Spaghetti Carbonara so good that it would turn a pig cannibal!

           My Spaghetti Carbonara is better than good, it is exquisite. It also happens to be one of my favorite things to cook! There is something about the sumptuous simplicity that I enjoy and when done correctly it is a dish that can bring any person to their knees.

Apparently, the charcoal workers’ wives would make this for them before and after a long days work. Even though resources were limited at the time this is a dish that can be made on the budget of the pauper that would be fit for the prince. You can always count on the Italians to make anything luscious with even the scarcest and simplest ingredients.

I always made this when I would come home late from school or for a hung-over brunch. I would get the best quality ingredients that I could afford (limited due to my culinary-student budget) but I promise you that I wasn’t always reaching for the top shelf. Now I always get the best pancetta or Guanciale, Parmesan or Pecorino, and Pasta I can find and I would advise you to do the same. Ahhh the little things… The quality of this dish, like many others, is affected by the quality of the ingredients. If you do choose to stretch yourself and go for the finer things in life (as I like to), the same recipe will produce a dish that will get you wet. I am talking about mouth watering you perverts, focus please! Most people make the mistake of adding cream to this sauce. Very bad people!  Adding cream honestly ruins it completely. It will thicken the sauce, but at too significant a cost, it will be a way too rich a dish and all the subtleties will be drowned out. Italians traditionally don’t add shallots and garlic, they are missing out, trust me! They pair wonderfully with the pancetta (I am talking about the garlic and shallots, not the Italians).

            I once went to Joel Robuchon’s L’Atelier in Paris and among the incomparable dishes we ordered was a Carbonara. Joel, whilst I have loved and will love you forever, with all due respect, mine is so much better.

                        I have often heard that this is not only MY best pasta ever, but THE best pasta most of my friends have ever had in their entire lives. I suggest you try it and don’t blame me if every pasta you eat after this seems boring in comparison ;)

I’m taking this opportunity to teach you to properly slice, mince and dice shallots and garlic (the first thing we learned at cooking school ).

 Ingredients:

1 packet of Spaghetti (try to buy nice quality)

15 slices of Pancetta (again top quality is always better)

8 eggs (separate four egg yolks for poached yolks)

Parmesan Cheese

4 cloves of garlic- minced or sliced thinly

3 small shallots- small dice

Parsley- finely chopped

Butter

Olive Oil

1/2 cup of pasta cooking water

S&P (lots of Pepper)

Directions:

-       Boil water for spaghetti. (Salt Water)

-       Dice Pancetta

-       Crisp Pancetta in large skillet with tbsp. of Olive Oil.

-       Meanwhile, dice Shallot, Garlic, and Parsley.
(I love slicing and dicing.)





To Dice a Shallot:









To dice garlic-

To slice garlic-

-       Remove Pancetta from Pan with slotted spoon and rest on paper towel until ready to toss pasta.
(not pictured)

-       Pour out excess fat and add a ½ tbsp. of Butter. (Make sure to pour out fat into a bowl to cool before throwing in trash because it will burn through plastic. Never pour down the sink.)

-       Sautee Shallots and Garlic until soft.

-       Deglaze pan with a little water and scrape up brown bits from the pan.

-       Once water is boiling, cook Spaghetti for 9 min or until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water.

-       Whisk 3 Eggs and 1 Egg Yolk with 2 teaspoons of Salt and Pepper, ¼ cup of chopped Parsley, and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese.

-       Once pasta is cooked, immediately add hot pasta to pan with shallots and garlic.

-       Mix Pasta with Egg mixture, Pancetta bits, and pasta water.

-       Top with more Parsley, Parmesan, and tbsp of olive oil. Mélange and cover for five minutes.





To Poach Egg Yolk

-       Meanwhile, simmer in an inch of water in a wide skillet. 


( I am so sorry but I didn't photograph the poaching of the egg yolk. It is so simple though so I know you can do it! Even easier than poaching a whole egg.)

-       Place Egg Yolk in simmering water and let poach gently. 3-4 min and it’s done.

-       Plate Spaghetti Carbonara and top with little poached egg yolk.

Serve and Enjoy

Bisous,

Chantilly


(These photos were also taken by Jordan Engle at http://WWW.OGPICS.COM)

Moroccan Roasted Veg Salad w/ Green Goddess dressing

            

        I like to mix it up. Salads can become slightly “vanilla”, if you know what I mean. When attempting to be healthy, it is important to stray from the every day norm and explore the world of vegetables available to us. 

     You can, of course, switch around the vegetables and use whatever suits you. I have also tried it with roasted shredded carrots and diced zucchini or with caramelized onions and topped with pistachios. 

     If you aren’t finding inspiration in the grocery store, try browsing a farmers market. All those colors and fresh scents drive me wild with new ideas. 

     I’ve served this lovely salad on it’s own or with some roasted chicken breast or salmon, or along side a lamb tagine and couscous but, again, I emphasize the importance of always exploring one's options, so do whatever moves you. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

- Brussel Sprouts- quartered

- Cherry Heirloom tomatoes (or regular ones if you can’t find the different colored heirlooms)- Halved

- Cauliflower florets- sliced

- Cumin

- Butter lettuce
- Roasted sunflower seeds

Green Goddess Dressing:

- 6 Scallions

- ½ cup Basil of basil leaves.

- 1 Garlic cloves

- ½ cup Greek Yogurt

- 1 cup Sour Cream

- 2 tbsp Organic Mayo

- 1 Lemon and lemon zest

- ½ tbsp White Wine Vinegar

- Olive Oil

-S&P

Directions:

-       Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

- Chop vegetables.

-       Toss the Brussel Sprouts,Tomatoes, and Cauliflower with olive oil, S&P, Cumin, squeeze of half a lemon.





-       Roast for 15-20 min or until they are cooked through and lightly crisp.

-       Make Green Goddess Dressing  

   

~ In food processor put yogurt, sour cream, mayo, garlic, basil, scallions, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon, white wine vinegar, and S&P.

-       Arrange the butter lettuce on a platter with the greens of leaves pointing outwards.

-       Scatter the roasted veggies atop the lettuce and drizzle with beautiful green goddess dressing, roasted sunflower seeds and serve. Top with some snipped chives if desired.

(These photos were also taken by Jordan Engle at http://WWW.OGPICS.COM)

Bisous,

Chantilly

Panko Crusted Halibut with Orange Shallot reduction

    Friends are always asking me for unique and simple ways to cook fish. For some reason, fish is always perplexing to peeps.
   I find it to be one of the easiest things to cook, and it needs very little to be scrumptious. A little lemon, salt, and pepper usually does the trick, but in this case I’m going for crispy. Everything tastes even better crispy.

I like this dish because it’s hearty for a fish dish, can be made quickly, and still retains a little flair (with the “reduction” and all). The golden crispy fish pairs wonderfully with this sweet yet savory sauce but I also like to put it in a baguette sandwich with lemon aioli, roasted tomatoes, and some arugula. 

 Ingredients:

 -       4 fillets of Halibut (or any other Whitefish, Seabass, or Tilapia)

-       3 cups of Panko bread crumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs)

-       3 Eggs

-       Lemon/lemon zest

-       Orange/orange zest

-       Olive oil or vegetable oil

-       Organic orange juice

-       3 Shallots

-       Butter

-       Basil

-       Chicken bouillon

-       S&P

Directions:

-       Crack eggs in plate with some lemon zest, juice of half lemon, and pinch of S&P and mix. 

-       Put Panko in another plate with orange zest and S&P.

-       Heat oil in pan while you season the fillets, dip them in egg mixture, and then coat them in the Panko.

-       Crisp the fish in oil (medium/high heat) until it is golden brown (time varies depending on stoves, but when it's golden you're golden) and flip around.

-       Keep the fish in a baking dish covered with foil and reheat in oven when about to serve.

-       Dice shallots finely and sauté in a little butter with S&P until a little soft.

-       Add orange juice and leave on high heat until it reduces to less than half and has a thick,  syrupy consistency.

-       Halfway through cooking add a ½ tsp of chicken bouillon for a little flavor. If you don’t want to use bouillon just add a bit more salt and pepper for seasoning.

-       Slice basil into strips and add to reduction to steep.

-       Add squeeze of orange and some orange zest and let cook for 5 more min.

-       Spoon sauce of crispy fillets with some more fresh basil and serve.

(These photos were also taken by Jordan Engle at http://WWW.OGPICS.COM)

Bisous,

Chantilly