It's FOOD FRIDAY...and ChefGrace has declared "Let it be EGGS" !!

Eggs Carbonara
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes

8 eggs
Salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup milk
1/2 pound pancetta, or thickly sliced bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
1 garlic cloves, minced, optional
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup fresh Italian parsley stems discarded before measuring

In a bowl, beat eggs, salt, black pepper, cheese, and milk. Set aside.

Cook pancetta in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until it is done like crisp pieces of bacon. Drain off excess fat (but leave about 2 tablespoons in the pan).

Add garlic and bell pepper to the pan and cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until garlic shows the first sign of turning golden.

Add Italian parsley. Stir for 1 more minute.

Reduce heat to medium, add egg mixture to pan, and stir until eggs are cooked to your liking. Serve immediately on warmed plates.

Hot Vanilla Soufflé
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar for soufflé dish
1 1/3 cups whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs, separated
Confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush 4 to 6 individual soufflé dishes (or one 7-cup soufflé dish) well with melted butter. Put the 1 ½ tablespoons of granulated sugar inside one dish and toss to coat, then tip the excess sugar into the next dish and repeat. Place the dishes in the refrigerator to chill.

Reserving 1/3 cup of the milk, place the remaining 1 cup in a large saucepan. Add the vanilla bean and heat just to a boil, then turn off the heat and set aside to let the vanilla bean infuse for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the 1/3 cup granulated sugar, the flour, and the reserved 1/3 cup milk. Add a little of the hot milk and whisk to combine, then add the flour mixture to the hot milk mixture in the saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally. Simmer just until thickened, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat. Add the butter, stir, cover, and set aside 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the egg yolks.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), whip the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and continue whipping until stiff and glossy. Fold into the milk mixture.

Pour the mixture into the prepared dishes, filling them 3/4 full. Run your thumb around the inside rim of each dish, making a shallow "moat" around the edge of the batter. This will help the soufflés to rise straight up. Dust the surfaces with confectioners' sugar. (The soufflés can stand at this point for up to 30 minutes.) Bake in the center of the oven until puffed and light golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Open the oven door only when it is absolutely necessary. Serve with Satin Chocolate Sauce...

Satin Chocolate Sauce
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup hot water

Combine the chocolates over simmering water in the top half of a double boiler. Stir constantly until melted, then whisk in the syrup and water without removing the double boiler from the heat. Whisk until smooth and shiny. (The sauce can be made up to 48 hours in advance and refrigerated. To rewarm, stir over low heat or heat in a microwave.) At the table, serve the hot soufflés by poking a hole in each one and pouring chocolate sauce into the hole, followed by drizzling sauce over the tops. For a large soufflé, spoon onto dessert plates and drizzle sauce on each serving.