Jonathan's Spaghetti Al Carbonara

Jonathan makes a mean spaghetti al carbonara.  It is what my mother requested for her birthday dinner this past year and what Jessica likes to request as well.  He has made this a lot since we have been here in Juneau and it is yummy each time with all sorts of different cheese choices.  My dad doesn't really like the pancetta, but the rest of us do, so he gets overruled.  This could be made using bacon instead, but, shh, don't tell my dad.

Ingredients
1 lb. spaghetti noodles
1/4 lb. pancetta
3 cloves garlic-minced
2 eggs
1/4 lb pecorino romano or parmesan grated (about 1 cup grated)
Black pepper

Instructions
1.  Start cooking spagetti in boiling water
2. Mix cheese and eggs in a bowl and set aside
3. While spaghetti is boiling,  cook pancetta in a pan on medium heat until browned
4.  Add garlic and cook until soft-be sure to watch that the garlic doesn't burn.  Remove from heat when cooked
5.  Drain pasta and add to the pan with the pancetta and garlic
6.  So as to not scramble the eggs, be sure that the noodle mixture is not on the heat.  Add the egg and cheese mixture and stir quickly until the noodles are fully coated.
7.  Add a lot of black pepper

Enjoy with garlic bread and a nice white wine. 

Easy Chocolate Cake with Mocha Buttercream Frosting

Mmmmm...mmmm....mmmm.  I think that this is the best description for this cake.  It was super fast to make and light, moist, fluffy, (but dense) and delicious.  The frosting was just as easy to make. Edit (September 24th):  I also made these into cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting and peanut butter frosting.  The cupcakes and both frosting types were a hit, so I thought I should return to this post and add the other frosting recipes that I used.  I must admit that I am not (yet?) a big fan of decorating.  I can do it, but I usually don't have the patience and am more focused on flavor more than presentation.  I like to see something ugly and then taste it and be blown away rather than see something that looks super yummy and turns out that more effort was put into presentation than flavor.  I have been fooled by looks more than once when it comes to desserts.  Ok, a photo of the cupcakes and then the other frosting recipes.

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9 x 9 inch pan

1 large egg
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (6 ounces) sour cream (you can substitute greek yogurt as long as it isn't low fat)
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup brewed coffee--cooled (I poured it back and forth between two cups to cool quickly)
1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

1. Combine egg, sugar, yogurt, oil and vanilla.  Whisk until smooth and combined
2.  Add coffee and cocoa powder.  Mix until smooth and free of lumps
3.  Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and whisk until just combined
4.  Pour the batter (it will be runny) into the greased pan and bake for ~25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool in pan before frosting.

For the Mocha Buttercream Frosting:

Ingredients:
1 cup butter at room temp
2 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp instant coffee crystals (optional, but the buttercream will not be "mocha")
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate melted and cooled

Instructions
1. Whisk butter for about 5 minutes
2.  Reduce speed of mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar.
3.  Add the vanilla until combined on medium high
4.  Add melted chocolate and whip at medium high speed until fluffy--about 2 minutes.  Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so that your frosting won't be streaky.

Chocolate Buttercream frosting

Ingredients:
 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened but not melted.
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon almond extract
4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream (fat content of the milk is important

Instructions 

1. Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. 

2. Add the  sifted 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the dry ingredients do not blow everywhere) until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. 

3. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. 

Peanut Butter Frosting:

Ingredients

1 1/4 c. smooth peanut butter (not the natural kind of pb, though.  It must be something like Jif or Skippy)

1/2 c. butter (at room temperature:  this means that when you lightly press on the butter your finger easily  makes an indent)

2 c. powdered sugar (plus a bit more for reaching the correct consistency)

1 tsp. vanilla (you can start with 1/2 tsp and add more to your own taste preferences.  I tried making this frosting without the vanilla and it didn't have enough depth.)

3 tbs. Cream or half and half plus a bit more to reach the right consistency.  (I had to add a lot more cream than 3 tbs. as I wanted a much fluffier frosting)

Instructions:

1. Whip the peanut butter and room temperature butter together until there are no streaks of butter showing in the peanut butter.  

2.  Slowly add the powdered sugar (powdered sugar is always best when sifted, but it isn't essential.  It just keeps the frosting from turning out with little sugar lumps in it).

3.  Add the cream 1 tbs at a time

4. Add the vanilla 1/2 tsp at a time

5.  Taste after each addition of vanilla until the frosting reaches a flavor you like.  

6.  If your frosting is too liquid-y, add more powdered sugar.  If it is too stiff, add milk a bit at a time until it reaches the consistency your prefer.   I made this frosting pretty "fluffy".  It looks a bit grainy (check out the picture) but tastes pretty good.  If you pipe it out, it would probably look better.  I just didn't have any access to a frosting piper.

Cake + Frosting:

When the cake is cooled frost using your favorite method.  I don't really have one so I just use a spatula and then smooth it out with a butter knife.  Very high tech.

I had hardly any patience to wait until this cake was very cool and frosted the cake when it was still a bit warm and had a piece and it was delicious still warm.  The verdict is still out on whether it will be just as yummy when cold. Edit 9/24:  The cake is just as delicious cold and with all three types of frosting.

Everyone loves Thai Green Curry

Green curry is a favorite in our house.  It is easy to make a lot of it and it (almost) tastes better the next day.  Take some to work and heat it up and make everyone jealous with the delicious aroma of curry and jasmine rice.  I have never made my own curry paste and opt to purchase curry in a can or tub from an asian market.  If you don't have an asian market you can buy this in any asian store or order online! I love this website for thai goodies, including curry pastes of all kind.  I use the mae ploy brand and get the bigger one cause we love curry and the paste lasts forever in the fridge.

Ingredients:
2 c. jasmine rice (I use brown, but white is good, too)
4 c. water
2 cans coconut milk
3/4 can OR 2-4 tbs of green curry paste (I use about 4 tbs maybe more near the end if I want it stronger)
1 lb chicken or pork cut into thin slices or small cubes
1 can bamboo shoots (optional)
2-3 c. of sliced and diced combo of veggies of your choice.  I like zucchini, green beans, red pepper, (avoid green pepper it tastes odd) peas
4 kaffir lime leaves sliced into strips OR 1 lime
2 tsp of lime juice (if you use the leaves)
3/4 c. chopped cilantro (optional, but a nice addition)
1-4 tbs fish sauce--depends on your taste (I put about 2 or 3)
1-2 tbs palm sugar OR brown sugar to your taste (I put in about 1 1/2)

Steps:
For all Thai foods it is best to have all of your ingredients measured and prepped beforehand.  Thai food cooks fast once you get it over the heat!

1) Start the rice.  I use a rice cooker and add the water and rice together then start the cooker.  
2) Turn a large pan (one to fit the rest of the ingredients) and heat on high.  When the pan is hot add the 1/2 of the coconut milk and stir almost constantly.  The coconut will make crackling noises.  Cook until the milk is reduced then keep adding the coconut in batches until the coconut milk is reduced and thick looking.
3) add your curry paste.  I cook it until the paste becomes noticeably more fragrant.
4) Add your meat, or, if you aren't using meat, add your veggies
5)  Let the meat cook until it is halfway done and then add your veggies.
6)  Let the meat and veggies simmer until your veggies reach a consistency you like and the meat is thoroughly cooked.  I try to let it simmer as long as my patience allows as the flavors become more intense the longer you let it simmer. 
7) When the curry has simmered to your liking add the:  kaffir lime leaves, thai curry leaves, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce. 
8) Stir to fully incorporate and then serve sooner rather than later over rice.