Carbonara: My Favorite Pasta Recipe

My favorite pasta is carbonara, also known as spaghetti carbonara. I have been trying to make one since the moment I tasted it from a small mall resto in my home town. I had looked into recipes from books and instructions from ready-to-make sauce packets, but always end up with a scramble egg. Even when I had the opportunity to observe someone, who traveled in Italy and worked in an Italian kitchen, still the outcome is burnt milk or scramble egg with milk. I thought cooking pasta and preparing complicated sauces is not for me, and will never get to make my own carbonara. I will have to surrender to ordering and paying for it in a restaurant.  Until I found Antonio Carluccio’s video on his real version of spaghetti carbonara on Jamie Oliver’s Youtube Channel [1][2]. The recipe and the video are fairly simple and understandable, plus, Mr. carluccio’s real carbonara is the most healthy and delicious by far.  So, filled with joy in my heart l am happy to share my own version, my discovery and woes in this journey to spaghetti carbonara heaven. 

Let us begin our first pasta recipe with spaghetti carbonara  

Spaghetti Carbonara

(1 serving or 2 but all just for me)

Preparation time:      10 minutes

Cooking time:           10-15 minutes 

Ingredients:

100 grams       spaghetti or spaghettoni (the largest spaghetti)

2 teaspoons    salt

15 grams         guanciale (the cheek of the pork),      or pancetta (Italian bacon) cut into small cubes, or bacon strip (honey cured preferred) cut into ½ inch

1 tablespoon    olive oil

1                      whole egg

1                      egg yolk

25 grams         parmesan cheese (or aged pecorino) freshly grated or Eden Quick Melt cheese, grated

                        freshly ground black pepper

Procedures:

1. To cook the pasta: in our 2 qtr sauce pan, know will serve as our pot, add 1 liter of water or about an inch below the rim. Add 2 teaspoon of salt, bring to boil over medium high heat. Please do not add any oil, and but always remember the ratio of pasta to salt to water using Minifie’s pasta’s one golden rule of 10-100-1000, with 10 grams of salt to cook 100 grams of pasta in 1000 milliliters of water (1000 ml = 1 liter)[3].

2. Once in rolling boil, add the spaghetti by pushing gentle from the top the standing pasta until all submerge into the boiling water, cover the pot and bring to boil, again. Take off the lid once the water is up to boiling again. Cook the pasta until al dente. It would take about more or less 10 minutes. Preparing pasta took some practice and cooking time would also depend on the pasta’s brand and the altitude (and your attitude-joke!).

3. Cut the guanciale or pancetta or honey-cured bacon into chuck or small strips.

4. Heat the olive oil and fry the guanciale or pancetta or bacon until crisp.

5. To prepare the egg and cheese mixture aka sauce: In a bowl, lightly beat 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk, add the grated cheese and pinch of black pepper to taste. The additional egg yolk would make the egg sauce creamy. For additional serving just add 1 whole egg, example 2 servings needs to 2 whole egg and 1 egg yolk.

6. Reduce heat to low of the guanciale or bacon pan, or turn off completely if it is too hot.

7. When the pasta is ready, and if the bacon is already cool turn on heat to very low, just enough to heat back the guanciale or bacon.

8. Drain and add the pasta to the pan with guanciale or bacon. Turn off the heat. Then, mix well to coat and allow the pasta to cool a bit.

9. Add the egg and cheese mixture. Do not add the mixture if it is still too hot or else you get a scramble eggs rather than a creamy egg and cheese sauce.

10. Stir to completely coat the pasta and serve immediately.

NTS when reheating:
To reheat carbonara or any pasta in a microwave, add a tablespoon of water per serving, equally distributed around.

NTS optional ingredients and procedure: 
Ingredients:                 

  ½ tablespoon   butter 

  1 glove             garlic, crush

Procedure:

4. Heat the olive oil and butter in a sauté pan, and add garlic. Once the garlic is aromatic add and fry the guanciale or pancetta or bacon until crisp. Take off the garlic glove when it starts to brown.

How about that! I hope you will find this simple recipe and its bits of side notes informative and useful in your beginner’s kitchen. If you like this blog post, please let me know, leave a comment below and do not forget to follow. If you do not like it, I would be grateful and would want to know what you think, please feel free to post you reactions, corrections and suggestions. Thank you.

As always enjoy. Itadakimase! Kain na!

References

1. Carluccio, A. (n.d.). Spaghetti alla Carbonara: Spaghetti Carbonarra (with Eggs and Bacon) [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://antonio-carluccio.co.uk/recipes/spaghetti-alla-carbonara/

2. Oliver, Jamie. (2014, March 27). Real Spaghetti Carbonara | Antonio Carluccio. [Video file]. Retrieve from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AAdKl1UYZs

3. Minifie, K. (2014, February 28). Pasta’s One Golden Rule. [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.epicurious.com/archive/blogs/editor/2014/02/golden-rule-for-pasta-how-much-salt-in-pasta-water-recipe-and-tips.html

Disaster Relief Donations: Kitchen Essentials

Kitchen essentials are one of the practical and sustainable things to donate after a disaster to a person and/or a family who had lost everything. These items help to gain confidence to start a new without feeling small from self-pity from receiving aid, being dependent and relying on others on the most basic things. The ability to be independent and self-reliant could be a great antidote from helplessness, hopelessness and ward off depression. Having the opportunity again to cook and prepare meals could aid to the path of recover. Thoughtfulness is a better gift than all the things money could buy.      

Kitchen for Beginners: 

How to be Smart in Assembling a Functional Kitchen Part II

This is the second part of the 4 part series of “Kitchen for Beginners: How to be Smart in Assembling a Functional Kitchen.”  The items enumerated in the first part were a 4 quarter heavy duty sauce pan with all metal lid, 14 inch wooden spoon and spatula, 2 cutting boards, 8 inch chef’s knife, 2 large microwaveable mugs, and 2 sets of eating utensils, cutlery or tableware. Basically, the size and quantity of items points out to a single and/or two-person household, however, still remain flexible to any household-size.

A kitchen is an important part of our home, an appropriate place to cook and prepare healthy meals. It is important to have the proper, if not the best, tools in cooking for safety and health reasons. Moreover, both  short and long-term economic benefits are gained from purchasing the right and multifaceted tools and equipment. For this month,six kitchen items would be added to the list of kitchen essentials based on its versatility.

  

1. All-purpose Frying Pan

In procuring pots and pans, a heavy-duty quality is always the top of the list of reason, next would be the purpose, and lastly the price. For an all-purpose frying pan, the best choice would be a heavy duty 12-inch stainless steel traditional skillet, with 10 inches cooking space, light in color, with 8 inches stainless steel handle that promote firm grip. If I had to have just one pan it would be this pan, as it is good for just about anything and could cook literally everything, whether it is shallow frying, sautéing, stir frying, pan roasting and even baking a pie. A skillet is a frying pan with a low flaring side and curve wall that makes it easy to handle and flip food while cooking. The shape also encourages evaporation which is why it is good in searing, browning and reducing pan sauce.  The curve-shape also makes it easy to clean and wash. A lighter colored pan helps see and control cooking like butter browning and reducing sauces.  Like any tool, always choose the one that gives a firm comfortable grip, this is for safety as one would be handling hot items.

An all-purpose frying pan is no good if it could not retain and maintain heat evenly, hence a material of stainless steel or a combination of an aluminum-core sandwiched with two stainless steel layers would be the most economical and less intimidating compare to a cast-iron and safer compare to a nonstick pan. Just like stainless steel, cast-iron is good in tempering heat but could be to intimidating and too much aftercare for a beginners. Another  material is aluminum, aluminum pans are the cheapest, but is totally no good, as it heat up fast but uneven, would surely burn food and surely just forget about making sauces. In addition, this material warp and twist in high heat and sudden temperature change. While non-stick pans, may it be fluoropolymer-based or ceramic-based, are only good for cooking eggs as it has a limited heat threshold and could only handle low heat[1].    A well made heavy duty 12-inch stainless steel skillet or frying pan is a versatile pan to keep in your kitchen.         

  

2. Tong

A 9 inch wooden tong would be a recommendable choice to protect delicate cookware surface, but for beginners a safer option would be a 9 inches stainless steel tong with a locking mechanism. The length would be long enough to keep heat and hot oil away from but maintains stability and controllability by a novice cook. Avoid items that is made of plastic even it claims to be heat resistant, always check qaulity of heat resistance silicon. Again, for safety reason, the choice is always based on how the tong gives a firm grip in your hands.

  

3. Medium Sieve

A 8 inches in diameter bowl-shaped stainless steel medium sieve, with mesh size of 1/16, with curve stainless steel hooks opposite from the long stainless steel handle for stability. Always avoid items that are made of rubber and plastic. Make sure the construction of the sieve is sturdy that it could withstand pressure without pulling loose from its frame, so a little test would be ample assessment by pressing it a few times. This size of sieve is used in draining rice, noodle or pasta from a 4 quarter sauce pan.  Moreover, this type of strainer is useful in straining lumps in thick sauces and sifting flour in baking. There are other different types of sieves, this medium sieve and 2 other are used regularly. The other sieves are fine sieves with mesh size of 1/32 and superfine mesh these are used in refining texture of sauces and strain tea leaves, respectively.

  

4. Box Grater

A 10 inches 4 sided stainless steel box grater, with stable and comfortable handle. Grater, together with peeler, has been considered as cutting tools as it has cutting surfaces [2]. The grater’s large and medium holes are used for grating soft cheeses and vegetables. While the smallest holes are used to produce small-fine shreds from hard cheeses, nuts and garlic. For safety, always used a downward motion when grating, and avoid forcing the last small piece to avoid cuts injury.

  

5. Peeler

A stainless steel speed peeler with swivel blade, considered as a cutting tool, used for peeling fruits and vegetables at a faster rate and shorter time [3], a great kitchen assistant. It is a good alternative for a paring knife when a beginner is not comfortable and confident enough to use a knife in peeling. A good peeler could also be used in slicing cheeses and making chocolate curls.

  

6. Kitchen Towels

A dozen or more of 11.5 inches by 24.5 inches, rectangular, white, soft, water-absorbent towels would be the final piece for this article on 6 versatile kitchen essentials, as these towel are not only used as a hand towel to dry hands, but also wipe dry cooking and table wares, clean and wipe counters and could be used as a pot holder. For a good standard hygiene practice, have a separate towel for each purpose and should be change everyday or depending how dirty and unsanitary it gets. And having it in white color would be easy to wash and disinfect without lamenting on color discoloration from the regular washing and bleach solution.

I hope this article provided some additional knowledge and ideas that could help in assembling and/or improving your kitchen. If you like this article, please do not forget to follow this blog and leave a comment, question, and/or suggestions. If you don’t please feel free to post your reactions and corrections that could help improve this article or this blog in general. I always appreciate what you think. Thank you.

As always enjoy cooking.

References

1. Guiliano, M. (2014, September 22). What are the Best Saute Pan. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vODAg4A2LTQ

2. Sir Makes A Lot. (2015, May 6). How to Use a Grater and Peeler. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsvNCW5gN7k

3. Ramsay, G. (2016, May 16). Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Kit | What You Need To Be A Better Chef. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-av6cz9upO0

Maximizing Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

If you are in optimal health and functioning normally; without illness or congenital disease; and capable and able to eat fresh, nutritious and balanced diet, perhaps one do not need vitamin and mineral supplements. For some people, who have some anatomical and physiological deficiencies, disease and/or structurally absent then such dietary supplements may useful as it helps correct, normalize and/or alleviate aberrant functions.  

Presenting a guide on the right time to take supplements. Simplifying would make it more convenient and comfortable. It would maximise supplement's benefits by taking with ideal dietary complements to increase absorption and avoid taking two or more supplements that competes with each other, such as having similar absorption mechanism. Lastly, enjoying additional benefits by just taking it on an ideal time. I do not recommend taking all of the vitamins and mineral supplements on this list, but just in case you are or someone you know is then here is a simple way to manage taking vitamins and minerals.

BEST TIME TAKEN:

IN THE MORNING

Iron (II) or Ferrous Sulfate

Indicated for anemia, when red blood cell count is less than normal range

Best taken on empty stomach

Avoid taking with calcium supplement and antibiotic therapy as those compete and inhibit absorption.

Taken for a limited period (ex. 7 consecutive days), then re-evaluation red blood cell count.

Vitamin B or Vitamin B complex (water-soluble vitamins)

Indicated for deficiency due to poor diet, illness or pregnancy

Best taken with meal

Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid
(water-soluble vitamin)

Indicated for deficiency

Best taken with meals and split doses throughout the day

Vitamin E (fat-soluble vitamin)

Indicated for deficiency

Best taken with meals, best absorbed with dietary fats

IN THE AFTERNOON

Vitamin D (fat-soluble vitamin)

Indicated for vitamin deficiency, and/or calcium deficiency (hypocalcaemia)

Best taken with meals, best absorbed with dietary fats

It could have some negative influences on sleep, best taken in earlier in the afternoon.

It is synthesized by the body after exposure to sunlight, an approximately 5-30 minutes of sun exposure between 8am-10am and 3pm at least twice a week to the face, arms, legs, or back without sunscreen, have been suggested.

Vitamin K (fat-soluble vitamin)

Indicated for bleeding disorders, taking anticoagulants, and/or abnormal calcification

Best taken any time; Best taken with vitamin D, calcium and vitamin C;

Best taken with meals, best absorbed with dietary fats.

IN THE EVENING

Fish Oil or Omega 3 fatty acids

Helps absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and aids cardiac (heart) health

Best taken with meal

Probiotics (example, Yakult)

Helps to balance intestinal microflora

Best taken on empty stomach or 30-60 minutes before meals (to minimize interaction with digestive enzymes).

BEFORE BEDTIME

Calcium

Indicated for hypocalcaemia, and/or pregnancy

Best taken with Vitamin D and Magnesium

Magnesium

Indicated for hypomagnesaemia or low in magnesium, and/or pregnancy

Best taken before sleeps, as it also aids in sleep

GENERAL RULES:

1. Always check with your physician/s if you are taking medications to ensure there are no contraindications.

2. Wash supplements down with water and not hot drinks, coffee or tea.

3. Keep in a cool, dry, and dark place.

4. Do not double up if you miss a dose. Just take it on the next schedule.

5. Do not exceed the recommended dose, unless prescribed by your physician.

This is just a simple guide to show that timing in taking supplements helps maximize the benefits, avoid discomforts and wastage. I hope this blog post provide useful bytes. Please leave a comment and follow if you like this post. And feel free to let me know what you think by posting your suggestions, questions, reactions and/or corrections.

As always enjoy and be healthy.

References

MIMS. (2014.). MIMS: Monthly Index of Medical Specialities. United Kingdom: Haymarket Media Group.

Holick, M.F. (2007.). Vitamin D deficiency. New England Journal of Medicine, 357, 266-81.

About "IN OUR HOMES...SWEET HOME"

Its Second Take

The initial concept for this blog was to provide advice on domestic chores, but realize the shallow and narrow perspective is quite limiting.  Housekeeping is a part of our lives, simple footling, should one take pride and precedence above other things? Rather than totally abandoning this blog, like most people do when things didn’t go their way on things they signed into, with understanding we will take it back and try to make it grow to something realistic.

This is not just another housekeeping blog for budding housewife, young mothers and madams. This is about changing domestic chores from dreadful, monotonous and enslaving activities that one wants to avoid and designate to lowly class into a more understood, do-it-yourself proletarian and egalitarian tasks. This is about HOME-CARE, not only the structure but also the most important part is the individual and/or families and their well-beings living in one. This is about self-fulfillment of cooking simple meals, creating an environmentally safe and self-sufficient garden, understanding the health and preventative measures of maintaining a good standard of hygiene, and much more. Hopefully eliminate the brain cell-depleting and spirit-crushing monotonous duty-oriented chores.

This blog is for everyone who has a home, who searching for a home, and/or wishing for a home; from a single individual household, or with a partner, or a roommate, to a growing, or a shrinking family.  For now, this is our home where one can find useful information from facts to well-though suggestions that would aid in home-care decisions, where one could avoid mistakes that most made, know where to invest smartly, and make every decision and task purposeful…You know…things that most people wish they knew sooner or when they were younger. So, this is a glimpse at those trivial matters that could stress out and give sleepless night that could be solved or prevented.

All is welcome to post comments, suggestions, ideas, questions and reactions. I would want to know what you think.  And do not forget to follow.

Please enjoy! Thank you!