Bianca Verde: Why Heavy Cream Is My Friend

After the failure of my first marriage, I didn't think I ever wanted to be in love again. It was just me and my son and, honestly, I liked it that way. But, like every other man, I didn't want to spend the rest of my life alone, either.

Then I met Karen. And the world changed for the better.

Still, the thought of entering the dating game again, after twenty-something years, was frightening. Karen made it easy. She liked the same things I liked. She didn't care if I spent a whole lot of money. And for her, a great evening involved a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a walk in the woods.

For the past six years I've cooked for Karen. In fact, now that we're married, I do almost all the cooking. Of course, she has her favorites, including this recipe.

We discovered Bianca Verde (which means, literally, green and white) at a little Italian restaurant in Oklahoma City. Tommy's was small, had live jazz on Friday nights, and a seriously good chef. The first time we went, it was an accident. After that, we came back as regulars. And Karen always ordered Bianca Verde.

Consequently, it didn't take long before she said, "Hey, you should try cooking this at home." No problem. Three years later, I figured the recipe out.

But solving that particular culinary riddle took a scandalous meeting with a chef-turned-waiter at a rival Oklahoma City restaurant, a stolen recipe scribbled down on an order form, a pledge of secrecy, and some covert activity that, even today, I'm not allowed to talk about.

It was worth it.

Once I discovered the secret — and don't let anyone kid you, the secret to a good Italian Alfredo sauce is the same as the secret to good country gravy — Karen was in heaven.

Now, for the record: Know that I don't begin to call myself an Italian chef. In fact, I'm not a chef, I'm a newspaper reporter. But my wife, kids, friends, and family will tell you I'm a damm good cook. Still, you'd think a guy who claims to know his way around the kitchen wouldn't need three years to decode a recipe. No matter, Bianca Verde is worth the effort.

Article Author: M. Scott Carter

M. Scott Carter is an Oklahoma City-based writer who understands the value of wind, rain and red dirt.

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