Post A4yhle329tpTOH8QbI by SwindlerOfInsanity@mastodon.social
(DIR) More posts by SwindlerOfInsanity@mastodon.social
(DIR) Post #A4y5xbjwli1DRwU5zM by urusan@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T13:40:49Z
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My wife discovered a revolutionary new approach to cooking pasta, and I tried it out to great success yesterday.A joke led to her wondering if you really needed to heat pasta to boiling, which led her to this article: https://www.seriouseats.com/2010/05/how-to-cook-pasta-salt-water-boiling-tips-the-food-lab.htmlThe TL;DR is that no, you don't need to boil pasta, though you do need to heat it substantially to 180F/82.2C.More crucially though, you barely need any water to cook pasta, basically just enough to cover it. Even better, this creates great pasta water.
(DIR) Post #A4y6XXnWu2iteFIPtg by IslandUsurper@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T13:48:03Z
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@urusan, I love that site, and I’ve changed a lot of things about my cooking because of it. The homemade two-minute mayonnaise tastes better than store-bought, for example.
(DIR) Post #A4y79XaY86Ea0FLJlA by urusan@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T13:54:55Z
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So, my experiment was to cook Kraft macaroni and cheese.You might say: "Urusan, this hardly sounds like fine dining."To which I would say: "Well yeah, it was an experiment, I wanted cheap and something my toddler would still eat if it went somewhat poorly."
(DIR) Post #A4y7A5qgkbLWG99gdU by swift@merveilles.town
2021-03-07T13:54:57Z
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@urusan this is one of the keys to making good cacio e pepe :D (the small amount of water thing).In general since being on a low fat diet for medical reasons, I've found a huge amount of appreciation for concentrated pasta water to produce rich/creamy sauces.
(DIR) Post #A4y7IR1XuEDuFXD9pw by urusan@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T13:56:32Z
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The procedure was as follows:1. Boil water in an electric kettle2. Get out a pot, put it on the stove, fill it with dry macaroni3. Pour in the boiling water to just cover the macaroni, set the burner to medium-high (I used 7)4. Stir regularly for the normal 7 minute cook time5. DO NOT strain, and anyway there will be negligible free water remaining to strain6. Add in the butter, powder, and milk, stir until fully blended, creating the richest version of this sauce you'll ever see7. Serve
(DIR) Post #A4y7iv6yfCDR5sNgGm by Ateriath@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T14:01:14Z
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@urusan That sounds delish. Was the pasta swimming in cheese (not necessarily a bad thing) or did the pasta soak up enough that it was still macaroni and cheese and not vice versa?
(DIR) Post #A4y7rXC4xTadWKsIMK by urusan@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T14:02:52Z
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Taste-wise, it was very well received. My son wolfed it down as fast as possible. My wife said it was much better than the normal prep.To me it just tasted slightly starchier, a flavor I think would work way better with normal pasta sauces. In case you don't know though, I have a totally messed up sense of taste and smell.
(DIR) Post #A4y8EeyADOW6IROQl6 by urusan@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T14:07:03Z
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@Ateriath Well, cooking it in the pasta water like this made the barrier between the macaroni and the other ingredients much fuzzier. So yeah, it was able to soak up a lot of flavor.The pasta water also made the cheese sauce noticeably richer, it looked closer to a real cheese sauce despite being made from powder.I'm sure that using real ingredients it would be truly amazing.
(DIR) Post #A4y8m4dvmXTjThrWt6 by urusan@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T14:13:05Z
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In addition to the taste benefits, this prep method has a ton of other advantages:* The complete lack of a straining step means one fewer dish gets involved* In the electric kettle the water can be boiled in just a few minutes, so the whole process took about 10 minutes rather than nearly half an hour (which is mostly waiting for the water to boil)* It uses much less water* It uses much less energy
(DIR) Post #A4y9Td2PmJM8bW5Cu8 by urusan@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T14:20:25Z
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Some other notes:* If the water starts to boil aggressively during the cook time, lower the heat to medium* In my experimental batch, I really did just use the bare minimum water and it came out fine, but it's probably good to use slightly more* With the bare minimum water, there will be essentially zero water by the end of the cook time because the macaroni absorbed all of it, but it does seem to continue softening as the water is inside the macaroni* The water turning white is normal
(DIR) Post #A4yA4uDerSVObc7JmC by urusan@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T14:27:24Z
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Three things I need more data on:* I stirred aggressively all the time due to the low and dropping water level. According to the article, it's critical to stir constantly at first so the pasta doesn't stick together, but it may be possible to chill out after the first few minutes, especially now that I know that the absorbed water works too.* Would it work better with slightly more water?* Boxed mac & cheese is food-scienced to work well when prepared as directed, should I adjust the recipe?
(DIR) Post #A4yAhjRMs2fYTA2koy by urusan@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T14:34:40Z
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In particular, I suspect the milk may not be necessary with the pasta water.That said, cutting out the milk could turn out poorly, as the sheer amount of butter in this dish is indigestion-inducing without the milk under normal circumstances.I'm also pretty sure I'll need some more water to leave a reasonable amount of free pasta water.Even if I'll be moving on to real pasta sauces, I'll still be making a lot of boxed mac & cheese.
(DIR) Post #A4yBQyJuOYNteJ7u7s by urusan@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T14:42:50Z
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Also, being able to eliminate the milk effectively would have humanitarian/survivalist potential.It would turn boxed mac & cheese into a shelf-stable food, because salted butter can be stored at room temperature (something I learned by moving to the Midwest, and marrying a Midwestern wife). A shelf-stable food with a staggering number of calories.I also hear that getting enough milk at food banks is extremely difficult, and they often have a glut of boxed mac & cheese.
(DIR) Post #A4yEtvApTKnA9QNKj2 by thewismit@talkopol.is
2021-03-07T15:21:43Z
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@urusan According to my kids, I make the best Kraft Mac N Cheese this side of Jupiter! My secret is to barely use enough milk to dissolve the "cheese... stuff"? - I don't know what it is and I don't care - it's delicious!Anyway, this concentrates the flavor, I save money on milk and everyone is happy!
(DIR) Post #A4yFNWiGyqruyX8S7E by thewismit@talkopol.is
2021-03-07T15:26:11Z
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@urusan freaking dissertation on Mac N Cheese!When I first started following you I thought, "Jeez, this guy rambles as much in writing as I do, out loud!"But now, I'm using this set of posts as even more evidence as to why people should listen to me... Errr you... Us, listen to us!
(DIR) Post #A4yH0vAe56ay4qks3U by urusan@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T15:45:24Z
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@thewismit I also noticed that minimizing milk improves the flavor, until it reaches a point at/near zero where it's suddenly stomach churning. Not due to the taste alone, but presumably due to eating half a stick of unalloyed butter.I know about that because I was once poor and tried to cut out the milk when I didn't have any.Though I do have to say that the powder does dissolve in the melted butter alone, and small amounts can be eaten without harm. It's a problem at bowl-scale
(DIR) Post #A4yHaSRUN03JP2Zvf6 by swift@merveilles.town
2021-03-07T15:51:50Z
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@urusan I'd be wary about not stirring when most of the water has absorbed, just from a "sticking to the pan / burning" perspective.
(DIR) Post #A4yJhyPI7nG6TUGJIO by urusan@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T16:14:30Z
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@swift I use a ceramic nonstick pot, so that's less of an issue, but you're probably right.It was showing signs that it wanted to stick/burn if it had an opportunity.
(DIR) Post #A4yPLzQ0HbBOxwUnlA by thewismit@talkopol.is
2021-03-07T17:18:50Z
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@urusanGrade A observation!
(DIR) Post #A4yfItUXSdKOywAA4G by SwindlerOfInsanity@mastodon.social
2021-03-07T20:17:35Z
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@urusan What! salted butter is shelf stable. Darn you foolish assumptions. (At the grocery store its stored refrigerated). I wish someone had a good guide on food storage without refrigeration.
(DIR) Post #A4ygw16DD3ORpB0Ge0 by urusan@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T20:35:52Z
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@SwindlerOfInsanity It will eventually go rancid, but this process takes a while (at least several weeks if not a month), and we always eat it all before it goes bad.It's nice and soft and spreadable when kept out in the counter in a butter container.We still keep it in the fridge for long term storage, because it lasts for many months in there.
(DIR) Post #A4yhle329tpTOH8QbI by SwindlerOfInsanity@mastodon.social
2021-03-07T20:45:12Z
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@urusan cool I might start leaving half a stick of butter out.
(DIR) Post #A4yitDTOwkd7F1dszg by urusan@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T20:57:46Z
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@SwindlerOfInsanity The tricky bit about food storage information is that when giving official advice you have to be super conservative in order to not hurt people (and also not get hit by lawsuits).It also doesn't help that there's wide variability here. I've had food that was spoiled well before it was supposed to go bad, and food that lasted way way longer than it was supposed to.Did you know that 4 hours used to be the guideline for perishable food? It's 2 hours now.
(DIR) Post #A4yjmcPFwnKaUt7Zvk by octesian@refactorcamp.org
2021-03-07T21:07:45Z
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@urusan @SwindlerOfInsanity i remember reading an experiment about storing your butter at room temperature. The container needs to be dark and air tight. Surprising to me is that dark was more important than air tight. (Probably because you’re always letting in fresh air)
(DIR) Post #A4ylzllaeoWvCTxykq by Greatcrispy1@witches.live
2021-03-07T21:20:42Z
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@thewismit @urusan as a person married to urusan, I agree more people should listen to him. Except me. When it's in the morning (i.e. before 3pm) and I haven't had coffee (the first, second or third cup of the day). I and I alone am exempt from listening.
(DIR) Post #A4ylzmGQo9CSk8ObpI by urusan@fosstodon.org
2021-03-07T21:32:34Z
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@Greatcrispy1 @thewismit Alaine is changing her wake up time right now.Once the transition is complete, we may be able go down to 2 cups for the starter coffee.
(DIR) Post #A4yzT5tmBVn1RO6nlg by SwindlerOfInsanity@mastodon.social
2021-03-08T00:03:32Z
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@urusan I suppose it makes sense to err on the side of caution so as not to get sued. But that can lead to waste too in some circumstances.
(DIR) Post #A4z4LqqcFFf4VLzpPU by WretchedFetch@poa.st
2021-03-08T00:58:16.751579Z
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@urusan coquinaria.nl/en/macaroni-with-tomatoes/ this calls to cook the macaroni for 30 minutes. The macaroni absorbs more water and makes for a more filling meal
(DIR) Post #A4z4vgD5GyJTwCadHc by WretchedFetch@poa.st
2021-03-08T01:04:45.476575Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@urusan and if you're looking for more shelf stable ingredients, nonfat dry milk might be worth looking into