Imagine Autumn: Crockpot Pork Roast with Melted Apples

 Imagine a pork roast so tender it shreds with the tap of a fork, its aroma redolent of sweet apples and woodsy herbs, and its meat so succulent that it takes your breath away. 

This is that roast.

It starts where most good roast recipe begin - with a good quality pork shoulder, preferably procured from a trusted butcher.  In this case, it was a beautifully marbled roast from a local farm that we pulled out of the freezer and thawed.

The thawed roast spent the night marinating in a mixture of herbs de Provence and garlic before undergoing a quick sear in melted butter, a nice deglaze with white wine, and a day-long braise in the crockpot with some sliced apples and onions.

You can probably imagine the smell emanating from the crockpot as the roast cooks -- the perfume of the apples and herbs swirling about the kitchen, augmented by the savory richness of the pork and garlic.

You can probably imagine the flavor of the savory apple and onion laden sauce that tastes just perfect adorning the meat, but also somehow melts seamlessly into that pile of buttery mashed potatoes you've placed alongside.

But, you probably can’t imagine an easier or more delicious autumn dinner for even the  busiest of weeknights.  So, try it out and enjoy.

Crockpot Pork Roast with Melted Apples

©BURP! Where Food Happens

The Best of 2011

Difficult to believe we're coming to the end of another great year.  As it gets to be this time, we always find ourselves looking back, reflecting, and planning for what's ahead -- and that includes content for the blog.

We were overwhelmed this year as we looked over our blog stats for the year and realized how much we've grown. Despite the fact that we've been busier than ever (and that has been reflected in the frequency of our posts, particularly lately), we've more than doubled our readership from 2010 to 2011.

We'd like to thank you for your readership, your comments, and your feedback.  Burp! wouldn't couldn't exist without you!

As a thanks to all of you, we figured we'd share the top 11 posts on Burp! from 2011 (in order of popularity) ... just in case you missed them.

Top 11 Posts of 2011
These are in order of popularity, # 1 being the most popular post.

1. Stout Ice Cream with Irish Whiskey Caramel Sauce: Pure Guinness, er, Genius
2. Nettle & Garlic Ravioli with Rosemary Browned Butter
3. Stinging Nettle & Garlic Puree: Putting Up a Bit of Spring
4. Wisconsin State Fair: Door County Cherry Chutney
5. Pickled Red Onions: Summer's Prize & Winter's Bounty
6. Soul Food Fusion: Fried Chicken & Waffle Sandwich
7. Milwaukee Mardi Gras, Part II: Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
8. Spring Scallop Tacos with Strawberry Salsa
9. Going Whole Hog: Our Experience in Pig Butchering Class
10. Brown Butter Rhubarb Bars - the best & last of spring
11. You're Not Too Old for Crispy Rice Bars with Browned Butter & Rosemary

Share in the Comments

As always, we're always listening and open to your feedback.  What was YOUR favorite post? What would you like to see more of in 2012?

©BURP! Where Food Happens

High End Appetizers: Right from your toaster oven

It's confession time again.  Sometimes it takes me a while to see the usefulness in some types of kitchen equipment.  Take, for instance, the toaster oven.

In years past, I would have railed against the use of a counter-top oven. After all, I can make a pretty awesome pizza right in my regular oven.  And I have a toaster that makes seriously fine toast. And bagels. And English muffins. So, why would I want another gadget to take up valuable counter space?

But, I've recently come around.  The fact is, toaster ovens are actually a great solution for energy-conscious, small-space cooking.  And I'm learning that they can be pretty handy to have around the house.  Having become the lucky owner of a pretty snazzy West Bend 6-slice Convection Toaster Oven, I've started looking for ways to use it to make our lives a little bit easier.  And greener, to boot.  

 So far, we use our toaster oven to:

1. Save energy - a typical toaster oven uses about half the energy of a regular oven. 
2. Keep our kitchen cool on hot days - it doesn't give off nearly as much heat as your oven will.
3. Prevent stress on holidays, or on other days when you could really use a second oven - you can bake a side dish in the toaster oven while the oven is full of turkey and stuffing.
4. Dehydrate fruits, veggies, or herbs - many large ovens only go down to 200°F which can be too high. A counter-top oven goes lower, so it's perfect for sensitive items (be sure to rotate them regularly).
5. Help yeast doughs to rise - since the inside of the toaster oven can be warmed slightly, and is draft free, this is the perfect place to leave that dough.
6. Re-heat left-overs - so much better than a microwave, especially for items that you want to come out crispy.

Even better, I've started using the toaster oven to whip up small batches of snacks.  

Got the urge to melt a bit of cheese on top of those crackers?  Ouila!  The amazing toaster oven gets it done - often in less time than my beloved gas oven.

Company shows up unexpectedly?  Why not toast up a few dozen slices of French bread for impromptu bruschetta?    

Or how about something a bit fancier?   Sure, we can do that.  In fact, here are three seriously simple appetizers we've created using wonton wrappers.  These delicious nibbles would be pretty perfect for your next cocktail party, but they're also easy enough to whip up for a Sunday afternoon snack -- (dare I say?) especially if you have a toaster oven.

First, take your wonton wrappers and nestle them into a mini muffin pan to give them a cupped shape (note, a half-size muffin pan fits best in your toaster oven). Bake them at 350F for about 7-8 minutes, or until they're browned and crisped.  Once they've cooled, you can fill them with any number of great fillings.

We prepped three different types in honor of the West Bend Company's 100th Anniversary Celebration, which is coming up this weekend (more information below):

Pulled pork with candied jalapeno peppers

Goat cheese with dried sour cherries and sliced almonds

Maple ricotta with crumbled bacon and rosemary

Recipe:  Crispy Wonton Appetizers

Speaking of Parties, You're Invited: 

For 100 years, The West Bend Company has developed exceptional small electric cooking appliances from the same west bend in the Milwaukee River as when the company first started back in 1911.  In celebration of their centennial,  they’re throwing quite the party. The shindig takes place this Sunday, September 25th and is completely free and open to the public. Start off your day with a free pancake and Klement’s Sausage brunch, take in a family movie (with free popcorn), and be sure to take some time to check out the “Sale of the Century” featuring West Bend and other Focus Products Group items for up to 50% off retail prices. More information about the West Bend Company's 100th Anniversary Celebration is available on Facebook.

And now for the fun part!  We get to give one of our lucky readers the chance to win a West Bend Convection Toaster Oven of his or her very own!!  

For your chance to win, just leave us a comment letting us know how you'd use this handy dandy toaster oven.

Rules:  All comments must be received by Monday evening, September 26th, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. CST  Winners will be announced on Facebook before the end of the day on Tuesday, September 27th.  Entrants must provide a working email address in their comment or blogger profile to win.  Limited to citizens of the U.S. and Canada. 

Full Disclosure:  Although we were given West Bend Company products free of charge for the purpose of this review and giveaway, all opinions expressed in this review are our own. 

©BURP! Where Food Happens

Going Whole Hog: Our Experience in Pig Butchering Class

When I announced that we'd be participating in a Whole Hog Butchering Course at Bolzano Artisan Meats on Facebook last week, my friend Rena was one of the first to respond. 

 "... you are the only person i know who would be excited about a pig butchering class," she said.

And I had to laugh.  It's probably true, to great extent.  But, I don't think it would have always been the case.

If someone had suggested to me ten years ago that we'd be interested in breaking down the primal cuts of a pig, I probably would have fallen off my chair laughing.  Why on earth would anyone need to know how do that?

But, things change. And these days, we're increasingly interested in the ins and outs of the food we eat.  If we're going to consume meat, we want to know the details about it -- where it came from, how the animals were treated, and what impact our decision to eat that particular meat has on the environment. If I decide to order a portion of pig from a local farm, I'm interested to know which cuts are available to me -- and become more well informed about how to use and modify them. Likewise, when I'm buying a package of meat from the butcher, I'd like to know I'm getting the cut I requested.

More importantly, Peef REALLY wanted to see firsthand where that delicious slab of pork belly comes from.  And so, the opportunity to harvest his own bacon became a part of his birthday present.

To be honest, the experience was pretty amazing.  Although we weren't complete newbies on the topic of how cuts of meat are prepared, we did learn a great deal about the versatility of different portions of a pig -- about the options for obtaining ribs and pork chops, and why certain portions of meat are named as they are

Boston Butt, for instance, is really part of the shoulder... so why on earth is it called butt??  Well, in the early days of pork processing in the U.S., less valued pork cuts like shoulder cuts were packed into casks or barrels (also known as "butts") for storage and shipment.  Since many of these "butts" originated in the boston area, the way the hog shoulder was cut became known regionally as  "Boston butt."

If you're interested in seeing a summary of our course in photos, take a gander at the slideshow.

So, what's your perspective?  Would you take a hog butchering class?



©BURP! Where Food Happens
Want more? Read Lo's latest ruminations at FOODCrush, her Milwaukee Magazine blog.

Cuban Pulled Pork: Next to Bacon

If you have been reading our blog for any length of time, it probably won't shock you when I suggest that pulled pork ranks exceedingly high on our "OMG" list.   The fact of the matter is, it's the next closest thing to bacon in my book.

Cuban pork also happens to have a special place in Lo's heart. For years, Lo's friend Gail taunted her with stories about her mother's delicious empanadas.  She shared recipes for her fool-proof flank steak, mango bread, and the always memorable Psycho Chicken.  She taught Lo to make a great pot of beans.  She also introduced Lo to the concept of marinating pork in orange juice, lime, and garlic -- which, if you've never tried it, is an absolute miracle.

So, when Lo stumbled upon Rebecca from Foodie with Family's recipe on Facebook, I knew it was only a matter of time before we'd be indulging in this wonderful Cuban variation on pulled pork.

We didn't use a roast as mentioned in the original recipe since we already had some country style pork ribs in the fridge just begging to be used. We suspect that the fact that the meat was cut up into pieces assisted in intensifying the deliciously citrusy flavor of the meat since we were able to layer the seasonings in between each piece of meat, thereby increasing the surface area that was exposed to the orange-garlic deliciousness.

Yes, the recipe is a process.  But, no, it doesn't require a great deal of hands-on time.  It simply requires a bit of patience... and maybe some self-control, since the smell that emanates from that slow cooker is bound to drive you a little bit insane.

This pork is so tender, so flavorful that you just might not know exactly what to do with it first.  But, trust us when we say that, once you taste it, you'll have no hesitation in finding ways to get it into your belly!

Might we suggest the first night to simply wrap a bit of that luscious meat in a warm corn tortilla and have a side of black beans and rice? Maybe the next night, you could make a pizza with pork, jack cheese, and some refried beans... Or throw together a nice pulled pork panini with plenty of deliciously creamy cheese, as we did.

Of course, if you tire of eating pulled pork every night of the week, you should also be assured that it freezes impeccably, so you can always save it and recreate the perfection that is pulled pork all over again some other time.  And doesn't that sound awesome?

So, pour your margaritas (I have a recipe I'll share with you later this week) or Cuban Sidecars and enjoy this delicious Cuban pork however you desire.


Cuban Pork
Suggested listening: Buena Vista Social Club 

Revised to include a quick note for those of you thinking of making this recipe: Pay attention to DAY 2 of the recipe, and don't skip the additional finishing sauce!  The addition of the pork sauce reduction to the meat really ramps up the flavor of this dish. 


©BURP! Where Food Happens
Want more? Read Lo's latest ruminations at FOODCrush, her Milwaukee Magazine blog.

Roast Pork Belly: Burp! Gives Thanks

Yeah, we had pork for Thanksgiving.  But, before you start throwing your turkey carcasses at us, let me explain...

On November 27, 1998, Peef and Lo became one. That is to say, Peef and Lo got married. And if you look back, you will see that November 27, 1998 was a Friday. A Black Friday, in fact.

That's right, we got hitched the day after Thanksgiving.
So, suffice it to say, Thanksgiving has never really been an ordinary holiday for us.

In addition, you might have noticed that we have this little habit of cooking together, and we couldn't imagine any other way to celebrate our marriage than side by side in the kitchen. This results in rather non-traditional Thanksgiving feasts, and this year was by far one of the most inventive.

But more on that in a little bit...

A few months back, we were fortunate to benefit from an otherwise unfortunate event.
Our friend Scott from Bolzano Artisan Meats experienced the pangs of a busted appendix right after he'd received a hog fresh from the farm. During his recovery, he was unable to perform the work needed to transform a fresh pig into cured artisan charcuterie.  So, instead, he offered up a variety of freshly butchered pork cuts for sale to the general public.

When we got the email announcing the sale, I read through the list of available cuts. Pork belly... Picnic roast... Boston Butt...   Heh. I didn't even finish reading. The fact is, he had me at Pork Belly. Lo was excited about getting a picnic roast...but I was stuck on the Pork Belly.

"I needs one," I said to Lo (in a very whiny voice).

Fortunately, Lo loves me, and she agreed that a couple of picnic roasts and a Pork Belly would be a welcome addition to our freezer for future feasts.

One such future feast, as it happens, was Thanksgiving.

Our pork belly turned out to be a thing of beauty. Deliciously pink & beskinned, the belly had a delightful balance between fabulous meat and layers of beautiful white pork fat.  Although Lo decided it smelled a little bit like wet dog, I thought it looked pretty fabulous.

We'd chosen an Asian application from one of the latest issues of Saveur magazine -- mainly because it included step-by-step instructions for achieving a gloriously puffed and crispy layer of cracklin' pork skin -- a delicacy I've been waiting to experience for most of my adult life. 

Interestingly enough, we had most of the ingredients for the pork's marinade right in our cupboard.  All except the preserved red bean curd, which I easily procured from the Asian grocer down the street.

And then the fun began.

We poked the pork skin all over with a sharp knife (and yes, I am now coveting one of those official pork poking tools).  We scalded it with a baking soda and water mixture.  We mixed together the marinade (pausing a bit when we smelled the slighly funky odor of the red bean curd, but persisting nonetheless), and we let everything cure overnight.

On Thanksgiving afternoon, we removed our slightly funky-smelling pork belly from the fridge, placed it on a roasting rack, and set it in the oven.  About an hour later, we opened the oven door and were greeted by a sight for sore eyes.

That pork belly... well, it was positively stellar.

We broke off hunks of the crackled skin and nibbled like greedy little... pigs?   The puffed bits crackled and crunched and filled our mouths with enticingly porky flavor, while the deliciously tender meat, pleasantly caramelized and perfumed with the scent of five spice powder, melted in our mouths.

It was (dare I say it) quite nearly better than bacon.  And it was even better when paired with another of our holiday cooking projects...

...which we'll reveal to you on Friday.
Trust me when I say it's worth the wait. 

In the meantime, feel free to check out the recipe:  Crispy Pork Siew Yoke - Saveur Magazine



©BURP! Where Food Happens
Want more? Read Lo's latest ruminations at FOODCrush, her Milwaukee Magazine blog.

Summer 2010: It's All About the Pig

What do you like best about summer?
If you'd have asked me that question a number of years ago, my answer may have been "not much."

I'm not a fan of the heat. Or the humidity. Or the mosquitoes. I have a tendency to be light sensitive, so exposure to too much sun generally results in a monster of a headache. And the notion of running around in a bikini (or being scantily clad in any way) is as scary for me as it would be for everyone else if I actually made a habit of it.

Nah... I live for the crisp autumn days when I can throw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. I long for deceptively sunny days. And chilly nights. For crisp leaves and apple pie.  It's the one time of the year when yard work doesn't make me sweat. And I can think of nothing more exciting than putting something into the oven for a nice slow braise while I sit with a cup of tea and catch up on my reading.

That said, I will concede that I've grown increasingly fond of summer as I grow older -- in part because I've grown to more closely appreciate my food and where it comes from.  Eating more locally has given me an uncanny affection for blisteringly hot summer days and humid evenings because I know that they will beget me plenty of delicious produce to get me through the long, cold Wisconsin winter.

Of course, it helps that I also get to look forward to events like the Braise on the Go annual pig roast (see footage from past roasts in 2008 and 2009).  This year, the event was held at LOTFOTL, a certified organic community farm in East Troy, WI.  We've gotten to know Farmer Tim Huth over the years (in fact, he's the one who generously bestowed us with those fantastic rat tail radishes -- and seeds to grow our own -- two years ago when we belonged to his CSA), and he's a great guy.  In his own words, the philosophy on his farm can be summed up this way:

To “live off the fat of the land” [...] is to bask in your role in a system which feeds you so long as you feed it. It is the celebration, and the recognition that you cannot be you without these systems, without other beings, sentient and otherwise. Farming practices that are land abusive will inevitably lead to land that is lifeless, just as a household filled with anger and violence will cease to feel like a home.

We strive to apply systematic thinking to the farm, treating the land like the vast and complex space that it is. In building our relationship to the soil  we are placing our bets that if we fulfill the role of stewards and caretakers of this supercomplex set of interactions, this system will reciprocate and care for us. But even if it doesn't, even if waves someday wash over our fields, or the sun bakes Earth's flesh to a crusty and crumbly and lifeless space, we will have acted from this place of intention, and will be better for it. To Live off the fat of the land, then, is simply to live.  -- LOTFOTL Community Farm

Unlike years past, the weather this year was pretty sticky. Rain was in the forecast, but the humidity hadn't quite broken.  So, we were relieved to see that our dinner this year would sheltered from both the heat of the sun and the threat of rain. The mosquitoes were also pretty nasty, thanks to all that rain we got in July; but the Braise folks managed to cover that base as well, passing out bug spray to anyone who needed it.  They also set a mighty pretty table.

Before they seated us, we were encouraged to take a trek around the farm. To sustain us, they supplied us with a bit of wine (there was also the option of chocolate milk from Sassy Cow Creamery for anyone who felt the desire to turn down a bit of locally produced wine from Stone's Throw Winery)

And delicious bite of pork confit on a whole grain cracker with Wisconsin cherry (Many thanks to Adam Lucks).

And before we knew it, it was time for dinner.  There were four delectable courses in store for us -- each one containing some form of pork (including dessert).  The porky bits were all derived from a 200lb Berkshire pig from Golden Bear Farm, an organic farm in Kiel, WI owned and operated by by Steve and Marie Deibele.  We couldn't wait to dig in!

By this point, we couldn't wait to see what we were having for dessert. Fortunately, the chefs were kind enough to let us take a peek at the delicious things they were prepping.  And once we found out there would be PIG FAT CARAMEL involved, we became seriously drool-laden.

Mosquitoes?  Humidity? Bah!
Give me food like this -- in the company of good friends -- and I'll put up with quite a bit.  It might even make me like summer :)  Cheers!

Sorry you missed the pig roast?  Why not sign up for the Braise Tour de Farms event coming up on Sunday, September 12, 2010.  Looks like it's gonna be a blast!


©BURP! Where Food Happens

Cowboy Stew Redux: Stellar Tamale Pie

Some people aren't really into leftovers.  But, I can hardly imagine a life without them.  Even though there are only two of us, I always cook for at least 4 people. Most of the time, we take the leftovers to work for lunch. On the rare occasion when I've cooked up more than four servings (or we don't need lunch the next day), I often throw the remainders into the freezer.

Even for those of us who take great joy from cooking, there are nights when we just don't feel like going through the effort.  These are the nights when most people order take-out (and trust me, we do that too).  But, it's such a joy to know that a delicious dinner is only a few steps away when you've got some leftovers on hand.

In this case, it was a tub of Pork Cheek and Black Eyed Pea Chili.  This stew-like concoction has big chunks of pork shoulder (or pork cheeks, if you can find them) and black-eyed peas that have been cooked in a combination of chicken broth and porter, and seasoned with plenty of Spanish smoked paprika.  This is the sort of chili that takes some time, but is well worth the effort -- especially since it makes plenty!  Its flavor also improves over time, like many other well-seasoned stews.

Since this particular chili is pretty meaty, and we tend toward the Veg-Head side of things, I decided to saute some kale & onions to add to the chili.  I cooked them right in my cast iron skillet so that I only had to dirty one pan.  When the onions were cooked and the kale was barely tender, I stirred in the chili and allowed it to reheat.

While the chili was reheating, I stirred together a quick cornbread topping -- whole wheat flour, cornmeal, some ancho chile powder, cumin...  I grabbed some shredded cheese to stir into the cornbread & scatter over the chili.  And then I spooned the topping onto the warm chili mixture.

Just 45 minutes in a 400 degree oven, and dinner was served! 

The pork was tender, the sauce rich and smoky. And the cornbread topping helped to sop up some of the juice from the stew and greens.

Even better than that, Peef declared it "one of the best dinners ever!"  Makes me wonder why we don't cook with leftovers more often.

Easy Tamale Pie


What are your favorite leftovers for repurposing?


©BURP! Where Food Happens

Weekend Indulgences: Linguini Fini alla Carbonara

It's that perfectly fudgey slice of flourless chocolate cake. The sip of hand-harvested whole leaf Lapsang souchong. An impeccably roasted beet. The very first warm, sun-ripened tomato picked off the vine in your backyard.

Sometimes one ingredient is all it takes. Your tongue tingles. Your toes curl. The foodie within swoons (and forever swears off winter tomatoes).  And so it was with the locally produced Guanciale that we found at the market a few weekends ago.

If you would have told me a few years ago that we'd be able to get locally produced dry cured Italian meats right here in Milwaukee, I probably wouldn't have believed you. Sure, there are a couple of respectable Italian delis in the city, but certainly nothing even remotely resembling Salumi -- that delectable Seattle icon that served to set the bar pretty darned high for Italian charcuterie.

Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Milwaukee has its very own dry cured charcuterie producer. Bolzano Meats, located at 3950 N. Holton St., began their first batch of cured meats in September of 2009 -- and the first of their meat was ready for public consumption beginning in late October.  Bolzano carries Speck Proscuitto, Berkshire Pancetta, and Berkshire Guanciale.  And, while they don't have a storefront, they do sell their wares online as well as at the Milwaukee Winter Market -- which is where we tasted our first bits of Guanciale.  And, of course, we had to buy some to take home with us.

Guanciale is a very special Italian bacon made from the cheeks/jowls, rather than the belly, of the pig. Its flavor is rich and meaty (porky, if you will). Its texture is quite delicate. And, although it seems to maintain a family resemblance, it's absolutely NOTHING like pancetta.

Since we had the "real thing" in our possession, we took Mario Batali's lead on this one and went with a traditional carbonara. And I'm glad that we did. The ingredients are simple and few:  a bit of Guanciale, a couple of fresh eggs, some grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and a generous amount of black pepper.  But, the results are spectacular -- creamy, rich, and filled with an incredible amount of flavor.

Of course, by now you're probably getting hungry. And I'm just sitting here yammering on. So, let's get to the point, shall we?

We were basking in the glow of a long weekend -- so, although carbonara is a relatively fast dish to get on the table, we took the long way around.  The first thing we did was to whip up some homemade pasta.  You might remember that we have a handy KitchenAid pasta roller/cutter, so the actual work of making pasta is really negligible.  It just takes a bit of time.  So, we whipped up a batch of dough, rolled it paper thin, and sliced it into gorgeously petite linguini fini.  Not exactly spaghetti -- which would be traditional -- but very fun to say. Since we also seem prone to rule-breaking (as you'll soon see), we let this one small technicality slide.  We put a pot of water on to boil.

Our pasta troubles out of the way, we cubed the Guanciale and then rendered it over low heat until it was browned and crispy. Some might say that we took the browning bit a little too far (the idea is simply to render the fat and cook the Guanciale until golden). But, trust me on this one. It didn't hurt the dish one bit. And, in fact, those crusty bits were just perfect even when sampled directly from the pan. While the meat was browning, Peef grated up plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano, and I whipped up a couple of farm fresh eggs in a small bowl.

Once the Guanciale was ready, we added a couple of cloves of minced garlic to the mix (not necessarily traditional, but definitely Italian -- and certainly delicious), sauteeing just until tender. Then, we deglazed the pan with a whorl of dry white wine (also a bit of a departure from every recipe I've ever seen -- but it served to effectively deglaze the pan and cut the richness of the Guanciale a bit).

At this point, we were ready for the action to begin. We placed the pasta into the pot of boiling water, seasoned our eggs with plenty of black pepper, and stirred in a liberal handful of parmesan cheese.  When the pasta was ready, we drained it (reserving some of the pasta water), and added it to the hot pan of Guanciale, which was now swimming in a delicious pond of wine soaked browned bits.  We tossed the pasta, removed it from the heat, and added the eggs and a scoop of the hot pasta water, stirring gently yet thoroughly until everything was deliciously creamy.

We slurked our pasta feast into warm bowls.  Peef rested his head just above his bowl and wafted the amazing aroma into his nostrils.  I closed my eyes and took a bite.  The creamy porky goodness infiltrated my mouth.

Sparks flew.
The planets realigned.

I opened my eyes.  Peef was standing next to me, mid-bite, with his eyes closed. I could hear a vaguely rough groan emanating from his lips. When his eyes opened again, a grin spread across his face -- the sort of grin that only something truly fabulous could evoke.

We both took another bite. And then another. We grinned, and chewed, and swallowed. And, all at once, our bowls were empty.  Mission accomplished.

Fresh semolina pasta dough
Pasta alla Carbonara: The Real Deal



©BURP! Where Food Happens