Anticiplate

What. A. Week. 

Let’s just get one thing out of the way. I had to get stitches on Wednesday. Oh yeah. Wednesday around 2:30, just an hour and a half after I arrived at work. Not to mention Wednesday is my Monday. And, I had to take a cab to work. So, when I went to drive myself to my Mom’s office, after cutting myself on the sharp metal anchovy can while making a broken Caesar-like vinaigrette, I realized Erik had the car . <insert curse word here>. I had to pull Erik out of an important meeting so he could drive me fifteen miles north to the arms of my Mama. Three stitches an a tetanus shot later, I was home-ridden. Unable to cook. This is the second time I have ever had to leave the restaurant from cutting myself. 

The next day I lost my keys for twelve hours. Which isn’t so bad, but as it turns out, after hours of searching, that they were in my gray knife bag, in one of the mesh pockets that I never use. Why did I put them there? Absolutely no clue. I had been toting them around all day, as I borrowed my husband’s keys. Frustrating and dumb. 

And then, on Friday, my stitches fell out. Yes. This only happens to me. Not all at once, obviously, but just one at a time. They slowly became untied as I washed my hands over and over again while cooking.  Each time I looked down, I had to check the progress of their demise. Luckily, none of them fell in the food. Luckily. I didn’t tell my Mama. 

And, yesterday. I went to Los Angeles for twenty-four tired, adrenaline-filled hours that included a business meeting (!), catching up with three girl friends, eating one of my most memorable and stunning meals at Jose Andres’ The Bazaar  and drinking dirty martinis at Chateau Marmont. It was glamorous to say the least. 

But the big news. The news that makes this week kind of over the top, is that I got a new job. And this is not just any job. This is like the most amazing job after only seven months of cooking. I hate to leave my Delancey family, who have been ridiculously amazing and loving and supportive, and stop my “Stage” with Ethan’s company (tear), but I actually think I am finally ready to go out on my own. I am finally going to be a line cook.  I knew 2010 was gonna be a good year. 

I am cooking at Mistral Kitchen. (big smile, high kick!)

I mean, William Belickis. Somebody pinch me! 

So, in all the joy, frustration, exhaustion and pain of this week, the best solution I could think of is pasta carbonara. I am sorry, nothing hits the spot to me like this dish. Yeah, yeah. I should have made my own pasta, but my finger hurts. 

“Don’t push it” my Mama said to me on my way out of her office. “And, keep it dry”. Does she know what I do for a living?

It seems like I didn’t listen to either of those pieces of advice….

Serves 2

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

1/4 lb. pasta of your choice

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 lb. bacon, cut into lardons or long batons

1 white onion, sliced about 1/2 inch thick

1 c. prosciutto brodo, or chicken stock

cracked black pepper

1 duck egg yolk

1/4 c. parmigiano reggiano, grated

Heat a large pot of water over high heat until boiling. Salt the water so that it tastes like the sea. Heat olive oil in a medium sized sauce pan. Once the oil is shimmery, add in the bacon to saute, about 3 minutes. Then add in the onion, coating them in the fat. Cook until translucent. Add the pasta to the water, and cook until al dente. 

Add in the ham broth and a couple of cracks of pepper and let simmer for 1 minute. Season to taste. Toss the pasta into the bacon and onion broth. Then, add the egg yolk, and quickly remove from the heat and stir the pasta quickly so that the egg doesn’t cook in clumps. The sauce should be smooth and silky. Plate the pasta, and top with parmigiano reggiano and more cracked black pepper.