My daughter and I ate in Boston yesterday. My entree was a lovely
pasta dish with lots of roasted veggies. The pasta had a really
nice chewy texture--this was not just a normal (in the US) pasta
cooked al dente. Is this texture typical of some brands? Any
clue as to what it might be, so I can enjoy this at home?
--
Jean B.

Jean B. wrote:
> My daughter and I ate in Boston yesterday. My entree was a lovely
> pasta dish with lots of roasted veggies. The pasta had a really
> nice chewy texture--this was not just a normal (in the US) pasta
> cooked al dente. Is this texture typical of some brands? Any
> clue as to what it might be, so I can enjoy this at home?

Possibly fresh made. The fresh made pastas sometimes seem to be have a bit
of a chewy texture to me over the dried type mostly used. I buy fresh pasta
at a couple of stores where I live without much problem. It also only takes
a couple of minutes to cook unlike the dried. I do buy both though as the
fresh needs to be refridgerated or frozen.

--

Joe Cilinceon

Joe Cilinceon wrote:
> Jean B. wrote:
>> My daughter and I ate in Boston yesterday. My entree was a lovely
>> pasta dish with lots of roasted veggies. The pasta had a really
>> nice chewy texture--this was not just a normal (in the US) pasta
>> cooked al dente. Is this texture typical of some brands? Any
>> clue as to what it might be, so I can enjoy this at home?
>
> Possibly fresh made. The fresh made pastas sometimes seem to be have a bit
> of a chewy texture to me over the dried type mostly used. I buy fresh pasta
> at a couple of stores where I live without much problem. It also only takes
> a couple of minutes to cook unlike the dried. I do buy both though as the
> fresh needs to be refridgerated or frozen.
>
Hmm. I haven't had fresh pasta for so long that I forget what the
texture is like. I was pondering this while I was out and thought
I could add a few more things to what I said.

This was a wheat-based pasta--not rice, or potato starch (which is
quite chewy), or mung bean, etc. The texture was kind of akin to
how some of the pasta in a baked dish might be--but just chewy,
not dehydrated or hard.

I will explore some fresh pasta and see how that compares. Thanks.

--
Jean B.

Jean B. wrote:
> Joe Cilinceon wrote:
>> Jean B. wrote:
>>> My daughter and I ate in Boston yesterday. My entree was a lovely
>>> pasta dish with lots of roasted veggies. The pasta had a really
>>> nice chewy texture--this was not just a normal (in the US) pasta
>>> cooked al dente. Is this texture typical of some brands? Any
>>> clue as to what it might be, so I can enjoy this at home?
>>
>> Possibly fresh made. The fresh made pastas sometimes seem to be have
>> a bit of a chewy texture to me over the dried type mostly used. I
>> buy fresh pasta at a couple of stores where I live without much
>> problem. It also only takes a couple of minutes to cook unlike the
>> dried. I do buy both though as the fresh needs to be refridgerated
>> or frozen.
> Hmm. I haven't had fresh pasta for so long that I forget what the
> texture is like. I was pondering this while I was out and thought
> I could add a few more things to what I said.
>
> This was a wheat-based pasta--not rice, or potato starch (which is
> quite chewy), or mung bean, etc. The texture was kind of akin to
> how some of the pasta in a baked dish might be--but just chewy,
> not dehydrated or hard.
>
> I will explore some fresh pasta and see how that compares. Thanks.

When I make my own pasta dough I use all purpose and semolina flours in
equal amounts.

--

Joe Cilinceon

"Jean B." > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
> My daughter and I ate in Boston yesterday. My entree was a lovely pasta
> dish with lots of roasted veggies. The pasta had a really nice chewy
> texture--this was not just a normal (in the US) pasta cooked al dente. Is
> this texture typical of some brands? Any clue as to what it might be, so
> I can enjoy this at home?
> --
> Jean B.

Just bite your pasta a minute or so before the cooking time says. It may be
what you are looking for. Look for a microscopic line or dot of white in
the center. That's real al dente. Many people are pleasantly shocked when
they find out what it really is, and many hate it.

If making it at home, use hard wheat flour to get a firmer bite, and stretch
as you knead instead of pressing.

Giusi wrote:
> "Jean B." > ha scritto nel messaggio
> ...
>> My daughter and I ate in Boston yesterday. My entree was a lovely pasta
>> dish with lots of roasted veggies. The pasta had a really nice chewy
>> texture--this was not just a normal (in the US) pasta cooked al dente. Is
>> this texture typical of some brands? Any clue as to what it might be, so
>> I can enjoy this at home?
>> --
>> Jean B.
>
> Just bite your pasta a minute or so before the cooking time says. It may be
> what you are looking for. Look for a microscopic line or dot of white in
> the center. That's real al dente. Many people are pleasantly shocked when
> they find out what it really is, and many hate it.
>
> If making it at home, use hard wheat flour to get a firmer bite, and stretch
> as you knead instead of pressing.
>
>
No, that's not what I am looking for. As I said, this was not
like al dente pasta. I think the last part may be more relevant.

Are some brands of pasta chewier than others? The brands from
Italy are proliferating here, and I have not tried many in recent
years.

--
Jean B.

In article >,
"Jean B." > wrote:

> Giusi wrote:
> > "Jean B." > ha scritto nel messaggio
> > ...
> >> My daughter and I ate in Boston yesterday. My entree was a lovely pasta
> >> dish with lots of roasted veggies. The pasta had a really nice chewy
> >> texture--this was not just a normal (in the US) pasta cooked al dente. Is
> >> this texture typical of some brands? Any clue as to what it might be, so
> >> I can enjoy this at home?
> >> --
> >> Jean B.
> >
> > Just bite your pasta a minute or so before the cooking time says. It may
> > be
> > what you are looking for. Look for a microscopic line or dot of white in
> > the center. That's real al dente. Many people are pleasantly shocked when
> > they find out what it really is, and many hate it.
> >
> > If making it at home, use hard wheat flour to get a firmer bite, and
> > stretch
> > as you knead instead of pressing.
> >
> >
> No, that's not what I am looking for. As I said, this was not
> like al dente pasta. I think the last part may be more relevant.
>
> Are some brands of pasta chewier than others? The brands from
> Italy are proliferating here, and I have not tried many in recent
> years.

Look for De Cecco.

D.

Don Martinich wrote:
> In article >,
> "Jean B." > wrote:
>
>> Giusi wrote:
>>> "Jean B." > ha scritto nel messaggio
>>> ...
>>>> My daughter and I ate in Boston yesterday. My entree was a lovely pasta
>>>> dish with lots of roasted veggies. The pasta had a really nice chewy
>>>> texture--this was not just a normal (in the US) pasta cooked al dente. Is
>>>> this texture typical of some brands? Any clue as to what it might be, so
>>>> I can enjoy this at home?
>>>> --
>>>> Jean B.
>>> Just bite your pasta a minute or so before the cooking time says. It may
>>> be
>>> what you are looking for. Look for a microscopic line or dot of white in
>>> the center. That's real al dente. Many people are pleasantly shocked when
>>> they find out what it really is, and many hate it.
>>>
>>> If making it at home, use hard wheat flour to get a firmer bite, and
>>> stretch
>>> as you knead instead of pressing.
>>>
>>>
>> No, that's not what I am looking for. As I said, this was not
>> like al dente pasta. I think the last part may be more relevant.
>>
>> Are some brands of pasta chewier than others? The brands from
>> Italy are proliferating here, and I have not tried many in recent
>> years.
>
> Look for De Cecco.
>
> D.

I was thinking about that brand. The ears (I forget the Italian
name) do, indeed, have a different texture. I figured that was
because they were relatively thick. I'll try another shape!

--
Jean B.

On Sat, 12 Dec 2009 08:50:32 -0500, "Jean B." > wrote:

>Don Martinich wrote:
>> In article >,
>> "Jean B." > wrote:
>>
>>> Giusi wrote:
>>>> "Jean B." > ha scritto nel messaggio
>>>> ...
>>>>> My daughter and I ate in Boston yesterday. My entree was a lovely pasta
>>>>> dish with lots of roasted veggies. The pasta had a really nice chewy
>>>>> texture--this was not just a normal (in the US) pasta cooked al dente. Is
>>>>> this texture typical of some brands? Any clue as to what it might be, so
>>>>> I can enjoy this at home?
>>>>> --
>>>>> Jean B.
>>>> Just bite your pasta a minute or so before the cooking time says. It may
>>>> be
>>>> what you are looking for. Look for a microscopic line or dot of white in
>>>> the center. That's real al dente. Many people are pleasantly shocked when
>>>> they find out what it really is, and many hate it.
>>>>
>>>> If making it at home, use hard wheat flour to get a firmer bite, and
>>>> stretch
>>>> as you knead instead of pressing.
>>>>
>>>>
>>> No, that's not what I am looking for. As I said, this was not
>>> like al dente pasta. I think the last part may be more relevant.
>>>
>>> Are some brands of pasta chewier than others? The brands from
>>> Italy are proliferating here, and I have not tried many in recent
>>> years.
>>
>> Look for De Cecco.
>>
>> D.
>
>I was thinking about that brand. The ears (I forget the Italian
>name) do, indeed, have a different texture. I figured that was
>because they were relatively thick. I'll try another shape!

Barilla is good too and I see it more often than DeCecco where I shop.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

"Jean B." <
.. The ears (I forget the Italian > name) do, indeed, have a different
texture. I figured that was
> because they were relatively thick. I'll try another shape!

Orecchiette are made entirely differently to other hard wheat pasta. They
and a few others, mostly from Puglia, are called "boiling water pastas" for
the reason you suppose.

On Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:03:52 +0100, "Giusi" >
wrote:

>Just bite your pasta a minute or so before the cooking time says. It may be
>what you are looking for. Look for a microscopic line or dot of white in
>the center. That's real al dente.

True.

>Many people are pleasantly shocked when
>they find out what it really is, and many hate it.

They didn't get it at the correct stage. You need a little dot of
white, emphasis on little. If it's bigger, people will crunch the
pasta.... because most people in the US use dried pasta (as you well
know).

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

"sf" ha scritto nel messaggio
, "Giusi" >
> wrote:
>
>>Just bite your pasta a minute or so before the cooking time says. It may
>>be >>what you are looking for. Look for a microscopic line or dot of
>>white in >>the center. That's real al dente.
>
> True.
>
>>Many people are pleasantly shocked when
>>they find out what it really is, and many hate it.
>
> They didn't get it at the correct stage. You need a little dot of> white,
> emphasis on little. If it's bigger, people will crunch the> pasta....
> because most people in the US use dried pasta (as you well> know).

Uh huh. Some just don't like it properly cooked and prefer it flabby and
fat. Most Italians use dried pasta too. The choice of egg pasta is because
it goes with some saucings, and others it doesn't go. Not that many
Italians make eggless hard wheat pasta nowadays. It's so rare they have
festivals at which people demonstrate how it's done.

Giusi wrote:
> "sf" ha scritto nel messaggio
> , "Giusi" >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Just bite your pasta a minute or so before the cooking time says. It may
>>> be >>what you are looking for. Look for a microscopic line or dot of
>>> white in >>the center. That's real al dente.
>> True.
>>
>>> Many people are pleasantly shocked when
>>> they find out what it really is, and many hate it.
>> They didn't get it at the correct stage. You need a little dot of> white,
>> emphasis on little. If it's bigger, people will crunch the> pasta....
>> because most people in the US use dried pasta (as you well> know).
>
> Uh huh. Some just don't like it properly cooked and prefer it flabby and
> fat. Most Italians use dried pasta too. The choice of egg pasta is because
> it goes with some saucings, and others it doesn't go. Not that many
> Italians make eggless hard wheat pasta nowadays. It's so rare they have
> festivals at which people demonstrate how it's done.
>
>
Well, I will add that I don't like flabby pasta!!!! Ugh.

--
Jean B.

On 12/11/2009 08:20, Jean B. wrote:
> My daughter and I ate in Boston yesterday. My entree was a lovely pasta
> dish with lots of roasted veggies. The pasta had a really nice chewy
> texture--this was not just a normal (in the US) pasta cooked al dente.
> Is this texture typical of some brands? Any clue as to what it might be,
> so I can enjoy this at home?

Likely freshly made noodles were used. That noodle texture is what I
like best about the various Chinese restaurants I frequent that feature
dishes with freshly made hand pulled noodles.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3owp8PFKuw

On Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:20:44 -0500, "Jean B." > wrote:

>My daughter and I ate in Boston yesterday. My entree was a lovely
> pasta dish with lots of roasted veggies. The pasta had a really
>nice chewy texture--this was not just a normal (in the US) pasta
>cooked al dente. Is this texture typical of some brands? Any
>clue as to what it might be, so I can enjoy this at home?

Many high gluten pasta's behave this way.

Especially Asian pasta such as Udon or Seitan (often known in the USA
as "wheat meat(tm)".

Udon is almost totally gluten and before being cut or rolled into
noodles would function well as a rubber ball. Seitan is all gluten
and traditionally way not onl.y worked for a lengthy period of time,
but had the starch washed out frequently.

I believe on my blog is a recipe for a very chewy pasta I make often,
if not it will be there by Monday evening.

Most home made pasta is chewier than processed pasta, especially if
worked for a while, made with bread flour, made with all purpose or
lower gluten flours with bread gluten added back in (Vital glutem) in,
made with unbleached flour, made with whole wheat flour, etc.

Come to think of it I will just make sure I have posted several pasta
recipes to my blog when I get some other tasks done.

Actual email is 'wblalok .at. xmission .dot. com' to reply
http://bit.ly/IJoTf holds my food blog, feel free to throw tomatoes