Carla Snyder's Profile

Simple and delicious Italian is always a good plan. I've started adding some of the hot pasta water to the eggs before tossing it all together and never had a curdled egg since. No one has mentioned that using pancetta means there won't be as much lovely fat in the dish, which is kindof sad. The fat is where the flavor's at. I toss my pasta in the fat first and then add the egg/water mix. Too simple to be so delicious.

I've worked in artisan bakeries where the breads are crusty on the outside and this is what we told our customers.
1) Don't try to cut warm bread. Let it cool completely or it will mash,
2) Cut the bread with an offset serrated knife in a sawing motion. Never with a chef knife.
3)Turn the bread on its side when cutting. That crusty bottom is so much easier to cut through.
4) Perfect is in the eye of the beholder. I'd rather have a slice of bread that doesn't look like a machine sliced it. I also like to be able to slice bread according to its use. Sometimes thinner, sometimes fatter, depends.

I hope this helps!