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%20and%20numerous%20other%20books%20by%20the%20likes%20of%20Gael%20Greene%20and%20Jay%20Rayner.%20%20(To%20qualify,%20I%20only%20read%20Greene%E2%80%99s%20memoir%20Insatiable,%20not%20some%20of%20her%20other%20racier,%20erotic%20books.)%20%20%20My%20most%20prized%20cookbook%20is%20the%20yellow%20Gourmet%20Cookbook%20which%20Reichl%20edited.%20%20The%20Hubs%20found%20me%20an%20autographed%20copy%20on%20eBay.%20%20I%20was%20in%20heaven%20when%20he%20presented%20it%20to%20me.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20have%20all%20of%20Reichl%E2%80%99s%20books%20(or%20so%20I%20thought),%20but%20for%20the%20life%20of%20me%20I%20could%E2%80%99t%20find%20Comfort%20Me%20with%20Apples%20in%20my%20unorganized%20book%20cases.%20%20%20I%20had%20to%20resort%20to%20buying%20a%20cheap%20used%20paperback%20on%20Amazon.%20%20%20I%20know%20that%20soon%20I%20will%20find%20my%20hardback%20copy.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20admire%20Reichl.%20%20%20I%20admire%20that%20she%20had%20the%20gumption%20to%20not%20only%20live%20in%20a%20communal%20ramshackle%20dwelling%20in%20Berkeley%20but%20that%20she%20also%20rubbed%20shoulders%20with%20Alice%20Waters.%20%20%20I%20admire%20the%20way%20she%20jumped%20at%20the%20chance%20to%20become%20a%20food%20writer%20%20and%20restaurant%20critic,%20first%20for%20New%20West%20and%20then%20on%20to%20the%20LA%20Times%20%20and%20finally%20settling%20in%20at%20the%20NY%20Times.%20%20%20Ultimately,%20Reichl%20is%20probably%20best%20known%20as%20the%20final%20editor%20at%20Gourmet.%20%20%20I%20admire%20her%20gumption%20and%20ability%20to%20live%20life%20to%20the%20fullest,%20even%20when%20that%20gets%20her%20into%20trouble.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EReichl%E2%80%99s%20writing%20style%20is%20honest,%20plain-spoken%20and%20sincere.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EYou%20know%20that%20quintessential%20party-conversation-starting%20question,%20%E2%80%9CIf%20you%20could%20invite%20any%20person,%20living%20or%20dead,%20to%20your%20dinner%20party,%20who%20would%20it%20be?%E2%80%9D%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMy%20answer%20is%20simple.%20%20%20I%20would%20love%20to%20have%20dinner%20with%20Ruth%20Reichl.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAnd,%20what%20would%20I%20cook%20for%20her?%20%20%20A%20simple%20but%20hearty%20dish%20pulled%20from%20her%20first%20cookbook.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESoon%20after%20I%20immersed%20myself%20in%20my%20Ruth%20fanaticism%20by%20reading%20all%20of%20her%20books,%20I%20wanted%20to%20own%20a%20copy%20of%20her%20first%20cookbook,%20Mmmmm:%20A%20Feastiary,%20self-published%20in%201972.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20love%20the%20retro%20illustration%20of%20the%20cover.%20%20%20I%20would%20love%20to%20own%20a%20copy.%20%20%20This%20is%20a%20pipe-dream%20of%20mine%20because%20vintage%20copies%20are%20posted%20on%20Amazon%20for%20$250.%20%20%20%20(Rachel,%20if%20your%20Old%20Saratoga%20Books%20ever%20has%20one%20in%20inventory,%20can%20you%20cut%20me%20a%20deal?)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFortunately,%20Reichl%20herself%20has%20recipes%20from%20A%20Feastiary%20on%20her%20website.%20%20%20%20%20%20This%20is%20where%20I%20found%20my%20go-to%20Spaghetti%20Carbonara%20recipe%20that%20I%20have%20used%20for%20years.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EToss%20it%20all%20together%20in%20the%20serving%20bowl.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBring%20a%20large%20pot%20of%20salted%20water%20to%20boil.%20When%20it%20is%20boiling,%20throwthe%20spaghetti%20in.%20Most%20dried%20spaghetti%20takes%209%20to%2010%20minutes%20to%20cook,%20and%20you%20can%20make%20the%20sauce%20in%20that%20time.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ECut%20the%20bacon%20crosswise%20into%20pieces%20about%201/2%20inch%20wide.%20Put%20them%20in%20a%20skillet%20and%20cook%20for%202%20minutes,%20until%20fat%20begins%20to%20render.%20Add%20the%20whole%20cloves%20of%20garlic%20and%20cook%20another%205%20minutes,%20until%20the%20edges%20of%20the%20bacon%20just%20begin%20to%20get%20crisp.%20Do%20not%20overcook;%20if%20they%20get%20too%20crisp%20they%20won%E2%80%99t%20meld%20with%20the%20pasta.%20Meanwhile,%20break%20the%20eggs%20into%20the%20bowl%20you%20will%20serve%20the%20pasta%20in,%20and%20beat%20them%20with%20a%20fork.%20Add%20some%20grindings%20of%20pepper.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ERemove%20the%20garlic%20from%20the%20bacon%20pan.%20If%20it%20looks%20like%20too%20much%20to%20you,%20discard%20some,%20but%20you%E2%80%99re%20going%20to%20toss%20the%20bacon%20with%20most%20of%20its%20fat%20into%20the%20pasta.%20When%20it%20is%20cooked,%20drain%20the%20pasta%20and%20immediately%20throw%20it%20into%20the%20beaten%20eggs.%20Mix%20thoroughly.%20The%20heat%20of%20the%20spaghetti%20will%20cook%20the%20eggs%20and%20turn%20them%20into%20a%20sauce.%20Add%20the%20bacon%20with%20its%20fat,%20toss%20again,%20add%20cheese%20and%20serve.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThis%20is%20Ruth%E2%80%99s%20recipe%20verbatim.%20%20%20I%20would%20never%20dare%20to%20mess%20with%20the%20master%E2%80%99s%20words.%20%20%20I%20hope%20she%20is%20a%20forgiving%20sort%20because%20I%20do%20throw%20in%20some%20fresh%20(but%20mostly%20frozen)%20peas%20to%20the%20mix.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20can%20just%20imagine%20her%20whipping%20up%20this%20meal%20for%20a%20late%20night%20dinner%20for%20her%20hou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