Julia Child once said, “The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.” I reminded myself of that when I cooked her dish of Sautéed Chicken with Mushrooms and Cream. Definitely not a diet dish. But what the heck, it’s Julia Week (Day 6, in fact) and we’re here to celebrate some of her delicious creations! What’s a little cream gonna hurt?

I’ve included a link to the recipe below, but one of the things I love about Julia is how she instructs us to follow our culinary instincts. There’s really no need to measure out each and every ingredient (unless of course you’re baking), but instead follow your senses.  In fact, in her cookbook The Way to Cook her recipe basically goes like this, “While the chicken is cooking, sauté the mushrooms in butter, season with salt and pepper….deglaze the pan with wine….add the cream (never does she say how much)….add the mushrooms….put the chicken back in….baste, simmer and serve.”

I’m sure she would have had a few sips of wine in there too. Love her.

So that is precisely what I did. I sautéed the chicken in a bit of butter and olive oil in one pan, and the mushrooms in another. Then, I removed the chicken from the pan, dumped nearly all the fat, and deglazed the pan with some dry white wine. (I actually just dumped the contents of my wine glass in, then gave myself a refill. It’s what Julia would have done, right?) Back in went the mushrooms along with a good splash of cream – swirl, swirl, swirl – then the chicken was tossed in.

The result: creamy, rich, mushroomy goodness. No need to even open a cookbook. But it’s nice to see Julia’s face on the pages right there next to you.

For the complete recipe:

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Categories:	Chefs • Cookbooks • Cooking tips • French • Meat & Poultry	1 Comment
Tags:	chicken • cream • dinner • French • julia child • main dish • mushrooms • sauteing

I know I’ve talked to you about polenta before, and specifically an exotic mushroom polenta, but before you ask me to apologize for what appears to be blatant redundancy let me just explain that this recipe, although similar, is actually quite different. You see, the last one was firm and grilled, and yes, quite tasty if I do say so myself. But this one…oh! this one is soft and creamy goodness.

If the angels above had a charming little café this would surely be a standard on their menu.

Creamy Porcini Polenta

1 cup polenta
4 cups water
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup porcini mushrooms (dried or fresh)
1/2 cup heavy cream (or until desired consistency)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or more to taste)
salt to taste
In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, season water with salt and bring to a boil. Quickly whisk in the polenta until fully incorporated.

Lower the heat to a simmer, add the butter and porcini and allow the polenta to cook, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes. Finish by stirring in the cream and Parmesan cheese. If necessary, add salt to taste.

Yields about 8 side servings (or 4 if you really like polenta).

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Categories:	Italian	6 Comments
Tags:	corn meal • cornmeal • cream • Food • foodista • Italian • mushroom • parmesan • polenta • porcini • side dish

In December of 1989, just after Christmas, my father and step-mother dropped me off at a little pensione in Siena, Italy where I was to meet my study-abroad group. I knew no one. We said our goodbyes, and I watched them fold themselves back into their tiny rented Fiat Uno and drive off. I stood in the middle of the road waving after them – tears streaming down my face and gulping down the calzone-sized sob that was climbing up my chest.

What a whimp!

Within an hour I met two girls who would become my life-long friends, Nina and Cherie, and discovered a frozen confection so divine its powers instantly washed away any twinge of homesickness: gelato. In Italy, this cultural favorite is not just for summer, it’s a year-round treat.

Unlike North American ice cream, most (not all) Italian gelati are made with whole milk and egg yolks instead of cream, making them deliciously dense. Whole milk in Italy tends to be richer than in the United States, so many recipes here add a bit of cream to compensate.

While our domestic versions of gelato can be quite yummy, nothing compares to eating the true thing in the “Old Country.”

Before embarking on your gelato adventure, here are a few basic tips:

1. Use the freshest ingredients possible: get your eggs, cream and milk at your farmer’s market
2. If using fruit, buy what’s fresh and seasonal
3. Opt for vanilla bean instead of extract
4. Bring eggs to room temperature: you’ll stir less and prevent air from getting incorporated
5. Strain your custard: use a fine mesh sieve or a cheesecloth-lined colander
6. Eat it fresh from the machine or, if frozen, let it soften before serving

Gelato alla Baccello di Vaniglia (Vanilla Bean Gelato)
The following recipe is from the August 2008 issue of La Cucina Italiana magazine. We changed it a bit and used 1% milk thinking it would make it a bit lighter, but holy cow!, it still resulted in a Mamma-mia-uber-rich gelato! Molto delizioso!

5 large egg yolks, brought to room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 ¼ cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 vanilla pod, sliced in half lengthwise
Pinch of salt

Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until thick (about 2-3 minutes).

In a large saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, vanilla bean and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium heat, stirring over medium heat, until bubbles form and pop around the edges. Remove from heat.

Slowly whisk about ¼ of the warm mixture into the egg mixture; then add it all back into the milk mixture in the saucepan. Stir constantly over low heat until mixture is slightly thickened and begins to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Be sure to not simmer.

Fill a large stainless steel bowl with ice and water.

Strain the custard through a fine sieve (or a cheesecloth-lined colander) into a smaller stainless steel bowl, then set into the ice bath. Stir occasionally and let chill until completely cooled.

Transfer mixture to an ice cream machine and follow manufacturer’s instructions.

Best when served immediately, although it will keep in the freezer for up to a month.

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Categories:	Cooking tips • Fruit • Italian • Uncategorized • desserts	2 Comments
Tags:	cream • Dessert • Food • foodista • gelato • ice cream • Italian • vanilla bean

Legend has it that during World War II American soldiers in Rome would bring their Italian friends eggs and bacon and ask them to make a pasta dish, thus becoming pasta alla carbonara. Another legend claims that carbonara, a derivative of the word carbon in Italian, was made for charcoal workers. Who really knows how eggs and bacon became transformed into a distinctively Roman pasta dish.

One thing is for sure, with the bacon grease that’s used it is certainly a meal hearty enough for a soldier or charcoal worker. So if you’re on a low-fat or low-carb (or both) diet, you may as well stop reading right here. Shut your computer down and go get an apple. If you love bacon, then take my hand and let me lead you down the long path of gluttony. It’s a fine journey.

In Rome salted pork jowl is usually used, but as it’s difficult to find in the States, pancetta or a smoky bacon works just as well.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara
For 6 servings.

½ pound pancetta or bacon
4 garlic gloves
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup dry white wine
2 large fresh eggs
¼ cup cream (optional- we didn’t use it but you could add it if you want extra creaminess)
¼ cup romano cheese
½ cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 ¼ pounds of spaghetti
3/4 or 1 package peas (optional – I know it’s not traditional to add peas, but I thought it would be fun to mix it up a bit).

1. Cut the pancetta or bacon into ¼ wide slices.
2. Lightly mash the garlic with the flat end of a chef’s knife, enough to split it and loosed the skin, which you want to toss. Put the garlic and olive oil into a small sauté pan and heat over medium high until garlic turns a deep golden brown. Remove and throw away the garlic.
3. Put the pancetta slices into the pan, and cook until lightly brown and crisp at the edges. Slowly add the white wine, and let it cook a minute or two until the alcohol burns off.
4. Break the 2 eggs into the bowl in which you will be serving. Beat them with a fork then add the grated cheeses, a healthy grinding of pepper, and the chopped parsley. Mix thoroughly.
5. Briefly reheat the pancetta over high heat then remove from heat.
6. Add a small amount of the pancetta drippings to a small amount of the just cooked spaghetti and mix well. Add to the bowl and toss rapidly, taking care not to cook the eggs. Toss in the rest of the pasta, cream (if using), pancetta with its drippings, and peas, and toss thoroughly.
7. Serve at once.

I prepared this recipe without the added cream. If you prefer a creamier sauce add the cream or another egg or two.

Note: I’ve never had problems using raw eggs, which can transmit salmonella, as I’ve always used the freshest ones I can find. But if you are concerned, or will be serving to young children, elderly people or those with a weakened immune system, you may wish to skip the raw eggs and add cream instead.

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Categories:	Cooking tips • Meat & Poultry • Pasta & Grains • Sauces • wine	13 Comments
Tags:	bacon • carbonara • Cooking tips • cream • eggs • Food • foodista • Italian • pancetta • pasta • roman • rome • sauce • spaghetti