“I wouldn’t exactly call it ‘cooking’ but I
can make noodles. That means I can boil
water, put the pasta in and wait until it’s done.”
Hello
there and Happy Valentine's Day! Let’s usher in a fabulous day by
thinking positive, doing right, and enjoying life. No matter what your predicament this day, I
can assure you that there are probably countless many out there who would give
their left arm to trade places with you.
Go ahead… Count your blessing and allow your positive actions to become your legacy.
Chucky
hasn’t anything exciting this day to share. This posting may be quite the opposite perhaps. Am I the only one who believes that some of
the most delicious dishes out there are the simplest with the fewest
ingredients? Chucky, unlike a
professional chef, hasn’t the ability to combine more than a couple of
ingredients without tastes becoming corrupt.
A true chef, on the other hand, has that knack and skill to blend a
multitude of flavors into a taste crescendo.
A few
weeks ago I was staring at the refrigerator wondering what I’d make Tiffany and
myself for lunch the following day. What’s
inside that must be used before it expires?
“Pasta!” We’ve got some fresh rotini pasta which we purchased
from Ravalia’s Pasta Bar & Italian
Rotisserie the other night.
3-minutes
in the boiling water until al dente, drain, then add a few tablespoons of
pre-made pesto, toss in some frozen mixed veggies, and then some sliced smoked apple
sage sausage. I’ve got lunches
(several lunches and some dinners) made!
Chucky
has just made a delicious, overly filling, healthy, tasty, delicious and quick
meal. The picture speaks for
itself. There is nothing else necessary
except perhaps an appetite and a light sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese.
If
you’ve never treated yourself to fresh pasta, please do so. Hopefully you have a local purveyor of fresh
pasta as I do (Ravalia’s). But, that fresh pasta in the cooler section
of your local grocery store is the next best thing.
Believe
me that it tastes leaps and bounds better than dried pasta. It’s chewier, tastier, quite the more
filling, quicker & easier to cook, and the carbohydrates seem to release
slower and longer than conventional dried pasta. Did you know that fresh pasta has fewer
calories than dried pasta? From what I
have researched, you eat less fresh pasta because it fills you up quicker and
supplies your bloodstream with energy longer throughout the day. It’s is more complex carbohydrate rich than
its dried counterpart.
I
have also read that true Italians also cook and eat their pasta al dente for
nutritional reasons. After al dente
pasta is digested, your body takes longer to convert the starches to sugars in
the “uncooked” parts of the meal.
Cooking your pasta too long simply converts too much of the starches to
sugars too quickly and you end up with nothing but a quick energy burst. Hours later you will find yourself hungry
again.
And…
what have we learned here today?
Yes! Chucky does not know the
meaning of “quick” blog post.
Sorry. It’s in my nature. But, I do hope that you have taken something
away from this post today. That easy and
quick can be delicious and healthy. That
fresh is better than dried pasta. That
cooking your pasta al dente has more reason than rhyme.
Hi-dee
hi-dee thus-concludes-Chucky’s-pasta-cooking-lesson-today-ho my friend.
Have you looked at any books by Jeanne Lemlin, Andrea Chesman, or Crescent Dragonwagon? I think you would love them. Also the KitcheCue series on technique. Happy Valentine's Day!
ReplyDeleteThanks fanya. I'll be sure to look up these authors in my local bookstore. I've got some great vegetarian cookbooks on my shelves but you can never have too many. I'll also see if I can Google and check-out the KitchenQue series which you recommend.
ReplyDeleteYou too. Have a very Happy Valentine's Day and stay healthy!
hope you had a happy valentines day! I agree that simple is great. (Kelloggs once had an advertising campaign with the slogan - the simple things in life are often the best - don't know if it was done in America too). But I am not good at simple! I agree that home made pasta is more filling - I had a friend who used to make it but I mainly buy fresh ravioli - I actually have bought a home made pasta machine and must get it into action so thanks for the reminder of why!
ReplyDeleteThanks Johanna GGG. Yes, I had a wonderful Valentine's Day. I told Tiffany this morning that every day I spend with her is my Valentine's Day.
ReplyDeleteI cannot remember that Kelloggs campaign here in the states. However, I honestly don't believe expressions such as "simple" or "healthy" are conducive to sales here in the Southeast U.S. The words "fast" (McDaffies, Wembys, etc.) and "quick" (over-processed, nutrition-free) tend to sell more on this side of the pond.
Give a man a carrot and he'll eat it. Teach the man to grow carrots and he'll be back 6-months later asking whether you've got another carrot for him this day.
I love fresh ravioli. After making it one time, I quickly decided that having someone else go through the steps was more my style. I looked at fresh pasta machines myself and still occasionally have a hankering to buy one. But, now that I've got a local supplier of delicious fresh pasta, why?
Uh-oh! Maybe Chucky can't be taught to grow carrots?
Thanks for the comments and I'll be watching your blog for pasta lessons soon! Have an absolute wonderful & healthy day!