FOOD

Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe

• Spaghetti Carbonara is one of the most popular Italian pasta dishes. This carbonara recipe combines cream, eggs, cheese and bacon.
• The traditional Italian version omits the cream, but most people in the states are accustomed to having a bit of cream in their pasta carbonara, so we're happy to oblige.
• Also, here's a video that shows how to make Spaghetti Carbonara.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb spaghetti
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 4 eggs
• ½ lb bacon, cut into ½-inch dice
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ¾ cup freshly grated pecorino-romano cheese (parmesan may be substituted)

Preparation :

1. Fill a large soup pot with cold water and add a handful or so of Kosher salt. Stir and taste; it should taste like seawater. Cover the pot and heat the water until it boils.
2. Add the diced bacon to a cold sauté pan and cook slowly over a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels.
3. Drop the spaghetti into the boiling salted water and cook according to package instructions, about 6 to 9 minutes or until al dente, or tender but still firm to the bite.
4. While the pasta cooks, combine the eggs, cheese, cream and olive oil in a bowl and beat with a whisk until completely mixed.
5. Drain pasta, toss with the egg and cream mixture, then add the cooked bacon and chopped parsley. Serve right away, with additional grated cheese if desired.

cc : http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/pastanoodles/r/carbonara.htm

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients

• ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (120 g) sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1+¾ cups (220 g) flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1+¼ sticks (140 g) butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 oz (170 g)semisweet chocolate chips

Method

1. Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer.
2. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
3. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, sifted cocoa powder, and sifted flour and mix well.
4. Add chocolate chips.
5. Place the cookie dough in the refrigerator until next day.
6. Preheat oven to 350 deg F (180 deg C).
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
8. Drop by rounded large spoonfuls of dough (as big as golf balls) onto the cookie sheet.
9. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
10. Bake the chocolate chip cookies until light brown but still soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Always try with a few cookies to check whether the dough is OK.
11. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for a few minutes, then move the cookies to a wire rack.
12. The best result is obtained if you use chocolate chips made especially for baking. You may also cut chocolate bars into small chips, but these will melt during baking (as on the photo above).

Variations

• You may add nuts, smarties or chopped white chocolate in addition to the chocolate chips.

cc : http://www.cacaoweb.net/chocolatechipcookies.html