Welcome back!  Today, we have the third recipe in our series of the Four Roman Pastas: Pasta Carbonara! This is probably the most popular of the four, and it's no surprise, because this dish is the perfect comfort food: flavorful, rich, and creamy. The sauce may remind you of something like alfredo sauce, but the difference could not be larger: modern Alfredo sauce is largely based on cream, while the body of carbonara sauce is actually egg!  Pasta Carbonara Makes about 4 servings Ingredients: 12 ounces spaghetti (or any other pasta, but spaghetti is traditionally used) 2 whole eggs 2 egg yolks 2 ounces Pecorino Romano, finely grated 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 ounces guanciale You'll also need some pasta water, probably around a cup Directions: In a bowl, beat the whole eggs and egg yolks together. Add in the Pecorino Romano and black pepper and mix it all together.  In a pan, saute the guanciale in the olive oil until crispy, for ...

Welcome back!  Today, we have the second in our series on the four Roman pastas: Pasta alla Gricia! This builds off of the concepts found in the Cacio e Pepe, this time introducing a new ingredient, guanciale, or cured pork jowl. This fatty cut is where this sauce gets its richness from, as the oils derived from the meat is what everything is eventually cooked in. You might also see this called "carbonara without egg", which may be technically true, but doesn't really capture the differences of the dishes. Pasta alla Gricia Makes about 4 servings Ingredients: 12 ounces pasta (we used rigatoni, spaghetti is also used) 6 ounces guanciale 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 3 ounces Pecorino Romano, grated Don't forget to save some pasta water, about 1/2 to 1 cup. Directions: In a pan, cook the guanciale in the olive oil for about 5 minutes, until crispy. Once done, take the pan off the heat and remove the guanciale, but save the oil/fat. Crush the black p...

Welcome back!  Today, we have the first in the series of four Roman pastas: Cacio e Pepe! Cacio e pepe is an amazingly simple yet flavorful pasta that we will use to introduce the common techniques found in these four pastas. The sauce is really just comprised of a few things: black pepper, cheese - specifically Pecorino Romano - and an oil to cook the pepper in. Because of the simplicity, it's important to use good ingredients and not cut corners in order to take it to the next level (instead of just being like a glorified mac and cheese). Cacio e Pepe Makes about 4 servings Ingredients: 12 ounces pasta (tonnarelli is traditionally used) 4 tablespoons butter (or olive oil, or even a combination of the two) 1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (use whole peppercorns) 3 ounces Pecorino Romano, grated Don't forget to save some pasta water! You'll need about 1/2 of a cup. Directions: In a pan, toast the the whole black peppercorns. Once the pepper flavor comes out, take this off the he...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a quick recipe to enhance something very simple: corn! This method of preparing corn is inspired by the viral dish, "corn ribs", but it's really not anything too complicated, consisting primarily of just a seasoning rub over the corn. The interesting component to this dish is how the corn sort of curls when cooked because of being quartered the way it is.  Oven-Baked Spiced Corn Ingredients: 2 ears corn 1 tablespoon melted butter/oil 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon salt Pinch of cayenne (optional) Directions: Cut the corn into quarters to create four long strips. This will be easier if you cut the corn in half first, giving you eight shorter strips. Mix the melted butter/oil, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and cayenne together in a bowl. Rub this mixture on the corn. Bake in the oven at 425°F for 10-12 minutes. For an oven like ours with an air-fry setting, you could air-fry it at 400°F for about 10 minutes. Honestly...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a recipe for a simple Italian dessert: Panna Cotta! This dish literally means "cooked cream", and really, that's all it is! It takes just a few ingredients but when put together, is elevated into something much more refined. What's even better is that you can garnish the panna cotta with a variety of different sauces or toppings; since it has such a simple flavor, a multitude of things will pair well with the dessert. Panna Cotta Ingredients: 1 cup milk 1 cup heavy cream 1 package (7 grams) gelatin 3 tablespoons water or milk 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions: Bloom the gelatin by pouring it into the water and letting it sit for a few minutes. In a pot, pour in the milk and cream. Set this on the stove on medium-low heat. Add in the sugar and stir to let it dissolve and mix. Once the mixture starts to form little bubbles, take it off the heat. Add in the bloomed gelatin and the vanilla extract and mix it in. As quickly a...

Welcome back!  Today, we have an interesting take on a unique Italian dish: Gnocchi! We used our Breville Smart Oven Air again to air-fry these gnocchi, getting them to a wonderful consistency - crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Mixed with a simple herb and spice blend, making this recipe allows you to really appreciate the gnocchi's innate qualities. Air-Fried Gnocchi Ingredients: 1 package (1 pound) gnocchi 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon thyme (you could also substitute with other herbs/spices that you like) Directions: Coat the gnocchi with the olive oil in order for the seasoning to stick. Season the gnocchi with salt, garlic powder, paprika, and thyme. Air-fry at 400°F for 12-15 minutes. There are many ways you can enjoy this air-fried gnocchi. We actually like to eat these plain or with a little dipping sauce, such as marinara, as shown above. Otherwise, you could toss it with some fresh greens, to...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a recipe for a special preparation of a fruit: Poached Pears! Poaching is a great way to enjoy your pears by imbuing them with interesting flavors that really enhance the pear's natural flavor. This is typically done with a base of wine, red or white, but then the other herbs and spices can vary, really just depending on what you like. Of course, we tried to pick flavors that would complement the wine selection. Poached Pears Ingredients: 4 pears For a red wine poach: 2 cups red wine 1/2 cup orange juice or water (if the wine is not enough to poach the pears) 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons honey 1 piece orange peel 1 stick cinnamon (or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon) Other spices, like cloves, star anise, or peppercorn For a white wine poach: 2 cups white wine 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons honey 2 slices ginger, thinly sliced 10 large leaves of mint Directions: In a pot, pour in the wine and any additional liquid, if necessary. Place the pears in...