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A Classroom For Foodies: Sharing, Teaching A Love For Food

Photo by MICHELLE BAKER

Spaghetti al Carbonara is oh-so-good and oh-so-creamy. It will be featured in an upcoming Italian Masters Sauces class.

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By GREG and MICHELLE BAKER

Tribune correspondents

Published: July 8, 2008

Updated:

One of the most fun things we get to do is teach people how to cook. We truly love it.

Seeing the apprehension before the class and the "I Did It!" expressions of joy afterward is worth every minute.

We have taught every level of cook. Some very experienced with worldly palettes, others afraid of their own knife's shadow. We have no favorites; we love them all.

Class menus have ranged from paella and gazpacho to gnocchi and Yellowtail Snapper Livornese. It's a complete melting pot, much like our students.

We've taught top Tampa Bay lawyers who were yearning for a Tuscan vacation but had no time to travel. (Used any fresh artichokes lately, Shelley?) We've hosted groups of good friends who decided to change up the standard night out and laughed more than ever before. (Did you try the Marsala on grilled rib-eyes, Debbie?) And some have been much-loved parents with terrific kids who truly appreciate the art of good food. (Did the low-moisture cheese work better in the pizza oven, Robert?)

There are many avenues out there for those who want to learn to cook. You can tune to the Food Network at any time of day for a quick how-to, or you can flip over to "Top Chef" on Bravo for inspiration from the country's newest leading chefs.

But where do those who teach get inspiration?

We get it from all of the above, with one more little secret: food blogs. There is a whole world of culinary correspondents ready to share their knowledge as well as their life stories.

The Pioneer Woman (www.thepioneerwoman.com/cooking) provides beautiful step-by-step photography of some of America's most classic cowboy cuisine. It's as if she is in your kitchen. (Which can be kind of creepy.)

Others provide photos of the finished product, including Claudia of Cook Eat Fret (www.cookeatfret.com). She shows us finds from all of her worldly travels, and she isn't afraid to try anything once or twice, should the first explode, which sometimes it does.

To find the perfect inspiration for tonight's supper, we gawk at www.tastespotting.com. Tastespotting is a site where all of the foodies around the world unite. We make our creations and offer them to the world for your viewing and educational pleasure.

If you're not a computer person, that's OK; we're still here for you. We have two 100 percent hands-on classes lined up this month.

We'll be showcasing Old World Mexican Favorites on Monday and Italian Master Sauces on July 28. We get so many requests for group cooking classes, we've hijacked the kitchen at The Bungalow Bistro (another one of our favorite secrets). You can visit our Web site below or www.bungalowbistro.com for details.

Until then, here is a recipe that will be featured in the Italian Master Sauces class, the oh-so-good and oh-so-creamy Spaghetti al Carbonara.

See you in class, kids!

Greg Baker is a classically trained executive chef with more than 20 years of trendsetting restaurant experience. Greg and Michelle are co-owners of Cooks and Company Personal Chef and Catering. Go to www.cooksncompany.com or www.culinarysherpas.com.

SPAGHETTI AL CARBONARA

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 pound pancetta, diced

2 onions, sliced thin

2/3 pound spaghetti (use a good imported spaghetti; domestic store brands just don't cut it)

1/2 quart heavy cream

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon Italian parsley, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large saute pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and pancetta, cooking until browned on all sides (3 to 4 minutes).

Add the onions and lower the heat to "very low"; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and brown (this can take up to 30 minutes).

While the onions are cooking, prepare the spaghetti according to the package directions.

Add the cream and raise the heat to medium-high; cook until the volume of the cream has reduced by half.

Place the egg yolks in a bowl and mix well with a whisk or fork, then take about 1/2 cup of the cream from the saute pan and whisk it into the eggs, a little at a time. (This is to temper the yolks, so they don't cook immediately and turn into scrambled eggs.)

Add this mixture to your saute pan, toss well, and remove it from the heat.

Add the Italian parsley; season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Toss immediately with the spaghetti and serve.

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