Pasta question?

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Puester said:

Andy said:

So it's either the high altitude or spaghetti with a bad atitude!?? 🙂

Andy

Altitude has EVERYTHING to do with it.

We live at 5800 feet (Denver, Colorado suburbs) and water boils at ~200
deg. F (I believe the rule is that water boils at 2 deg. "cooler" for
every 1000 ft. above sea level).

This makes a big difference for every single thing that is cooked by
boiling or steaming, whether in water, broth, wine, etc. For example,
boiling potatoes for mashing usually takes ~15-20 minutes at sea level.
They are still crunchy here after 20 minutes and take at least 30-40
minutes. Boiled eggs (hard or soft) take at least 7 minutes to get the
whites cooked and the yolk still soft.

Pasta is exactly the same. It always takes an extra 10 minutes or more
to cook than package directions. In fact, many brands give high
altitude cooking times, too.

Since I spent the first half of my years at sea level, this knowledge
came at the price of much frustration until I got used to all kinds of
high altitude cooking. Yes, baking is different, also, and candy-making
is VERY difficult here.

Happy cooking,
gloria p

Mom always had to watch the barometer when she was making her Christmas
candies. I don't remember tho' whether it had to be rising or falling.
This was when we lived in Colorado also.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down." -- Steve Rothstein

cybercat said:

You might be funny if your blood pressure weren't so high. I would really
hate to be you, but I would hate to be your child even more. Talk about
a bundle of neuroses waiting to bloom. Poor things.

My blood pressure isn't high. Is yours?
You're just looking for a reason to be your normal snarling self. Feh.

In article <[email hidden]>, "cybercat" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Goomba38" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Omelet said:

Because she _likes_ to tell people what they can and cannot do.

We always break pasta noodles in 1/2 to make them easier to eat.

Really long noodles make for too big of a bite and are a pain in the ass,
unless you have a really big mouth!

Oh.

Nevermind.

<eg>

And breaking them up is perhaps the way one eats children's food and
should be outgrown once out of the nursery

You might be funny if your blood pressure weren't so high. I would really
hate to be you, but I would hate to be your child even more. Talk about
a bundle of neuroses waiting to bloom. Poor things.

Unfortunately, children of control freaks tend to grow up to be control
freaks too. <sigh>
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down." -- Steve Rothstein

"Dee Dee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

I used to wonder what the attraction was for angel hair; when I do have it
now, I really like it, but I can't recall what I've used it for.
Cappellini is similar, is it not.

Cappellini *is* Italian for (thin) angel hair. How I would love to send you
to Italy for a month - I'd be happy to take you around and guide you in an
Italian food and culture exploration.

Omelet said:

Unfortunately, children of control freaks tend to grow up to be control
freaks too. <sigh>

And you, a childless woman knows this...how?
So tell me... does making repeated false accusations make you a... liar?

Goomba38 said:

Puester said:

Since I spent the first half of my years at sea level, this knowledge
came at the price of much frustration until I got used to all kinds of
high altitude cooking. Yes, baking is different, also, and candy-making
is VERY difficult here.

Interesting! Conversely, does the high altitude *help* anything? Perhaps
egg whites beat higher or cakes rise better or any thing???

At lower pressure breasts are larger and firmer.

But you already knew. 😉

Sheldon Teatons

"JoeSpareBedroom" <[email hidden]> schrieb

Quoted message said:

Telling an Italian how to make pasta? Interesting. :-)

Err, yes. Since the benighted heathens didn't know about
pasta before Marco Polo brought it to Italy from the Chinese, why not ?

Cheers,

Michael Kuettner

cybercat said:

"Brian Christiansen" <[email hidden]> wrote >

Quoted message said:

I generally use angel hair or fine pasta and it takes perhaps 3 to 4
minutes to make it the way I like it

I love angel hair. We rarely eat anything else these days.

Yep. I just made some angelhair aglio olio tonight. Simple and
delicious. Love the texture. Can't stand anything thicker than
thin spaghetti - and even that's too thick.

-sw

"Sqwertz" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Yep. I just made some angelhair aglio olio tonight. Simple and
delicious. Love the texture. Can't stand anything thicker than
thin spaghetti - and even that's too thick.

It's so nice with just olive oil or a bit of butter, some diced onion
and fresh diced tomato, a bit of fresh or canned parmesan and fresh
garlic. (I actually like the consistency dried parm gives pasta dishes.)

"Dee Dee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"cybercat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"Brian Christiansen" <[email hidden]> wrote >

Quoted message said:

I generally use angel hair or fine pasta and it takes perhaps 3 to 4
minutes to make it the way I like it

I love angel hair. We rarely eat anything else these days.

I used to wonder what the attraction was for angel hair; when I do have it
now, I really like it, but I can't recall what I've used it for.
Cappellini is similar, is it not. I will use it, too.

Is there any particular type of 'something' you like to mix in with it, or
put on top?

One of our favorite dishes is something very simple and fresh: angel hair
topped with a mixture of chopped, seeded tomatoes, fresh basil, capers, and
s/p. Parmesan to pass at the table.

Mary

"Davlo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Cappellini *is* Italian for (thin) angel hair. How I would love to send
you to Italy for a month - I'd be happy to take you around and guide you
in an Italian food and culture exploration.

I'm game. Send me to Italy for a month. 😉

Mary

cybercat said:

"Sqwertz" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Yep. I just made some angelhair aglio olio tonight. Simple and
delicious. Love the texture. Can't stand anything thicker than
thin spaghetti - and even that's too thick.

It's so nice with just olive oil or a bit of butter, some diced onion
and fresh diced tomato, a bit of fresh or canned parmesan and fresh
garlic. (I actually like the consistency dried parm gives pasta dishes.)

Used butter, olive oil, a touch of wine, parsley and crushed
garlic, all sautéed together and then topped with peckerino
Romano.

http://i20.tinypic.com/14se05u.jpg

(OK, so I shouldn't have added that last little bit of dried
parsley as a garnish for the picture - sosueme).

-sw

In article <[email hidden]>, "Davlo" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"ChattyCathy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

The cooking "destructions" say that it should be cooked in boiling
(salted) water (with a tablespoon of oil added to the water) for 10-12
minutes...

Yeah right!

Mine always takes *at least* 25 minutes before it's "al dente" i.e. it's
not "soggy".
And yes, before anyone asks, the water is *boiling* the whole time...

Is it just me or...???

Comments welcome 😉

Based on so many of the comments here, most of you really need to learn some
basics of Italian cooking.

1. You NEVER put oil/butter in the water. Never.
2. Never rinse the pasta.
3. Don't salt the water till its come to a rolling boil.
4. Use enough water - the pasta needs to move around freely in LOTS of
water.

Cathy, your problem might stem from your definition of *boiling*. The water
has to maintain a rolling (vigorous) boil the whole time (except for
ravioli). Try a "real" brand of pasta, like De Cecco, or even Barilla. No
pasta company should be telling you to oil the frigging water!

Sorry to say, but once you get away from the Northeast, Italian food is an
abomination.

That's got to be the peak of US arrogance. Did you ever think that
people in Italy might have Italian grandmas?

Quoted message said:

You Midwestern types could use a lesson from a good old Italian
grandma 😉 like so many of us in the NY/New England region grew up with.

ChattyCathy is actually from the south, maybe 10,000 miles south of the
US. And several thousand miles east of the US northeast.

ChattyCathy said:

jmcquown said:

Cathy, I've never had dried pasta take that long to cook. In fact,
sometimes after I get the water to a rapid boil I add the spaghetti (broken
into 3rds for manageability) then simply remove it from the heat and cover
it. It cooks 'al dente' in 10, maybe 12, minutes without further ado and
I've freed up a burner for other things. I have noticed some pastas
labelled "whole wheat" (an oxymoron? they do look more brown in colour) take
a little longer to cook, but not by much.

Here's what it says on the package:

1. Fill a medium to large pot 2/3 full with water, and bring to the boil

<I do that>

2. Add a tablespoon of oil and salt to taste

<I do that too - BTW, I use olive oil>

3. Add pasta and boil, uncovered for 10-12 minutes until tender but
still firm, stirring a few times during cooking.

<I do that too>

(Trust me, it's not *done* yet. It's still "hard" in the middle and
tastes like... 'raw flour' (is there such a thing??) - blech!)

4. Drain water from pasta and serve with a sauce of your choice....

<this works well after about 25 minutes>

OK - one other thing - we live at an altitude of approx. 1600 meters
(about 5000 feet) above sea level - so our water boils at a little under
100 Deg C. Wonder if that has anything to do with it??

FWIW, the brand name is 'Fatti's & Moni's'

You have arrived at the answer. We too live at higher altitude and even
the 3-minute noodles take about 5 minutes or so to cook. Any other pasta
takes longer too. So not to worry!

"Pandora" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
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Quoted message said:

Also here in Italy we have pasta which cook in 25 minutes. And after 25
minutes it is "al dente"!
But not for this, it is a good type of pasta. A good pasta cook in 10 - 13
minutes!
And yes. I agree with you: better brands are DeCecco (my favourite) and
Barilla.

--
Kisses
Pandora

Here's a very small challenge for you, Pandora. Go to the supermarket and
buy any penne with Gragnano on the packet. Cook a small amount of your
usual and a small amount of the Gragnano and taste both side by side. You
may find a new favorite.

--
http://www.judithgreenwood.com

"Davlo" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
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Quoted message said:

"ChattyCathy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

The cooking "destructions" say that it should be cooked in boiling
(salted) water (with a tablespoon of oil added to the water) for 10-12
minutes...

Yeah right!

Mine always takes *at least* 25 minutes before it's "al dente" i.e. it's
not "soggy".
And yes, before anyone asks, the water is *boiling* the whole time...

Quoted message said:

Based on so many of the comments here, most of you really need to learn
some basics of Italian cooking.

1. You NEVER put oil/butter in the water. Never.
2. Never rinse the pasta.
3. Don't salt the water till its come to a rolling boil.
4. Use enough water - the pasta needs to move around freely in LOTS of
water.

I think it is the idea of what is al dente. Bite it. There should be a
microscopically thin line of white remaining at the center. The biggest
surprise my N American (including US-Italians) students get is just how al
dente it really is. 25 minutes? Shudder. Do not let it sit in the water
but drain immediately, because it will continue to cook even after putting
it into the sauce pan. Pasta does not wait for people; people wait for the
pasta.

The rest is true-- no oil, loads of water boiling furiously, no rinsing
except possibly when making cold pasta dishes.
--
http://www.judithgreenwood.com

"Puester" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
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Quoted message said:

Andy said:

So it's either the high altitude or spaghetti with a bad atitude!?? 🙂

Andy

Altitude has EVERYTHING to do with it.

We live at 5800 feet (Denver, Colorado suburbs) and water boils at ~200
deg. F (I believe the rule is that water boils at 2 deg. "cooler" for
every 1000 ft. above sea level).

This makes a big difference for every single thing that is cooked by
boiling or steaming, whether in water, broth, wine, etc. For example,
boiling potatoes for mashing usually takes ~15-20 minutes at sea level.
They are still crunchy here after 20 minutes and take at least 30-40
minutes. Boiled eggs (hard or soft) take at least 7 minutes to get the
whites cooked and the yolk still soft.

Pasta is exactly the same. It always takes an extra 10 minutes or more to
cook than package directions. In fact, many brands give high altitude
cooking times, too.

Since I spent the first half of my years at sea level, this knowledge came
at the price of much frustration until I got used to all kinds of high
altitude cooking. Yes, baking is different, also, and candy-making is
VERY difficult here.

Happy cooking,
gloria p

You have put my nightmares to rest vis a vis any pasta cooked 25 minutes. I
can sleep once more.
--
http://www.judithgreenwood.com

"ChattyCathy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Heh. I am talking store-bought (dried?) spaghetti here.... so sue me!

The cooking "destructions" say that it should be cooked in boiling
(salted) water (with a tablespoon of oil added to the water) for 10-12
minutes...

Yeah right!

Mine always takes *at least* 25 minutes before it's "al dente" i.e. it's
not "soggy".
And yes, before anyone asks, the water is *boiling* the whole time...

Is it just me or...???

Wow! I usually cook mine a minute less than it says. And oil? Why?

"Dee Dee" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
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"Pandora" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"Pandora" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
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Quoted message said:

I don't know Ronzoni pasta, but I have seen your link and I thank you.
But they don't have this:
Spaghetti alla chitarra (De Cecco brand) ...GNAM GNAM; and YUM YUM
Look: they are called maccheroni alla chitarra but they are only quared
spaghetti 😄DD

Sorry the link is this:
http://www.dececco.it/base_semola.asp?Formato=1&Tipologia=1&ID=8

Quoted message said:

cheers
Pandora

I am under the impression that it is called this because of the (chitarra)
'guitar' equipment cutting the pasta. Isn't a chitarra a guitar, and what
Italians used to use to cut the pasta into spaghetti springs?

I have the "guitar".
Is this

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=idt4p4&s=2
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2e6fxmw&s=2
But I don't know how they used to make Spaghetti🙂
I knew in some regions of Italy (especially in the south)they use a typical
rolling pin like this:
http://www.gennarino.org/troccoli3.jpg
The pasta made with this, is called "Troccoli"

--
Kisses
Pandora

"Davlo" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
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Quoted message said:

"Dee Dee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

I used to wonder what the attraction was for angel hair; when I do have
it now, I really like it, but I can't recall what I've used it for.
Cappellini is similar, is it not.

Cappellini *is* Italian for (thin) angel hair. How I would love to send
you to Italy for a month - I'd be happy to take you around and guide you
in an Italian food and culture exploration.

The exact word is "Capellini" and they use to eat them in the broth.

--
Kisses
Pandora