Spaghetti alla Carbonara

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Often, when I’ve had a rough day or I’m pulling dinner together late, what I crave is eggs, which are easy to make and light to eat. But there are times when I just don’t want “breakfast for dinner.” I think that’s why spaghetti alla carbonara was invented.

This classic dish is really eggs with bread and bacon, reinvented. The eggs and bacon are tossed with piping hot spaghetti and Parmesan cheese, so that the eggs gently scramble, forming a silky sauce. Spaghetti alla carbonara is just as quick and easy to make as an omelet or frittata, but different enough to make a nice change.

Because this is such a quick dish, the key is having everything ready before you begin cooking, so you can pull it all together very quickly while the spaghetti is still piping hot. I give specific instructions below.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Yields: 2-3 servings
Time to make: ~15 minutes

• ½ lb. spaghetti
• 2 slices bacon, diced
• ½ tbsp. olive oil
• 3 eggs, preferably at room temperature
• 2 tbsp. cream or milk (or substitute pasta cooking water)
• ¼ cup Parmesan, grated
• Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place a large bowl in the sink and set a colander on top of it.

Crisp the bacon in the olive oil and set aside when done. Whisk the eggs with the cream, milk or pasta cooking water and set aside. Cook the spaghetti.

When the pasta is done, drain it in the colander. Immediately empty the hot water out of the bowl and add the spaghetti to the bowl. Mix in the eggs and Parmesan. Toss vigorously until the eggs cook through and coat the spaghetti with sauce. Mix in the bacon, and season to taste.

Note: To increase this recipe to 4-6 servings, use 1 lb. spaghetti, 5 eggs and ½ cup grated Parmesan.

Super Bowl Menu

The Super Bowl is a good excuse to eat bar food at home. Here is what I am planning on making today:

• 2 kinds of dip: guacamole and sun-dried tomato hummus
• chips and crudites for the dips
• buffalo chicken strips with blue cheese dip — The recipe is from Fresh Every Day by Sara Foster and is perfect for Super Bowl watching.
• potato skins — Contributed by my father-in-law.
• blondies — Kind of like what would happen if chocolate chip cookies married brownies and had tasty, tasty babies.

Now I just need to find out who’s playing, and I’ll be set.

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Easy Whole-Wheat Bread

Over the last couple of days, I’ve been making the whole-wheat bread from Mark Bittman’s book Food Matters. I’m not much of a bread baker, and truth to tell, I feel a little anxious about the mysterious process of proofing, kneading and rising.

Bittman promised that this loaf of bread is “almost no work,” and he was right. No proofing or kneading was required, just 18-24 hours of rising time. The final result was a dark, dense loaf that is very tasty warm with a pat of butter. I would definitely make this bread again, perhaps experimenting with other whole grains.

Why I Don’t Eat Shrimp

A couple of years ago, I read an expose in Gourmet on the shrimp-farming industry. What I read about the pollution and environmental destruction caused by shrimp farming, particularly in Asia, and the chemicals that pollute the shrimp caused me to give up eating shrimp almost completely. I had suspected that over the years shrimp had become less tasty, more mushy and more redolent of chemicals. This article just confirmed my suspicions.

My husband has developed a severe reaction to shrimp — only shrimp, not crab or other shellfish. When he was tested, though, he didn’t have a true shellfish allergy. I suspect his sensitivity is to the polluting chemicals found in farmed shrimp now, rather than the shrimp itself.

I will occasionally eat wild-caught Carolina shrimp, if I am in a trustworthy restaurant that labels their shrimp as such. The taste difference is unmistakable. However, there are still problems with wild-caught shrimp, in that trawling destroys the sea floor environment, so I’m considering cutting out even my occasional indulgences.

This article in Alternet has a lot of good information on current shrimp farming and fishing practices, and why shrimp is such a harmful seafood, for you and the environment: Shrimp’s Dirty Secrets: Why America’s Favorite Seafood Is a Health and Environmental Nightmare.

Roasted Asian-style Chicken with Vegetables

Last night, I made one of our rare Asian-themed meals. I don’t often cook Asian, because I don’t usually have the necessary ingredients on hand, but this simple menu didn’t require many unusual ingredients. Also, it helped me clean out the refrigerator by using up the last of the tahini.

For the entree, I roasted chicken according to this method, but I added some mushroom caps and asparagus, cut into 2-inch lengths, to the roasting pan. I also added whole garlic cloves and shaved ginger. Unfortunately, the chicken took a longer time to cook than I thought, so I had to remove the vegetables halfway through or they would have turned to coal. But roasted vegetables taste good whether they’re piping hot or just warm, so all was not lost. When the chicken was finally done, I poured a mixture of soy sauce and lime juice over it on top of the stove. It didn’t take long for the liquid to reduce to a thick glaze in the hot pan. The whole dish was really simple and delicious.

On the side, I served Sesame Noodles vegetarian-style (which was where I used the tahini). I was able to make them ahead of time since they taste just as good at room temperature. My husband really liked the noodles, and I think they made a hearty accompaniment to the chicken and vegetables.

All Those Nice Bamboo Fabrics Aren’t Really Green After All

Call me duped by green-washing, yet again. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a plethora of clothes, sheets and towels made from eco-friendly bamboo available for sale. As a bonus, these fabrics are really soft and silky.

It turns out that this eco-friendly “bamboo” is really chemical-soaked, over-processed rayon. Yes, I should have known better. (To my credit, I think I only actually bought a couple of sets of “bamboo” towels.) The FTC has told retailers to stop claiming their rayon products are bamboo and green when they’re not, retailers that include such heavy hitters as Target, The Gap, Macy’s, Zappo’s, Land’s End, Saks, Sears, Garnet Hill, REI and Nordstrom.

Not only does this news make me feel stupid for falling for the green-washing, but my cynicism has turned up another notch. I just don’t trust any retailer’s green claims at all anymore. So what is an environmentally conscientious consumer to do?

Bamboo-zled: FTC says retailers fibbed about bamboo product claims (Consumer Ally)

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Pre-washed Salad Needs More Washing

Just in case you missed it, Consumer Reports came out with the results of a study on pre-washed bagged salad mixes. A high percentage of their sample, including the “organic brands,” was contaminated by bacteria and fecal matter. So, uh, wash that lettuce again, if you still want to buy it now. The magazine also suggests buying bagged salad as far from their use-by dates as you can find.

Bagged salad: How clean? (Consumer Reports)

Pasta, Risotto-style

Have you ever cooked pasta in the style of risotto? I got the idea from Mark Bittman, and I’ve done it a few times now. It really is delicious, and it’s so nice to have an alternative way to cook pasta that doesn’t involve bringing a gigantic pot of water to a boil (it’s probably more energy-efficient, too).

You can probably use any risotto recipe and simply substitute cut pasta for the rice. Last night, I made it using penne. I sauteed some mushrooms, onions and garlic in olive oil first. Then I added the pasta, stirred it around to coat it with oil, and added a little white wine. When that evaporated, I added the chicken stock, one-quarter cup at a time, until the pasta was cooked through. Just before it was done, I threw in some cubed chicken breast.

A different way to cook pasta is definitely appreciated.

Ciambotta with Baked Eggs

Last night, I made an Italian-style stew called Ciambotta (I don’t know if it was authentic or not because I had never heard of it before). I started with browned sausage, added onion, then garlic, then canned tomatoes, simmer for a while, then zucchini, simmer for a while longer. At the end, I made wells in the mixture and broke some eggs into them. Then I sprinkled grated cheddar over all and popped it into the oven until the eggs were done. I’m too lazy to post the recipe, but it was pretty durn good.

I’m going to try to get out of my snowbound house today because we need provisioning before we get another round of wintry weather. Fortunately, I think the roads are all melted, and it’s only my own cul-de-sac that’s a mess.

Confused About Food Labels?

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You should be. They’re conceived by marketing people to mislead you and entice you into thinking some foods are better for you than they actually are. I found this article to be particularly helpful in breaking down exactly what the food labels mean. Of course, the foods that are best for you are the ones that have no label, i.e., unprocessed foods.

What do your food labels really mean? ‘Free-range, ‘natural,’ ‘non-toxic’ and other myths (Consumer Ally)