BOGOTA (AFP) – Colombians vote yesterday to draw up a shortlist of candidates for presidential elections polls suggest may yield the country’s first-ever leftist leader.
Nearly 39 million of Colombia’s 50 million inhabitants are eligible to cast their ballot in a complex but critical election in a country plagued by violence and growing poverty levels.
On one part of the ballot, voters will determine the composition of the Senate and House of Representatives, currently in the hands of right-wing parties.
But all eyes will really be on the outcome of the presidential primaries – called inter-party “consultations” – happening alongside the legislative vote.
In a country with a history of political violence and voter turnout traditionally below 50 per cent, outgoing President Ivan Duque has promised safety “guarantees” for the non-compulsory vote.
It comes with the president and legislature both at rock-bottom levels of public opinion.
Colombia has always been ruled by the political right, but polls show that former guerrilla, ex-Bogota mayor and senator Gustavo Petro, 61, on the left of the political spectrum, stands a real chance of winning.
Also in the running is former FARC hostage Ingrid Betancourt.
CNA/THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY – Does cutting out dairy really help control acne? With the rising popularity of plant-based milks and beauty bloggers insinuating that dairy-based foods and beverages like, “gooey pasta” and “frothy cappuccinos” will worsen conditions such as acne, you might think you need to ditch dairy for the sake of clearer skin.
But while some evidence suggests that cutting back on certain dairy products may help clear up your acne, it may not be for the reasons you think. Here’s what we know.
WHAT DOES THE SCIENCE SUGGEST?
Nutrition research is inherently difficult to conduct, and few studies have examined the relationship between dairy and acne in general, so results are often conflicting, said a paediatric dermatologist at the Penn State Health Milton S Hershey Medical Center Dr Andrea Zaenglein. Experts can only hypothesise as to what the underlying connections may be, and so far the results of studies have been limited and mixed.
In one study of 225 teenagers published in 2016, for example, Dr Zaenglein and her co-authors found that those who drank low-fat or skimmed milk were more likely to have acne than those who drank whole milk. In another study published in 2016 and performed on more than 1,000 adults, researchers concluded that whole milk (in addition to reduced-fat milk) was linked to the appearance of pimples.
When it comes to yoghurt and cheese, there is no evidence that they can lead to more breakouts, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Association.
Some dermatologists suggest that the amount of milk (rather than the type of milk) you consume may be most important in acne flare-ups. Others have hypothesised that the artificial and natural hormones present in milk could influence breakouts. And limited research has suggested that the whey protein found in milk might be linked to pimples in some people, based on case studies of athletes whose acne improved after cutting out whey supplements.
IT MAY BE THE SUGAR AND THE CARBS, NOT THE MILK
Still, the most popular theory of all when it comes to the relationship between food and acne has to do with a food’s glycemic index. Food that is rich in sugars and simple carbohydrates tends to rank higher on the glycemic index and is quickly digested by your body, causing blood glucose levels to spike.
Regularly eating high GI foods like pizza, cookies and sweetened yoghurts can force your body to increase its production of insulin and lead to a host of issues over time, including inflammation and acne, said a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic Dr Amy Kassouf. While many dairy products are low GI foods, consuming too much of them may also trigger the same pathway of inflammation in the body, exacerbating acne.
Studies have suggested that focussing on eating low glycemic foods, like many vegetables and fruits, beans and whole grains, not only helps stabilise insulin levels, but also leads to a reduction in acne.
“What this really tells us is that acne is a very complex inflammatory disorder,” Dr Zaenglein said. “It’s incredibly difficult to say that one single factor makes a huge difference.”
WHAT IS ACTUALLY PROVEN TO IMPROVE ACNE?
While more research is needed to determine whether going dairy-free can clear up your skin, there is no harm in taking a closer look at the impact your diet may be having. The AAD recommends keeping a food diary and noting when certain foods or drinks seem to trigger a breakout or worsen existing zits. Then, they recommend experimenting with cutting out those foods or drinks to see if that helps.
If you think dairy products in particular are making your skin worse, start by eliminating those that have a high glycemic index, like ice cream, milk shakes and sugary yoghurts. But make sure you’re still getting important nutrients, like protein and calcium, from other parts of your diet. “For many people, dairy is a primary source of protein and calcium in particular. So we have to be very cautious about saying dairy causes acne, because dairy may also be preventing osteoporosis and all sorts of things that are a little bit more directly correlated,” Dr Zaenglein said.
Keep in mind that if you do see any skin changes as a result of cutting out certain foods from your diet, it won’t happen overnight. Based on what she’s seen in her own clinic, Dr Kassouf said, “you have to commit to at least three months and maybe closer to six to really see a positive benefit”.
Still, keeping your skin acne-free may require more than a diet change, said a dermatologist and medical director of the Acne Treatment; Research Center in Brooklyn, New York Dr Hilary Baldwin. “I have never had a patient come to me and say, ‘I gave up dairy and it made all the difference in the world.’”
People with mild acne may benefit from certain over-the-counter products containing the topical retinoid adapalene or the antimicrobial compound benzoyl peroxide, Dr Baldwin said.
But be wary of using too many harsh products, which could include astringents, toners and exfoliants, and products containing alcohol. These can irritate or dry out your skin or make your acne worse, she said.
In fact, according to the AAD, acne-friendly skincare is actually pretty simple: Wash your face twice a day (using gentle cleansers, avoiding harsh scrubbing and rinsing with lukewarm water), avoid touching your face, shampoo your hair when it gets oily and remember to remove makeup before going to bed.
However, people with moderate to severe acne may require prescription treatments, Dr Baldwin said, including topical or oral antibiotics, prescription retinoids, creams that reduce oil production or inflammation, or oral contraceptives.
A dermatologist may also recommend lesser-known treatments, like the blood pressure medication spironolactone, which can reduce oil production and acne. Nutrition is just one of the many factors that may play a role in acne, Dr Baldwin said. Your genetics, hormones, sleep quality and environment can also influence acne. And in the end, she added, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for everyone.
DUBLIN (AFP) – When Sean McDowell lost his sight two years ago, his self-confidence plummeted – until his life was transformed by rugby.
The sport gave McDowell a “new beginning” after he joined the Irish Rugby Football Union’s Visually Impaired (VI) rugby programme, his wife Aine told AFP.
The programme came into being last year with former Italy fly-half Ian McKinley playing a prominent role – based on his own experience. McKinley overcame the odds to play Test rugby having lost the sight in his left eye but thanks to special goggles enjoyed a renaissance in his career in Italy.
The 32-year-old said rugby fits like a glove with such a programme. “The key buzzwords in rugby of inclusion and connection just falls straight into it,” he said from his home in Northern Ireland.
“It’s nice to be able to help out and provide something in a sport that gave me so much and can give those people a lot too.”
McDowell suffered a brain injury in 2020 and lost his sight – and with it, his self-confidence.
However, he rediscovered a certain vim after Aine drove him the two hours from their home in Northern Ireland to the Dublin rugby club Old Wesley. “There has been a massive change in Sean,” Aine told AFP.
ABOVE & BELOW: Sean McDowell with his wife Aine before they drive to Old Wesley Rugby club in Dublin, for visually impaired rugby training; and Sean McGovern takes part in a rugby training session for visually impaired people. PHOTOS: AFP
ABOVE & BELOW: Photos show Emerald Warriors rugby team members take part in a weekly training session at the Rathcar high school in Dublin
“The main thing is his confidence grew and grew in everything. It has made him more outgoing knowing he can try new things. He is a lot more confident in himself and putting himself out there meeting new people. It is a new beginning.”
Sean admitted that although he followed the Ireland rugby team, he preferred to play football and Gaelic Games. However, the programme – overseen by David McKay, the IRFU’s Disability and Inclusion Officer – stood out when he heard about.
“After the first day even though it is a couple of hours each way I made the decision I wanted to be going back to every session,” he told AFP.
“The drive is not a big deal given the enjoyment I get out of it. The coaches made me feel at ease right from the start. I was not great with my feet, I was a bit unstable but they worked with me and it has just got better.”
VI Rugby is based around the Rugby Sevens touch format. It takes into consideration a wide range of sight conditions while maintaining the fundamental codes, laws, and spectacle of rugby for both players and spectators.
The players wear numbers on their bibs – so they can be identified when running with the ball – aided by guides and use a ball with ball bearings in it.
McKinley had actually started the ball rolling in Italy with plans for a VI programme which quickly became booked up, but then the COVID-19 pandemic struck and it had to be put on hold. However, he jumped at the chance to help create a similar programme in Ireland when he received an email from McKay asking him if he was interested.
For McKinley it has also been a voyage of discovery from a coaching point of view when he has dropped in on one of the sessions attended by 15 regulars. “It enthralled me actually when I was doing a training session,” he said.
“Coaching is really interesting and different to how I had been coached as you are obliged to explain things clearly and specifically.”
For McKinley the old saying from acorns do oaks grow is true of the progress he wants to see from VI rugby. “I am not going to shy away, it would be terrific to have a Six Nations tournament in the future,” he said.
“My wife and I went to Turin to watch the mixed ability team play and it was one of the most exhilarating and humbling experiences of our lives. To watch a team of different disabilities performing for a common goal brought rugby into a different light.
“For me it may sound really cheesy but those were heroes partaking. So if they can do it, there is no reason why this can’t get going.”
TOKYO (CNA) – An alleged cybercrime group released a statement yesterday saying it had stolen classified information from Toyota Motor Corp’s main supplier Denso and will release it on the dark web, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported.
The group called Pandora said it had over 157,000 purchase orders, emails and sketches, or 1.4 terabytes worth of data, said NHK, quoting an information security firm, Mitsui Bussan Secure Directions, Inc.
A Denso spokesperson told media it detected unauthorised access using ransomware at DENSO Automotive Deutschland GmbH, a group company that handles sales and engineering in Germany, on Thursday.
The Denso spokesperson declined to confirm the NHK report but said production and business activities have not been affected at this point.
Pandora has allegedly carried out cyber attacks using ransomware that encrypts company data and demands ransom in exchange for not divulging the data, NHK reported.
One of Toyota’s suppliers was hit by a cyberattack late last month that shut down Japan’s largest automaker’s domestic production for one day on March 1, affecting an output of around 13,000 vehicles.
BANGKOK (BERNAMA) – At least six passengers were killed and 24 others injured, including 10 in critical condition, in an accident where a double-decker tour bus hit a U-turn bridge in Saraburi province on Saturday.
In the 2.40pm accident, the 31-year-old bus driver was believed to have lost control of the vehicle and hit a pillar of the U-turn bridge at Mittraphap Road, in the central province of Saraburi, about 110 kilometres from Bangkok.
President of Transport Company Limited Dr Sanlak Panwattanalikit said the bus was ferrying 34 passengers from Roi Et in northeastern Thailand and was heading to Bangkok.
“The police will conduct a thorough probe of the accident,” he said.
All injured passengers were rushed to Saraburi Hospital and two nearby hospitals in the province for further treatment, he added.
Local volunteers rushed to the scene found many passengers trapped in the bus and seeking for help.
ROME (AFP) – AC Milan will stay top of Serie A this weekend after Saturday’s tight 1-0 win over Empoli moved them five points clear of the chasing pack.
Pierre Kalulu struck the classy winner 18 minutes in at the San Siro when a free-kick fell to him just outside the area, the French defender’s first goal of the season keeping Milan’s local rivals Inter at bay.
Inter, who have a game in hand, were at Torino yesterday while Napoli are a further point back in third ahead of a tricky trip to Verona.
“The table has a nice look to it, but it’s virtual, because there are games in hand involved,” said Milan coach Stefano Pioli.
“We did well this evening, controlled the game and didn’t run many risks.”
Milan have had trouble with Serie A’s lesser lights in recent weeks and Saturday’s win was far from straightforward, with promoted Empoli causing problems for the hosts in the second half.
Aurelio Andreazzoli’s team, who sit 13th, are without a win since mid-December but went close twice in a matter of seconds shortly after the break.
First Sebastiano Luperto forced a superb save from Mike Maignan when he got a head to Filippo Bandinelli’s inswinging cross five minutes after the restart.
Then France international goalkeeper Maignan had to be at his best to keep Nedim Bajrami’s subsequent corner from going straight in before pouncing on the ball on the rebound.
However Milan held on for a precious win to make sure that they will hold top spot, at least for another week.
Alvaro Morata ensured Juventus extended their unbeaten run to 15 matches with a brace in a 3-1 win at Sampdoria to further strengthen their position in the top four as they moved just one point behind Napoli.
Morata put Juve two goals ahead from the penalty spot before rounding off the scoring two minutes from the end to send Juve into their Champions League decider with Villarreal in
confident mood.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side host La Liga outfit Villarreal in Turin on Wednesday in the second leg of a last 16 tie level at 1-1.
The visitors could thank Samp’s Japanese international Maya Yoshida for their first goal after the defender inadvertently bundled in a Juan Cuadrado cross in the 23rd minute, before Morata converted his spot-kick 11 minutes later.
Abdelhamid Sabiri pulled one back for Samp with six minutes to go with a deflected free-kick but shortly afterwards Morata headed in his fifth league goal of the season from a Manuel Locatelli cross.
Morata’s second sealed a win which showed Juve are not out of the title race yet, pulling to within four points of Milan before they beat Empoli.
The Spaniard is on loan from Atletico Madrid and his future in Turin after this campaign is unsure.
THE WASHINGTON POST – Few celebrities are as hard to pin down as Kanye West. The 44-year-old rapper, fashion designer, former presidential candidate and tabloid staple, who legally changed his name to the mononym Ye last year, appears to be mess incarnate, at least by the standards of decorum and self-commoditisation we traditionally expect from stars.
There’s the Kanye of “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people” and the Kanye of the slavery-was-a-choice embarrassment. There’s high-fashion Kanye and Kardashian Kanye, man-of-the-people Kanye and prophet-of-his-own-greatness Kanye. Just in the past few years, there’s been the Kanye who donated USD2 million to the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, as well as the Kanye who declared “love” for President Donald Trump, then disavowed politics shortly thereafter.
Online, there’s also been rampant speculation about which of his outrageous statements can be attributed to his eccentricities, and which to his bipolar disorder. West, who’s been open about his diagnosis but bristles when his pronouncements are dismissed as products of his condition, would surely chalk up his contradictions to his free-thinking. But many of us just aren’t sure who or what we’re looking at when he makes the headlines these days, or how to talk about it.
The big promise of the new Netflix documentary Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, then, is the simplicity of its story about West. The first time co-director Clarence “Coodie” Simmons Jr heard the rapper’s music, he said, he knew West was destined for Grammys. Hoping to capture the latter’s rise (a la Hoop Dreams), Coodie started filming when West was still trying to get signed by Roc-A-Fella Records, the label co-founded by Jay-Z. The three-part docuseries, comprising a trio of 90-minute installments, is largely a portrait of the artist as a young underdog, pigeonholed by the record company as a producer (ie, not a rapper) but tirelessly encouraged by his adoring mother Donda.
Kanye West and his mother, Donda, in ‘Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy’. PHOTO: THE WASHINGTON POST
Most successful artists were struggling newcomers at the start of their careers, so it’s unclear what the average viewer is supposed to glean from the docuseries’ glimpses of West at the earliest stage of his ascent, other than an uncomplicated nostalgia for “the old Kanye”.
Narrated by Coodie, Jeen-yuhs often feels like the co-director’s attempts to make the world see West through the eyes of a longtime pal like himself, but we don’t get enough context for their relationship for that point of view to fully develop. Too often, the docuseries seems as if it’s pieced together to lend some purpose to the footage that Coodie shot all those years ago, with no real cohesion or narrative to elevate them into something more. In an interview with Vulture, Coodie said he wanted the audience to believe that “they can have a dream and make it,” but that message isn’t so persuasive when his example is a once-in-a-generation talent like West.
There’s no doubt that Coodie captured some real intimacy on his tapes. Jeen-yuhs takes us inside West’s extremely early-20s apartments in Chicago, where he grew up, and New York, where he moved to pursue a record deal. In various recording studios – including the one in Jamie Foxx’s house – we’re treated to stripped-down versions of West’s early songs. And in some of the docuseries’ most endearing and relatable scenes, the rapper displays a shyness about the retainer he wears and listens carefully to Donda’s explanations of why the arrogance that others perceive in him shouldn’t be his problem. West is relatively unselfconscious, particularly about being seen as a mama’s boy, perhaps because Coodie’s affections for the warm and convivial Donda are so evident, too.
Coodie met his collaborator behind the camera, Chike Ozah, with whom he helmed the music video for West’s Through the Wire, when Ozah worked at MTV. Jeen-yuhs is bookended by special effects and fast-cut editing that recall the now-charmingly lo-fi aesthetics that defined the network in the early to mid-90s.
Paced more like a hangout than a race,the first chapter of Jeen-yuhs builds to West’s signing his Roc-A-Fella contract, and its second leads up to his Grammy wins for his debut album, The College Dropout. Coodie’s camera often takes a fly-on-the-wall approach, even joining West at his doctor’s appointments after the rapper breaks his jaw in three places in a near-fatal car accident. But the co-director’s apparent hesitation to ask follow-up questions also deprives us of West’s emotions and reactions at crucial junctures, such as when his subject declares, without a trace of irony, that the revelation he had in his hospital bed after cheating death was to aspire to become hip-hop’s best-dressed rapper.
It’s in the final third that the docuseries’ weaknesses most reveal themselves. Spanning about a decade and a half, from the release of Late Registration, West’s sophomore album, to 2020, Coodie increasingly finds himself on the outs as the rapper explodes in fame and controversy. The co-director, who offers no thoughts on how his following an up-and-coming rapper with a camera might affect his sense of self in the earlier installments, continues in his lack of introspection as superstardom and, later, a turn toward social conservatism wedge distance between the filmmaker and his subject. Coodie betrays few journalistic instincts; when West asks him to shelve his plans to release his documentary in 2006 because “he wasn’t ready for the world to see the real him” – West claims he was simply playing a role for the spotlight – Jeen-yuhs offers no elaboration.
Coodie’s older-brother protectiveness of his subject is clear; he interprets many of West’s scandals as grief over his mother’s death in 2007 and explains in voice-over that he turned the camera off during what may be a manic rant out of respect for West. (“Brotherhood over filmmaking” is how Coodie summed it up in the Vulture interview about that decision – an entirely defensible choice rooted in empathy, but also one that denies us a fuller picture of the rapper). The boys’ club vibes emerge through the absences, too. Despite their muse status, neither Kim Kardashian, West’s wife, whom he’s in the process of divorcing, nor any of the rapper’s previous romantic partners, appear in Coodie’s footage.
A Bangladeshi driver escaped a lorry on fire unscathed at The Airport Mall parking lot, Berakas yesterday evening.
DSO Tonny bin Tanda led a team of six fire personnel and a fire truck Berakas Fire Station Operation ‘C’ Branch in response to a distress call received at 8.29pm. Using a breathing equipment and hose reel, the team doused the fire that damaged the lorry’s engine within
five minutes.
The cause of fire and estimated loss are under investigation.
The Fire and Rescue Department (FRD) reminded the public to always ensure the safety and condition of their vehicles, and modifications or additional installations of electrical system to the engine or car accessories are carried out by authorised mechanics and in accordance with the safety standards.
ABOVE & BELOW: The lorry damaged by fire. PHOTO: FRD
AP – Mounds of abandoned clothes and other personal items lie strewn along corridors leading out of Ukraine. The farther people carry their things, the harder it is, so they leave them behind, said a gym teacher fleeing Zaporizhzhia in the south Ludmila Sokol.
But their pets, they keep alongside them.
Everywhere amid the exodus of more than 2.5 million refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion are the pets people could not leave behind: birds, rabbits, hamsters, cats and dogs.
People fleeing the outskirts of Kyiv crowded together under a destroyed bridge, carrying little luggage and abandoning their vehicles on the road. But their pets remained with them.
One woman ferried her dog across an improvised bridge over the Irpin River amid the evacuation. Another at a train station in Poland nuzzled her orange cat, nose to nose.
A young girl wrapped in an aluminised blanket hugged her two Chihuahuas close as she made the crossing into Medyka, Poland.
ABOVE & BELOW: A Ukrainian girl pets her cat in her coat inside Lviv railway station; and Julia Lazarets plays with her cat Gabriel, after fleeing Ukraine and arriving at the train station in Przemysl, Poland. PHOTOS: AP
Ukrainian servicemen help a woman carrying a small dog across the Irpin River on an improvised path while assisting people fleeing the town of Irpin
And in Siret, Romania, a young mother helped her toddler drink from a paper cup as she cuddled her white Chihuahua. Nearby, a Maltese puppy peered out of a plastic bag filled with toothpaste, shampoo and hand lotion.
Grasping her fluffy white dog, an elderly woman who made it to Romania collapsed in exhaustion in a ballroom converted into a refugee shelter.
Hundreds of thousands are displaced inside Ukraine as well, after fleeing assaults on their hometowns. An 84-year-old woman who gave only her first name, Antonina, sat in a wheelchair at a triage point in Kyiv, holding a miniature poodle and clutching the leashes of her 11 other little dogs after being evacuated from the town of Irpin.
Victoria Trofimenko said she felt an obligation to keep not only her family but her pets safe.
The 42-year-old had originally never planned to leave Kyiv, she told The Associated Press by Zoom days after the war started.
But as the missiles and explosives rained down she thought about her duty to protect her 18-year-old daughter, 69-year-old mother – and her dog, Akira, and cat, Galileo.
She bought train tickets to head west, eventually ending up in Prague. She said she first arrived in Hungary, though, and was grateful to have Akira by her side for protection.
“I can’t leave dogs or cats. I have to take responsibility,” she said.
THE WASHINGTON POST – Eggs, carbs, cheese and cured meat is a combination I enjoy quite often. Pizza. Breakfast sandwiches. Burritos. Quiche.
The thing is, I had not, until recently, partaken in this magical quartet in one of their more obvious, beloved iterations: spaghetti carbonara.
To my colleagues, this was a fairly shocking admission. But they’ve recovered from my revelation, at least enough to indulge me in my quest to figure out how to make a great version of this Italian dish that is a particular Roman specialty.
Spaghetti carbonara consists of pasta coated in an egg-and-cheese-based sauce that’s enlivened with lots of black pepper and bits of cured meat.
“I think it’s immensely satisfying,” said cookbook author Giuliano Hazan, the source of the recipe I’ve adapted, as well as the son of legendary Italian food authority Marcella Hazan. The richness of the eggs, the substance of the meat and, of course, the flavour and texture of the cheese are a perfect pasta storm.
Lest you think that carbonara is not as beloved in its hometown as the legend is made out to be, let cookbook author and Eternal City resident Kristina Gill set the record straight: “They live and die by carbonara in Rome.” You’ll find it in restaurants and in homes, with perhaps as many opinions about how it should be made as places it’s eaten. “Everybody has the best carbonara, you know,” said Gill.
Spaghetti carbonara. PHOTO: THE WASHINGTON POST
To ensure you make your best carbonara just the way you like it, let’s break down the main elements and keys to success.
THE PASTA
It’s in the name of this recipe, so you won’t be surprised that Hazan likes carbonara made with spaghetti. Longer pasta is ideal for twirling to pick up all the sauce, he said. Other long pastas he suggested are bucatini, which is thicker than spaghetti with a hollow centre, and spaghettoni, or wider spaghetti. Pass on thinner varieties such as angel hair and spaghettini.
Unsurprisingly, you won’t get consensus on pasta shape. Gill and Parla offer a recipe for carbonara made with rigatoni in their book. The wide, tubular pasta is often offered in Roman restaurants, Gill said, although you may have the option of choosing between it and spaghetti.
Regardless of which shape you use, aim for cooking the pasta al dente, so that there’s still a little bite left.
THE CHEESE
Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino Romano are the typical cheeses used in carbonara, Hazan said. Pecorino is a sheep’s milk cheese that is sharper and, you guessed it, from Rome.
Parmigiano-Reggiano is mellower and creamier, Hazan said. While I liked a 50-50 split between the two, a slight modification from Hazan’s formula, it’s easy to tweak the ratios to suit your tastes. Use a blend or just one. Experiment and see what you like. How much cheese you use is between you and your stomach. This recipe employs one-quarter cup total for eight ounces of pasta, which I thought was the right amount for imparting richness and silky texture to the sauce. Too little will be bland and insufficient to coat the pasta, and too much may yield either a gloppy mess or a bowl with clumps of unmelted cheese.
The most important advice: “You should get good cheese,” Gill said. It’s such a primary driver of texture and flavour that it can make or break the dish. Don’t use cheese from a canister, and don’t go for pre-shredded varieties. You’re counting on the residual heat of the pasta to melt the cheese and bring together the sauce, so the cheese must be finely grated.
Large shreds or chunks won’t melt properly. You can use a rasp-style grater, such as a Microplane, or the small holes on a box grater, which is my go-to. Head to the cheese counter or your local cheese shop or Italian market. A good cheesemonger or shop will be happy to provide you with a sample.
THE EGGS
When I stared down my somewhat intimidating spreadsheet breaking down the elements of nine different reference recipes, this category offered the most variation. Some recipes rivalled custard or ice cream, calling for a half dozen or more yolks.
I had a feeling that would be a bit rich for my tastes and, frankly, the thought of having to deal with so many excess whites was a turnoff. Gill suggests one egg per person as a good baseline to start. As a slight tweak on that concept, I liked Hazan’s balance of an equal number of whole eggs and yolks – here that’s one of each.
The whites are rich in protein, so they give the sauce body, Hazan said. The yolks bring richness and luscious texture. An excess of whites can turn things soupy or even slimy, so dropping just one from the sauce here (easy enough to toss into a batch of scrambled eggs) ensured a smooth but stable sauce.
THE PEPPER
A generous grind – or many grinds – of black pepper is a signature element of carbonara. Ideally, you are grinding the pepper yourself for the best flavour.
Have you had the same peppercorns for years? Might be time to replace them. Remember, each ingredient needs to shine here. If you’re shopping for new spices, Gill recommended swinging by the spice shop so you can experiment with different black pepper varieties, which can boast distinctive flavours depending on where they’re grown. Try them individually or mixed together for a custom flavour profile unique to your carbonara.
THE WILD CARDS
Managing heat is one of the most crucial aspects of mastering carbonara. “You definitely don’t want pasta with scrambled egg,” Gill said. The right amount of heat will thicken and set the eggs – cook, if you will, though it can be hard to guarantee they have reached the temperature the government considers a safe threshold – without scrambling them.
There are a number of ways to ensure you are gently but efficiently heating the eggs. In Hazan’s method, “the heat of the pasta seems to be exactly the right temperature to thicken the eggs” while leaving them creamy.
The freshly drained pasta goes directly into the serving bowl where you have already blended the eggs and cheese so that the sauce starts to come together as soon as it hits the hot noodles. Some recipes call for the eggs to be tempered, so that they are less likely to scramble or seize up.
This can be done with pasta water, but I took another tip from Missy Robbins in Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy’s Greatest Food, with Recipes. She uses some of the rendered cured meat to temper the egg and cheese mixture, so as soon as I pulled it off from its first trip to the burner, I removed about a tablespoon of the fat and incorporated it into that mixture in the bottom of my serving bowl. Not only does it bring up the temperature of the eggs, it also helps the cheese get a jump-start in melting so you don’t end up with unincorporated shreds after tossing.
Some cooks prefer mixing the sauce in a double boiler, or a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, which is one of the methods Gill and Parla share in their book. The duo calls the method “foolproof”, and it has the benefit of a gentler but persistent heat, even more so than the residual warmth of the pasta. This can be especially helpful when making bigger batches with larger amounts of cheese and eggs.
Hazan warned against putting the eggs directly over the heat of the stove, which is one way you can easily end up with a scrambled sauce. Gill said she has seen chefs do it in restaurants. She and Parla include a recipe variation for this method, too, in which the drained pasta is added to the pan in which you’ve cooked the meat, before putting it back over low heat while you stir in the egg and cheese mixture. It may not be the method for nervous beginners, but it’s certainly an option if you’re confident in your ability to avoid overcooking the eggs. For this method, Gill and Parla said to avoid using a non-stick skillet.
Timing goes hand in hand with heat. It may take a few tries to get into your groove – it did for me – but ideally you’ll sync up the different stages of the process so that you’re working efficiently and putting your best plate of pasta on the table. Start by getting the water boiling (it always takes longer than you think!), then get the cured meat cooking. While that’s happening, assemble the sauce ingredients in your bowl so they’re ready as soon as the pasta is done, because, as noted above, the residual heat is what brings everything together.
When the pasta is almost done, slide the meat back onto the burner to reheat and ensure last-minute crispiness. After too often finding meat piled on the bottom or sides of the bowl, I decided toss the pasta with half the meat and then add the rest so that there’s still plenty on top that doesn’t get left behind.
PRACTICE
If you’re anything like me, your first carbonara may be far from perfect. Don’t beat yourself up. With practice, you’ll be cranking out better batches in even better time. Truly, the prospect of a stick-to-your-ribs bowl of pasta made with a handful of pantry and refrigerator staples that comes together in a shade over half an hour is well worth the effort. And it may soon become a family go-to, even on harried weeknights. Hazan said, “it’s certainly an easy dinner to put together”.
SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
35 minutes
Two to three servings (makes about three-and-a-half cups)
Spaghetti carbonara is a Roman specialty that consists of pasta coated in a silken sauce of eggs and cheese along with a scattering of crispy meat. It’s savoury, salty, satisfying and speedy.
Other elements are flexible, too. We liked a 50-50 blend of Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino Romano, but you can adjust the blend or just use one type. Parsley adds brightness, though it’s not mandatory.
This is the perfect amount for a hungry couple or small family. The recipe scales up easily for larger crowds.
Storage Notes: This dish is best eaten as soon as it’s made. If you have leftovers, you can frizzle it with a little butter and/or olive oil in a skillet until warmed and slightly crispy in spots, but it won’t be the same as when you first cooked it.
INGREDIENTS
One large egg, at room temperature
One large egg yolk, at room temperature
Two tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Two tablespoons freshly grated pecorino Romano
One tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Fine salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Two to four ounces cured meat, diced
One tablespoon olive oil
One tablespoon unsalted butter
Eight ounces (227 grammes) dried spaghetti
DIRECTIONS
Fill a large pot with about three quartz of water, place over high heat and bring to a boil.
While the water is coming to a boil, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Using the large, shallow bowl you’ll be serving the pasta in, combine the whole egg, egg yolk, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pecorino Romano and parsley, if using. Season with a little salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Using a fork, whisk until thoroughly combined but not so much that you beat a lot of air into the mixture.
In a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, combine the cured meat, olive oil and butter and cook until the meat begins to brown but not long enough to make it crisp, four to five minutes. Remove from the heat.
Carefully remove about a tablespoon of the rendered fat and add it to the egg mixture to begin to temper the sauce, quickly whisking again with the fork. When the water comes to a boil, generously salt it until it is as salty as seawater, add the spaghetti and stir until all the strands are submerged. Cook according to the package instructions, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, or mostly done with just a little bit of bite left.
When the pasta is almost ready, return the skillet with the meat to medium-high heat. When the pasta is done, drain, reserving one cup of the water, and transfer it to the serving bowl, tossing vigourously with tongs or stirring with a wooden spoon until thoroughly coated with the egg mixture. Pour half of the meat into the bowl, toss again, and add pasta water as needed to achieve your preferred sauce consistency. Add the remaining meat without stirring so you have plenty visible on top. Serve immediately.
Nutrition information per serving| Calories: 529; Total Fat: 23g; Saturated Fat: 9g; Cholesterol: 153mg; Sodium: 518mg; Carbohydrates: 58g; Dietary Fibre: 2g; Sugar: 2g; Protein: 18g.
