). Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve.

Pasta Verde


In my opinion - this was the least tasty part of the lasagna - I recommend using a plain fresh egg noodle recipe, like the one I have here, but cut for lasagna

3 large eggs
6 ounces frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry - btw, the easiest way to do this is to stab the plastic bag all over with a fork, then squeeze so the water goes out the perforations - mess free!
3 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour


I used a Kitchen Aid mixer to make the dough, and its pasta attachment to roll it - however, the spinach was not about to mix in, even though it was finely chopped. I had to take it for a whir in the food processor.


Even after that, the dough did not roll out nicely. As soon as it got thin, the small bits of spinach would cause it to develop small holes everywhere, and it looked very lacy. When it cooked up, it was not very tasty and the texture was offputting.



Parmesan Herb Bechamel - my version

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small shallot, minced fine
4 tablespoons all purpose unbleached flour
2 2/3 cups 1 % milk
3 Tbsp dried italian herbs
1/3 cup freshly grated parmaggiano reggiano
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste


Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat and quickly saute shallot until softened. Add the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth, then add the herbs. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with cheese, salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

Ragu alla Contadina


This sauce was incredible on its own and would have been better if its flavors weren't masked by everything else. They called for grinding up the meat - but I left it in small 1/2 inch chunks and it braised to gorgeous melt-in-your-mouth pieces! I thought the slow addition of stock and the milk was odd, but it came out incredibly rich and flavorful because of it. This part I will definitely make again!

Makes enough sauce for 1 recipe fresh pasta or 1 pound/450g dried pasta)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces, finely chopped (a slice about 1/2 inch thick will do nicely)
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium stalk celery, minced
1 large carrot, minced
8 ounces boneless veal shoulder
4 ounces beef skirt steak
2 ounces Prosciutto di Parma
2/3 cup dry red wine - I used Shiraz
2 & 1/2 cups chicken or beef stock (homemade if possible)
2 cups 1 % milk
1 can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
Italian herbs, Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Browning the Ragu Base:
Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and minced vegetables and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 10 minutes, or until the onions barely begin to color. Stir meats into the pan and slowly brown over medium heat. First the meats will give off a liquid and turn dull grey but, as the liquid evaporates, browning will begin. Stir often, scooping under the meats with the wooden spatula. Protect the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pan by turning the heat down. Cook 15 minutes, or until the meats are a deep brown.


Reducing and Simmering: Add the wine, lowering the heat so the sauce bubbles quietly. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Scrape up the brown glaze as the wine bubbles. Stir 3/4 cup stock and let it bubble slowly, 10 minutes, or until totally evaporated. Repeat with another 3/4 cup stock. Stir in the last 1 cup stock along with the milk. Adjust heat so the liquid bubbles very slowly. Partially cover the pot, and cook 1 hour. Stir occasionally to check for sticking.

Add the tomatoes and herbs. Cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 45 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper.

Working Ahead?
The ragu and the béchamel sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The ragu can also be frozen for up to one month. The pasta can be rolled out, cut and dried up to 24 hours before cooking. The assembled lasagne can wait at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius/68 degrees Fahrenheit) about 1 hour before baking. Do not refrigerate it before baking, as the topping of béchamel and cheese will overcook by the time the center is hot.

Buffalo Blues

Orzo has to be one of my favorite pasta shapes. Like grains of rice, they can be toasted and turned into creamy sides reminiscent of risotto. Or a quick boil, drain and toss of vinaigrette with some seasonal veggies and you've got yourself a great pasta salad. But the best of all is an uber creamy better-than-mac-and-cheese studded with bits of sausage or meatballs. This version draws its charms from the classic buffalo wing and blue cheese combo. Perfect for a football game or a cozy winter night (and I actually made this around superbowl time).

Buffalo Blue Creamed Orzo with Turkey Meatballs


1 lb. orzo pasta

1 Tbsp butter
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 cup chopped crimini mushrooms
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken or turkey broth or stock, preferably low sodium or homemade
1 cup 1% milk
1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce
2/3 cup mild blue cheese crumbles
1 bag triple washed baby spinach (about 5 cups)
1 1/2 cups chopped ripe plum tomato
1/2 recipe turkey meatballs (recipe below)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt heavily. Cook pasta according to package directions, undercooking by one minute so it's still a little chewy and drain.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large deep saucepan. Saute onions and mushrooms until slightly golden. Add broth and 1/2 cup milk and bring to a low simmer. In a small lidded container, shake together flour and remaining milk until flour is no longer clumping to make a slurry. Add to the sauce along with hot sauce, spinach and blue cheese. Let simmer until thick and cheese has melted. Toss in orzo, tomatoes and meatballs and serve immediately.


Turkey Meatballs


1 lb. ground turkey breast
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmeggiano reggiano
3 Tbsp chopped parsley

Mix together with your hands to combine. Form into small meatballs, about an inch in diameter. If freezing, do that now on a sheet pan lined with plastic wrap, then transfer to a plastic bag after frozen solid.

To cook, brown all sides in a pan with olive oil over medium heat.

The Calamari Paradox

There's nothing more disappointing then ordering calamari in a restaurant and waiting in lip-smacking anticipation as the waiter plops down the platter, only to discover it's been overcooked. It can be like eating strips of truck tires and it's happened to me time and again, in the cheap dives and the high end, white-tablecloth shrouded snobberies. Calamari's tricky. Should you be brave enough to attempt your own golden fried version, check out my recipe here. But I have an even better idea - why not make it fool-proof, add more deep complexity, and celebrate the best briney goodness of the squid.

I've always heard that there are two ways to cook squid, lightning fast or tortoise-slow. I don't think I ever believed that calamari that braised for an hour or more could possibly be edible. So many memories of crisp-fried rubber came back to haunt me. But low and behold, when calamari simmers away, it develops such a silky tenderness, and such rich flavors that I'm not sure I can ever look at a plate of the fried stuff again.

So I challenge you. Make this delicious squid. Serve it over pasta as I have, or with some crusty bread, and then come back and tell me what you think. It will change your world!

Spaghetti with Slow-Cooked Calamari Marinara


2 Tbsp olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, smashed open
14.5 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup white wine
1 lb. calamari, cut into rings (You can use tentacles, but I didn't)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp freshly ground coarse black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp pesto
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 lb. spaghetti, cooked to al dente in salted water

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook gently without browning until fragrant. Add tomatoes, wine, calamari, tomato paste and seasonings. Bring to a simmer. Simmer over medium-low heat (uncovered) for about an hour. The calamari should be meltingly tender when it's done and the sauce should have reduced and become thicker.

When the pasta is just about cooked, add the pesto, cheese and parsley to the calamari. Then use a spaghetti hook to transfer the pasta into the pot with the calamari. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce so that it absorbs some of the flavors.

Serve steaming hot with an extra flourish of chopped parsley.

Ringing in the New Year

2009. A year that promises big things for me. One of which, probably the most important, will be my wedding. After 8 years together, L and I are taking the plunge on a summer Sunday in an outdoor chapel in the bayside park where we spent our first day together and had that first, surreal, cinematic kiss. He knows me well, and the proposal came at my favorite time of year, renewing and emphasizing what is so special about the holiday season, surrounded by family and great food.

So it was hard to choose a dish that was worthy of such an announcement. In the end, it came down to something that represents our lives so well. This is classic us, simple but perfect, unpretentious,a little polish, a little hungarian, heart-warming, clean yet resounding flavor. It's made even better with homemade noodles, brought to you via my mom's christmas gift of KitchenAid pasta rollers and cutters.

This may seem less glamorous than other celebratory foods, caviar with smears of sauce or flashy meticulous layer cakes. But anywhere I've brought this, tucked into microwaveable containers for a hearty lunch, the tantalizing smell causes bystanders to beg for the recipe. I only hope it won't be disappointing in its simplicity and ease of preparation. Making your own noodles is of course optional, but so worth the extra 20 minutes. And I hope you, as everyone else I've shared this with, will return with rave reviews.

Cabbage and Noodles


fresh or homemade egg noodles, cut into fettucine according to manufacturer directions
recipe below

3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
1 medium head savoy cabbage, shredded with thick parts and core removed
2 Tbsp caraway seeds
1/2 cup white wine vinegar (use the good stuff- here it really matters!)
12 oz ham steak, (precooked) cubed (this is also delicious with sweet turkey or pork italian sausage or brats)
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Put the pasta water on to boil.

Meanwhile, melt the first 3 Tbsp of butter in a nonstick pan and saute the onion until softened. Add cabbage, reduce heat to medium-low and cover, stirring occasionally, until cabbage cooks down in volume and softens. About halfway through add vinegar and caraway and stir well. Meanwhile cook and drain pasta. When cabbage is tender, add ham and remaining butter and warm through. Toss with pasta. Adjust seasonings and vinegar to taste and serve hot.


Homemade Egg Noodles - modified from the recipe that ships with KitchenAid attachments

4 large eggs
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 Tbsp water
1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on lowest speed until combined, then increase speed to 2 and knead for 2-3 minutes or until it starts to come together. Knead by hand for 2 minutes, then split into 8 pieces and flatten into 4-5 inch squares.

Roll out dough according to manufacturer directions. I like to roll it to a thickness of setting 5. Cut into fettucine by hand or with an attachment. Try to keep noodles separated because they want to stick together. To cook, place in heavily salted boiling water about 2 minutes. Noodles should float to the top of the pot.

Sausage Soup For the Soul

Sometimes life is just crumby. When the day is so exhausting, I find myself without the motivation to cook anything. Hence my sitting out on Daring Bakers this month (plus I'm the anti-vegan, i could give up meat but never eggs or cheese, and I couldn't even think of any appetizing dips to go with the crackers). Also hence the nights of takeout, L playing chef instead and peanut butter sandwiches for dinner.

Luckily, this soup is quick and easy, and soothing enough to warm away the troubles of the day. Plus it helps to boost the immune system with tons of good vitamins and fluids. Just the thing to keep you up and running in the middle of a long, hard week.

Sausage & Escarole Soup


4 slices bacon, chopped
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 medium yukon gold potato, diced
1/4 cup cream sherry
2 cups vegetable stock
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups pork stock (this can be hard to find - Better than Bouillon makes a pork base that works well)
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup chopped parmaggiano reggiano rinds (should been unwaxed)
1 tsp crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
3 bay leaves (dried)
1/2 lb. small pasta such as elbows
1 lb. chopped escarole
2 artichoke and basil or similarly flavored chicken sausages (sliced if precooked, squeezed into pot in little crumbles if not)
1 13oz can small white beans (low sodium if possible), rinsed and drained
1/4 cup grated parmaggiano reggiano

In a large stockpot over medium heat, saute bacon until it's rendered its fat. Add onion and carrots and saute until they start to soften. Add garlic and potato and saute 2 minutes. Deglaze pan with sherry. Add stocks and seasonings (including parm rinds) and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until about 2 minutes before al dente. Add escarole and sausage and continue to cook 3 minutes. Turn off heat. Add white beans and cheese. Serve hot in copious amounts!

I Wonton Some Soup Please!

I've been dreaming of wonton soup for weeks now. Not just craving, or wanting or wishing for, it is literally haunting my dreams. So when a cool Sunday night provided the perfect opportunity, I seized it and made some velvety wontons bathed in rich buttery broth. I don't have much to say about this dish, except that it is the most perfect wonton soup I've ever had. You must try this as the seasons change and the air gets cooler!

Shitake & White Corn Wonton Soup


Wontons
Makes about 3 dozen wontons.

3/4 pound ground pork
1/2 cup minced shitake mushrooms
2 Tbsp Chinese black vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sriracha
1 small scallion, sliced thin
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
ground pepper

36 - 40 square wonton wrappers
water

Combine all ingredients for wonton filling in a small bowl and use your hands to mix it well. In each wonton wrapper, place a generous tsp of filling in the center. Dip your finger in water and use it to moisten the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper diagonally over the filling, forming a triangle. Press edges together, then fold two side flaps down and seal with water. Repeat until all the filling has been used.


Wonton Soup

1 tsp unsalted butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced shitake mushrooms
1 cob of white sweet corn, kernals removed (cob reserved)
1/2 cup cream sherry
2 quarts chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
2 cups water
1 porcini bouillon (see pantry essentials sidebar for sources)
1 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp lemongrass paste
2 tsp salt
wontons and additional wonton wrappers, torn into strips
2 large scallions, sliced diagonally
2 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

In a stockpot over medium-high heat, melt the butter with olive oil. Saute the mushrooms and corn kernals until slightly softened and mushrooms have absorbed most of the fats. Add sherry to deglaze, then broths, water, boullion, mirin and corn cob. Bring to a boil. Add ginger, lemongrass, salt, wontons and extra wrappers and boil until all wontons have risen to the top and wrappers are translucent. Turn off the heat, remove corn cob and add scallions, spinach, and sesame oil. Serve immediately with large spoons.

Cream of the Crop

So I may have a penchant for heavy cream. Is that such a bad thing? OK so maybe it is- but it's so good. These are not dishes you should necessarily have every day. But they are lovely treats, and let's face it - summer produce just longs to be dressed in cream. This was an easy and delicious supper, and is equally delicious hot or cold.

Lemon Cream Bowties with Shrimp


1 tsp olive oil
1/2 large red onion, sliced
3 large cloves of garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
zest and juice of 2 lemons
2/3 lb. small shrimp
1 cup frozen sweet peas
kernals of one cob of sweet corn
1 lb. cooked al dente mini farfalle (Barilla now makes Piccolini -tiny- pasta, perfect for pasta salads)
4 small plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 roasted red peppers, chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 large scallions, sliced thin
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped fine
2 Tbsp basil chiffonade

Saute onion in olive oil over medium high heat until slightly softened. Add garlic and saute until it starts to brown. Add cream, then lemon zest and juice. Bring to a simmer. Simmer 15 minutes or until thickened. Add shrimp and peas, bring back to a simmer and add corn. Cook until shrimp starts to turn pink. Mix in other ingredients. Cook over medium low heat until pasta absorbs some of the sauce. Serve warm or chilled.





A tiramisu-like custard goes so well with sweet grilled peaches. The perfect summer dessert, this takes next to no time to make. You will only need about a cup and a half of the zabaglione at most - stay tuned to find out what to do with the rest!

Grilled Peach Tiramisu Parfaits



Mascarpone Zabaglione
8 oz mascarpone cheese
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup 1% milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp espresso powder
2/3 cup sugar, divided
5 egg yolks
2 Tbsp marsala wine
1 Tbsp dark rum
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp chocolate extract (optional - could sub chocolate liquor)

Combine cheese, cream, milk, salt, espresso powder and 1/3 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk occasionally as mixture heats up. Meanwhile, whisk together remaining sugar and egg in a small bowl until it drops from the whisk in a ribbon. Once cream mixture starts to steam, ladle some into the egg mixture while whisking away furiously. This should temper the eggs. While whisking, add the egg mixture into the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer (keep whisking!) until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Bring to room temperature, then chill at least 2 hours.

3 white donut peaches, split down the middle along their length and pit removed (so that they are truely donut shaped)

1 Tbsp Godiva chocolate liquor
1 Tbsp amaretto
1 tsp espresso powder
1 tsp sugar
1/8 cup water
6 crisp Italian ladyfingers

Preheat a grill on high (make sure it was well cleaned with a wire brush!). Brush peaches with melted butter. Grill peaches briefly on each side.

Mix liquors, espresso powder, sugar and water together in a shallow dish. Break each ladyfinger in half. Briefly soak one full (2 halves) ladyfinger in liquor mixture, then place in the bottom of a parfait glass and cover with zabaglione. Add a peach half. Repeat with 2 more layers. (Makes 2)

The Advantages of Flat Breasts...

Chicken breasts that is.


Whenever you want a tender, perfectly cooked breaded chicken breast, I highly recommend pounding them to an even thickness. They cook quickly and evenly this way, and the crust gets delightfully crispy without the steam build up that can cause the crust to fall off.

This was the first dish I ever mastered. In college, I was so fed up with tepid, brown and unrecognizable cafeteria food, that I started buying food magazines and pouring through them, cover to cover. Before that time, I knew how to cook, but chose not to. Suddenly I couldn't stop thinking about it. So voluntarily immersed in food that I would dream about cooking, whenever the occasion arose to use a friends or relatives kitchen I snatched at it, and quickly became known as the resident foodie. When visiting my aunt and uncle in Florida, I made them this scaloppine dish, alongside a sundried tomato quick bread (back then I was afraid of yeast), and we finished with a Grand Marnier creme brulee. (BTW - I've noticed do not have any recipes for creme brulee posted - oh the horrors! Since it is my go to dessert for dinner parties I will be remedying this shortly!) They loved it and offered to fly me down whenever I wanted to cook for them!


This dish never fails to impress, even know that I'm known as a seasoned cook. Because everyone's had some version of Chicken Parmesan, they're all the more impressed to discover how good this classic can be. Plus, it takes next to no time to cook, making it an easy weeknight dinner (we're talking about 20 minutes here people!).

Scaloppine Parmigiana de Pollo
Serves 4.


4 chicken breasts, marinated in Italian dressing overnight
(Chicken is cheaper when bought in bulk. When I get home from the store, I separate my "club pack" into quart size freezer bags with 2 or 4 chicken breasts each, and pour in Italian dressing or other marinades, then I freeze it. Take it out of the freezer the night before to defrost, and as it thaws it will marinate! I love this trick!)

1 large egg
1 egg white

1 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmigianno reggiano
2 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
pinch of salt

3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp olive oil
(OK- so I never claimed this was low fat!)

1 lb. spaghetti

1 cup 4 Cheese Italian shredded cheese blend (or grated your own mozzarella, provolone, asiago and parmesan)
1/4 cup parmiggiano reggiano

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
2 Tbsp crushed garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup good dry red wine
2 Tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade

additional parsley, basil and parmiggiano for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 300 F. Pound chicken breasts flat between 2 sheets of plastic wrap using a meat mallet. You want them between a 1/2 inch and a 1/4 inch thick.

Place a stockpot 3/4 full with water on the stove on high to bring it to a boil. Use a lid to help it come to a boil faster.

Meanwhile, beat egg and egg white together in a shallow dish. In a seperate shallow dish, mix together dry ingredients for the breading. In a large nonstick skillet over high heat (yes - this needs to be turned ALL the way up!), combine butter and oil and preheat. Dredge Each piece of chicken in egg, then breadcrumbs, then place directly in the pan.

Cook on high until one side is golden brown, then flip and repeat. This should only take about a minute per side if you've pounded it thin. While they're cooking, you water should come to a boil and you can start cooking your spaghetti (I recommend heavily salting the water). Transfer chicken to a pyrex baking dish and top each breast with 1/4 cup cheese blend and sprinkle with parmiggiano. Place in oven for the cheese to melt.

Meanwhile, keep an eye on the spaghetti. Drain off any remaining oil and combine the sauce ingredients, except for the fresh herbs, in the skillet you used for the chicken. Simmer until spaghetti is done, drain spaghetti, then toss with sauce and herbs.

When the cheese has melted, serve chicken alongside pasta with some extra sauce on top. If your cheese has not melted by the time your pasta is ready, treat it to a little intense heat under the broiler until it's nice and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Dreaming of Thailand

I imagine the air is perfumed with lemongrass, chiles, jasmine and ginger. I'd love to be invited into a little hut where something tasty cooks over a wood fire. Thailand is definitely on my list of places to see before I die. I hope I will one day walk among the street vendors. Until then, I'll have to recreate those fresh, balanced flavors in my own kitchen.

Tom Kha Gai is a coconut chicken soup often served in Thailand. Here, I play with a thick creamy sauce with the same flavors, which dresses cellophane noodles, topped with wafer-thin slices of leftover lamb and hugged with butter lettuce.

Tom Kha Noodle Wraps



1 1/2 cans (about 3 cups) coconut milk - you'll need the full fat kind for this
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 Tbsp Tom Yum paste (I like Tiger Tiger brand)
1 tsp garlic, crushed
1 tsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp sriracha
1 tbsp lime juice
2 kaffir lime leaves

1/2 lb. thin cellophane (rice) noodles

1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped scallions (I forgot to get these last time I shopped - hence you won't see them in the picture)

1/2 lb. leftover leg of lamb, cooked to medium rare and chilled

1 head boston or butter lettuce, washed, dried and leaves separated



Combine coconut milk, tomato paste, Tom Yum paste, garlic, ginger, sriracha, lime juice and leaves in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half and very creamy (about 10 minutes).

Bring a large stockpot full of water to a boil. Add noodles and turn off the heat. Let noodles sit in the hot water, stirring occasionally, until they've softened and become tender. Use tongs or a spaghetti spoon to transfer noodles into the saucepan with the sauce. Toss with peanuts and cilantro.

Serve lettuce, noodles and lamb separately. Let people assemble their own wraps.