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Cook the Book: Spaghetti alla Carbonara
spaghetti alla carbonara - we meet again old friend.
this may sound crazy, but i've found that the ideal ratio of pork to pasta is actually 1.5 to 1, as in, if you're making a pound of pasta, you need 1.5 lbs of pork.
i like 1 egg yolk per serving, distributed individually on top of each bowl's mound of spaghetti as the final round of pepper, cheese, and olive oil are applied.
Who Likes Grape Soda?
if it's in the cooler behind the counter, i pick grape soda.
Cooking Myths?
i have an aunt and uncle who give, with completely straight-faces, what seems like the most wildly superstitious advice on how to prepare a whole octopus.
"bring water to a boil in a pot, then, for each pound the octopus ways, dunk the octopus head-first into the boiling water..."
wait for it...
"if it weighs 3.5 lbs., dunk it three and a half times - then cook it 20 minutes per pound without peeking."
ps - this did not deter me from actually doing it...and I have to say, the octopus was tender!
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Recent Favorites
Seriously Italian: Saffron Fregola with Potatoes and Peas
Posted by Gina DePalma, July 16, 2009 at 9:15 AM
The Making of Michael White's Fusilli at Marea
Posted by Nick Solares, July 13, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Cook the Book: Catalan Potatoes Bravas
Posted by Caroline Russock, July 7, 2009 at 1:00 PM
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
fresh tomato sauce over ziti
Cook the Book: Spaghetti alla Carbonara
spaghetti alla carbonara - we meet again old friend.
this may sound crazy, but i've found that the ideal ratio of pork to pasta is actually 1.5 to 1, as in, if you're making a pound of pasta, you need 1.5 lbs of pork.
i like 1 egg yolk per serving, distributed individually on top of each bowl's mound of spaghetti as the final round of pepper, cheese, and olive oil are applied.
Who Likes Grape Soda?
if it's in the cooler behind the counter, i pick grape soda.
Cooking Myths?
i have an aunt and uncle who give, with completely straight-faces, what seems like the most wildly superstitious advice on how to prepare a whole octopus.
"bring water to a boil in a pot, then, for each pound the octopus ways, dunk the octopus head-first into the boiling water..."
wait for it...
"if it weighs 3.5 lbs., dunk it three and a half times - then cook it 20 minutes per pound without peeking."
ps - this did not deter me from actually doing it...and I have to say, the octopus was tender!
Extra Spaghetti Noodles?
my mom used to make a delicious frittata with leftover spaghetti. it's a little tough to judge how many beaten eggs to use per cup or lb. of pasta, but i tried it once and it came pretty good. cook the eggs slowly, and add a little cinnamon.
Dinner Tonight: Courgette Carbonara
This is my favorite deviation from the Platonic carbonara. I usually substitute basil for thyme and I always add a pinch of hot red chili flakes to courgettes.
Best Red Velvet Cake in Brooklyn
Cakeman wouldn't take my order on Wednesday for Saturday, and I'm glad. I ended up ordering 2 dozen red velvet cupcakes from Joyce's Bakeshop on Vanderbilt Avenue and Park Place - they were a HUGE hit.
Thanks for all the help everyone!
Cook the Book: 'The Barcelona Cookbook'
just last april I had tapas at la boqueria and had my first razor clams. the combination of the intense freshness and absurdly good olive oil blew my mind!
'The Next Food Network Star' Week 3
that eye roll was the last straw for bobby flay
Contest Winners: Cook the Book, 'Seven Fires'
WHOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO THIS IS AWESOME!
Egg in Toast: What Do You Call It?
@gutreactions - on the money, that Moonstruck scene is classic.
"I'm confused!"
Cook the Book: 'Seven Fires'
tira de asado at Las Cholas in Buenos Aires...AHHHHH so good
Dinner Tonight: Spaghetti All'arrabbiata
would one whole habanero too arrabbiata?
'The Next Food Network Star' Season 5 Premiere
aarrrrgggghhh this show drives me nuts like the channel drives me nuts - I want it to be good so badly!!
early favorite, by a lot, is Jeffrey. he's a knowledgeable guy with presence on camera. debbie is good. a lot of clowns as usual, too.
What's your favorite kind of meat?
yeah i'm going to go pork on this one, beef a close second. but i really love rabbit, wish i could get more of it.
Alan Richman Names Top 25 Pizzas in the U.S.
what is Co. Company? I thought I had been to all the NYC pizza places...oh well, something new to try
Citi Field Catch of the Day, Beware!
david, i have tried the clam & corn chowder and it was delicious - great value too!
i had the lobster roll with my uncle, a successful chef for over 20 years, who was appalled at the poor quality lobster meat and the stale bun. for $18, he said, they should put some tail meat and really make an effort to have fresh fish.
batman, wow.
Cook the Book: 'Bottega Favorita' by Frank Stitt
ditalini w/ peas, sauteed onions, and little italian sausage "meatballs"
Cook the Book: 'Serious Barbecue' by Adam Perry Lang
bought a grill on valentine's day this year because of the balmy 40-degree reprieve from winter we got that day...grilled a glorious meal (asparagus and italian sausage) in a big jacket and gloves.
what food do you miss from childhood ?
O'Boise potato chips...anyone remember those? they had a really unique crunch, nothing like it since!
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I used to watch a lot of FN but honestly it's so overproduced these days I just can't get into it. I understand that they get the best ratings with these lame reality shows and camera-friendly cooks, but can't they appease everyone by having a few shows with hosts passionate about a particular part of cooking? Go ahead, play them at some weird-ass time of day, I'll tape it, but to me it's such a waste of a perfect medium to march out these clowns preparing the same bland recipe over and over and over again.
Favorites (none of these exist anymore): Jamie , Mario, Alton
Least favorites: Aida Whatever, Sunni Whatever
Served: Why Tipping Makes Everyone Uncomfortable
you lost me with this one. i thought what you described in your previous post was completely reasonable and i admired the way you handled the situation.
but to me, this post is filled with an air of entitlement that is really off-putting. i don't need a sociology lesson to explain the "power dynamic" i'm experiencing as a diner.
if a server is friendly and the service is adequate, I usually give 20% of the total. if the server just goes through the motions they get double tax. other people do it differently. they do what they see others do. they do what they can, or they tip cheaply and recite some lame rationale like Mr. Pink.
all that aside, explaining a huge cross-section of people's behavior in one paragraph is as inane as then prescribing the way they all should behave.
Most eagerly awaited spring vegetable
asparagus.
grilled.
tomorrow.
Can I get sick from raw eggs in Pasta Carbonara?
As a carbonara afficionado, I've studied (prepared) this dish a grillion times, and no one has ever gotten sick from egg rawness. I don't have a food blog, but I've done a few posts on my favorite foods, and this is what I say about the eggs-rawness questions:
"The egg will cook, I promise. The water is boiling at 200+ degrees, and the pasta is well above 160 degrees (the federally recommended temperature for cooking "egg dishes"). You're taking a single yolk, breaking it up, and mixing it with boiling water and strands of piping hot noodles, it's going to cook! Also, this is why you use tongs to take the spaghetti out of the water - so you reserve some of that delicious boiling water."
http://bridgegirdermetronome.blogspot.com/2008/09/stories-are-all-true.html
In theory, you could wait so long after draining the pasta that it simply doesn't cook the egg at all, but I just don't buy it.
Jamie Oliver makes "zucchini carbonara" by mixing cooked pasta into the saute pan and waiting for the sizzle to quiet down, then he adds the egg mixture. Not a bad trick, but I've always found that the saute pan is too hot and will scramble the eggs.
I could talk about carbonara all day. I wish that were my job.
Serious Eats City Guide Premiere: New York (How to Leave Here Pleasantly Full)
@Ed: I think most New Yorkers might be over the Shake Shack burger - am I alone here? There is an amazing burger down in FiDi at a hotel bar - I would definitely add it to the list - at The Libertine..
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
Thank you for participating, and congratulations to our winners:
Runningwithbeaters
kombodian
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eqsachs
Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page.
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
My favorite is ribollita
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
rigatoni is my favorite
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
my favorite is lasagna :)
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
It's a tie between pasta with lentils and minestrone
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
I love spaghetti and sausage!
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
Pasta with bacon, garlic, red pepper flakes in a light tomato sauce.
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
pasta and ceci beans drizzled with olive oil.
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
My cheap Italian meal is spaghetti and meatballs with garlic and parmesan cheese. garrettsambo@aol.com
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
Spaghetti with cheap spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese.
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
Pasta with olive oil.
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
Angel hair pasta with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper would be my choice. Adding cheese would be optional.
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
Pastina with butter and parmesan cheese :)
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
The classic is my favorite Pasta with fresh Parmesan, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
I'm a polenta fan.
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
My cheap fav is spaghetti and meatballs
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
I like Spaghetti with garlic, butter and parmesan!
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
Pasta with olive oil and parmesean.
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
Sauce from homegrown tomatoes, with pasta, and vegetables from the garden!
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
Minestrone soup - cheap and filling!
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
Ahhh, so many things to choose from, and economical too! I am going to go with Pasta Puttanesca, the spices and the anchovies really knock me out. I love to add extra cheese to it also, and serve it with nice crusty bread!
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
I cook a great chicken parmesan! It's actually Amy Sedaris's recipe but I love it.
Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table
Spaghetti and meatballs.
Recent Posts
Buy Stainless Steel Lunchbox in NYC? (Tiffin Carrier)
Posted by z911empire, February 5, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Where can I buy Skate in NYC, In Season?
Posted by z911empire, February 3, 2009 at 9:26 AM
Recent Favorites
Seriously Italian: Saffron Fregola with Potatoes and Peas
Posted by Gina DePalma, July 16, 2009 at 9:15 AM
The Making of Michael White's Fusilli at Marea
Posted by Nick Solares, July 13, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Cook the Book: Catalan Potatoes Bravas
Posted by Caroline Russock, July 7, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Dinner Tonight: Spaghetti All'arrabbiata
Posted by Nick Kindelsperger, June 12, 2009 at 4:30 PM
Snapshots from Iceland: Grilled Whale from Saegreifinn
Posted by Robyn Lee, May 3, 2009 at 6:00 PM
Roots Cafe in South Slope Wins With Stumptown Coffee, Bologna Sandwiches
Posted by Erin Zimmer, January 7, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Dinner Tonight: Blumenthal’s Roast Potatoes
Posted by Nick Kindelsperger, May 30, 2008 at 3:45 PM
Dinner Tonight: Shrimp and Grits with Bacon
Posted by Nick Kindelsperger, February 4, 2009 at 4:45 PM
Dinner Tonight: Provencal Fried Egg Soup
Posted by Blake Royer, December 11, 2008 at 4:15 PM
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About z911empire
Location: NYC
About:
Favorite foods: salt, ditalini, broth, sausage, squid, basil, fresh tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, shitake mushrooms, asparagus, peas, white beans, eggs
Last bite on earth: crispy, piping hot, extra salty, salted squid with 2 sliced hot pepper rings from Hop Kee - 21 Mott Street, NYC

fresh tomato sauce over ziti