Here comes the sun...

Switzerland has been having a major doozie of a May, where weather is concerned. It has been cold, wet and gray.
SO when last weekend beckoned with warmth and lots of sunshine, the Swiss people surged into the open like marmots after the winter. It was just as gorgeous as promised and I read of sunburns on facebook statuses without end.
Thank god I managed to forgo that experience myself.

I decided it was time to try out something new. The lamb rack I bought on impulse on my way home would meet it's fate on the barbecue outside. Even though it was just me.
I know. I'm weird like that.

The marinade I threw together was improvised but I was very pleased with the results. The measures listed here are approximate;

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram
1 clove of garlic
a squeeze of lemon juice

Chop the herbs and the garlic finely and mix with the other ingredients to a paste. Liberally coat the lamb rack with it and let it stand at room temperature. Let it marinate for at least 20 minutes.

We have a big charcoal barbecue. If you purchase smaller charcoal baskets, you have the possibility of having the hot coals in only a part of the grill. This allows indirect grilling which is great for bigger cuts of meat. My father does a to-die-for roast chicken this way.

I filled only one if the two baskets with coal and lit them. They were allowed to get really hot before I got out the lamb rack and seared on both sides for one or two minutes. Then the rack was placed to the side, out of the way of the direct heat, the lid was put on and left to finish for about seven minutes.

The finished product was tender, juicy and absolutely delicious.
I can't wait to make it again.

Simple Carbonara

Well, what do you cook when you get home ravenously hungry?
This is one of my favorite sauces of all times and I have long ago given up ordering it at restaurants... they just don't measure up to the homemade stuff.

I don't normally use any cream in it. I know this to be a break from traditions that will have purists shaking their heads. But try before you judge.
I have added a splash of cream or a bit of cream cheese when I wanted it (aka I was even hungrier than normal).



Ingredients per person:
100-150 gr of semolina wheat pasta (personal favorite is linguine)
ca. 3 rashers of streaky bacon, cut into pieces
1 egg yolk
a handful of freshly grated parmesan
black pepper to taste

1. First of all, put on your water for the pasta and add salt when it comes to the boil. Put in your pasta.
2. Fry your bacon on a medium heat until crispy.
3. When your pasta is almost done, mix the egg yolk, the parmesan and three to four tablespoons of the pasta water together well. The pasta water adds salt and will help the thicken the mixture with the egg yolk.
4. When your pasta is just cooked reserve a cup of the water and drain the rest. Immediately return the pasta to the still warm pan, add the eggy mixture, mix well, cover and let it sit for about ten seconds. If the pasta is too dry, add a splash of the reserved cooking water and mix again.
5. Mix again, add black pepper to taste and put onto a serving platter. Top with the fried bacon.

This is a sauce that doesn't take longer to make than the pasta takes to cook. My favorite kind!