Pork Scaloppine with Mom's Coleslaw

Thin meat, breaded like this, is one of our favorites. And you can't go wrong with my mother's coleslaw. The scaloppine takes a little effort to prepare, but the crunchy/juicy combination of breaded pork with lemon-butter sauce is worth a little extra time and mess in the kitchen.

Making coleslaw is incredibly easy. There are only two secrets: cut the cabbage as thin as you can, and no matter what size bowl you grab, you'll wish you had grabbed a bigger one. When you add the salt and pepper, remember that moderation is the enemy of flavor. Toss everything thoroughly between (frequent) tastings, and you can't go wrong.

The sauce is fairly straight-forward to make. Be sure to really whisk and cook the flour before you continue to the next step. You only need to stir it occasionally after you've added the other ingredients. You'll know it's ready when it has a nice sheen and a tart lemon flavor. Reduce heat to low and give it a final stir when you're ready to plate.

When it comes to pounding meat, I learned everything I know from Alton Brown on Good Eats. A ziplock bag and a bit of water makes this an easy and tidy task. Slosh a bit of water in the bag and pour it out, then add the meat a piece at a time. Press the air out of the bag and lightly hammer it with your mallet until you're happy with the thickness. Gently remove the meat and repeat.

Normally when you bread meat you start with a coat of flour. In the interest of making this dish (slightly) healthy, we've omitted that step. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure that I can taste a difference. Some recipes season the egg bath or the bread mixture with salt and pepper, but it always seems like the flavor gets lost when I do that, so make sure you season the meat before you begin.

With the above set-up, I use my left hand to grab a cutlet, dip it in the egg bath, and drop it into the bread crumbs. Then I use my right hand to scoop some crumbs on top of the meat, give it a good pat and gently shake loose the extra crumbs before I arranged it on the pan. This method helps me to avoid the "club hand". Do it differently and you'll see what I mean.

Using the broiler instead of sauteing the cutlets in butter is faster, cleaner, and a bit healthier. I still prefer the flavor of the full-fat method, but Kate and I agreed that this was a fantastic dish.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

This has been one of my favorite pasta dishes for years.  I know that classically speaking, you're supposed to use Pancetta instead of bacon, but how can I say no to bacon?  This has lots of great flavor, and it's fast and cheap to make.

Uncooked Sauce

It's important that the sauce is mixed and ready before the pasta is strained.  The residual heat in the pot and pasta are the only thing that cook the egg, so you want to ready to move quickly when the pasta is strained.

Bread Crumb Mixture

We were in a hurry tonight, so we didn't toast the bread crumbs like the recipe suggests.  We did use the Buddha Hand though, which makes the mixture even tastier. A little of this goes a long way, but bring the bowl to the table to allow people to add more if they like.

Breakfast Risotto with Sausage and Eggs

Breakfast Risotto with Sausage and Eggs

"Brinner" is one of my favorites, and with eggs, sausage, and maple syrup, this fits the bill. It took some time, but it was worth it!

So while watching Kate make this I learned that there are four parts to risotto: Soffrito, Riso, Brodo, and Condimenti.

Soffrito

The soffrito is the base, and pretty much determines what the dominate flavors will be.  I believe the riso must be Arborio rice to make risotto, but I could be wrong.

Stirring in the Brodo

The brodo is the broth.  It infuses the rice with flavor and the amount used and the time it takes to incorporate into the rice is a huge factor in the final dish.  You're supposed to have it simmering beside the risotto dish while you cook, but we just popped it in the microwave when it got cool.

Condimenti

The condimenti is the finishing touch.  It's not dinner without meat, so this step is crucial.

Poaching Eggs

So we tried these silicone poachers out tonight.  Took about fifteen minutes to overcook the bottom of the egg while the top was still translucent.  We finally ladled some boiling water on top so that we could finish the suckers and finally eat.  Kate found the directions after dinner, and discovered that I was supposed to use the poachers in a covered pan.