Egg Yolk Carbonara with Prosciutto

Egg Yolk and Prosciutto

February 15, 2010 – Home – Got bitten by the cooking bug again so I decided to annoy our cook and make a mess of the kitchen. She gets all territorial. These are pasta shells in a dressing of egg yolks, just a touch of cream, romano, and (the star) roquefort. Topped it off with generous amounts of crispy-baked prosciutto ham. Creamy, tender and crunchy.

I love the deep taste roquefort brings to the table, but use with care – it’s really sharp. Blue cheese on steroids.

Trial 1: Chistorrado

Chistorrado

February 15, 2010 – Home – Couldn’t be satisfied with just one dish, so I followed up with a rice dish I absolutely love from Terry Selection. Still a far cry, but I’m getting close. Chistorrado gets its distinct flavor and color from the slices of chistorra I fried with the raw rice. Add flavor with bell pepper puree and stamen from faux saffron.

I’m trying to perfect the recipe, but I’m dangerously close – I suspect. Add a comment if you want to know how to get started on a Chistorrado recipe.

Just in: My aunt’s patient just gave her a small packet of REAL (US$1,000/pound) saffron! Can’t wait to make a sauce or paella from it. I die.

A Final Trip to Cafe Du Monde

Cafe Du Monde

February 4, 2010 – New Orleans – My days in New Orleans are numbered so I decided to take one last hike up Baronne street to renowned haven for diet-ruining fried indulgences at Cafe Du Monde. It’s a freezing stroll by 3am, but the goal was worth it. A plate of beignets and a cup of coffee later, buyer’s remorse sets in with thoughts of my wasted gym memberships. I headed back before 5am to the hotel and an unfinished 2,500-word article on Smart Grids. Ick!

A Big Easy Helping of Beignets

Cafe Du Monde Beignet

February 2, 2010 – New Orleans – Chills ran down my spine the moment I stepped into the hallowed halls of Cafe Du Monde. I knew I was in for a treat. The wait was mercifully brief, and I was almost immediately greeted by a plate of the freshly fried pillows, absolutely inundated with confectioner’s sugar. Of course, I remembered to order some cafe au lait with it.

On a plane to Louisiana, a farmer I met advised me not to wear black when I went to have a couple of these bad boys. Superhuman amounts of care could not prevent me from getting tiny mounds of white dust on my black suit’s cuffs.

“That’s gonna come off soon enough, Honey. Don’ worry ’bout it. We get folks from all over and they just don’ listen when locals tell ‘em not to wear black when they have a beignet,” said a kind waitress.