Narrator is mocking his significant other (Sigo) for their naivete in assuming he could solve their problems. Life made you bitter I can make you tender Life made bitter Can’t make you tender So, there's peaks and valleys in this romantic relationship. Food is for eating, not for throwing at your kitchen backsplash.Love valley, high high (High high, exactly) Oh, love valley low low (Oh no, what'd you think?) It demonstrates yet another way Americans cut corners, removing themselves from the food process. Throwing a noodle against the wall to check for al dente makes most Italians very frustrated because of this. Try your best to serve the grain at its best this gesture is ultimately a form of respect to Mother Earth. By tasting the grains carefully, you begin to understand the gradual cooking impact of each grain type over time. Thanks to Demeter’s blood, sweat, and tears-our only responsibility is to boil the grains properly and season accordingly. Once Arborio rice is harvested, it gets aged in steel silos for quite some time (premo brands age their Arborio up to seven years!).
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It takes twenty-four to forty weeks to grow Italian wheat for pasta. But lucky us, nature does most of the hard work. Truly caring about each ingredient is essential. With a short list of ingredients, Italian food is iconically simple. Preparing Italian food is an intimate process.
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If it’s “not quite there yet” and a bit too firm and raw in the center, boil another 30 seconds and test again, continue boiling in 30-second intervals and test until slightly tender but “firm to the bite at center of the grain” is achieved. Taste test a piece of grain by biting into the grain, it should be tender but firm in the center. For example if the box says: “For perfect al dente cook 12 minutes”, subtract 3 minutes and cook for a total of 9 minutes. Look for the suggested al dente cooking time on the back of the box, and subtract about 3 minutes. Note: This is a general rule of thumb for all grains, not just pasta. Here’s how you can avoid that stumble and cook grains that’ll even impress Massimo:
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But often that suggested al dente time is still a bit too long. Many boxes of pasta have suggested time ranges and even have an italicized time for “for perfect al dente pasta”. “You make very good sauce…but leave the pasta to the Italians,” Massimo remarked then gave her an atta-boy pat on the shoulder.Ĭheck out this hilarious skit that pokes fun at Italian-American pasta fails, by Italian actor and comedian Checco Zalone.Ī Step-By-Step GUIDE to Perfect Al Dente Grains Every timeĪmerica as a whole likes their pasta more well-done than Italy. Let’s just say that was the last time she prepared pasta for us. Not only was he visibly angry, he was offended as an Italian. Hangry and eager to take the first bite, he twirled the pasta on his fork and immediately watched it break into itsy-itsy-limp pieces of spaghettini (“little spaghetti”). I looked over at Massimo, the 82-year old man of the house. With much finesse, she whipped up a beautiful braised meat and eggplant ragu, fairy-dusted with grated parmiggiano and torn sweet basil. She began boiling the pasta, then patiently foraged for fresh ingredients in the garden out back. With raised eyebrows, we agreed to let her proceed. She insisted she was a great cook who excelled with Italian food. One evening a sweet South American gal was over and said she wanted to cook a pasta dish for dinner. I was staying with a family in Lido di Noto, Sicily. But, if cooking and sharing food is the blood line of all Italians, take this kitchen quality-control behavior to heart, cooking grains precisely is a big deal. Of course you don’t need a man around to help test your grains (I certainly don’t!). If you’re hanging around the kitchen in Italy, regardless of your gender, odds are you’ll get pulled into the decision-making process of “ Pronto?” (Ready?).
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Getting the grains prepared right is critical and sets the quality standard for the entire meal. I mentioned this observation to a girlfriend of mine who lives in Southern Italy-her and her fiancé are feminists-yet even they had never noticed this cultural habit and agreed that it was interesting and “just the way things are”. Even in the most progressive homes, I found this to always be the case. In all the kitchens I explored across southern Italy, the cooking was the woman’s job-however, testing the pasta, legumes, and rice for doneness was the man’s job. Cultural and Social Significance of “al dente”