Carbonara - The best version I've come across yet!

I found this recipe in a book by Ruth Reichl (The New York Times's restaurant critic for 6 years), called ''Garlic and Sapphires". Great book and even better Carbonara recipe in it..the way it is supposed to be made! No cream, a few whisked eggs and loads of garlic and bacon with parmesan to top! Since this discovery, I now always make sure i have buchattini (my fave pasta at the moment), a few eggs, bacon and parmesan in stock so I can cook this all up in under 15 minutes! Plenty of fresh parsley out of the garden is a must for this recipe! So Yum! So easy and you feel better eating a version of carbonara with no cream (less calories! ;) ...does that mean it makes it ok to eat two serves?

(I will post this recipe soon - need to find the book! The recipe is so easy I know it by heart but better post the correct measurements for you!)

Recipe Update - You can find the recipe for this at this link: - http://www.ruthreichl.com/?ID=3&page=1#recipe - (Thanks to Juanita for hurrying me up to get this recipe up).

** My only addition to the recipe is that I add lots of chopped parsley to the beaten egg mixture to stir in through the hot pasta **

Caramel Slice - Cake!

Donna Hay makes an easy to follow Caramel Slice recipe.. but John loves the stuff so much, I thought I'd turn the slice into a Cake! - it's comes out so thick and rich you need a decent heavy knife to cut a slice! :) This cake version makes for one very happy caramel slice lover..

At last, the Donna Hay Recipe:

Chocolate Caramel Slice
Base
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
125g melted unsalted butter
Caramel
1/3 cup golden syrup
125g melted butter
2 x 400g cans sweetened condensed milk
choc topping
185g dark chocolate
3 teaspoons vegetable oil

1.Preheat oven to 180c
2.Place flour,coconut,sugar and butter in bowl and mix well. Press the mixture into a 20cm x 30cm slice tin lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 15-18 minutes or until brown.
3.To make caramel filling, place the golden syrup, butter and condensed milk in a saucepan over low heat and stir for 7 minutes or until the caramel has thickened slightly.Pour over the cooked base and bake for 20 minutes or until the caramel is golden.Refrigerate the slice until cold.
4.To make the chocolate topping, place the chocolate and oil in a saucepan over low heat and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before spreading over the slice. Refrigerate until firm and cut into slices. Make 24 slices.

This is a great slice because one tray makes heaps, and really you could get almost double the pieces because its so rich you really don't need a big piece. Well......ok for those who love caramel chocolate, you may need to have a huge slice!!! Or you can make it in a cake dish like I did, and it comes out really thick!

Follow your nose...

This is a blog devoted to all the food i love to cook, eat and share with my family & friends (or eat by myself while no one is watching!) Some of the recipes belong to my mother (my greatest source of inspiration), my aunties, my sisters... some of the recipe's come from cook books, novels about food, and from well known chefs like Jamie Oliver or Donna Hay - but i'll rarely follow a recipe to the letter, and i dont always have enough patience for baking, and risotto's... but just like the way my mum cooks - i just follow my heart and my nose, and it always works out well in the end! :) If you cook from the heart and with love, you just can't go wrong...