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Showing posts from November, 2014

The real Italian recipe pasta carbonara

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My friend is calling me all the time, when he is in town, for this recipe. Now the French people changed the recipe. We started to add "lardon" (bacon) and cream. Sacrilege! But where in Italy did you eat it like that? Tell me that I complain and that is jail time guaranteed!  We insult generations of Roman mammas doing that . We have to stop immediately . And you're going to read what follows , because I 'll give you the one and only recipe for Pasta alla Carbonara . You love Carbonara ? Me too. Ingredients: 1) 1 egg per person - so 2 people = 2 eggs 2) You throw away the bacon and you take only the pancetta ( or Arrotolata affumicata ) 3) Parmigiano Reggiano , as much as it makes you happy 4) Salt, pepper and olive oil And be careful, listen - THAT IS ALL! You put the pasta in large volume of water because they need to swirl in the water, they want to dance.  You love to go on a packed dance floor where you can not even move? No ? Well, pasta are the ...

The Cheeriest of Times – A Continuing Compendium of Happy Hours

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Part I The joy of happy hour is comprised of several elements: excellent food, great atmosphere, prompt and friendly service especially as time runs out, and cheap(er) food and drink.   Pierpont’s shines in all categories. Pierpont’s has probably one of the best atmospheres in town, for starters.   Beautiful bar – where, in the past, I’ve been guilty of ordering a whiskey up high, just to watch the (male) climber.   Very complete lounge menu, from a filet, crab cake and fries for $13 to mussels for $6 and homemade chips for $5.   Several kinds of sliders for $6.   More of course. There’s wine and 8 cocktails to be imbibed at $5.50, Boulevard drafts at $4, and others as well. This is not a huge bar, but there’s usually room. And it’s such a beautiful and cozy bar.   Go this week and tell them Chris sent you.   Pierpont's Poutine Just part of the poutine – my portly companion started without me!   Two perfectly deli...

Genovese does pizza perfectly — and everything else, too

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After a trip to Topeka for soccer, we decided to stop at Genovese Italian in Lawrence. Owned by Subarna Bhattachan and Alejandro Lule — proprietors of Lawrence's popular La Parilla and Zen Zero dining spots — and Mexican-born chef Armando Paniagua. It's located in the three-story building, Genovese features seasonal rustic Italian cuisine from the Liguria region of North West Italy by the Italian Rivieras. The restaurant imported Italian made wood-fired rotisserie and charcoal grill. Additionally, another cooking feature is the gas/wood fired pizza oven. The menu features hot and cold antipastis, soup & salads, crisp thin pizzas, homemade fresh pastas --ravioli, fettuccine, pappardelle and gnoochi, and wood-fired rotisserie meats. We were seated on the second floor and the dining room was noisy and upbeat, with high ceilings. The people can afford to become regulars here; the prices are modest. Diners can also choose from a wide range of wines from the wine list whet...

Laduree Macaron recipe

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25 individuals macaron Preparation: 2h Cooking: from 12 to 15 min Finely chop the chocolate and place in a bowl. In a saucepan, bring the cream to the boil. Add the chocolate in three stages mixing in thoroughly between each. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the ganache until it is smooth. Place in a roasting dish and lay plastic wrap on top so is it touching the mixture. Leave to cool at room temperature, and then place in the refrigerator for an hour until it has the consistency of soft margarine. In a food mixer, blend together the ground almonds, confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder until you have an extremely fine powder. Sift. In a bowl placed in a bain-marie, melt the chocolate and heat to 35°C (95°F). Courtesy image: Do it in Paris facebook Whip the eggs. When the have a mousse-like consistency, add a third of the caster sugar and whip for another minute. Add the rest of the sugar and whip for another minute before adding the melted chocolate. Then use a ...