So. Cal Wine Country Chef on Bacon & More

So I got my boogie on, cycling this week. As a chef, I taste so much frigen' food, that my calories intake is on the other side of the richter scale- right along side my B-U-T-T. Whenever we produce a dish with bacon, I manage more then just a taste, I shovel it in. Kind of like my very dear girlfriend Meesch, who is a Vegetarian, she was recently seduced by a pancetta inspired dish. See.. the pigs have got it all going on.

So lets just be clear on one point, bacon fat can enhance the over-all flavor of a recipe, taking the flavors of your dish up a notch. Whether you put the lardon in your salad dressing (which I will post a slammin' balsamic/lardon dressing later, that will make your panties drop- boys included) or searing vegetables, cooking an egg.. bacon is better. Julia says butter.. I say butter and bacon, because after all the heart needs a little more pink, oinking love. As yo mama said, (and if she didn't then slap her with bacon) everything in moderation kids! I am off to write my late winter menu's for our catering division- our farmers are producing produce that I did not think was going to make it thru the crazy Southern Californian winter.
Tah for now my little foodies..

So. Cal Wine Country Chef on a Bike, smells bacon!

Somebody turn down the smell factor when it comes to bacon... please!

I'm peddling away on my bike, going for mile 10, when my very 'nosy' little chef nose catches a whiff of bacon. It doesn't matter that I'm peddling into a head wind, and going 13mph. That damn pig managed to waft its yummy-ness into my headwind, causing a sensory over load in my brain, not to mention my salivating little taste buds were doing the cha cha. The recipes started swirling around in my head.. and thoughts of chocolate and bacon made me peddle faster. So if I do another 5 miles, I can totally get my bootie home, make a BLT (with pancetta) then have my Bacon Chocolate Bar from vosges. Maybe carbonara for dinner!

Sold.. 5 more miles it is.. HA, I am such a pig.. lover that is!

My favorite carbonara recipe: yields 6-8 portions

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry spaghetti
  
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tabs of butter
• 1/2 cup of cream
  
• 1/2 pound of pancetta or good bacon chopped
• 1/4 pound of mild Italian sausage
  
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (gotta have the parsley)
  

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (water should taste like the sea) add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes- or until your happy with the texture. I prefer al dente- Italian for firm. Drain the pasta, toss one tablespoon of olive oil so the noodles do not stick together, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water to use in the sauce.. DON"T FORGET!

While the pasta is doing its thing- heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Add the pancetta/bacon and sausage and saute for 3-5 minutes, until the bacon is crisp, the sausage is cooked and the fat is rendered. Once the meats are done, remove from the pan, leaving the rendered fat behind. Toss the garlic into the fat and saute for less than 1 minute to soften, then remove garlic and hold. **store your bacon/sausage fat for another day and another recipe!!

Add the butter to the pan (leave all the brown bits.. in other words, don't clean your pan after removing the bacon and the fat) just when the butter melts add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan and toss for 1 minute, then add the cream and toss for 2 minutes coating the noodles. Add your bacon and sausage to the pan. Grab a bowl- beat the eggs, Pecorino, sauteed garlic and parsley together, then slowly whisk in the hot cooking water- take care to NOT scramble the eggs. Then add your bacon, sausage pasta to this mixture... get all those yummy ingredients tossed in well!

Top with more fresh parsley (as I think this really enhances the dish) add fresh ground pepper, and a bit more cheese.. then serve. Make sure all your guests have some extra grated cheese to garnish their dish with... and don't forget to go on a 15 mile bike ride when your done eating! HA! Enjoy!

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Delyte's is a Temecula wine region-based fine foods company that has been wowing
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