Cookin No. 12 - Carbonera

Half day Fridays at work, just make the summer perfect. After I left the office, I headed home for a quick nap, and then back out for an oil change. Got to keep the car running. all went well, and when I returned home, I took last nights prep work out of the fridge and made myself a bowl of Carbonera. The workers lunch, comprised of left over breakfast, is a favorite of mine. I have watched my father make it for years, and recipes vary, but here is the one that I grew up with, and the one that I love the most.

Carbonera:



Three eggs
Romano cheese
Pinch of salt
Fresh basil
A bit of ground pepper
One chopped clove of garlic

6 strips of bacon (more or less according to your preference)
Pot of boiling water
Some spaghetti

The bacon:

In a pan on medium heat, cook the bacon to your desired level of cooked. Crispy or not. But keep the grease! Put the grease aside in another bowl, your going to want it later. After the bacon cools, cut into bits.

The egg:

In a bowl, beat the eggs, salt, pepper, chopped basil, and garlic. Cook in a pan until cooked, and then take off the heat, let it cool and then cut the “omelet” into strips.

The pasta:

Boil water, cook pasta, drain the water.

In a pan on medium heat, throw in the bacon grease, bacon, egg, and spaghetti, mix well and then plate.

Sprinkle a bit of fresh chopped basil on the dish and enjoy.

I sat back and enjoyed my lunch on the balcony, Riley was eating my basil plant, and I didn’t really care. This dish always makes me just not care about anything.

After lunch, I met a friend for a drink, and then we sat back on her deck and enjoyed the cooling air. On the drive home, there must have been 15 hot air balloons in the sky. That is the great thing about growing up so close to Hunterdon County, the balloons from Clinton, NJ. As I was driving along, listening to Louie Armstrong sing about the sunny side of the street, I watched a balloon land in someone’s yard, and the chaser, (a person who drives around with a case of champagne chasing the balloons) pulled up and handed the family who’s property the balloon landed on a bottle of champagne. That’s customary, sort of an apology for dropping in unexpected. But seeing this, reminded me of a girl who I was friends with when I was very young, her family had a hot air balloon, and one night I was outside with my family and I hear someone call my name. I look around, but don’t see anyone, and then I look up, and there she is with her parents about to land in our back yard. I would like to go up in one of those some day, when I have enough money of course.

Well I head out, with my memories, for the night.

Bon Appetite