David Rubel's Blog, page 5

Spaghetti Carbonara

The trick to making this dish properly is to keep the eggs creamy while still cooking them sufficiently. I find that deglazing the skillet with a little pasta waster tempers the heat just the right amount.

(serves two adults and two children)

½ lb bacon
1 medium onion
1 lb thick spaghetti
½ bunch fresh parsley
1 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 oz)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
2 egg yolks

1. Bring a large pot of salted pasta water to a boil.

2. Dice the bacon and the onion.

3. C...

Chopped Liver

When making chopped liver, you have a choice. If you're looking for a finely grained paté, you should use a food processor to purée the ingredients. But if you prefer (as I do) the traditional method that my grandmother used, then you'll want to chop the liver by hand. The result is a nicely rustic spread.

3 eggs
1 large onion
1 small onion
1 lb chicken livers
olive oil
kosher salt

1. Hard-boil the eggs (see tip below).

2. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Chop the large ...

Biscotti Rustica

What I like best about these biscotti is their sophisticated taste. Imagine a lightly, nutty, crunchy fruitcake.

(makes 36 biscotti)

1-2 oz crystallized ginger
1 c mixed dried fruit (such as currants and golden raisins)
grated zest of one lemon
2 Tbs brandy
¾ c slivered almonds
3½ c flour
¼ c cornmeal
2 c sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
¼ tsp kosher salt
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
turbinado sugar (see tip below)

1. Chop the crystallized ginger into pea-sized pieces. Combine in a small bow...

Chocolate Biscotti

I suspect that, like tomatoes grown to be shipped, commercial biscotti are baked for travel rather than for taste. Even so, the ones I've tried have been so brick-hard they could probably scratch glass. They're also expensive, which is another reason to make them yourself. Depending on your mood, you can bake either these chocolate biscotti or my gingery biscotti rustica (recipe posted separately).

(makes 24 biscotti)

2 large eggs at room temperature
4 Tbs unsalted butter, melted but not hot
1 ts...

Pork Scaloppine with Lemons

Scaloppine are pieces of meat that have been pounded very thin. You're probably familiar with veal scaloppine, which are used to make dishes like veal marsala and veal parmesan. Veal scaloppine can be hard to find, however, and they're usually pricey. That's why this dish calls for pork scaloppine, which you can make yourself.

(serves two adults and two children)

1 large pork tenderloin (about 1 lb)
2 large lemons
¼ c flour
3 Tbs canola oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs unsalted butt...