Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
boil, break noodles, put in pot, boil for X time, and drain) the
noodles wind up sitting in the bowl/strainer with a sort of film on
them. It manifests itself as a sort of 'bubble' (not globular- just a
flat film) stretching from one noodle to another, and the whole lump
of pasta crackles.

I have been eternally wondering which is true:
- It happens because my pasta is low grade
- Spaghetti does that
- There is dried soap sticking to the bowl/stirring instrument
- Something ... Else ... (dramatic sound effect)

I am hoping it's not the last one! I try to rinse it off, but I hate
cold pasta and it's hard to keep it warm when dunking it in water!

Thanks for your input.

> wrote in message
...
> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
> boil, break noodles, put in pot, boil for X time, and drain) the
> noodles wind up sitting in the bowl/strainer with a sort of film on
> them. It manifests itself as a sort of 'bubble' (not globular- just a
> flat film) stretching from one noodle to another, and the whole lump
> of pasta crackles.
>
> I have been eternally wondering which is true:
> - It happens because my pasta is low grade
> - Spaghetti does that
> - There is dried soap sticking to the bowl/stirring instrument
> - Something ... Else ... (dramatic sound effect)
>
> I am hoping it's not the last one! I try to rinse it off, but I hate
> cold pasta and it's hard to keep it warm when dunking it in water!
>
> Thanks for your input.

Where do you live? It may be your water. If it is soap, I'd think you would
know it.

"cybercat" > wrote in message
...
>
> > wrote in message
> ...
>> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>> boil, break noodles, put in pot, boil for X time, and drain) the
>> noodles wind up sitting in the bowl/strainer with a sort of film on
>> them. It manifests itself as a sort of 'bubble' (not globular- just a
>> flat film) stretching from one noodle to another, and the whole lump
>> of pasta crackles.
>>
>> I have been eternally wondering which is true:
>> - It happens because my pasta is low grade
>> - Spaghetti does that
>> - There is dried soap sticking to the bowl/stirring instrument
>> - Something ... Else ... (dramatic sound effect)
>>
>> I am hoping it's not the last one! I try to rinse it off, but I hate
>> cold pasta and it's hard to keep it warm when dunking it in water!
>>
>> Thanks for your input.
>
> Where do you live? It may be your water. If it is soap, I'd think you
> would know it.

You are not boiling enough water. You need a large pot. Why would you
break the noodles in half anyway (that wouldn't creat your problem - just
asking)?

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:31:18 -0700 (PDT), "
> wrote:

>Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>boil, break noodles, put in pot, boil for X time, and drain) the
>noodles wind up sitting in the bowl/strainer with a sort of film on
>them. It manifests itself as a sort of 'bubble' (not globular- just a
>flat film) stretching from one noodle to another, and the whole lump
>of pasta crackles.
>
>I have been eternally wondering which is true:
>- It happens because my pasta is low grade
>- Spaghetti does that
>- There is dried soap sticking to the bowl/stirring instrument
>- Something ... Else ... (dramatic sound effect)
>
>I am hoping it's not the last one! I try to rinse it off, but I hate
>cold pasta and it's hard to keep it warm when dunking it in water!
>
>Thanks for your input.

Never heard of that. Why is your pasta just sitting around and
waiting for you to finish everything else? It takes 10 minutes from
start to finish, unless you're heating up a 20 gallon stockpot of
water. Make your pasta last and use it immediately. Do not rinse!

In the event you do finish your pasta before you're ready to set the
meal on the table, save some of the pasta water to reheat and delump
it. You want the starches. Learn to love your pasta water.

Oh, if you're breaking your noodles before you put them in the pot....
try a different type. Branch out! There's a whole world of pasta out
there.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

wrote:
> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
> boil, break noodles, put in pot, boil for X time, and drain) the
> noodles wind up sitting in the bowl/strainer with a sort of film on
> them. It manifests itself as a sort of 'bubble' (not globular- just a
> flat film) stretching from one noodle to another, and the whole lump
> of pasta crackles.
>
> I have been eternally wondering which is true:
> - It happens because my pasta is low grade
> - Spaghetti does that
> - There is dried soap sticking to the bowl/stirring instrument
> - Something ... Else ... (dramatic sound effect)
>
> I am hoping it's not the last one! I try to rinse it off, but I hate
> cold pasta and it's hard to keep it warm when dunking it in water!
>
> Thanks for your input.

Sounds like you need to use more water. Not sure why you are breaking
the noodles. Is it because you are using a small pot (which would also
likely mean not enough water)?

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:31:18 -0700 (PDT), "
> wrote:

>Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>boil, break noodles, put in pot, boil for X time, and drain) the
>noodles wind up sitting in the bowl/strainer with a sort of film on
>them. It manifests itself as a sort of 'bubble' (not globular- just a
>flat film) stretching from one noodle to another, and the whole lump
>of pasta crackles.
>
>I have been eternally wondering which is true:
>- It happens because my pasta is low grade
>- Spaghetti does that
>- There is dried soap sticking to the bowl/stirring instrument
>- Something ... Else ... (dramatic sound effect)
>
>I am hoping it's not the last one! I try to rinse it off, but I hate
>cold pasta and it's hard to keep it warm when dunking it in water!
>
>Thanks for your input.

Try adding a small amount of olive oil.

> wrote:

>Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>boil, break noodles,

WRONG.

Steve

"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
...
> > wrote:
>
>>Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>>boil, break noodles,
>
> WRONG.
>

Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"

Steve Pope > wrote:
> > wrote:
>
> > Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
> > boil, break noodles,
>
> WRONG.
>
> Steve

LOL Just another example of how not to cook pasta.

Jill

cybercat > wrote:

>"Steve Pope" > wrote in message

>> WRONG.

>Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"

Because it is impossible to twirl them onto a fork
neatly if they've been broken.

Steve

George wrote:
>
> Sounds like you need to use more water. Not sure why you are breaking
> the noodles. Is it because you are using a small pot (which would also
> likely mean not enough water)?

Exactly! Beats me why pasta does this, but there's
a certain amount of water needed to cook it properly.
Below that amount, you get a lot of starch dissolving
out of the pasta. I learned this when I was a college
student and trying to make pasta using an immersion
heater in a Pyrex measuring cup. Fried pastas like
ramen can be made this way, but real pasta can't.

I went through a ton of immersion heaters as a college
student. I became an expert on everything you could
make with one. I should have written a cookbook on
the subject. Too late now, though. I've forgotten
too much. That's what happens when you turn 50.

cybercat wrote:
> "Steve Pope" > wrote in message
> ...
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>>> boil, break noodles,
>> WRONG.
>>
>
> Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
>
>
They are already cut to the correct length to eat with a fork.

Mark Thorson wrote:
> George wrote:
>> Sounds like you need to use more water. Not sure why you are breaking
>> the noodles. Is it because you are using a small pot (which would also
>> likely mean not enough water)?
>
> Exactly! Beats me why pasta does this, but there's
> a certain amount of water needed to cook it properly.
> Below that amount, you get a lot of starch dissolving
> out of the pasta. I learned this when I was a college
> student and trying to make pasta using an immersion
> heater in a Pyrex measuring cup. Fried pastas like
> ramen can be made this way, but real pasta can't.

I suspect that the concentration of starch in the water is too high when
using a small pot. So that leads to clumping and sticky films and
attempts to fix it by dumping oil in the water.

>
> I went through a ton of immersion heaters as a college
> student. I became an expert on everything you could
> make with one. I should have written a cookbook on
> the subject. Too late now, though. I've forgotten
> too much. That's what happens when you turn 50.

Steve Pope said...

> cybercat > wrote:
>
>>"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
>
>>> WRONG.
>
>>Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
>
> Because it is impossible to twirl them onto a fork
> neatly if they've been broken.
>
> Steve


Steve,

I break my spaghetti in half. Takes too many twirls otherwise.

Best,

Andy

Mark Thorson said...

> George wrote:
>>
>> Sounds like you need to use more water. Not sure why you are breaking
>> the noodles. Is it because you are using a small pot (which would also
>> likely mean not enough water)?
>
> Exactly! Beats me why pasta does this, but there's
> a certain amount of water needed to cook it properly.
> Below that amount, you get a lot of starch dissolving
> out of the pasta. I learned this when I was a college
> student and trying to make pasta using an immersion
> heater in a Pyrex measuring cup. Fried pastas like
> ramen can be made this way, but real pasta can't.


Isn't it the starch visually showing up in the strainer?

Andy

George said...

> Mark Thorson wrote:
>> George wrote:
>>> Sounds like you need to use more water. Not sure why you are breaking
>>> the noodles. Is it because you are using a small pot (which would also
>>> likely mean not enough water)?
>>
>> Exactly! Beats me why pasta does this, but there's
>> a certain amount of water needed to cook it properly.
>> Below that amount, you get a lot of starch dissolving
>> out of the pasta. I learned this when I was a college
>> student and trying to make pasta using an immersion
>> heater in a Pyrex measuring cup. Fried pastas like
>> ramen can be made this way, but real pasta can't.
>
> I suspect that the concentration of starch in the water is too high when
> using a small pot. So that leads to clumping and sticky films and
> attempts to fix it by dumping oil in the water.
>
>>
>> I went through a ton of immersion heaters as a college
>> student. I became an expert on everything you could
>> make with one. I should have written a cookbook on
>> the subject. Too late now, though. I've forgotten
>> too much. That's what happens when you turn 50.


Sorry.

What George said!

Didn't read up in advance.

Andy

> wrote:

> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
> boil, break noodles,

Why? If you do not like long pasta shapes, opt for more suitable short
ones. There are few things harder to eat neatly than too-short
spaghetti, even if in desperation you were to resort to chopsticks.
Normal-length spaghetti (and other long shapes) are very easy to learn
to twirl onto a fork and into a neat bite-sized bundle with only a bit
of practice. There are also spaghetti lunghi, extra-long spaghetti.
Why do you think they are produced? A single extra-long strand will be
enough for such a bite-sized bundle.

> put in pot, boil for X time, and drain) the
> noodles wind up sitting in the bowl/strainer with a sort of film on
> them. It manifests itself as a sort of 'bubble' (not globular- just a
> flat film) stretching from one noodle to another, and the whole lump
> of pasta crackles.

I am not sure I can visualise this, but I suspect the film/bubble might
be concentrated starch, which would mean that you are using way too
little water.

Victor

Andy <q> wrote:

>>>"Steve Pope" > wrote in message

>>>> WRONG.

>I break my spaghetti in half. Takes too many twirls otherwise.

Why not just use ziti or rigatoni if you don't want to
twirl spaghetti?

Seriously, I wish spaghetti were even longer.

Steve

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:40:59 -0400, George >
wrote:

>cybercat wrote:
>> "Steve Pope" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>>>> boil, break noodles,
>>> WRONG.
>>>
>>
>> Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
>>
>>
>They are already cut to the correct length to eat with a fork.

Even "long spaghetti"?

Or should one use a modified fork to eat it?

"George" > wrote in message
...
> cybercat wrote:
>> "Steve Pope" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>>>> boil, break noodles,
>>> WRONG.
>>>
>>
>> Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
> They are already cut to the correct length to eat with a fork.

I break mine in half because my mother broke hers in half.

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:59:28 -0400, "cybercat" >
wrote:

>
>"George" > wrote in message
...
>> cybercat wrote:
>>> "Steve Pope" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>>>>> boil, break noodles,
>>>> WRONG.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
>> They are already cut to the correct length to eat with a fork.
>
>I break mine in half because my mother broke hers in half.

Single or double length spaghetti?

Steve Pope wrote:
> cybercat > wrote:
>
>> "Steve Pope" > wrote in message
>
>>> WRONG.
>
>> Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
>
> Because it is impossible to twirl them onto a fork
> neatly if they've been broken.

I've gotten into the habit of breaking my spaghetti in half but I was a
non-breaking spaghetti purist for most of my life. As with hair, shorter
pasta is easier to manage when dishing out and in the plate and I like
to wind up a smaller amount on my fork. I also cook my pasta a tad more
than I used to - it occurred to me that I like it better that way so
screw all that al dente stuff.

I have freed myself from most of the conventions of cooking. It's one of
the benefits of old age, either that, or I've gone batty. :-)

>
> Steve

"Corey Richardson" `R> wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:59:28 -0400, "cybercat" >
> wrote:
>
>>
>>"George" > wrote in message
...
>>> cybercat wrote:
>>>> "Steve Pope" > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>>>>>> boil, break noodles,
>>>>> WRONG.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
>>> They are already cut to the correct length to eat with a fork.
>>
>>I break mine in half because my mother broke hers in half.
>
> Single or double length spaghetti?

The kind in the regular box bought in regular US grocery chains. I have
never seen or heard of "double length spaghetti."

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:55:53 +0100, Corey Richardson
`R> wrote:

>On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:40:59 -0400, George >
>wrote:
>
>>cybercat wrote:
>>> "Steve Pope" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>>>>> boil, break noodles,
>>>> WRONG.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
>>>
>>>
>>They are already cut to the correct length to eat with a fork.
>
>Even "long spaghetti"?
>
>Or should one use a modified fork to eat it?

No, one should twirl fewer noodles. Sheesh, do I have to explain
everything?


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

George wrote:
>
> Mark Thorson wrote:
> >
> > Exactly! Beats me why pasta does this, but there's
> > a certain amount of water needed to cook it properly.
> > Below that amount, you get a lot of starch dissolving
> > out of the pasta. I learned this when I was a college
> > student and trying to make pasta using an immersion
> > heater in a Pyrex measuring cup. Fried pastas like
> > ramen can be made this way, but real pasta can't.
>
> I suspect that the concentration of starch in the water is too high
> when using a small pot. So that leads to clumping and sticky films
> and attempts to fix it by dumping oil in the water.

I think it's more complex than that. It seems like
there's a threshold below which you get cloudy water,
films, and gluey pasta. But above that level everything
is fine. Not just a smaller amount of starch dissolving
out of the pasta, but practically none at all.

Steve Pope said...

> Andy <q> wrote:
>
>>>>"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
>
>>>>> WRONG.
>
>>I break my spaghetti in half. Takes too many twirls otherwise.
>
> Why not just use ziti or rigatoni if you don't want to
> twirl spaghetti?
>
> Seriously, I wish spaghetti were even longer.
>
> Steve


Steve,

If I'm using short pasta it's rotini to capture the most pesto.

I was once half-tempted to make 2' or 3' homemade spaghetti as a joke for
company.

Came to my senses.

Best,

Andy

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:06:55 -0700, sf wrote:

>On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:55:53 +0100, Corey Richardson
`R> wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:40:59 -0400, George >
>>wrote:
>>
>>>cybercat wrote:
>>>> "Steve Pope" > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>>>>>> boil, break noodles,
>>>>> WRONG.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
>>>>
>>>>
>>>They are already cut to the correct length to eat with a fork.
>>
>>Even "long spaghetti"?
>>
>>Or should one use a modified fork to eat it?
>
>No, one should twirl fewer noodles. Sheesh, do I have to explain
>everything?

Seriously, it's really difficult with "long" spaghetti.

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:55:50 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
Pope) wrote:

>Andy <q> wrote:
>
>>>>"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
>
>>>>> WRONG.
>
>>I break my spaghetti in half. Takes too many twirls otherwise.
>
>Why not just use ziti or rigatoni if you don't want to
>twirl spaghetti?
>
>Seriously, I wish spaghetti were even longer.

You want spaghetti longer than "long" spaghetti?!

Corey Richardson > wrote:

(Steve Pope) wrote:

>>Seriously, I wish spaghetti were even longer.

>You want spaghetti longer than "long" spaghetti?!

I'm not sure I've had longer than standard. I've seen really
long spaghetti once or twice. I'll have to try it.

Steve

dsi1 wrote:
>
> I've gotten into the habit of breaking my spaghetti in half but I was a
> non-breaking spaghetti purist for most of my life. As with hair, shorter
> pasta is easier to manage when dishing out and in the plate and I like
> to wind up a smaller amount on my fork. I also cook my pasta a tad more
> than I used to - it occurred to me that I like it better that way so
> screw all that al dente stuff.

That's right. Al dente pasta should only be
served to people with teeth. That's what
"al dente" means. :-)

You should probably cook pasta to the
al roker stage.

Mark Thorson wrote:
> George wrote:
>> Mark Thorson wrote:
>>> Exactly! Beats me why pasta does this, but there's
>>> a certain amount of water needed to cook it properly.
>>> Below that amount, you get a lot of starch dissolving
>>> out of the pasta. I learned this when I was a college
>>> student and trying to make pasta using an immersion
>>> heater in a Pyrex measuring cup. Fried pastas like
>>> ramen can be made this way, but real pasta can't.
>> I suspect that the concentration of starch in the water is too high
>> when using a small pot. So that leads to clumping and sticky films
>> and attempts to fix it by dumping oil in the water.
>
> I think it's more complex than that. It seems like
> there's a threshold below which you get cloudy water,
> films, and gluey pasta. But above that level everything
> is fine. Not just a smaller amount of starch dissolving
> out of the pasta, but practically none at all.

It would be interesting to know what is actually going on. A friend of
mine is a food chemist and he might have an answer. I will ask him the
next time I see him.

sf wrote:
> On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:55:53 +0100, Corey Richardson
> `R> wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:40:59 -0400, George >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> cybercat wrote:
>>>> "Steve Pope" > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>>>>>> boil, break noodles,
>>>>> WRONG.
>>>>>
>>>> Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
>>>>
>>>>
>>> They are already cut to the correct length to eat with a fork.
>> Even "long spaghetti"?
>>
>> Or should one use a modified fork to eat it?
>
> No, one should twirl fewer noodles. Sheesh, do I have to explain
> everything?
>
>
Exactly, grab fewer noodles and twirl more to get th same net result.

Mark Thorson wrote:
> dsi1 wrote:
>> I've gotten into the habit of breaking my spaghetti in half but I was a
>> non-breaking spaghetti purist for most of my life. As with hair, shorter
>> pasta is easier to manage when dishing out and in the plate and I like
>> to wind up a smaller amount on my fork. I also cook my pasta a tad more
>> than I used to - it occurred to me that I like it better that way so
>> screw all that al dente stuff.
>
> That's right. Al dente pasta should only be
> served to people with teeth. That's what
> "al dente" means. :-)

You young punks think you know it all - just because you have teeth and
regular bowel movements! You should just choke on your pasta!

>
> You should probably cook pasta to the
> al roker stage.

Hey... that's kind of funny. Dammit.

On Aug 12, 1:56*pm, "cybercat" > wrote:
> "Steve Pope" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > > wrote:
>
> >>Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
> >>boil, break noodles,
>
> > WRONG.
>
> Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"

That's what I'm wondering!

merryb wrote:

> On Aug 12, 1:56*pm, "cybercat" > wrote:
> > "Steve Pope" > wrote in message
> >
> > ...
> >
> > > > wrote:
> >
> > > > Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water
> > > > to boil, break noodles,
> >
> > > WRONG.
> >
> > Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
>
> That's what I'm wondering!

They're too short to twirl very well. You have more strands, and fewer
turns, so the whole thing tends to come unraveled. Now, if you wanted
to eat them like egg noodles or something, I guess. But then why bother
with spaghetti?




Brian

--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)

Thanks for all the input!

It probably *is* due to lack of water. Now that I think about it,
it's most pronounced when there's almost no water left (either from
boiling too long or not enough water to start- I don't measure it out)

As for noodle preference, spaghetti is actually my least favorite, and
I'm actually cooking angel hair right now, but the concept is the
same. Why don't I just not buy spaghetti? Sometimes the other kinds
of pasta are more expensive, and I also make myself get lots of
different kinds so I don't fall into a rut.

Why do I break spaghetti? I often use a small pot because I cook for
1, and even when I don't, breaking means they sink right in and I
don't have to poke them around. My family also always broke spaghetti
so it's a habit as well. Picking up the pasta has never proved to be
an issue, and right now it's a subsistence food more than a fancy dish
served with wine. (I am a college student) The stereotypical college
pasta is ramen, but pasta in my local store is actually a tiny bit
cheaper by weight, more filling, more nutritious and healthy.

p.s. why do I like angel hair but not spaghetti? the spaghetti ALWAYS
sticks to the pot and burns, while the angel hair never does, cooks in
half the time, holds more sauce on the noodles, and has a more
pleasant texture. ^_^ Although angel hair is not fun to strain.
Loose too many of 'em. (note; the sticking and burning could be due
to poor quality pots, but I work with what I've got)

p.p.s. to one of the first posters- I don't actually leave it
*sitting* in water and come back to it- that was misphrased on my
part. I like hot pasta as much as the next guy. Which of course,
leaves me with the dilemma; when I use canned pre-prepared sauce, how
do I heat it up!? I can't microwave the bowl because the pasta is
already cooked (and the microwave is broken) and I can't heat the can
in hot water like I would a can of beans because to repeatedly reheat
every day would encourage bacterial growth. I am left w/ heating some
in a pot, and I prefer not to do that because you inevitably loose
sauce because it sticks to the pot!

"dsi1" > wrote in message
news:hPednb9tq5EdlT_VnZ2dnUVZ_judnZ2d@hawaiiantel. net...
> Steve Pope wrote:
> > cybercat > wrote:
> >
> >> "Steve Pope" > wrote in message
> >
> >>> WRONG.
> >
> >> Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
> >
> > Because it is impossible to twirl them onto a fork
> > neatly if they've been broken.
>
> I've gotten into the habit of breaking my spaghetti in half but I was a
> non-breaking spaghetti purist for most of my life. As with hair, shorter
> pasta is easier to manage when dishing out and in the plate and I like
> to wind up a smaller amount on my fork. I also cook my pasta a tad more
> than I used to - it occurred to me that I like it better that way so
> screw all that al dente stuff.
>
> I have freed myself from most of the conventions of cooking. It's one of
> the benefits of old age, either that, or I've gone batty. :-)
>
> >
> > Steve
=============
I agree that is what I do. I don't like the noodles to be hard and I break
them in half to cook them.

> wrote in message
...
> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
> boil, break noodles, put in pot, boil for X time, and drain) the
> noodles wind up sitting in the bowl/strainer with a sort of film on
> them. It manifests itself as a sort of 'bubble' (not globular- just a
> flat film) stretching from one noodle to another, and the whole lump
> of pasta crackles.
>
> I have been eternally wondering which is true:
> - It happens because my pasta is low grade
> - Spaghetti does that
> - There is dried soap sticking to the bowl/stirring instrument
> - Something ... Else ... (dramatic sound effect)
>
> I am hoping it's not the last one! I try to rinse it off, but I hate
> cold pasta and it's hard to keep it warm when dunking it in water!
>
> Thanks for your input.
===========
The water should be at a full boil, not a simmer, when you add the noodles.
I also add a dash of salt and a little oil to the boiling water before
adding the noodles.

<sf> wrote in message ...
> On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:55:53 +0100, Corey Richardson
> `R> wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:40:59 -0400, George >
>>wrote:
>>
>>>cybercat wrote:
>>>> "Steve Pope" > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Frequently, when I cook spaghetti (standard method; bring water to
>>>>>> boil, break noodles,
>>>>> WRONG.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Okay. Why NOT break "noodles?"
>>>>
>>>>
>>>They are already cut to the correct length to eat with a fork.
>>
>>Even "long spaghetti"?
>>
>>Or should one use a modified fork to eat it?
>
> No, one should twirl fewer noodles. Sheesh, do I have to explain
> everything?
>

No, one should do whatever one wishes. I never make regular spaghetti any
more, I make angelhair. And I might try *not* breaking it in half just
because I have never *not* broken it in half. But I bet it's be a one-time
thing.

"dsi1" > wrote:
>
> I have freed myself from most of the conventions of cooking. It's one of
> the benefits of old age, either that, or I've gone batty. :-)
>

It's a grand way to live, I tell you. Also, it drives the tightassed
conformists crazy.