Okay, let’s
all take a deeeeeep breath. The last three days in Paris have been a wee bit
crazy. I am still having a hard time processing it all… Did all of that just
really happen? Did a gaggle of retarded people just storm Paris in the name of
Islam, take hostages and kill more than a dozen innocent people? Unfortunately,
yes. However, I have to say… I am proud. I am proud that I live amongst these
Parisians… These brave Parisians who rallied without fear or intimidation in
the Republic Square defending their right to free speech chanting, “Je suis
Charlie.” Viva LaFrance.
Enter
comfort food. Today, I think all of France needs a big helping of comfort food.
Today is not a day for poached salmon or goat cheese salad. No, today France
needs a big serving of spaghetti carbonara and copious amounts of wine. Spaghetti
carbonara is a short-term solution until we find a long-term solution to all of
this unrest. Yes Parisians, make a big bowl of spaghetti carbonara, shed some
tears, regain your strength, go forward and, as my friend Diandra always says,
(via Wilferd Peterson), “Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous,
the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads
in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire
within you to leave this world better than when you found it."
Even though
spaghetti carbonara only has a few simple ingredients… It ain’t all that easy
to make. You need to practice. Timing, execution and ingredients are everything
with spaghetti carbonara. You can’t just throw everything in a pan like an asshole.
You have to finesse spaghetti carbonara. There is a wonderful blog called Rachel Eats in which the author
describes her six-year spaghetti carbonara anxiety. After finally overcoming
her fears, she has perfected the recipe. Read the article HERE.
Okay, let’s
start with some secrets from the experts for spaghetti carbonara…
Use whole
eggs and then add one egg yolk.
Use the Japanese
onsen egg method… Learn HERE.
Guanciale or
pancetta is best… Thickly cut with plenty of fat… Fry until crispy but not
crunchy.
Use a
mixture of Parmesan and pecorino.
While
heating the oil, add garlic cloves, infuse the oil and then discard the garlic
before you add the pancetta.
Spaghetti
noodles are good but short rigatoni noodles are better to capture the sauce.
Top with a
dash of nutmeg.
Like I said,
ingredients are key and if you want the very best, the very best, the very best
ingredients for spaghetti carbonara you need to head to Italy and find Paolo Parisi.
Signor Parisi is a Tuscan farmer/shepherd/gourmet/gastro-snob who specializes
in raising Livornese hens and the near extinct black Cinta Senese pigs. Eggs
and pork… Two of the most important ingredients for spaghetti carbonara. Signor
Parisi’s eggs are lauded to be the best eggs on earth having “a fresh taste, a
yoke that is softer and richer in fat than most, with an uncommonly long
protein structure and a mild almond flavor. They also have the capacity to
incorporate three times the amount of air than the average yoke when whipped.” At
$4 a pop per egg, these “well worth it” high maintenance precious hens are all-natural,
free-roaming and are fed goats milk. Signor Parisi’s pedigreed pigs are fed
pinenuts and chestnuts and are allowed three blissful years of free roaming
before being “reincarnated” into guanciale. Wow! :-)
Okay, now
for some recipes…
Spaghetti Carbonara by Damn Delicious Blog. Recipe HERE.
Spaghetti Carbonara by Paolo Parisi. Recipe HERE.
Spaghetti Carbonara by Mario Batali. Recipe HERE.
Spaghetti
carbonara… Mastered!
*Something
you don’t know about me? My daughter was homeschooled for three out of the four
years of high school. It was the best decision we’ve ever made and
surprisingly, it was all Gracie’s idea. I chose to be the type of parent who actually
listened to their child. I believed that I raised Gracie with enough
intelligence that by the time she was entering high school, she was able to
make her own decisions… Sort of. When Gracie was about to start the ninth
grade, we decided to move to Paris. I, of course, started researching schools
for Gracie. Gracie had a mini meltdown. Gracie is so incredibly shy that it actually
hampers her life. She has always been like that and it is just her nature and I
cannot change it. So… I needed to listen to Gracie. She did not want to start a
school in France as a freshman, not knowing the culture and not knowing the
language. She suggested homeschooling. Brilliant idea, I thought. I had already
lost faith in brick-and-mortar schools
anyway. Homeschooling is the wave of the future. I continued my research and
found the best homeschooling program for Gracie.…K-12.com. Gracie learned how
to take charge of her own education, make her own schedule, have a one-on-one
relationship with her teachers and feel proactive towards her future. Gracie
was free to travel and explore the world as well which is an instrumental part
of one’s education. Yep, Gracie woke up at about noon, had a cup of tea and
toast, started her French lessons, had a home-cooked lunch, read her English
literature in the sunshine, had one-on-one tutoring for math, did a little yoga
and swimming in the afternoon for PE, went to a museum for art history, and
escaped every inch of high school peer pressure that destroys self-esteem from
bullies, stoners and slackers. Gracie actually came out of high school
unscathed. No, don’t get the wrong idea, homeschooling is not just for the wealthy
with a stay-at-home parent. There are completely tuition free public
homeschooling programs that provide everything one would need including a
computer, books and supplies. We actually received in the mail, delivered to
our house, art supplies including clay, paint, canvases and everything one
would need for art class. The good news is that I was not the teacher. The
K-12.com program has a designated teacher for each class that Gracie could communicate
with daily via text, email and Skype. I went to work part-time while Gracie was
at home… Homeschooling. Yes, homeschooling is mostly successful if you have a responsible
child, willing to work independently… Which Gracie was. As Gracie organized her
own schedule, she was free by 4 PM when her friends got out of school to “hang
out.” Gracie did not miss out on socializing. After a couple hours of going to
the mall, getting afterschool burritos and smoothies, Gracie returned home and
continued working on her studies until she went to bed. Selfishly, I was so
happy Gracie chose to continue homeschooling in the 11th and 12th
grade because I got to see her sassy little smile all day as I was in the
beginning throes of ALS. (She went to “regular school” in New York for the 10th
grade.) By the time Gracie finished 12th grade, she was ready for
college… Confident, responsible, motivated and proactive. Best decision ever
made over here at the O’Connell household. I know that there is a lot of
controversy surrounding homeschooling. Dare I ask what your thoughts are on
homeschooling?
