Daily Archives: April 8, 2012

Garlic Chip and Parmesan Pasta

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I love a tasty carbonara and wanted to try a version which omits the pancetta. To maintain the pancetta flavor in the recipe, I used some bacon drippings and added garlic chips. The result turned out well, but I would add the bacon or pancetta next time for the additional layer of flavor.
 
Adapted from Serious Eats and Bon Appetit

4 servings

  • 5 garlic cloves, chopped into small chips
  • 10 ounces pasta
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons bacon fat

Heat the bacon fat in a large skillet over high heat, add garlic chips and cook until crisp and golden brown about 4  minutes. Transfer garlic chips to paper towels to drain. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender yet firm to the bite. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Whisk eggs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually add 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid. Pour egg mixture over pasta and stir (I put the skillet over extremely low heat) until sauce is just creamy and eggs are no longer raw, about 2 or 3 minutes. Be careful not to over cook, or the eggs will scramble. Serve pasta with additional Parmesan cheese.

Shells and Cheese

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Nothing says comfort food than macaroni cheese to me. It’s always nice to have some on a rainy day.

In this version, sage and buttery onions flavor the cream sauce and coat the al dente pasta shells. The buttery bread crumb topping and layer of cheese creates a crust and provides an extra element of flavor and texture.

Adapted from Alton Brown and My Father’s Daughter

  • 1/2 pound pasta shells or rice shells (gluten-free)
  • 2 tablespoons gf flour
  • 2 cups soy milk
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
  • a few sage leaves
  • 16 ounces extra sharp cheddar, shredded
  • coarse salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup panko or gf bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons butter or Earth Balance

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and turn it on to the convection setting if that’s a possibility.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than indicated on the package. Meanwhile, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it’s free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion and sage leaf. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the sage leaves.

Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the shells into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the shells with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Milk, butter and sage sauce (L) Butter, flour and onion roux (R)

Whisking in cheddar cheese

Panko or gluten-free bread crumbs with melted butter

Layer cheese and bread crumb mixture onto macaroni and sauce

Max and Dylans Kitchen and Bar, Downtown Crossing, Boston

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Max & Dylan’s Kitchen and Bar is located in Downtown Crossing. It is under the same ownership as Scollay Square in Beacon Hill and there is some overlap in the two menus. We enjoyed all the dishes we tried and thought it was reasonably priced. The entrees were priced around or under $16 and appetizers under $13.

The atmosphere is clean and the bar is a nice light wood. As the evening progressed, the restaurant became pretty full. I could envision Noel Gallagher’s music played (NPR’s interview of former Oasis front man and love his song If I Had a Gun and the acoustic version).

Our server was very friendly and attentive, however he did seem much less present or distracted when service got noticeably busy which is understandable. He suggested a lot of his favorites which included the spinach and artichoke mac and cheese, buffalo mac and cheese, chipote bbq chicken salad, braised short rib sliders and fish and chips. The table next to us ordered the beef tenderloin flat bread with leeks and truffle oil, looked interesting.

We started our meal with the 2009 Meridien Pinot Noir and the 2009 Saint M Reisling and then my friend ordered for us to share the Seared Scallops and Lip Searing Rare Ahi Tuna, Citrus Soy, Chili OIl, Wasabi, Wakarne. The scallops were delightful and tender. I would order these again.

The scallops had a nice crust, a bit of spice and a lovely flavor. They were nice and warm, tender and buttery. I could have eaten this one on my own and would order the scallops again. The Ahi tuna was sprinkled with black and white sesame and the seaweed salad was a nice contrast.

The Grilled Salmon Filet with Citrus Soy, Grilled Asparagus and Fingerling Potatoes for $16. The salmon had a nice glaze and was super flaky.

My Blackened Swordfish with fingerling potatoes and skillet corn for $16, was delish. I would come back to Max and Dylan’s for this reasonably priced entree. The crusted swordfish that was well cooked and cut smoothly to reveal the white fish. The swordfish was topped with sweet tomato jam and it highlighted the sweetness of the corn. The skin of fingerling potatoes was nicely seasoned and tender on the interior.

Max and Dylan’s is known for their various iterations of mac and cheese. We tried the Buffalo Mac and Cheese, per our server’s suggestion, which had tender, flash fried chicken and the flavor of the buffalo was in the creamy sauce which coated the pasta. It was addictive.

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