Man overboard! All hands on deck! Mario went down this afternoon with a bad headache. Too much video games if you ask me. But the poor guy wasn't feeling good and Mariesa – the loyal shipmate that she is – stepped right in and filled his shoes!
Mario and I had previously decided to revisit Otto's menu and try to recreate the Spaghetti all Gricia- Spaghetti with Garlic, Onions and Guanciale (page 186). We were excited, because we know how the Captain prefers this dish and we would immediately know if our meal was on course or terribly lost at sea. As Saturday morning quietly floated into Saturday evening Mario began to feel under the weather and was sent to his quarters to recuperate. Luckily for us, Mariesa courageously stepped up and took his place.
We began by cutting the guanciale, red onions and garlic, proceeded to heat up the olive oil, and add in the red pepper flakes and guanciale. As soon as the guanciale had rendered most of its fat and was crisp and golden brown we added in the onions and garlic, and started to boil our water for the spaghetti.
As the water began to come to a rolling boil, Mariesa had me rolling in the kitchen with a recap of a science class prank she witnessed. Tears rolled down my cheeks as we both laughed. It was nice to hear her talk, carry on a conversation with her and no worries of anything else but getting the dishes ready to plate. There wasn't anyone else I would have rather cooked with that evening.
Earlier this week while looking though our Captain's book, I ran across a recipe for sauteed spinach. You know that craving you get when you see something that looks delicious and can't wait to eat it? Well that's how I felt about the spinach. It wasn't the best accompaniment to the spaghetti, but on its own it was simply divine. Mariesa and I removed our spaghetti from the boiling water and added it to the pan with the guanciale and tossed them until they were thoroughly mixed together. Mariesa rang the dinner bell and we all gathered around the table to enjoy this amazing dish.
The spaghetti was delicious and very light. Our captain writes in his book that Italians often feel that eating white food (in bianco) serves to settle and upset stomach and gives the internal organs a rest. We all agreed and gave the dish five crocs!
Ciao,
Mario, Mario & Mariesa
The Three Tocayos
