I made some chicken noodle soup the other day and it turned out very nicely.
However, all I did was cook some noodles in chicken broth, then added some
more broth because the noodles had absorbed the broth I started out with.
Then I added chicken, vegetables, and some spices (garlic and some other
stuff I have around).

Does it still count as "cooking from scratch," even though it doesn't feel
like I did that much more than open a can.

I was also wondering if there is that much difference between noodles. At
the store, there were 3 kinds of noodles. Actually, there were probably
more, but 3 kinds that I was considering.

There were "American Beauty" noodles, Kroger brand "premium" noodles, and
Kroger brand "value" noodles. They were progressively cheaper, but not
enough to make much of a difference unless you were running a soup kitchen
and had to stretch every dollar to its breaking point.

I played it "safe" and got the "American Beauty" noodles, but I got to
wondering if there is truly a difference, other than price, (flavor,
texture, whatever) between the noodles.

Brian Christiansen

"Brian Christiansen" > wrote in message
...
>I made some chicken noodle soup the other day and it turned out very
>nicely. However, all I did was cook some noodles in chicken broth, then
>added some more broth because the noodles had absorbed the broth I started
>out with. Then I added chicken, vegetables, and some spices (garlic and
>some other stuff I have around).
>
> Does it still count as "cooking from scratch," even though it doesn't feel
> like I did that much more than open a can.
>
> I was also wondering if there is that much difference between noodles. At
> the store, there were 3 kinds of noodles. Actually, there were probably
> more, but 3 kinds that I was considering.
>
> There were "American Beauty" noodles, Kroger brand "premium" noodles, and
> Kroger brand "value" noodles. They were progressively cheaper, but not
> enough to make much of a difference unless you were running a soup kitchen
> and had to stretch every dollar to its breaking point.
>
> I played it "safe" and got the "American Beauty" noodles, but I got to
> wondering if there is truly a difference, other than price, (flavor,
> texture, whatever) between the noodles.
>
> Brian Christiansen
>


Try all the noodle brands. A lot of private label foods are made by major
manufacturers, and are often the identical product to the stuff with the
name brand on the package.

"Brian Christiansen" > wrote in message
...
>I made some chicken noodle soup the other day and it turned out very
>nicely. However, all I did was cook some noodles in chicken broth, then
>added some more broth because the noodles had absorbed the broth I started
>out with. Then I added chicken, vegetables, and some spices (garlic and
>some other stuff I have around).

A tip that I learned from a chef. When cooking rice or noodles to add to a
soup, always cook them in water and *then* add them to the broth. This
prevents them from sucking up the broth.
>
> Does it still count as "cooking from scratch," even though it doesn't feel
> like I did that much more than open a can.

I'd say this is more like semi-homemade. It would be from scratch if you
made the noodles and the broth.
>
> I was also wondering if there is that much difference between noodles. At
> the store, there were 3 kinds of noodles. Actually, there were probably
> more, but 3 kinds that I was considering.
>
> There were "American Beauty" noodles, Kroger brand "premium" noodles, and
> Kroger brand "value" noodles. They were progressively cheaper, but not
> enough to make much of a difference unless you were running a soup kitchen
> and had to stretch every dollar to its breaking point.

Those are not three different "kinds", necessarily but three different
brands. I presume you bought something like egg noodles or wide egg
noodles. One thing to look for in buying noodles is black specks in the
noodles. Unless of course you are buying a flavored pasta that should have
black specks in it. Like pepper or some other seasoning. Black specks can
indicate that bits of the machinery used to make that pasta have broken off
and have gotten into the pasta at some point. At least I remember reading
this somewhere.

There can be a difference in taste from one pasta to another. But often
this is a matter of personal preference. My MIL is Italian and she always
bought the cheap pasta. It worked for her! You might also find that you
prefer one shape over another. Personally I prefer whole wheat and a
thicker shape.
>
> I played it "safe" and got the "American Beauty" noodles, but I got to
> wondering if there is truly a difference, other than price, (flavor,
> texture, whatever) between the noodles.

American Beauty is a good brand. I have it and liked it.

"Julie Bove" > wrote in message
news:A_Onj.3861$1f.826@trndny02...

> A tip that I learned from a chef. When cooking rice or noodles to add to
> a soup, always cook them in water and *then* add them to the broth. This
> prevents them from sucking up the broth.
>>
I meant to cook them in the broth, but I thought that the noodles would only
absorb part of the broth, and I would have enough left for soup. All of it
was absorbed, though, and I had to add another quart to have enough for soup
(though I kinda suspect water probably would have worked.
>
> I'd say this is more like semi-homemade. It would be from scratch if you
> made the noodles and the broth.
>>
Oh please. Even though I don't have quite as big a hate on for that show as
most people around here do, I am certainly a better cook than Sandra Lee.

> Those are not three different "kinds", necessarily but three different
> brands. I presume you bought something like egg noodles or wide egg
> noodles. One thing to look for in buying noodles is black specks in the
> noodles. Unless of course you are buying a flavored pasta that should
> have black specks in it. Like pepper or some other seasoning. Black
> specks can indicate that bits of the machinery used to make that pasta
> have broken off and have gotten into the pasta at some point. At least I
> remember reading this somewhere.
>
I didn't see any black specks.

> There can be a difference in taste from one pasta to another. But often
> this is a matter of personal preference. My MIL is Italian and she always
> bought the cheap pasta. It worked for her! You might also find that you
> prefer one shape over another. Personally I prefer whole wheat and a
> thicker shape.
>
I didn't see any whole wheat noodles, but I wasn't particularly looking for
them either. Sound intriguing, I will look for those next time I am
shopping for some noodles.

Brian Christiansen

On Tue 29 Jan 2008 04:52:00p, Julie Bove told us...

>
> "Brian Christiansen" > wrote in message
> ...
>>I made some chicken noodle soup the other day and it turned out very
>>nicely. However, all I did was cook some noodles in chicken broth, then
>>added some more broth because the noodles had absorbed the broth I
>>started out with. Then I added chicken, vegetables, and some spices
>>(garlic and some other stuff I have around).
>
> A tip that I learned from a chef. When cooking rice or noodles to add
> to a soup, always cook them in water and *then* add them to the broth.
> This prevents them from sucking up the broth.

The distinct advantage of cooking the rice or noodles *in* the soup (or
separate broth, if you will) is that not only have they absorbed the broth,
but they have also absorbed flavor. I think this adds tremendously to the
overall flavor of the soup. Cook them separately if you prefer, but do it
in broth, not water.

>> Does it still count as "cooking from scratch," even though it doesn't
>> feel like I did that much more than open a can.
>
> I'd say this is more like semi-homemade. It would be from scratch if
> you made the noodles and the broth.
>>
>> I was also wondering if there is that much difference between noodles.
>> At the store, there were 3 kinds of noodles. Actually, there were
>> probably more, but 3 kinds that I was considering.
>>
>> There were "American Beauty" noodles, Kroger brand "premium" noodles,
>> and Kroger brand "value" noodles. They were progressively cheaper, but
>> not enough to make much of a difference unless you were running a soup
>> kitchen and had to stretch every dollar to its breaking point.
>
> Those are not three different "kinds", necessarily but three different
> brands. I presume you bought something like egg noodles or wide egg
> noodles. One thing to look for in buying noodles is black specks in the
> noodles. Unless of course you are buying a flavored pasta that should
> have black specks in it. Like pepper or some other seasoning. Black
> specks can indicate that bits of the machinery used to make that pasta
> have broken off and have gotten into the pasta at some point. At least
> I remember reading this somewhere.
>
> There can be a difference in taste from one pasta to another. But often
> this is a matter of personal preference. My MIL is Italian and she
> always bought the cheap pasta. It worked for her! You might also find
> that you prefer one shape over another. Personally I prefer whole wheat
> and a thicker shape.
>>
>> I played it "safe" and got the "American Beauty" noodles, but I got to
>> wondering if there is truly a difference, other than price, (flavor,
>> texture, whatever) between the noodles.
>
> American Beauty is a good brand. I have it and liked it.
>
>
>



--
Wayne Boatwright

*******************************************
Date: Tuesday, 01(I)/29(XXIX)/08(MMVIII)
*******************************************
You'll be the first ones up against
the wall when the revolution comes.
*******************************************

>"Julie Bove" wrote
>> "Brian Christiansen" wrote

>>I made some chicken noodle soup the other day and it turned out very
>>nicely. However, all I did was cook some noodles in chicken broth, then
>>added some more broth because the noodles had absorbed the broth I started
>>out with. Then I added chicken, vegetables, and some spices (garlic and
>>some other stuff I have around).

> A tip that I learned from a chef. When cooking rice or noodles to add to
> a soup, always cook them in water and *then* add them to the broth. This
> prevents them from sucking up the broth.

Asian tip, cook in broth so you get the flavor in the noodles <g>. Just a
different viewpoint there.

>> Does it still count as "cooking from scratch," even though it doesn't
>> feel like I did that much more than open a can.
>
> I'd say this is more like semi-homemade. It would be from scratch if you
> made the noodles and the broth.

True, close enough though. Most folks would call it 'home made' if it was
just the noodles and broth from the store. Purists would say 'semi' ;-)

>> I was also wondering if there is that much difference between noodles.
>> At the store, there were 3 kinds of noodles. Actually, there were
>> probably more, but 3 kinds that I was considering.
>>
>> There were "American Beauty" noodles, Kroger brand "premium" noodles, and
>> Kroger brand "value" noodles. They were progressively cheaper, but not
>> enough to make much of a difference unless you were running a soup
>> kitchen and had to stretch every dollar to its breaking point.

Not much difference in them and I get the kroger store brand. Difference
there between 'premium' and 'value' was packaging (one is in a box so stands
up neatly).

> Those are not three different "kinds", necessarily but three different
> brands. I presume you bought something like egg noodles or wide egg
> noodles.

I actually like to mix the types so will add some spirals (multi-color),
rotini, and wide egg noodles.

> American Beauty is a good brand. I have it and liked it.

Yes, they work fine. Not being a major pasta eater here, we get what's on
sale or what's priced well. There is minimal difference to us other than
some dishes work best with certain shapes or thicknesses.

"Brian Christiansen" wrote

>> A tip that I learned from a chef. When cooking rice or noodles to add to
>> a soup, always cook them in water and *then* add them to the broth. This
>> prevents them from sucking up the broth.
>>>
> I meant to cook them in the broth, but I thought that the noodles would
> only absorb part of the broth, and I would have enough left for soup. All
> of it was absorbed, though, and I had to add another quart to have enough
> for soup (though I kinda suspect water probably would have worked.

Yes, it would have but adding more broth was a better fix. What your result
was there, would be very asian in that the noodles were set to have flavor
of their own. Rice too is often cooked in broth there for the same reason.

>> I'd say this is more like semi-homemade. It would be from scratch if you
>> made the noodles and the broth.
>>>
> Oh please. Even though I don't have quite as big a hate on for that show
> as most people around here do, I am certainly a better cook than Sandra
> Lee.

Grin, actually I've seen only a few of her shows and some things were awful
but some ideas were nifty and new or things I'd been doing for ages.

>> prefer one shape over another. Personally I prefer whole wheat and a
>> thicker shape.
>>
> I didn't see any whole wheat noodles, but I wasn't particularly looking
> for them either. Sound intriguing, I will look for those next time I am
> shopping for some noodles.

I'm not partial to them except with cantonese sty;e pancit noodles (gotta be
wheat there!), but I am partial to some of the other types of noodles you
may not have tried.

Some of these you may only find at a local asian grocery type store but
here's some ideas for you to at least think about.

Udon noodles- these are in a plastic pouch and soft. Rinse and cook, will
be great with a chicken soup base. Ignore the seasoning packet if you are
MSG intolerant or need reduced sodium. Save the packet for adding to rice
cooking water if you can take MSG and salt fine (most people can and the
packets are not super salty but the flavor wont quite match chicken soup).

Yam/sweet potato noodles- These are long and dry, looking like a
yellow/orange linguini. Cook briefly the add to the bowl at serving time.
They will match chicken soup and add a slight sweetness. They absorb much
broth on cooking or in the bowl.

Glass noodles/rice noodles- clear looking and sold either in long strings or
in small bundles. I like to drop the small serving sized bundles in a broth
soup in the last 30 secs of simmering. You can also get large balls of it
and you drop those in a large pot for the last minute of simmer, then serve
in one large bowl with kitchen shears. Each person serves themselves small
amounts of soup from the center bowl and snips off some noodles from the
ball with they add to their plate. The rest stays hot in the larger bowl as
you eat. Works fine with chicken based soups (as well as many other types).

If you want to diverge from chicken soup for an experiment, consider
'seaweed noodles' which are dried shredded seaweed (may be powdered and
mixed with rice powder, wheat flour, or taro to make a more standard looking
noodle vice seawed strips). Wonderful in small amounts with a seafood soup.
If dried shredded seaweed 'noodles' soak in 2 changes of water for 15 mins
each or be bold like I am and just add'em straight and simmer about 5 mins
with the seafoods in a dashi (fish broth).

Now, can you guess why I said on the survey my second most common cuisine
was 'American'? (evil grin).

"Wayne Boatwright" wrote

> The distinct advantage of cooking the rice or noodles *in* the soup (or
> separate broth, if you will) is that not only have they absorbed the
> broth,
> but they have also absorbed flavor. I think this adds tremendously to the
> overall flavor of the soup. Cook them separately if you prefer, but do it
> in broth, not water.

Smile, I think you win the closet Asian award <grin>. And people wonder why
the noodles at asian restraunts always taste so much better, and the fried
rice is so good! Secret is out now!

On Tue 29 Jan 2008 06:47:01p, cshenk told us...

> "Wayne Boatwright" wrote
>
>> The distinct advantage of cooking the rice or noodles *in* the soup (or
>> separate broth, if you will) is that not only have they absorbed the
>> broth, but they have also absorbed flavor. I think this adds
>> tremendously to the overall flavor of the soup. Cook them separately
>> if you prefer, but do it in broth, not water.
>
> Smile, I think you win the closet Asian award <grin>. And people wonder
> why the noodles at asian restraunts always taste so much better, and the
> fried rice is so good! Secret is out now!
>
>
>

<blush> Thanks! Jewish bubbies know this, too. A Jewish friend told me
this years ago. So true, though. No noodles or rice taste better than in
a good Asian restaurant.

--
Wayne Boatwright

*******************************************
Date: Tuesday, 01(I)/29(XXIX)/08(MMVIII)
*******************************************
'The reports of my death have been
greatly exaggerated.' -- Twain
*******************************************

Julie Bove wrote:

> There can be a difference in taste from one pasta to another. But often
> this is a matter of personal preference. My MIL is Italian and she always
> bought the cheap pasta. It worked for her! You might also find that you
> prefer one shape over another. Personally I prefer whole wheat and a
> thicker shape.

I like pasta that's simple to eat. That means not-spaghetti, for
instance. If that's all I have, I break the handful into thirds,
lengthwise, so it's less ungainly.

I've always wondered about the Creamette brand of pasta. I mean, I
wouldn't name my brand of cream "Noodle-O".


--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org
Blinky: http://blinkynet.net

Julie Bove wrote:

> A tip that I learned from a chef. When cooking rice or noodles to add to
> a soup, always cook them in water and *then* add them to the broth. This
> prevents them from sucking up the broth.

Seems like the noodles picking up flavor would be a *good* thing.


--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org
Blinky: http://blinkynet.net

>"Wayne Boatwright" wrote
>>cshenk told us...

>> Smile, I think you win the closet Asian award <grin>. And people wonder
>> why the noodles at asian restraunts always taste so much better, and the
>> fried rice is so good! Secret is out now!

> <blush> Thanks! Jewish bubbies know this, too. A Jewish friend told me
> this years ago. So true, though. No noodles or rice taste better than in
> a good Asian restaurant.

I didnt learn this one til I was in Japan and it's so very simple a concept
I am amazed I didnt figure it out myself ages ago!

Though asian restraunts in the USA tend to make rice 'American way' (I call
that separatist rice, where each grain hates the other and tries to stay
separate) even then, they spice it gently if it's not to be plain boiled
rice.

In Asia (outside India), medium grain rices are preferred for both flavor
and ease of eating. It is considered more 'healthful' if the rice is a
'sticky rice' and this is often enhanced with cooking it in with a little
mirin, and dashi and perhaps a touch of sugar.

Currently we are eating up a batch of basmati which is not our normal type,
but it has enough flavor to make up for it's being a separatist type ;-)

Wayne Boatwright wrote:


Cook them separately
>>> if you prefer, but do it in broth, not water.
>> Smile, I think you win the closet Asian award <grin>. And people wonder
>> why the noodles at asian restraunts always taste so much better, and the
>> fried rice is so good! Secret is out now!

>
> <blush> Thanks! Jewish bubbies know this, too. A Jewish friend told me
> this years ago.

<shrug> I thought *everyone* knew and did it cause it makes so much
sense?? LOL

Blinky the Shark wrote:

> I've always wondered about the Creamette brand of pasta. I mean, I
> wouldn't name my brand of cream "Noodle-O".
>
I wouldn't touch Creamette macaroni if you gave it to me. Ghastly stuff.

On Tue 29 Jan 2008 07:55:04p, cshenk told us...

>>"Wayne Boatwright" wrote
>>>cshenk told us...
>
>>> Smile, I think you win the closet Asian award <grin>. And people
>>> wonder why the noodles at asian restraunts always taste so much
>>> better, and the fried rice is so good! Secret is out now!
>
>> <blush> Thanks! Jewish bubbies know this, too. A Jewish friend told
>> me this years ago. So true, though. No noodles or rice taste better
>> than in a good Asian restaurant.
>
> I didnt learn this one til I was in Japan and it's so very simple a
> concept I am amazed I didnt figure it out myself ages ago!
>
> Though asian restraunts in the USA tend to make rice 'American way' (I
> call that separatist rice, where each grain hates the other and tries to
> stay separate) even then, they spice it gently if it's not to be plain
> boiled rice.

My favorite Asian restaurants here in Phoenix cook it the "right" way.
My family was from the Southern US, where separatist rice was the norm. I
never liked it. The only thing that stuck it together was gravy. :-)


> In Asia (outside India), medium grain rices are preferred for both
> flavor and ease of eating. It is considered more 'healthful' if the
> rice is a 'sticky rice' and this is often enhanced with cooking it in
> with a little mirin, and dashi and perhaps a touch of sugar.

My preference, too. Even a bowl of perfectly plain rice, as long as the
texture is right, and a short grain rice.

Rice pudding, too, is perfectly awful made with long grain rice.

> Currently we are eating up a batch of basmati which is not our normal
> type, but it has enough flavor to make up for it's being a separatist
> type ;-)

I've never been too fond of Basmati rice, but it does have a nice flavor.

--
Wayne Boatwright

*******************************************
Date: Tuesday, 01(I)/29(XXIX)/08(MMVIII)
*******************************************
You can't teach people to be lazy.
Either they have it or they don't.
*******************************************

Goomba38 wrote:

> Blinky the Shark wrote:
>
> > I've always wondered about the Creamette brand of pasta. I mean, I
> > wouldn't name my brand of cream "Noodle-O".
> >
> I wouldn't touch Creamette macaroni if you gave it to me. Ghastly stuff.


Creamette brand "pasta" is junky stuff, it dissolve into a blubbery mess
when it hits water...


--
Best
Greg

"Brian Christiansen" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Julie Bove" > wrote in message
> news:A_Onj.3861$1f.826@trndny02...
>
>> A tip that I learned from a chef. When cooking rice or noodles to add to
>> a soup, always cook them in water and *then* add them to the broth. This
>> prevents them from sucking up the broth.
>>>
> I meant to cook them in the broth, but I thought that the noodles would
> only absorb part of the broth, and I would have enough left for soup. All
> of it was absorbed, though, and I had to add another quart to have enough
> for soup (though I kinda suspect water probably would have worked.

That's why it's important to cook them first in water. Unless you're just
doinig chicken and noodles and don't want the broth.
>>
>> I'd say this is more like semi-homemade. It would be from scratch if you
>> made the noodles and the broth.
>>>
> Oh please. Even though I don't have quite as big a hate on for that show
> as most people around here do, I am certainly a better cook than Sandra
> Lee.

But you didn't really cook anything. You just bought pre-made noodles and
pre-made broth.
>
>> Those are not three different "kinds", necessarily but three different
>> brands. I presume you bought something like egg noodles or wide egg
>> noodles. One thing to look for in buying noodles is black specks in the
>> noodles. Unless of course you are buying a flavored pasta that should
>> have black specks in it. Like pepper or some other seasoning. Black
>> specks can indicate that bits of the machinery used to make that pasta
>> have broken off and have gotten into the pasta at some point. At least I
>> remember reading this somewhere.
>>
> I didn't see any black specks.

Good.
>
>> There can be a difference in taste from one pasta to another. But often
>> this is a matter of personal preference. My MIL is Italian and she
>> always bought the cheap pasta. It worked for her! You might also find
>> that you prefer one shape over another. Personally I prefer whole wheat
>> and a thicker shape.
>>
> I didn't see any whole wheat noodles, but I wasn't particularly looking
> for them either. Sound intriguing, I will look for those next time I am
> shopping for some noodles.

They have a hearty taste.

"Blinky the Shark" > wrote in message
news
> Julie Bove wrote:
>
>> A tip that I learned from a chef. When cooking rice or noodles to add to
>> a soup, always cook them in water and *then* add them to the broth. This
>> prevents them from sucking up the broth.
>
> Seems like the noodles picking up flavor would be a *good* thing.

Good, yes. But they do absorb the broth.

On Tue 29 Jan 2008 09:12:13p, Goomba38 told us...

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>
> Cook them separately
>>>> if you prefer, but do it in broth, not water.
>>> Smile, I think you win the closet Asian award <grin>. And people
wonder
>>> why the noodles at asian restraunts always taste so much better, and
the
>>> fried rice is so good! Secret is out now!
>
>>
>> <blush> Thanks! Jewish bubbies know this, too. A Jewish friend told
me
>> this years ago.
>
> <shrug> I thought *everyone* knew and did it cause it makes so much
> sense?? LOL
>

I think a lot of people don't know that.

--
Wayne Boatwright

*******************************************
Date: Tuesday, 01(I)/29(XXIX)/08(MMVIII)
*******************************************
Oxymoron: Removable sticker.
*******************************************

On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:16:23 -0700, "Brian Christiansen"
> wrote:

>Oh please. Even though I don't have quite as big a hate on for that show as
>most people around here do, I am certainly a better cook than Sandra Lee.

The show has that name for a reason, but she wasn't trying to compare
your with Sandra Lee.

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smiley face first

Julie Bove wrote:

>
> "Blinky the Shark" > wrote in message
> news
>> Julie Bove wrote:
>>
>>> A tip that I learned from a chef. When cooking rice or noodles to add
>>> to a soup, always cook them in water and *then* add them to the broth.
>>> This prevents them from sucking up the broth.
>>
>> Seems like the noodles picking up flavor would be a *good* thing.
>
> Good, yes. But they do absorb the broth.

So? Is there a broth shortage? The OP said he added broth. Seems like a
plan to me -- tasty noodles and enough broth.


--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org
Blinky: http://blinkynet.net

On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:15:52 -0700, "Brian Christiansen"
> wrote:

>There were "American Beauty" noodles, Kroger brand "premium" noodles, and
>Kroger brand "value" noodles. They were progressively cheaper, but not
>enough to make much of a difference unless you were running a soup kitchen
>and had to stretch every dollar to its breaking point.

No grocery store noodle is very expensive. Have you tried Brailla?

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smiley face first

In article >,
"Brian Christiansen" > wrote:

> I made some chicken noodle soup the other day and it turned out very nicely.
> However, all I did was cook some noodles in chicken broth, then added some
> more broth because the noodles had absorbed the broth I started out with.
> Then I added chicken, vegetables, and some spices (garlic and some other
> stuff I have around).
>
> Does it still count as "cooking from scratch," even though it doesn't feel
> like I did that much more than open a can.

Did you make the broth from scratch? If you added vegetables and
chicken to canned broth, that's still probably closer to scratch cooking
than many do but I'd call it making chicken noodle soup from canned
broth. :-)
>
> I was also wondering if there is that much difference between noodles.
> Brian Christiansen

I prefer my homemade noodles, rolled thin and cut narrow. Otherwise,
I'm not fussy about brand. Just don't overcook them.

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com; check the second note and
tell me if you knowwhat it is.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!

In article >,
Goomba38 > wrote:

> Blinky the Shark wrote:
>
> > I've always wondered about the Creamette brand of pasta. I mean, I
> > wouldn't name my brand of cream "Noodle-O".
> >
> I wouldn't touch Creamette macaroni if you gave it to me. Ghastly stuff.


Hey! That was born in Meen-ah-soh-ta and it's a perfectly fine product.
I use their products alla time for spaghett -- the cappellini and
vermicelli.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com; check the second note and
tell me if you knowwhat it is.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!

"Blinky the Shark" > wrote in message
news
> Julie Bove wrote:
>
>>
>> "Blinky the Shark" > wrote in message
>> news
>>> Julie Bove wrote:
>>>
>>>> A tip that I learned from a chef. When cooking rice or noodles to add
>>>> to a soup, always cook them in water and *then* add them to the broth.
>>>> This prevents them from sucking up the broth.
>>>
>>> Seems like the noodles picking up flavor would be a *good* thing.
>>
>> Good, yes. But they do absorb the broth.
>
> So? Is there a broth shortage? The OP said he added broth. Seems like a
> plan to me -- tasty noodles and enough broth.

I was just told by a chef to cook them separately so they wouldn't absorb
the broth. Otherwise you leave them in there and they suck up all the
broth.

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Goomba38 > wrote:
>
>> Blinky the Shark wrote:
>>
>> > I've always wondered about the Creamette brand of pasta. I mean, I
>> > wouldn't name my brand of cream "Noodle-O".
>> >
>> I wouldn't touch Creamette macaroni if you gave it to me. Ghastly stuff.
>
>
> Hey! That was born in Meen-ah-soh-ta and it's a perfectly fine product.
> I use their products alla time for spaghett -- the cappellini and
> vermicelli.
> --

You can't cook it al dente. Uck.

In article >,
Goomba38 > wrote:

> <shrug> I thought *everyone* knew and did it cause it makes so much
> sense?? LOL

Well, it's "common knowledge," no? "-0-)
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com; check the second note and
tell me if you knowwhat it is.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!

> > Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> > Cook them separately
> >>>> if you prefer, but do it in broth, not water.

If I were going to do that (cook the noodles in broth) I wonder what I'd
do with the cooking liquid since it would have some starch in it after
the cooking. I suppose I could save it for gravy. When I have soup, I
want liquid (broth). I don't want noodles cooked in the soup because
it gives the noodles a quality I don't care for, too. Just my
preference for it.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com; check the second note and
tell me if you knowwhat it is.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!

"Wayne Boatwright" wrote

>> Though asian restraunts in the USA tend to make rice 'American way' (I
>> call that separatist rice, where each grain hates the other and tries to
>> stay separate) even then, they spice it gently if it's not to be plain
>> boiled rice.
>
> My favorite Asian restaurants here in Phoenix cook it the "right" way.
> My family was from the Southern US, where separatist rice was the norm. I
> never liked it. The only thing that stuck it together was gravy. :-)

Ugg, I know. I live in Virginia. The more separatist the rice is, the
better it is considered. I even have a friend (Ian, lives in France) who
deliberately cooks it with too much water then get this, 'dries it out in an
oven' til it's separatist... Makes me giggle to think of it. (IMHO, it
would be worth trying if he fixed it if only out of curiosity.)

>> In Asia (outside India), medium grain rices are preferred for both
>> flavor and ease of eating. It is considered more 'healthful' if the
>> rice is a 'sticky rice' and this is often enhanced with cooking it in
>> with a little mirin, and dashi and perhaps a touch of sugar.
>
> My preference, too. Even a bowl of perfectly plain rice, as long as the
> texture is right, and a short grain rice.

I tend to mediums but the short grain when I have it makes superior 'rice
porridge' (a Japanese specialty that is not 'bland and yucky' as the name
might suggest but rather a truely richly varied congee or juk type of dish).
In Asia I was taught that the shorter the grain, the longer the flavor with
exception that Jasmine and Basmati break this 'rule' <grin>.

> Rice pudding, too, is perfectly awful made with long grain rice.

Shudder, my MIL made that for us once with boil-in-bag minute rice. I had
blissfully forgotten it until you mentioned it. (Lovely woman and a decent
southern cook, but that one dish was awful!)

>> Currently we are eating up a batch of basmati which is not our normal
>> type, but it has enough flavor to make up for it's being a separatist
>> type ;-)
>
> I've never been too fond of Basmati rice, but it does have a nice flavor.

Well, as much rice as we eat here, we like to vary it from time to time.
I'm almost out now anyways but it was a good side-trip. We have rice
normally twice a day here. Not for cost reasons, but for just habits picked
up in Japan. Where others have potatoes and pastas every day, we just
happen to like rice. Usually I cook it with dashi broth.

I just finished off a batch of 'rice porridge' in the rice maker (yes, you
can make more than just rice in a rice maker!). Had 4 kinds of seafoods, 3
types of greens, onions (red sweets and leeks), asian eggplant, miso, bamboo
shoot, lotus root, shiitake (dried slivered), shredded kelp, sesame seeds,
various seasonings (chile oil at the side, sesame oil inside, other stuff
from about 7 dried spice jars). It's very much a 'throw the fridge at it'
recipe.

"Melba's Jammin'" wrote

>> > Cook them separately
>> >>>> if you prefer, but do it in broth, not water.
>
> If I were going to do that (cook the noodles in broth) I wonder what I'd
> do with the cooking liquid since it would have some starch in it after
> the cooking. I suppose I could save it for gravy. When I have soup, I
> want liquid (broth). I don't want noodles cooked in the soup because
> it gives the noodles a quality I don't care for, too. Just my
> preference for it.

I think for me, it depends on what I want to do with the noodles later. If
making a pasta salad or spagetti, I agree with you.

On the starch in the broth, yes but than I cook the noodles in the broth
then use that same broth with the soup so it adds just a slight thickening.
When I have excess broth (common here, I make my own out of various carcass
leftovers) I ue it for lots of other things from flavoring vegetables to
rice cooking water. Gravy though is a rare thing here. Just not a
tradition me or my husband have.

"Melba's Jammin'" wrote

>> I wouldn't touch Creamette macaroni if you gave it to me. Ghastly stuff.

> Hey! That was born in Meen-ah-soh-ta and it's a perfectly fine product.
> I use their products alla time for spaghett -- the cappellini and
> vermicelli.

If I recall right, thats the one that cooks faster. So, if overcooked it
gets nasty fast. Can't say as I get that brand often but cooked right, it's
fine.

On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:16:23 -0700, "Brian Christiansen"
> wrote:

>
>"Julie Bove" > wrote in message
>news:A_Onj.3861$1f.826@trndny02...
>
>> A tip that I learned from a chef. When cooking rice or noodles to add to
>> a soup, always cook them in water and *then* add them to the broth. This
>> prevents them from sucking up the broth.
>>>
>I meant to cook them in the broth, but I thought that the noodles would only
>absorb part of the broth, and I would have enough left for soup. All of it
>was absorbed, though, and I had to add another quart to have enough for soup
>(though I kinda suspect water probably would have worked.

That's when you add water... all the salt and flavour from the
original stock is still there, just concentrated. Adding more stock
tends to make it too salty for me...

>> I'd say this is more like semi-homemade. It would be from scratch if you
>> made the noodles and the broth.
>>>
>Oh please. Even though I don't have quite as big a hate on for that show as
>most people around here do, I am certainly a better cook than Sandra Lee.

No... semi-homemade would be opening a box of chicken stock and a
packet of that pre-cooked pre-cut chicken they sell in the deli
cabinet, and then putting the fresh noodles from the deli in it so
that it 'didn't need to cook'.

I've made chicken soup with rotisserie/leftover chicken, boxed stock
and veggies and I've never considered it 'not cooking'.

>I didn't see any whole wheat noodles, but I wasn't particularly looking for
>them either. Sound intriguing, I will look for those next time I am
>shopping for some noodles.

I like wholewheat noodles... they're more filling because they've got
more fiber in them, so you don't need to use as much.

"Karen AKA Kajikit" wrote

>>was absorbed, though, and I had to add another quart to have enough for
>>soup
>>(though I kinda suspect water probably would have worked.
>
> That's when you add water... all the salt and flavour from the
> original stock is still there, just concentrated. Adding more stock
> tends to make it too salty for me...

Ah and there's the difference. It's a good point too. I make my own stock
as I can't find any suitably low enough in sodium yet effectively priced for
our use. Since I've got a huge chest freezer in the garage, storing up
chicken carcasses etc til I have enough for a 7quart crockpot of stock, is
easy. When making stock, I use only a very small amount of salt for the
size of the batch and i add a little MSG (which has sodium but less than
table salt). I also make MSG free versions for friends who are MSG
sensitive.

Since my stocks are virtually salt free, I dont have to worry about adding
more and getting 'too salty' but thats a concern with most store bought
types, some of which can be as high as 1,100mg per serving (and a serving
can be just 3/4 cup!). USDA recommends only 2,000mg a day. Estimate my own
stocks are 200mg a cup if that.

Most folks will add salt to my cooking after tasting and I'm totally fine
with that. In fact, I warn them that they may want to do so right up front.

>>> I'd say this is more like semi-homemade. It would be from scratch if
>>> you
>>> made the noodles and the broth.
>>>>

> No... semi-homemade would be opening a box of chicken stock and a
> packet of that pre-cooked pre-cut chicken they sell in the deli
> cabinet, and then putting the fresh noodles from the deli in it so
> that it 'didn't need to cook'.

And pre-cut veggies with a prepared spice packet <grin>. I'm with ya, his
version is close enough that I'd define it as 'scratch' but then I'm not
very pedantic on the topic <grin>.

> I've made chicken soup with rotisserie/leftover chicken, boxed stock
> and veggies and I've never considered it 'not cooking'.

Same here, except not sure what a boxed stock version would be like. I
imagine good enough except that now with our sodium reduction, we arent used
to as much salt so it might taste too salty for us. Not really sure.

>>I didn't see any whole wheat noodles, but I wasn't particularly looking
>>for
>>them either. Sound intriguing, I will look for those next time I am
>>shopping for some noodles.
>
> I like wholewheat noodles... they're more filling because they've got
> more fiber in them, so you don't need to use as much.

Thats true. Good for your systems too!