The Cellar - View Single Post - Okay, this is the most recent Recipe Thread

Urbane Guerrilla · 07-20-2007, 01:58 AM

Seems some comic book artists are not only major chowhounds, but very talented in that direction. Chaykin put this simple recipe in the back of an issue of American Flagg back in the 1980s. Naming it "Spaghetti Alpha Carbonara" made some kind of sense in the context of the story -- the hero was a Martian colonist, Alpha was part of the name of his home town... something like that. It's been years, nay, decades. And it's been that long since I've last eaten it.

So I dusted off the recipe tonight.

As with any simple entree recipe, use high-quality, not baseline, ingredients to give this its full effect. In particular, choose a flavorful kind of bacon, something that really impressed you. Health food? -- nope; probably better serve this with plenty of red wine at the table (salad's a given), and in a day that included lots of exercise. This recipe is good bachelor chow for impressing a new girlfriend with -- though she might not eat much! Still, she'll savor each bite...

Spaghetti Alpha Carbonara

1/2 lb/225g Bacon -- about half a package, most places. Use your favorite kind.
4 TBSP/60ml Vegetable Oil, divided. No need to be exact with this one either.
1 TBSP Butter
4 cloves Garlic, peeled and crushed
3/4 cup/200ml heavy Cream
2/3 cup/315ml grated Parmesan
Salt
1 lb pkg Spaghetti or other long pasta -- 454g pkg

All quantities somewhat approximate -- this dish can be stretched for large parties.

Equipment other than stove: large mixing bowl, measuring cups, pasta claw or other implements to toss pasta in bowl with carbonara sauce and parmesan, large frying pan

Cut Bacon slices across into 1/4" pieces.
Put 2 TBSP Oil, Butter, crushed Garlic cloves in frying pan, saute at medium-high heat until garlic is golden brown, remove and discard garlic. This doesn't take long.
Add Bacon, saute until cooked.
Add half of Cream, simmer at lower heat 1 minute or until cream thickens. Remove from heat.

Boil 4 qts water in large pot, adding 2 TBSP Oil, Salt, 1 lb of Spaghetti. When spaghetti is al dente, drain.

Reheat pan of bacon and cream, adding remaining cream. When hot, toss Spaghetti together with bacon and cream and Parmesan cheese in mixing bowl until thoroughly mixed. Serve hot, with a salad and red wine.

[Man, am I full!]

07-20-2007, 01:58 AM	#163
Urbane Guerrilla Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,674	Howard Chaykin taught us this one. Seems some comic book artists are not only major chowhounds, but very talented in that direction. Chaykin put this simple recipe in the back of an issue of American Flagg back in the 1980s. Naming it "Spaghetti Alpha Carbonara" made some kind of sense in the context of the story -- the hero was a Martian colonist, Alpha was part of the name of his home town... something like that. It's been years, nay, decades. And it's been that long since I've last eaten it. So I dusted off the recipe tonight. As with any simple entree recipe, use high-quality, not baseline, ingredients to give this its full effect. In particular, choose a flavorful kind of bacon, something that really impressed you. Health food? -- nope; probably better serve this with plenty of red wine at the table (salad's a given), and in a day that included lots of exercise. This recipe is good bachelor chow for impressing a new girlfriend with -- though she might not eat much! Still, she'll savor each bite... Spaghetti Alpha Carbonara 1/2 lb/225g Bacon -- about half a package, most places. Use your favorite kind. 4 TBSP/60ml Vegetable Oil, divided. No need to be exact with this one either. 1 TBSP Butter 4 cloves Garlic, peeled and crushed 3/4 cup/200ml heavy Cream 2/3 cup/315ml grated Parmesan Salt 1 lb pkg Spaghetti or other long pasta -- 454g pkg All quantities somewhat approximate -- this dish can be stretched for large parties. Equipment other than stove: large mixing bowl, measuring cups, pasta claw or other implements to toss pasta in bowl with carbonara sauce and parmesan, large frying pan Cut Bacon slices across into 1/4" pieces. Put 2 TBSP Oil, Butter, crushed Garlic cloves in frying pan, saute at medium-high heat until garlic is golden brown, remove and discard garlic. This doesn't take long. Add Bacon, saute until cooked. Add half of Cream, simmer at lower heat 1 minute or until cream thickens. Remove from heat. Boil 4 qts water in large pot, adding 2 TBSP Oil, Salt, 1 lb of Spaghetti. When spaghetti is al dente, drain. Reheat pan of bacon and cream, adding remaining cream. When hot, toss Spaghetti together with bacon and cream and Parmesan cheese in mixing bowl until thoroughly mixed. Serve hot, with a salad and red wine. [Man, am I full!] __________________ Wanna stop school shootings? End Gun-Free Zones, of course.