1 lb dried spaghetti
1/2 lb pancetta
4 eggs
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
freshly ground pepper
2 cups of peas, steamed
1. Set a large pot of heavily salted water to boil. Once water reaches a heavy boil, add pasta.
2. Heat a large straight sided pan over medium/high heat. Add pancetta and sauté until golden. Turn off heat and drain/pat off any excess grease.
3. Set up double boiler (water should be at a gentle simmer, and top bowl should not touch water). Whisk together eggs, cream, parmesan, and pepper in top section of double boiler. Continue to whisk until thickened and hot to the touch (approx. 10 minutes).
4. Drain pasta and add sauce, pasta, and peas to pan with pancetta. Stir over low/medium heat until sauce sticks to pasta. Do not overheat or sauce will become clumpy.
5. Serve in warm bowls with freshly ground pepper on top.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Warehouse
Drove down to the Springs for a date at Warehouse on a Wednesday night. The restaurant at 7:30 was pretty much deserted, which sort of put a damper on the vibe for the evening.
I have a confession. I...love....carpaccio. Knowing this about myself I jumped on the opportunity to try bison carpaccio for the first time. The plate was gorgeous and full of little delectables to complement the bison. The bison had been smoked, which imparted a lovely bbq-ish richness, however it wouldn't have been better had they used a cold smoking process. The smoking cooked the outer inch or so of the meat, ruining its cold raw flavor.
For my main I ordered the boar with chipotle clementine glaze. The plate looked lovely, but the first words out of my mouth were, "Wow, that's a lot of food." For the $27 I expected something more refined. I'm always about quality, not quantity (see my review of Beatrice and Woodsley). Half of the plate was covered in polenta sticks, and the boar itself was pretty dang tough. Now I know that boar by its nature is a tougher meat, but with proper and loving cooking it can be fall off the bone tender. This was not. I though I was going to break my knife trying to get through it. The flavor though was good. My biggest annoyance is that the plate was full of stuff that wasn't even mentioned on the menu. Steamed baby carrots, broccoli, etc. A glance at my date's plate showed me that these are the default veggies that go on every plate. I hate that. It's just plain lazy cooking. Everything on the plate should mean something. Every element should contribute to one perfect bite. This plate was just busy.
On a brighter note, our waitress was wonderful. Attentive and charismatic. They also have a great selection of local Colorado wines. I should mention that the whole menu is local, but local or not, it should still be inspired.
In the end, I will never go back; even if my car breaks down a block away in the Springs. It's just not worth it.
I have a confession. I...love....carpaccio. Knowing this about myself I jumped on the opportunity to try bison carpaccio for the first time. The plate was gorgeous and full of little delectables to complement the bison. The bison had been smoked, which imparted a lovely bbq-ish richness, however it wouldn't have been better had they used a cold smoking process. The smoking cooked the outer inch or so of the meat, ruining its cold raw flavor.
For my main I ordered the boar with chipotle clementine glaze. The plate looked lovely, but the first words out of my mouth were, "Wow, that's a lot of food." For the $27 I expected something more refined. I'm always about quality, not quantity (see my review of Beatrice and Woodsley). Half of the plate was covered in polenta sticks, and the boar itself was pretty dang tough. Now I know that boar by its nature is a tougher meat, but with proper and loving cooking it can be fall off the bone tender. This was not. I though I was going to break my knife trying to get through it. The flavor though was good. My biggest annoyance is that the plate was full of stuff that wasn't even mentioned on the menu. Steamed baby carrots, broccoli, etc. A glance at my date's plate showed me that these are the default veggies that go on every plate. I hate that. It's just plain lazy cooking. Everything on the plate should mean something. Every element should contribute to one perfect bite. This plate was just busy.
On a brighter note, our waitress was wonderful. Attentive and charismatic. They also have a great selection of local Colorado wines. I should mention that the whole menu is local, but local or not, it should still be inspired.
In the end, I will never go back; even if my car breaks down a block away in the Springs. It's just not worth it.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Beatrice and Woodsley
One word...gorgeous. From front to back, top to bottom this place is beautiful.
I arrived a B&W on a Monday night in search of some small plates, tasty drinks, and cozy atmosphere. This restaurant is beautiful. You feel like you're sitting in the middle of an aspen grove, or that you've wandered into Rivendell (LOTR, anyone, anyone? So...moving on).
My date ordered a gin and tonic, and I, not being able to make up my mind just said, "I'll have the same."
The waitress looked at me with a knowing eye and responded, "Do you like earl grey?"
How did she know? "Why yes, I love earl grey."
"You should try our earl grey infused gin and tonic. It's not on the menu, but it's really good."
And it was so very very good. Very aromatic, floral, and perfumey. I could feel it in my nose
For our meal my date chose the cheese plate, and I chose the savory bread pudding. The cheese plate was a lovely trio of cow's milk cheeses: a French blue, Italian fontina, and English Stilton (my new favorite). The cheeses were accompanied by fresh berries, delicious white bread, and a raspberry and blueberry jam served on a large spoon (my date said it tasted like "melted smoothie"). My only small complaint is that is was a little tricky to tell what to do with the jam, and it was a little hard to eat out of the spoon.
Then something happened. Our bread pudding arrived. In all its beautiful and delicious glory: a wedge of pudding, speckled with wild rice topped of by fresh basil chiffonade and carrot mousse all on top of an amazing sorrel cream sauce. I constructed my perfect bite, and died a little on the inside. My date was not as speechless, "That's f****ing delicious." True dat.
Overall, too short a stay at B&W. I will for sure be back...like tomorrow night.
I arrived a B&W on a Monday night in search of some small plates, tasty drinks, and cozy atmosphere. This restaurant is beautiful. You feel like you're sitting in the middle of an aspen grove, or that you've wandered into Rivendell (LOTR, anyone, anyone? So...moving on).
My date ordered a gin and tonic, and I, not being able to make up my mind just said, "I'll have the same."
The waitress looked at me with a knowing eye and responded, "Do you like earl grey?"
How did she know? "Why yes, I love earl grey."
"You should try our earl grey infused gin and tonic. It's not on the menu, but it's really good."
And it was so very very good. Very aromatic, floral, and perfumey. I could feel it in my nose
For our meal my date chose the cheese plate, and I chose the savory bread pudding. The cheese plate was a lovely trio of cow's milk cheeses: a French blue, Italian fontina, and English Stilton (my new favorite). The cheeses were accompanied by fresh berries, delicious white bread, and a raspberry and blueberry jam served on a large spoon (my date said it tasted like "melted smoothie"). My only small complaint is that is was a little tricky to tell what to do with the jam, and it was a little hard to eat out of the spoon.
Then something happened. Our bread pudding arrived. In all its beautiful and delicious glory: a wedge of pudding, speckled with wild rice topped of by fresh basil chiffonade and carrot mousse all on top of an amazing sorrel cream sauce. I constructed my perfect bite, and died a little on the inside. My date was not as speechless, "That's f****ing delicious." True dat.
Overall, too short a stay at B&W. I will for sure be back...like tomorrow night.
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