I've made carbonara here before (with a much sexier picture) but when I made it then I didn't make it with farmer's market eggs or bacon. Alas, this time around I bought fresh market eggs (which have considerably brighter yolks than the kind you find at the store) and bacon from a stand with a sign that said, "Seriously Good Bacon." As if that weren't testament enough, I saw Jeffrey Steingarten at this same stand a week earlier talking to the owner for a long time so I figured this must be where Iron Chef judges buy bacon. I took the eggs and bacon home and whipped up the carbonara you see above and it was fresh and farmy and perfect. I guess you could say that when I bring home the bacon I really bring home the bacon. And eggs.
Comments (6)
I would definitely purchase food at an establishment frequented by an IC judge. Ok, maybe not Mo Rocca's haunts, but you get my point. He's more smart-arse than judge though he does make some brilliant observations.
Posted by AuntJone | June 20, 2006 11:33 AM
I'm not sure if you ever go to Chelsea Market, but the italian store there sells "prosciutto trimmings" - fatty little bacon-like cubes of prosciutto that fry up really nicely and are an excellent (and cheap, and extremely flavorful) substitute for bacon in carbonara.
Posted by Mr S | June 20, 2006 11:37 AM
Now this is a useful post! My Italian future flatmate has challenged me to a cook-off and picked carbonara because it is "his specialty" and "his family have been making it for years." But he is a stingy student (who probably won't even get fresh pasta), and I am a famers' market junkie so I will use your suggestions to win! ;)
Oh yeah, I like the blog very much. It's one of the sites that got me thinking about starting my own.
Cheers,
Ros,
London
Posted by Ros | June 20, 2006 12:08 PM
Hi,
The picture may not have been dead-sexy, but it caught my eye anyway because I LOVE carbonara. I make several variations on carbonara just to have an excuse to eat pasta coated with delicious eggy sauce. I am lacking such a stellar farmer's market here in Fort Lauderdale, so I am envious of your farm fresh eggs. Do you use pancetta or regular bacon? By the way, I really enjoy your blog. The Tart Whisperer was a recent favorite.
Julie
Posted by Julie | June 21, 2006 11:54 AM
Ros: You need to do some serious research first, especially if your future flatmate's a Roman.
Numero Uno: Never, ever use fresh pasta for a carbonara. Dried. Penne vs. spaghetti if you find yourself on one side vs. the other side of the camp as to origins the dish. Cf. photograph above. Scout your city. Your one advantage may be knowing London. See if you can find real guanciale instead of British bacon, or better yet, become drinking buddies with the kitchen staff of St. Johns should they cure their own pig jowls. Then get yourself to a bookstore, pronto, and look for David Downie's *Cooking the Roman Way.* It's got a nifty little trick for what to do with your eggy sauce and just cooked pasta to make the best carbonara a tongue has ever known..whether human or Lolita's.
Posted by Elizabeth | June 21, 2006 12:33 PM
I have a carbonara recipe I received/was taught by a little old lady from Trento Italy. I was woking as a chef in Germany with her son, Ernesto and we visited her one weekend. Her recipe was made from Mortadella which was made from horse meat. It was great but I cannot get that here in the states. Seems like no one likes horse meat in the US. The carbonara was home made and she used butter. I suggested olive oil but she smacked me (SHE REALLY SMACKED ME!!!!) and said No!!! Only butter!!!!
I have continued to use this recipe for years. It is better than any resaraunt version I have had.
By the way, that's not my real email address. My real address is (remove the asterics)
e*l*g*o*g@r*c*n*.c*o*m.
See ya....
Posted by Elgog | July 3, 2006 2:37 PM