Uglyhead

I have always been something of a gourmet type. My mom taught me to cook at an early age and my dad was a professional chef. Before we started having kids I used to cook about half the time. Then Aidan was born and Pamela started staying home. I began to cook less and less. Along the time Isabel came along I found myself working right up until dinner time. I still make fancy pizza or grill the meat (fire is a man’s domain), but for the most part I have deferred to my wife’s excellent cooking.

Now that Pamela is teaching on Monday afternoon’s for Hilger Higher Learning, she has asked me cook dinner on those nights. The other week Books Are Fun set up at our office. Inspired to help out my spouse and regain some of my standing in the kitchen, I picked up four Rachael Ray cookbooks for a bargain price.

Tonight I grabbed Comfort Food : Rachael Ray’s Top 30 30-Minute Meals and made the Carbonara (link to very similar R.R. recipe on Food Network). The instructions were easy to follow and I was serving dinner within forty minutes. I substituted a couple ingredients, smoked bacon for pancetta and olive oil for evoo, but the dish turned out as promised by the tagline in the cookbook–the only recipe you’ll need. Aidan complained that it was hot (due to the red peper flakes). He ate it anyway, to which I say good. Maybe it will help him learn to be less finicky?

All in all I would say that the meal was successful. Pamela enjoyed the break and is looking forward to having me cook more often over the coming months. Rachael Ray is making it easy and exciting. Hopefully I will hit the thirty minute mark next time.