Andrea's Omelet for Two!

Andrea's Omelet for Two!

 Making an omelet  is more about technique than it is an actual recipe and this is my father's technique for an omelet. My Father, Andrea Casolaro an immigrant from Naples, Italy, taught me his "technique" for a perfect omelet when I was about 8 years old. I remember how he whipped up the eggs using a fork, never a whisk, and stressing to me the importance of the motion having to come from the wrist not the hand! He also told me that an omelet should never take more than 2 1/2 minutes or else it was overcooked and inedible. He also liked to add a finishing touch of some fresh herbs that he would pinch off from the ever present plants my Mom had in little pots near  the kitchen window. And the best part: sitting alone with my Daddy all to myself and sharing an omelet from one plate. Simple good food shared with loved ones, that's what makes this life a little sweeter.
Ingredients (for 1 large omelet to feed 2 people)
3 eggs (not fresh- use fresh eggs for poached and older eggs for omelet)
olive oil and butter (1/2 tablespoon each)
2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese (See other *fillings below)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon  fresh herbs (parsley)
Directions
Whip up the eggs with the salt until light but not foamy!

Heat a 10-inch nonstick saute pan with the oil & butter over medium heat until it melts.

Pour in eggs and cook as you shake the pan and use the back of the fork to evenly distribute the egg making sure to spread the eggs out over the whole pan, it will no longer be runny and the bottom will begin to set, as soon as this happens set the timer for 2 minutes.

As the timer goes off quickly sprinkle the cheese and some herbs all over the egg.

Remove from the heat (immediately) and shake the pan to loosen, once you are sure it is loose on all edges flip 1/3 on to itself and then the other 1/3 over that (Kind of like folding a letter in thirds to fit into a business size envelope.) Place it on the plate folded sides down and slice in two.  

Serve with fresh herbs sprinkled on top and share with a loved one!

*Fillings
  I like one or any combo of these: minced and sauteed onions, chopped ham, chopped and sauteed bell pepper, goat cheese, chopped and sauteed mushrooms, minced salami, cheddar cheese...........

 My Father, Andrea, with my 3 sisters and me (I'm the little gypsy).

Frittata

I did this frittata in my dutch oven

This is basically an Italian omelet and since it's Italian it's much easier than making a French omelet which requires a bit of skill. An Italian Frittata is usually eaten for lunch or dinner and not breakfast so therefore it is typically enriched by adding meats, potatoes, cheeses, vegetables or even left over pasta. If you desire to make a bunch of Frittata try these Mini Frittata's!
Ingredients 
10-12 inch pan: 8-10 large eggs (serves 8-10)
6-8 inch pan: 4-6 eggs (serves 4-6)
salt and pepper
nutmeg (A few scrapings)
1 cup cheese grated: 1/2 for mixture and 1/2 for topping
 olive oil (Parmesan, fontina, mozzarella, provolone, etc....)
Fillings Suggestions:
Note: These ingredients should be sauteed in the pan before you add the egg mixture.
1 1/2 cups spinach chopped finely
1/2 cup diced potato
chopped asparagus
chopped artichoke hearts
6 ounces ham, prosciutto, bacon, or salami chopped fine
1 1/2 cup cooked spaghetti cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup soffritto
Tools
10-12 inch skillet that is oven safe (If using non-stick it will be easy to flip but will not brown as much but if using regular coat well with PAM and/or olive oil)
Directions
Heat the skillet over medium heat. Add PAM if using and then olive oil to coat
First you saute any ingredients you are using in the pan.

Beat the eggs along with half the cheese you are using, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Pour the eggs on top of the sauteed ingredients and cook tilting the pan and moving the egg mixture  from the center out to cook the top 2/3 mixture (do not disturb the bottom crust) until it is almost set in the center, about 5 minutes.
After the bottom and the top 2/3 has set add the rest of the cheese and place it under the broiler and watch, you just want the top to set and start to brown.
Slice like a pizza and serve straight from the pan or flip out and serve on platter.
This is great served in slices as a sandwich hot or at room temp!

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara
This is a Roman dish and everyone has their own version of it. Aside from the restaurant style, loaded with heavy cream, there are basically 2 versions. One maintains that pancetta, a mild non-smoked Italian bacon, is the only meat for this dish and the other is that the American smoked bacon makes this classic Roman dish only better. Both are popular in Italy, but my recipe is with the smoked American bacon. Think of it as spaghetti with bacon & eggs!
Ingredients
6-8 ounces bacon (or pancetta) 1/2 inch slices
1 very large yellow onion chopped or sliced thinly
1 pound box thick spaghetti
3 egg yolks & 1 whole egg beaten
3/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese or Parmesan if you prefer the taste or a combo of the 2 cheeses
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 cup white wine or 1 cup chicken broth or 1/2 of each (I feel a combo works best)
kosher salt
1 cup pasta water reserved
a lot of fresh ground black pepper
olive oil for drizzling
Direction
Grate your cheese and mix it with the egg/egg-yolks, set aside.
 Start pasta water (Remember to salt it well!)
Cook bacon over medium heat for 6 minutes, remove bacon and set aside on a paper towel.
Remove some of the bacon fat if there is a lot, you need just enough to coat the bottom of the pan you can also add a little olive oil. Add the thyme, pinch of salt, and onion and saute over medium heat until very soft and tender.
Add wine or broth and reduce by half.
Cook pasta, drain (reserve 1 cup of pasta water), add the pasta to the onion mixture and mix well over medium heat for1 minute or 2.
Add a few tablespoons at a time of the hot pasta water to the egg/cheese mixture whisking in in order to slowly heat up the eggs this way they will not cook like scramble eggs when added to the pasta. After you have used about 1/4 cup of the pasta water dump the egg mixture into the pasta and mix well off heat for about 1 minute. If it is too dry add more of the reserved pasta water and mix in well. Add the bacon, a lot of black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, and  toss well. It is also nice to have some more cheese on the table.

Spaghetti can be eaten most successfully if you inhale it like a vacuum cleaner.
~Sophia Loren

How to Poach an Egg

How to Poach an Egg
If you love fried or sunny side up eggs but hate the rubbery edges than this is for you.
In a large saucepan, bring about 2 inches of lightly salted water along with a teaspoon of white vinegar to a boil; turn down to a slow simmer. One at a time, carefully crack
eggs into a shallow bowl and slide gently into water. Take your spoon and push any whites that "fly" away back onto the egg and poach for 3
minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, blotting well on towel to drain.
You may store them at this point in a covered container in the fridge until ready to serve. Warm them up by placing back into heated water for a few seconds.