Recipe
18 Mar 2007

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

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  • 5 oz. guanciale (unsmoked cured hog jowl) or pancetta
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1 lb. spaghetti
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (3/4 cup)
  • 3/4 oz Pecorino Romano, finely grated (1/3 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 oz. frozen peas, thawed
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Cut guanciale or pancetta into 1/3-inch dice, then cook in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until fat begins to render, 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes.

Cook spaghetti in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente.

While pasta is cooking, whisk together eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano , Pecorino Romano (1/3 cup), 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

Drain spaghetti in a colander and add to guanciale, then toss with tongs over moderate heat until coated. Remove from heat and add egg mixture, peas and  parsley, tossing to combine. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 main-course servings.

Gourmet, March 2003

Restaurant Review
13 Mar 2007

Petite Passion – Philadelphia

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March 8, 2007
Cuisine: American (New)

2300 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Phone: 215-405-6766
Website: http://www.artinstitutes.edu/philadelphia/restaurant/

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Dinner roll, almond bread, cheese and garlic flatbread (complimentary)

Appetizer I: Steak Martini – Citrus Vodka Dressing, Micro Greens, Bacon, Crostini

Appetizer II: Lobster Flan – Caviar, Citrus Crème Frâiche, Saffron Tuille

Soup I: Pasta and Bean Soup – Drizzle Olive Oil, Reggiano Parm Crisp, Fried Basil

Soup II: Pacific Seafood Chowder – Wakame Pesto, Sesame Cracker

Entree I: Macaroni – Port Wine Demi-Glace, Swedish Meatballs, Shaved Asiago

Entree II: Olive Oil Poached Halibut – Oven Dried Artichokes, Roasted Eggplant, Red Wine Reduction

Dessert I: Sacher Tart – Strawberry Coulis and Mango Puree

Dessert II: Pana Cotta – Mint and Caramel Sauce with Pistachio Brittle

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Petite Passion is operated by students studying Culinary Arts at The Art Institute of Philadelphia. According to their website, “students spend eleven weeks in Petite Passion either preparing your meal or in the dining room as your server.” The restaurant is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays for lunch (11:30 AM, noon) and dinner (7 PM). The Astronomer and I met up for a rare weekday lunch when he happened to be in the city for a doctor’s appointment.

Petite Passion offers a prix fixe menu for lunch and dinner. The four-course lunch is priced at $15. The dining room was fairly packed when we arrived and the crowd was diverse.

We began our meal with complimentary breads–I chose the flatbread, while The Astronomer had a dinner roll and almond bread. The flatbread was cheesy, but was cold and stale. I suspect the bread was made last night for dinner service. The Astronomer thought the dinner roll was decent, but the almond bread relied to heavily on almond extract for flavor and lacked real almonds.

For our appetizer I went for the Steak Martini, while The Astronomer chose the lobster flan. The steak martini was pretty darn tasty–the steak was moist, the greens were lightly dressed in a citrus vodka vinaigrette, the bacon added great flavor, and the presentation was precious. Aside from presentation, it wasn’t the most innovative dish, but I was quite pleased with the Steak Martini overall. I was hesitant to try the Lobster Flan because it sounded a little too ambitious for culinary students to execute well. The flan was served cold and tasted more creamy than lobstery. The Astronomer enjoyed the flan much more than I did, but found the Citrus Crème Frâiche unnecessary because the flan was already rich.

For our soup course I chose the Pacific Seafood Chowder and The Astronomer ordered the Pasta and Bean Soup. The chowder’s broth was delicious, but the “seafood” was lacking–one shrimp and a hunk of fish. The sesame cracker was really tough and definitely stale. The Pasta and Bean Soup was too salty for the Astronomer, but I thought it was excellent. We switched bowls mid-course because I liked his soup more than mine and vice versa.

For our main course The Astronomer went for the Macaroni and I had the halibut. The Macaroni was great. The pasta appeared to be made in-house, the meatballs were yummy, and the Port Wine Demi-Glace was an unexpected, but pleasant sauce. The Astronomer and I debated whether the pasta was al dente or actually undercooked–we decided that it could have used a few more minutes in boiling water. My halibut was very disappointing. The fish was boring and tasteless and the vegetables were unspectacular. I had a couple bites and gave the rest to The Astronomer to eat with his Port Wine Demi-Glace.

For our final course we shared a slice of Sacher Tart and some pana cotta. The tart was a dense chocolate cake coated in 1/2 an inch of fudge and topped with raspberries. I enjoyed the fudge immensely and The Astronomer loves chocolate paired with fruits. The panna cotta was really interesting flavor-wise. The combination of mint and caramel is unorthodox and really good! My only complaint were the copious mint leaves within the panna cotta. I prefer my panna cotta smooth, not chunky. The Astronomer choked on a mint leaf.

The food at Petite Passion is hit or miss, but the ambiance and enthusiasm is contagious. Culinary students are an endearing bunch. I hope that didn’t come off too condescending.

Petite Passion on Urbanspoon

Recipe
12 Mar 2007

Artichoke Stuffed “Pasta”

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  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
  • 2 (8 oz.) cans of artichoke hearts, drained and patted dry
  • 1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • Wonton wrappers

Heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Transfer artichoke mixture to cleaned bowl of processor, then add cheese, yolk, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and pulse until mixture is coarsely chopped.
Place 1 wonton wrapper on work surface. Spoon generous 1 tablespoon artichoke mixture into center of wrapper. Top with another wrapper for ravioli or for tortellini fold wonton wrapper in half and then half again to form a bundle. Brush edges of wrapper with water. Press edges together to seal. Make sure to eliminate all air bubbles. Repeat with remaining wrappers.

Working in batches, cook ravioli and tortellini in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes per batch.

Serve with Parmigiano-Reggiano and your sauce of choice.

Recipe adapted from Gourmet, January 2007 “Artichoke Ravioli with Tomatoes” and Bon Appétit, May 1999 “Swiss Chard Ravioli.” [For Printable Recipe Click Here]