From the New York Times' Dining Section...
The Meat of the Matter in a Pasta Debate: What is the key ingredient in the classic Italian meat dish of pasta all’amatriciana? It appears to be mired in controversy, but the loudest voices say that guanciale - cured, unsmoked pig jowl - is essential.
But where to find it? This article explores the question, with a recipe for mouth-watering pasta all’amatriciana.
PLUS - Jamie Oliver slaughters a chicken on TV, Chinese fortune cookies that are actually Japanese, Minimalist pancakes and collectible kimchi...
• Chefs’ New Goal: Looking Dinner in the Eye: Chefs are leading the way in helping consumers remember that the meat on their plate was once a living creature. Gimmick or sincere? And will this trickle down to home cooks?
• Whole-Grain But Not Heavy: The Minimalist makes pancakes.
• Solving a Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside a Cookie: Did fortune cookies originate in Japan? A fascinating piece of food anthropology.
• With Kimchi, a Little Alchemy: The kimchi was collecting in the fridge as the author cultivates her condimaniac habit. Time to do something with it - Seared Pork Chops with Kimchi ensue.
"Meat of the Matter" .... As if buying pancetta to make my amatriciana wasn't expensive enough... now I'm feeling the urge to find some of this guanciale and try it, but at $13/lb with inconsistent availability online it seems like I might have to wait a while. C'est la vie.
view epsi1on's profile
epsi 1on,
If you are an ambitious home cook you can make your own pancetta and will taste better than any regular store bought and just as good as any artisan kind.
All you need is a good organic pork belly, salt, sugar, bay leaves and spices and room in your fridge. And time of course. But once you make it, you'll have a lot that will last a long time.
view art's profile
Kimchi is not a condiment, it's a side.
view mjoe's profile
kimchi is a religion :)
my favorite thing to do with kimchi when it's been sitting in the frig for a few months past its prime getting sourer and sourer (mmm!) is to add it to chicken stock (i have some beef stock, i'm going to try that next) with cubes of tofu. I had a kimchi soup at a Korean BBQ place in LA and still crave it. The hole in the wall somewhere on Olympic had a unique method of making the soup, the bbq pan didn't just drip the grease onto the charcoal, it had a lip around the edge that the owner poured homemade stock in with some extra sour kimchi. So all the pork juices rolled in and the heat of the charcoal evaporated it and made the best soup ever!
another thing you can do is make kimchi fried rice with a fried egg on top.
otherwise when it's fresh - straight out of the jar is the best way to go :)
view Joan in SB's profile