A Second Bite at the Apple (32 page)

 

Authentic carbonara contains only four ingredients, aside from salt and pepper: guanciale (or pancetta), cheese, eggs, and pasta. No cream. No peas. No onions. You can, of course, add these things, but part of what makes this dish so delicious is its simplicity.

Oh, and as a fun, nerdy aside: There are many theories as to where the dish got its name, but my favorite is that
alla carbonara
means “in the manner of the coal miner,” and the flecks of ground black pepper in the dish are supposed to mimic the soot that would fall off the miners' clothing as they ate their meals.

 

 

 

Extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces thickly sliced guanciale or pancetta (or even bacon), cut into ¼-inch pieces

3 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, well beaten

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or a combination of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano)

Kosher salt

1 pound spaghetti

Freshly ground black pepper

 

 

Heat a little bit of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it ripples. Add the guanciale or pancetta and cook, stirring often, until crisp. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. While the water is heating, whisk the eggs, egg yolk, and three quarters of the cheese together in a bowl.

Once the water comes to a boil, add a liberal amount of salt—about 2 tablespoons should do it. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring often to prevent the pasta from clumping, until al dente (refer to the side of the package for exact timing). Drain, reserving ¾ cup of the pasta cooking water.

Working quickly, dump the hot spaghetti into the skillet with the pancetta and place over
very
low heat. Add the egg mixture and just enough of the reserved pasta water to make the mixture lusciously creamy. Stir quickly—you don't want to end up with scrambled eggs!

Remove the skillet from the heat, add a bit of ground pepper to taste, and serve, passing the remaining grated cheese at the table.

 

Technically, for an authentic Philadelphia hoagie, you need to use Amoroso's rolls or buy rolls from Sarcone's Deli in Philadelphia. But any oblong roll should do the job.

 

 

 

½ large red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon dried oregano, divided

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 submarine-style sandwich rolls

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

¼ pound thinly sliced Genoa salami

¼ pound thinly sliced prosciutto

¼ pound thinly sliced capocollo

¼ pound thinly sliced provolone cheese

½ head iceberg lettuce, finely shredded

3 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

¼ to ½ cup sliced pickled hot or sweet peppers (optional)

 

 

Soak the onion slices in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes.

Stir together the vinegar and half the oregano; then whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.

Split the rolls lengthwise, pulling out some of the bread from the inside if desired. Brush the interior of the rolls with some of the oil and vinegar mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Layer the meat and cheese on the bottom half of the bread. Drain the onion and pat dry and layer on top of the meat and cheese, followed by the lettuce, tomato, and pickled peppers (if using). Brush with more vinaigrette and, if desired, sprinkle with additional oregano. Season generously with salt and pepper. Place the top half of the roll on the sandwich and serve.

 

Rick's almond poppy seed muffins are actually my mother's poppy seed muffins, and she has made them ever since I was a little girl. As Rick says, they are more cake than muffin, but in my book, that's hardly a strike against.

 

 

 

3 cups all-purpose flour

2¼ cups granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons salt

1½ cups vegetable oil

1½ cups milk

3 eggs

½ teaspoon almond extract

1½ tablespoons poppy seeds

 

 

Center a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two 12-cup muffin tins or line with cupcake liners.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, milk, eggs, and almond extract until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix only until evenly moistened. Stir in the poppy seeds.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake the muffins until they are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

For big cookies à la Rick, use an ice-cream scoop with a 2-inch diameter to scoop the dough onto the cookie sheets. For smaller cookies, reduce the baking time. You can use dark raisins if you like, but Rick and I prefer golden ones.

 

 

 

¾ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon kosher salt

8 tablespoons (¼ pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1½ cups rolled oats (old-fashioned, not quick-cooking)

¾ cup golden raisins

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and add the egg, followed by the vanilla.

With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the oats and raisins and mix just until combined.

Using a 2-inch ice-cream scoop, drop the dough on the baking sheets, spacing the scoops 2–3 inches apart. Flatten the tops slightly with a damp hand. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until lightly browned but still slightly soft in the center. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a minute or so, then transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.

 

These muffins were inspired by the millet muffins at Philadelphia's Metropolitan Bakery, one of my favorite spots to grab a muffin and a coffee. Millet is a whole grain that is often used as birdseed, and it gives baked goods a delicious crunch. (Try adding it to banana bread or waffles!) If you don't have whole wheat pastry flour, you can easily substitute another cup of all-purpose flour. Also, if you want to toast the millet beforehand, you can, but I find that it's an unnecessary step.

 

 

 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup millet

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 cup dark brown sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

cup milk, warmed in the microwave until tepid (about 10 seconds)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two 12-cup muffin tins or line with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, mix together the flours, millet, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, combine the melted and cooled butter, brown sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir together, mixing only until the dry ingredients completely disappear into the batter.

Divide batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake for 15–20 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, with butter and jam.

 

Technically this isn't one of Rick's loaves mentioned in the book, but it's one of my favorite breads to make at home. It was inspired by the OSM (oats, sunflower, millet) Bread I tried at The Bunnery in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

 

 

 

2¼ cups lukewarm water

½ cup honey

1 package (2½ teaspoons) active dry yeast

½ cup canola or safflower oil

2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)

3–4 cups whole wheat flour

1½ tablespoons salt

½ cup rolled oats

¼ cup sunflower seeds

¼ cup millet

 

 

Mix together the lukewarm water and honey in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and stir until dissolved. Allow the yeast to proof for 5–10 minutes, until the yeast rises to the surface and starts to foam.

Stir the oil into the yeast mixture. Then add 1 cup of bread (or all-purpose) flour and 2 cups whole wheat flour and beat with a wooden spoon or the paddle attachment until the batter is smooth and glossy. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Add the salt, oats, sunflower seeds, and millet to the bowl; stir down the dough and blend in. Add the remaining cup of bread flour and stir well. Gradually add in enough whole wheat flour until you have a stiff dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl. When the dough becomes too stiff to stir, switch to the dough hook on your mixer until the dough is soft, but not sticky, 5–10 minutes (or transfer to the counter and knead by hand for 10 minutes). Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl, cover lightly, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1½ hours.

Grease two 9
x 5
loaf pans and line with parchment paper, allowing the parchment to hang over the longer sides of the pan. (This will make it easier for you to lift the loaves out of the pans.) Punch down the dough and knead lightly and briefly to deflate. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a loaf, and place a loaf in each pan. Allow the loaves to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.

About 20 minutes before you bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the loaves for about 40 minutes, until they are nicely browned and sound hollow when tapped. (The internal temperature should be around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.) Allow the loaves to cool in the pans for a few minutes, then lift out of the pans using the parchment paper and let them cool completely.