Staff Favs:
Summer '23

Carbonara. You know it by the decadent perfume of pancetta sizzling in the pan. You can taste it in the almost creamy, pepper speckled, and parmesan glued strands of spaghetti that twirl heavily on your fork. And best of all, you can crave it after a long January workday when take-out feels exhausted, your pantry looks worn thin, and prepping a meal feels practically impossible. If you give me five more minutes than it takes to make Kraft Mac and Cheese, you can put a vibrant and storied Italian classic on your plate. This is a fifteen-minute marvel of a recipe that can make a dinner party zing and a workday, school night, or date night explode with flavor.

I was so enchanted by a recent visit to Philadelphia’s fabulous Amma’s South Indian Cuisine, that I decided to spend a week trying out different recipes to recreate their Gobi Manchurian. Here's what I learned.