Bali Expat Forum - Bali Travel Forum

Yep I agree milan, the non-twist version is the one for me.. I love fennel flavoured pork sausage, but on its own.. I love the way italians eat - carbs seperate from meats.. Meats before pasta.. Its actually also a very healthy way to eat, by eating the proteins first, it slows the digestion of the refined carbs (ie the pasta), which without the protein, would be digested very quickly and shoot up the blood glucose - the body then reacts by releasing insulin, to mediate the glucose levels but at the same time it slams the brakes on your metabolism and ensures most of the refined carbs get stored as fat.. Or something to that effect.. I underwent a bit of weight loss last year and have had to learn some new techniques to keep it off - but hey, some people are lucky and can eat whatever they want, whenever they want.. I'm jealous!

Ct

milan wrote:

If I were making it today, I'd get around 2 cups of basil leafs, 1/2 cup of pine nuts, 2/3 cup of green-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, then grind it in a pistol (spell check needed) and mortar.. Then once a liquified emulsion, I'd stir in about 3/4 of a cup of parmegano regiano (again, spell check needed).. Cook the pasta al'dente, then after straining, in the same pot throw in the pesto mix and toss it round for a minute or so - if you cook the basil too much, it loses it's flavour..

in a pistol and mortar,
first i place the fresh garlic, crush, one tiny chilli (that is my personal taste and not the authentic versian)crush,
add the 2 cups of fresh/tender leaves of basil, crush,
add salt,pepper,

lightly toast the pine nuts, (wait till they are cold before adding them or they will burn the basil leaves) then lightly crush a few of them to release their flavour. (most remain intact).

finally add the extra virgin olive oil, stir in the parmesan cheese- regiano/grana padano

all this is NOT cooked at all.

The Genovese (people of Genoa) which is where this recipe was born. Use also potato and green string beans. you chop these and boil them with the pasta. (you have to get your timing right or the potato will be too raw and the pasta overcooked or vice versa. ) if you get what i mean.
Strain all this above. Then add all your basil mixture , more parmesan and

buon apetito.

I agree with Milan,,
It is adultery to add sausages and sundried tomato to this dish.

Italy keeps their cooking very simple.

Mmm, that sounds delicious!!

Yes, I forgot a critical step!! The roasting of the pinenuts.. I am going to try your recipe chilli - I never knew pesto had garlic in it?

Yes like I said, I tried the variation with sausage once in vancouver - it seems to be a very north american thing to kill the traditional way of eating italian food (the same way chicago killed the true pizza ) - I also prefer the simple, unmodified or 'unadulterated' way..

Ok, what about cabonara?? This is a dish that every restaurant seems to botch.. I have a recipe that I lovvvvve, but I'll go second, so long as you guys have one to post

Ct

here goes;

extra-virgin olive oil
guanciale or pancetta or bacon, sliced into small strips

cook for about 3 mins,

2 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or grana padano, plus more for serving,
freshly ground black pepper
about one handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the spaghetti will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished; it is very important that the pasta is hot when adding the egg mixture, so that the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs. Keep some on the water which you cooked the pasta in to add later.

Add the drained spaghetti to the pan and stir/mix for a few minutes to coat the strands in the meat fat.

Beat the eggs, pepper and Parmesan (all together) in another bowl.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/parmesan mixture into the pasta, whisk quickly until the eggs thicken, not to be scrambled (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen). if you need to, thin out the sauce with a bit of the pasta water (you kept aside) until it reaches the desired consistency.

Season the carbonara with freshly ground black pepper and taste for salt. (usually the pancetta/bacon is salty enough), add the parsley and more pepper to taste.

( i think a tiny weeny bit of chilli if you like, i know it is not part of the recipe, but im a chilli LOVER).....

I read a book entitled "rejuvenation secrets of the world ", by Dr. Arvo Paiola ( i forget his name now) and one of the secrets was Chilli.. so seeing i love it so much anyway, i seem to add it to most of my recipes.. even just a touch. My husband jokes with me that i dont put it in my coffee.......lucky he loves chilli too. !

hi chilli,

well that again sounds delicious..

mine is only very slightly different..

1. to the pancetta or bacon i add a dozen or so fresh thyme sprigs (depending on the amount i'm cooking)..

2. i only use the egg yolks and to the egg yolks / parmesan mixture i add cream - 1/2 a cup per 3 egg yolks..

3. i don't use parsley

everything else, identical, right down to ensuring you keep some of the pasta water to add later..

on a different note, i wish it'd stop raining in london! it's 11.52pm in surabaya and i just want this dam federer / nedal game to finish and i want federer to kick his butt of course, but it's not looking good at the moment - he's down 2 sets to none and is looking as though he's mentally thrown it in

Hubby and I do not eat Spaghetti Carbonara at all as it has too much cholesterol.

But here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
4 tbsps of oil
240 grms smoked bacon cut in cubes of 1 cm
500 grams spaghetti
8 yolks
110 grms grated parmesan cheexe
2 tbsps chopped parsley

Heat up the oil in a pan and sautee the bacon for 5-10 minutes until they turn crispy.
Take them out and place them on a paper towel to absorb the oil.
While in another bigger pan, boil the water with salt. Add drops of oil as to separate the spaghetti and cook them to the time instructed on the packett of the spaghetti.
Just before taking the spaghetti out and strain them, beat the yolks, add some black pepper in it. Add also 3 tbsps of the boiling water into the mixture and then the parmesan.
Strain well and mix with the yolks and parmesan.
Sprinkle bacons and the parsley over.

Voila! Selamat mencoba.

Sounds delicious too milan, except the straining of the oil from the bacon that's a lot of the flavour, but I guess your is a healthier version of carbonara

I need to try it with the parsley next time, given that's how both yourself and chilli prepare it..

Ct

that is why i do not use cream/panna in my carbonara recipe (dont overdo the cholesterol and calories)..

Warung Italia has become one of my favorite resturaunts in my 3 weeks so far in bali. I end up eating there once or twice a week.

Just like you Bali Life my favorite is the Tagliatelle al Pesto. I've seen a few others around but have only eaten at the one on JL Kunti

absolutely, it's amazing..