Carbonara Nirvana (Iron Chef Potluck #1, Volume 3)

There are times when I chide myself for my constant out-pour of affection and appreciation for all things Italian. Sometimes I wonder if the ingredients and cuisine there are in fact better than what we have here in the US, as I often claim. This weekend was not one of those times.

Sure, it can be annoying to hear my undying love for Italian Parmesan or my quest to fine-tune my favorite Roman dishes. But such obsession lends to perfection, and on Saturday I think I finally reached carbonara nirvana.

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My Everest: Butternut Squash Lasagna

As I mentioned in my last post, I have been scouring Jonathan Gold's list of the 99 best restaurants in Los Angeles (2010). This led me to a transcendent culinary experience that I now talk incessantly about to anyone who will listen, along with a failed attempt at recreation: butternut squash lasagna. 

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Comfort Me Caprese

 

It’s really the simplest things that get me through the week: an 82 year old Polish patient at my work who bursts into Italian bravado like a robust robin puffing out his chest, or the prospect of my first lobster dinner tonight (keep posted). In terms of culinary comfort, anything Italian will do. Last night was the often underrated caprese.

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Pizzeria Da Baffetto, My First Love

 

Pizzeria Da Baffetto may be one of the most reviewed restaurants in Rome, perhaps even in Italy. Though it’s tucked away on Via del Governo Vecchio, one of the narrow, winding streets characteristic of Rome, Da Baffetto always has a line. Open from 6pm-1am, the trattoria is a family-style restaurant packed to the brim with tourists and locals alike, and the noise bursting from this little restaurant can be heard from down the street.

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