The Original Fettuccine Alfredo

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Esther Glas for sharing this classic food funny with us:

Two anglers are out ice fishing and not even getting a nibble. They look
over and see a young boy with a pile of fish next to him, so they wander
over to say hello. As they approach, they notice the young boy catching
yet another fish. "I can't figure out what he's doing that we're not,"
says one man to the other. "Let's ask. Hey, what are you using for
bait?" asks one of them. "Wmmmms" replies the boy. "Worms?" they ask.
"Yes." "That's strange, that's what we're using and we're not even
getting a nibble. What's your secret?" The boy looks at them and
mumbles, "uv gt ta kp tm wm." "What?" replies the man. The boy spits out
a wad of worms and says, "I said, you got to keep them warm."

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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In 1914 Roman restaurateur Alfredo di Lelio was looking for a way to
restore the failing appetite of his pregnant wife. He began by adding
additional butter to a traditional dish of fettuccine with butter
(fettuccine al burro), and after he had tripled the amount of butter
normally used, his wife's appetite returned and a classic dish was born.
He added the dish to the menu of his restaurant and, according to
legend, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks found it so delicious when
they sampled it on their honeymoon in 1927 that they bestowed upon
Alfredo a golden fork and spoon. They told their friends about the dish
upon returning to the United States and its popularity began to spread.

Today descendants of Alfredo and his unnamed wife continue to operate
restaurants in Rome and New York, with a new location scheduled to open
in Las Vegas sometime in 2009. In 2004 Russell Bellanca, owner of the
New York restaurant, demonstrated the secret recipe on the Today show,
and this is how it was done. It goes without saying, since the dish only
contains three ingredients, that only the finest ingredients should be
used, and towards that end I have also included my recipe for fresh
fettuccine here.

The Original Fettuccine Alfredo

6 oz (170 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
6 oz (170 g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plus additional
for garnish if desired
1 recipe basic fresh pasta cut into strips about 1/4 inch (5 mm) wide
(see below) or 1 lb (450 g) dried fettuccine

Combine the butter and grated cheese in a bowl large enough to hold the
cooked fettuccine and whisk or stir with a fork to make a smooth paste.
Cook the fettuccine in 1 gallon (4 L) of boiling salted water until
tender but still firm ("al dente"). Reserve about 1/2 cup (125 ml) of
the pasta water. Drain the fettuccine quickly but not completely (it
should still have some liquid clinging to it) and transfer it to the
bowl. Toss gently with a pair of forks or tongs until a smooth, creamy
sauce is formed, adding a little bit of the reserved pasta water if
necessary. (This step is often done tableside in the restaurants, using
a silver platter instead of a bowl.) Serve immediately with additional
grated cheese if desired.
Serves 4 to 6.

The following recipe requires a pasta machine for kneading, rolling, and
cutting the pasta. They can be bought for about $40 in any gourmet shop
or department store, and the investment will return a lifetime of fresh
pasta. Please insist on the type with rollers, as the extruder types
don't knead the dough and produce an inferior product.

Basic Recipe for Fresh Pasta

2 1/2 cups (625 ml) all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
2 tsp (10 ml) olive oil

Place the flour in a large mixing bowl or on a flat work surface and
form a well in the center. Beat the eggs and oil together and pour into
the well. Using a fork, begin mixing the flour and egg mixture in the
center of the well, gradually working towards the outside of the mound
of flour as the ingredients are combined. When the mixture becomes too
stiff to work with the fork, begin incorporating the ingredients with
your hands until a ball of dough is formed. The dough should be firm
enough to handle and not sticky. Adjust the consistency with additional
flour or a few drops of water if necessary. Alternately, the ingredients
may be combined in an electric food processor and processed until a ball
is formed. Knead the dough by running it through the pasta machine set
on its widest setting six or seven times, folding the dough in thirds
after each pass and dusting lightly with flour if the dough becomes
sticky. After kneading the dough should be firm and have the texture of
smooth leather. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30
minutes to 3 hours.

To make noodles, cut the dough into 6 pieces and roll through the pasta
machine set on the widest setting several more times, folding in thirds
and dusting lightly with flour if needed to prevent sticking, then begin
decreasing the width by one notch with each successive pass through the
machine until the dough has reached the desired thickness. Most noodles
require the thinnest setting, but thicker noodles such as spaghetti and
pappardelle require only the next-to-last setting on the machine. Let
the dough dry for about 15 minutes and then pass through the cutting
mechanism on your machine, or cut by hand. The cut noodles may be cooked
immediately, or may be frozen or dried and stored for several weeks in
an airtight container. To dry, roll the noodles gently into small
"nests" or simply allow to dry flat.

To cook, boil at least 4 quarts (4 L) of salted water for this recipe.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir gently. Fresh pasta, even
when dried, cooks much faster than commercial dried pasta. Depending on
the thickness of the noodles, the pasta will be done in as little as 5
seconds, and in no case should it take longer than 1 minute to cook
after the water has returned to the boil. Test the pasta frequently and
drain it in a large colander as soon as it is tender but still firm.
Makes about 1 lb (500 g) to serve 4 to 6.
Received on Mon May 25 18:47:36 2009