Fuel, Water and Spaghetti
Hey, what about a new facebook group? Spaghetti Renegades? Any better ideas?
But seriously, this is an interesting example. If this tiny group (me, Karen, Ji-Young) is anything approaching a random sample, then Americans just don’t cook spaghetti in lots of water.
So one more reason as a historian not to trust cookbooks alone. Frugal Americans don’t use scads of water.
And here’s a link on the same subject to the always-interesting Skip Lombardi.
I just had to laugh and share the Times Story with my friends and family.
I’ve never used that much water to cook my pasta and it always seemed fine to me. However, I’ve suffered with a nagging feeling that maybe it would be better if I used more water. I’ve actually felt guilty for doing it my way (the lazy-get-it-boiling-faster way.)
Now the burden of guilt is lifted and I’ve found my support group! What bliss!!
Can’t trust cookbooks alone and what people post on food forums. Whenever I meet people from forums in real life the topic of cooking always comes up. We wonder who these people are that claim to make so many things from scratch, shop almost exclusively at farmer’s markets and small stores, etc..
If my MIL (born and bred in central Italy) were starting that facebook group she might name it “Basta!” (Enough!)
The second part might be called “That’s enough for any pig!” (i.e. you don’t need that much water).
I personally would vote for awarding “capotost” prizes to anyone joining who admits to being persuaded to use a lot of water by this cookbook or that cookbook. A capotost prize means that you’ve been lightly smacked on the side of the head by your mother or grandmother while being called a “capotost” (hard-head, stubborn, not-too-bright).
:)