Ok, I cooked the noodles, fried the pancetta, then drained the noodles
and quickly mixed the pancetta in, then added the egg/cheese (peccorino
romano) to the noodles, but it did not take. It remained somewhat
liquid. I have made carbonara before and successfully, but it was only
in single portions for myself. This time I was trying to make enough
for three.

I am thinking a number of things might be wrong he

1. Not enough cheese (but putting more just makes the dish saltier)

2. The noodles were cooler than they should be

3. Making more than one portion at a time is not a good idea

Perhaps microwaving noodles and egg mixture together on low setting for
30 seconds or so might fix it, but I'm only guessing. Does anyone have
any idea how to fix this?

--

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why
the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

Dom Helder Camara

On Sun, 25 Jun 2006 07:40:57 -0500, Michel Boucher
> wrote:

>Ok, I cooked the noodles, fried the pancetta, then drained the noodles
>and quickly mixed the pancetta in, then added the egg/cheese (peccorino
>romano) to the noodles, but it did not take. It remained somewhat
>liquid. I have made carbonara before and successfully, but it was only
>in single portions for myself. This time I was trying to make enough
>for three.
>
>I am thinking a number of things might be wrong he
>
>1. Not enough cheese (but putting more just makes the dish saltier)
>
>2. The noodles were cooler than they should be
>
>3. Making more than one portion at a time is not a good idea
>
>Perhaps microwaving noodles and egg mixture together on low setting for
>30 seconds or so might fix it, but I'm only guessing. Does anyone have
>any idea how to fix this?


A friend sent me this link to a spaghetti carbonara recipe a couple of
days ago that he recommends highly. Try comparing it with your recipe
and perhaps something will stick out.

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookboo...alla_Carbonara

Ingredients
Spaghetti: 1 lb
Pancetta: 1/2 lb
Egg Yolks: 5
Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, grated: 1 1/2 cups
Olive Oil, extra-virgin: 3-4 tablespoons
Pepper, freshly ground: 1/2 tablespoon
Salt

Utensils
A Large Pot
A Large Skillet
A Bowl
Measuring Cups and Spoons
A Fork
[edit]
Preparation
Dice the pancetta into small pieces (1 inch will do).
The Pot: Bring a big pot of water to a boil and add salt when it
begins to simmer.
The Skillet: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high
heat. When the oil is hot, add the pancetta and cook for about 10
minutes over a low flame until the pancetta has rendered most of its
fat but is still chewy and barely browned.
The Bowl: In a bowl, slowly whisk about 1/2 cup of the pasta water
into the egg yolks, using a fork. Add the Parmesan cheese and pepper.
Mix with a fork.
The Pot: Cook the spaghetti til it is al dente and drain it, reserving
1/2 cup of water.
The Skillet: Transfer the spaghetti and the water immediately to the
skillet with the pancetta. Toss it and turn off the heat. Add the egg
mixture to the skillet with the pasta and toss all the ingredients to
coat the pasta. Taste the pasta and add salt and black pepper, if
necessary.


Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

"Michel Boucher" > wrote in message
...
> Ok, I cooked the noodles, fried the pancetta, then drained the noodles
> and quickly mixed the pancetta in, then added the egg/cheese (peccorino
> romano) to the noodles, but it did not take. It remained somewhat
> liquid. I have made carbonara before and successfully, but it was only
> in single portions for myself. This time I was trying to make enough
> for three.
>
> I am thinking a number of things might be wrong he
>
> 1. Not enough cheese (but putting more just makes the dish saltier)
>
> 2. The noodles were cooler than they should be
>
> 3. Making more than one portion at a time is not a good idea
>
> Perhaps microwaving noodles and egg mixture together on low setting for
> 30 seconds or so might fix it, but I'm only guessing. Does anyone have
> any idea how to fix this?
>

I'm wondering if the cheese you used wasn't high enough quality so it
separated, but I still can't imagine that with a hard cheese. Without your
recipe, it's hard to say.

kili

On Sun, 25 Jun 2006 07:40:57 -0500, Michel Boucher wrote:
>
> Ok, I cooked the noodles, fried the pancetta, then drained the noodles
> and quickly mixed the pancetta in, then added the egg/cheese (peccorino
> romano) to the noodles, but it did not take. It remained somewhat
> liquid. I have made carbonara before and successfully, but it was only
> in single portions for myself. This time I was trying to make enough
> for three.
>
> I am thinking a number of things might be wrong he
>
> 1. Not enough cheese (but putting more just makes the dish saltier)
I have no idea. I just add cheese until it looks right. Salt usually
shouldn't be a factor unless you're so far off salt that you can taste
it everywhere, even in very small amounts.
>
> 2. The noodles were cooler than they should be
They should be HOT. If that's even a glimmer of a factor, it's a big
one and don't over cook those noodles.
>
> 3. Making more than one portion at a time is not a good idea
It's entirely possible to make decent carbonara for more than one
person. I've made it for six.
>
> Perhaps microwaving noodles and egg mixture together on low setting for
> 30 seconds or so might fix it, but I'm only guessing.

No, that's a good way to get scrambled eggs and noodles the fast way.
You could put it back in the hot pot and give it a stir... just until
the noodles absorb the excess liquid.

> Does anyone have any idea how to fix this?

Try using one less egg next time. I short eggs by one, because I like
my carbonara drier. So, the next time you make carbonara for three -
use two ("large") eggs instead.

--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

Michel Boucher wrote:
> Ok, I cooked the noodles, fried the pancetta, then drained the noodles
> and quickly mixed the pancetta in, then added the egg/cheese
> (peccorino romano) to the noodles, but it did not take. It remained
> somewhat liquid. I have made carbonara before and successfully, but
> it was only in single portions for myself. This time I was trying to
> make enough for three.
>
> I am thinking a number of things might be wrong he
>
> 1. Not enough cheese (but putting more just makes the dish saltier)
>
> 2. The noodles were cooler than they should be
>
> 3. Making more than one portion at a time is not a good idea
>
> Perhaps microwaving noodles and egg mixture together on low setting
> for 30 seconds or so might fix it, but I'm only guessing. Does
> anyone have any idea how to fix this?

Try this:

Fry pancetta or bacon. Set aside. (I'd use about 3/4 lb, but it's up to
you.)
Meanwhile, put salted water for pasta on to boil.
Whisk three large eggs in a heat-proof serving bowl with a lot of freshly
ground black pepper.
Add about 1/2 cup grated Romano (not less) and whisk some more.
Place bowl next to burner where pasta water is about to boil to warm it
slightly.
Cook 3/4 lb pasta, and IMMEDIATELY fork into the egg mixture (Or drain it
quickly and immediately add to egg mixture.) The pasta has to be HOT. Add a
handful of bacon and toss.

Divide among serving plates and top with remaining bacon. Serve cheese on
the side.

Curly Sue wrote:
> On Sun, 25 Jun 2006 07:40:57 -0500, Michel Boucher
> > wrote:
>
> >Ok, I cooked the noodles, fried the pancetta, then drained the noodles
> >and quickly mixed the pancetta in, then added the egg/cheese (peccorino
> >romano) to the noodles, but it did not take. It remained somewhat
> >liquid. I have made carbonara before and successfully, but it was only
> >in single portions for myself. This time I was trying to make enough
> >for three.
> >
> >I am thinking a number of things might be wrong he
> >
> >1. Not enough cheese (but putting more just makes the dish saltier)
> >
> >2. The noodles were cooler than they should be
> >
> >3. Making more than one portion at a time is not a good idea
> >
> >Perhaps microwaving noodles and egg mixture together on low setting for
> >30 seconds or so might fix it, but I'm only guessing. Does anyone have
> >any idea how to fix this?
>
>
> A friend sent me this link to a spaghetti carbonara recipe a couple of
> days ago that he recommends highly. Try comparing it with your recipe
> and perhaps something will stick out.
>
> http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookboo...alla_Carbonara
>
> Ingredients
> Spaghetti: 1 lb
> Pancetta: 1/2 lb
> Egg Yolks: 5
> Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, grated: 1 1/2 cups
> Olive Oil, extra-virgin: 3-4 tablespoons
> Pepper, freshly ground: 1/2 tablespoon
> Salt
>
> Utensils
> A Large Pot
> A Large Skillet
> A Bowl
> Measuring Cups and Spoons
> A Fork
> [edit]
> Preparation
> Dice the pancetta into small pieces (1 inch will do).
> The Pot: Bring a big pot of water to a boil and add salt when it
> begins to simmer.
> The Skillet: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high
> heat. When the oil is hot, add the pancetta and cook for about 10
> minutes over a low flame until the pancetta has rendered most of its
> fat but is still chewy and barely browned.
> The Bowl: In a bowl, slowly whisk about 1/2 cup of the pasta water
> into the egg yolks, using a fork. Add the Parmesan cheese and pepper.
> Mix with a fork.
> The Pot: Cook the spaghetti til it is al dente and drain it, reserving
> 1/2 cup of water.
> The Skillet: Transfer the spaghetti and the water immediately to the
> skillet with the pancetta. Toss it and turn off the heat. Add the egg
> mixture to the skillet with the pasta and toss all the ingredients to
> coat the pasta. Taste the pasta and add salt and black pepper, if
> necessary.
>
>
> Sue(tm)
> Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!
maybe some sorta stock water takes away flavor

Michel Boucher wrote:
> Ok, I cooked the noodles, fried the pancetta, then drained the noodles
> and quickly mixed the pancetta in, then added the egg/cheese (peccorino
> romano) to the noodles, but it did not take. It remained somewhat
> liquid. I have made carbonara before and successfully, but it was only
> in single portions for myself. This time I was trying to make enough
> for three.

If you were in a hurry, you may not have drained the pasta well enough.

Oh pshaw, on Sun 25 Jun 2006 03:43:24p, Steve Wertz meant to say...

> On 25 Jun 2006 14:46:15 -0700, buggy wrote:
>
>> Curly Sue wrote:
>>> On Sun, 25 Jun 2006 07:40:57 -0500, Michel Boucher
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>>Ok, I cooked the noodles, fried the pancetta, then drained the noodles
>>>>and quickly mixed the pancetta in, then added the egg/cheese (peccorino
>>>>romano) to the noodles, but it did not take. It remained somewhat
>>>>liquid. I have made carbonara before and successfully, but it was only
>>>>in single portions for myself. This time I was trying to make enough
>>>>for three.
>>>>
>>>>I am thinking a number of things might be wrong he
>>>>
>>>>1. Not enough cheese (but putting more just makes the dish saltier)
>>>>
>>>>2. The noodles were cooler than they should be
>>>>
>>>>3. Making more than one portion at a time is not a good idea
>>>>
>>>>Perhaps microwaving noodles and egg mixture together on low setting for
>>>>30 seconds or so might fix it, but I'm only guessing. Does anyone have
>>>>any idea how to fix this?
>>>
>>>
>>> A friend sent me this link to a spaghetti carbonara recipe a couple of
>>> days ago that he recommends highly. Try comparing it with your recipe
>>> and perhaps something will stick out.
>>>
>>> http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookboo...alla_Carbonara
>>>
>>> Ingredients
>>> Spaghetti: 1 lb
>>> Pancetta: 1/2 lb
>>> Egg Yolks: 5
>>> Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, grated: 1 1/2 cups
>>> Olive Oil, extra-virgin: 3-4 tablespoons
>>> Pepper, freshly ground: 1/2 tablespoon
>>> Salt
>>>
>>> Utensils
>>> A Large Pot
>>> A Large Skillet
>>> A Bowl
>>> Measuring Cups and Spoons
>>> A Fork
>>> [edit]
>>> Preparation
>>> Dice the pancetta into small pieces (1 inch will do).
>>> The Pot: Bring a big pot of water to a boil and add salt when it
>>> begins to simmer.
>>> The Skillet: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high
>>> heat. When the oil is hot, add the pancetta and cook for about 10
>>> minutes over a low flame until the pancetta has rendered most of its
>>> fat but is still chewy and barely browned.
>>> The Bowl: In a bowl, slowly whisk about 1/2 cup of the pasta water
>>> into the egg yolks, using a fork. Add the Parmesan cheese and pepper.
>>> Mix with a fork.
>>> The Pot: Cook the spaghetti til it is al dente and drain it, reserving
>>> 1/2 cup of water.
>>> The Skillet: Transfer the spaghetti and the water immediately to the
>>> skillet with the pancetta. Toss it and turn off the heat. Add the egg
>>> mixture to the skillet with the pasta and toss all the ingredients to
>>> coat the pasta. Taste the pasta and add salt and black pepper, if
>>> necessary.
>>>
>>>
>>> Sue(tm)
>>> Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!
>> maybe some sorta stock water takes away flavor
>
> Did somebody mark "Idiot's day for posting" on the calendar and
> not tell me?
>
> -sw
>

Why, Steve, would you have posted more? :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright @¿@¬
_____________________

Oh pshaw, on Sun 25 Jun 2006 06:16:51p, Steve Wertz meant to say...

> On 26 Jun 2006 02:21:43 +0200, Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>> Oh pshaw, on Sun 25 Jun 2006 03:43:24p, Steve Wertz meant to say...
>
>>> Did somebody mark "Idiot's day for posting" on the calendar and not
>>> tell me?
>>
>> Why, Steve, would you have posted more? :-)
>
> I would have:
>
> 1. Quoted less
> 2. Posted more
> 3. Made sense.
> 4. Wouldn't have changed the subject line.
>
> Hell, the guy broke every rule of following up in one sentence.
>
> -sw (having a summer cold and needed to take it out on somebody)

Poor you... Feel better!

--
Wayne Boatwright @¿@¬
_____________________

"kilikini" > wrote in
:

> I'm wondering if the cheese you used wasn't high enough quality so
> it separated, but I still can't imagine that with a hard cheese.
> Without your recipe, it's hard to say.

4 slices bacon, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 ounces of pasta

Fry the bacon and chopped garlic in a large skillet with the olive oil.
Add the hot pepper flakes. Cook on low heat for 12 -15 minutes until
all the fat is rendered from the bacon and the bacon is brown. Beat the
eggs in a bowl with the Parmesan. Cook the pasta until tender, about
10-12 minutes.

Drain and place in a serving bowl. Quickly spoon over the bacon
mixture. Toss. Quickly stir in the eggs and cheese, add some salt and
lots of pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

---

I'm thinking either the noodles had cooled a bit or as another pointed
out there was still water in the noodles. We drained it by tipping the
pot over and straining it through the gap in the lid.

This recipe made one portion with no problems.

--

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why
the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

Dom Helder Camara

"Michel Boucher" > wrote in message
...
> "kilikini" > wrote in
> :
>
> > I'm wondering if the cheese you used wasn't high enough quality so
> > it separated, but I still can't imagine that with a hard cheese.
> > Without your recipe, it's hard to say.
>
> 4 slices bacon, diced
> 1 tablespoon olive oil
> 1 egg
> 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
> 6 ounces of pasta
>
> Fry the bacon and chopped garlic in a large skillet with the olive oil.
> Add the hot pepper flakes. Cook on low heat for 12 -15 minutes until
> all the fat is rendered from the bacon and the bacon is brown. Beat the
> eggs in a bowl with the Parmesan. Cook the pasta until tender, about
> 10-12 minutes.
>
> Drain and place in a serving bowl. Quickly spoon over the bacon
> mixture. Toss. Quickly stir in the eggs and cheese, add some salt and
> lots of pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
>
> ---
>
> I'm thinking either the noodles had cooled a bit or as another pointed
> out there was still water in the noodles. We drained it by tipping the
> pot over and straining it through the gap in the lid.
>
> This recipe made one portion with no problems.
>

Huh, that sounds right. Maybe the noodles *weren't* hot enough or weren't
drained enough. I can't imagine why it was runny and separated.

kili

"kilikini" > wrote in
:

>> I'm thinking either the noodles had cooled a bit or as another
>> pointed out there was still water in the noodles. We drained it
>> by tipping the pot over and straining it through the gap in the
>> lid.
>>
>> This recipe made one portion with no problems.
>
> Huh, that sounds right. Maybe the noodles *weren't* hot enough

We drained them and took out a quarter for my daughter's fresh tomato
sauce, then I mixed in the pancetta, stirred for 10-15 seconds, and
poured in the egg mixture right away.

Anyway, I'll try one more time. I bought enough pancetta for two
recipes and froze the rest.

--

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why
the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

Dom Helder Camara

Michel Boucher wrote:
> "kilikini" > wrote in
> :
>
>>> I'm thinking either the noodles had cooled a bit or as another
>>> pointed out there was still water in the noodles. We drained it
>>> by tipping the pot over and straining it through the gap in the
>>> lid.
>>>
>>> This recipe made one portion with no problems.
>>
>> Huh, that sounds right. Maybe the noodles *weren't* hot enough
>
> We drained them and took out a quarter for my daughter's fresh tomato
> sauce, then I mixed in the pancetta, stirred for 10-15 seconds, and
> poured in the egg mixture right away.
>
> Anyway, I'll try one more time. I bought enough pancetta for two
> recipes and froze the rest.

You need to put the pasta directly into the egg mixture the moment it's
cooked, not waste time fiddling around with the pancetta. If you want, put
some or all of the pancetta in with the eggs before you add the pasta.

On Mon, 26 Jun 2006 10:04:35 -0500, Michel Boucher wrote:

> We drained them and took out a quarter for my daughter's fresh tomato
> sauce, then I mixed in the pancetta, stirred for 10-15 seconds, and
> poured in the egg mixture right away.

1. Mix the eggs with piping hot noodles *first*, then add the rest at
your leisure.

2. Either take out your daughter's portion while the noodles are
still in the water or return the remaining noodles to hot water for a
quick rewarm, then proceed as above.
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

sf > wrote in
:

> On Mon, 26 Jun 2006 10:04:35 -0500, Michel Boucher wrote:
>
>> We drained them and took out a quarter for my daughter's fresh
>> tomato sauce, then I mixed in the pancetta, stirred for 10-15
>> seconds, and poured in the egg mixture right away.
>
> 1. Mix the eggs with piping hot noodles *first*, then add the
> rest at your leisure.
>
> 2. Either take out your daughter's portion while the noodles are
> still in the water or return the remaining noodles to hot water
> for a quick rewarm, then proceed as above.

Ok, sounds good. I'll try that later on in the week and report.

--

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why
the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

Dom Helder Camara

"Michel Boucher" > wrote in message
...
> Ok, I cooked the noodles, fried the pancetta, then drained the noodles
> and quickly mixed the pancetta in, then added the egg/cheese (peccorino
> romano) to the noodles, but it did not take. It remained somewhat
> liquid. I have made carbonara before and successfully, but it was only
> in single portions for myself. This time I was trying to make enough
> for three.
>
> I am thinking a number of things might be wrong he
>
> 1. Not enough cheese (but putting more just makes the dish saltier)
>
> 2. The noodles were cooler than they should be
>
> 3. Making more than one portion at a time is not a good idea
>

You need two things to make this work. First, the pasta has to come
straight from the boiling water. Second, it must contain a little of the
starchy water as well so you do not want to over-drain. The eggs should be
room temperature when you add them to the hot pasta. This way the pasta
will just cook the eggs and the starch will help bind everything a bit and
make a smoother dish. Toss well to keep the sauce from turning into
scrambled eggs.

Now here is something to remember. In classic Italian cooking, pasta is
made fresh. It is rolled out with a fair amount of flour and then dried for
a half hour or so. This means you get a lot of flour into the boiling
water. When I make pasta the boiling water is quite opaque. You get none
of that with dried pasta. The starch I have found is a key ingredient here.
I've tried tossing a few pinches of flour into the pasta water and it does
seem to make a difference when I make an Alfredo for example.

Worth a shot.

Paul

On Sun, 25 Jun 2006 07:40:57 -0500, Michel Boucher
> wrote:

>Ok, I cooked the noodles, fried the pancetta, then drained the noodles
>and quickly mixed the pancetta in, then added the egg/cheese (peccorino
>romano) to the noodles, but it did not take. It remained somewhat
>liquid. I have made carbonara before and successfully, but it was only
>in single portions for myself. This time I was trying to make enough
>for three.
>
>I am thinking a number of things might be wrong he
>
>1. Not enough cheese (but putting more just makes the dish saltier)
>
>2. The noodles were cooler than they should be
>
>3. Making more than one portion at a time is not a good idea
>
>Perhaps microwaving noodles and egg mixture together on low setting for
>30 seconds or so might fix it, but I'm only guessing. Does anyone have
>any idea how to fix this?

Heat and stir - more eggs equals too much volume for the heat of the
pasta to cook, so it needs extra attention and time.

Michel Boucher > wrote in
:

> sf > wrote in
> :
>
>> On Mon, 26 Jun 2006 10:04:35 -0500, Michel Boucher wrote:
>>
>>> We drained them and took out a quarter for my daughter's fresh
>>> tomato sauce, then I mixed in the pancetta, stirred for 10-15
>>> seconds, and poured in the egg mixture right away.
>>
>> 1. Mix the eggs with piping hot noodles *first*, then add the
>> rest at your leisure.
>>
>> 2. Either take out your daughter's portion while the noodles are
>> still in the water or return the remaining noodles to hot water
>> for a quick rewarm, then proceed as above.
>
> Ok, sounds good. I'll try that later on in the week and report.

Actually, I haven't gotten around to this yet (I know some of you are
heartbroken to read this) but I have been thinking about it and it
occurs to me that if one were to heat up (or possibly just warm up) the
egg/cheese mixture in a bain-marie then add hot noodles to that inside
the pot, it might bypass the problem caused by cooling noodles/cold
sauce... You wouldn't need to put all the noodles, just enough for the
sauce to take, then add the rest afterwards.

Any comments?

--

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why
the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

Dom Helder Camara

On Sat, 01 Jul 2006 09:44:24 -0500, Michel Boucher wrote:

> Actually, I haven't gotten around to this yet (I know some of you are
> heartbroken to read this) but I have been thinking about it and it
> occurs to me that if one were to heat up (or possibly just warm up) the
> egg/cheese mixture in a bain-marie then add hot noodles to that inside
> the pot, it might bypass the problem caused by cooling noodles/cold
> sauce...

Too much trouble when it works perfectly the other way.

> You wouldn't need to put all the noodles, just enough for the
> sauce to take, then add the rest afterwards.
>
Why do you want to add some noodles now and more later? This is a
dish to mix up and serve immediately.


--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

Michel Boucher wrote:
> Michel Boucher > wrote in
> :
>
>> sf > wrote in
>> :
>>
>>> On Mon, 26 Jun 2006 10:04:35 -0500, Michel Boucher wrote:
>>>
>>>> We drained them and took out a quarter for my daughter's fresh
>>>> tomato sauce, then I mixed in the pancetta, stirred for 10-15
>>>> seconds, and poured in the egg mixture right away.
>>>
>>> 1. Mix the eggs with piping hot noodles *first*, then add the
>>> rest at your leisure.
>>>
>>> 2. Either take out your daughter's portion while the noodles are
>>> still in the water or return the remaining noodles to hot water
>>> for a quick rewarm, then proceed as above.
>>
>> Ok, sounds good. I'll try that later on in the week and report.
>
> Actually, I haven't gotten around to this yet (I know some of you are
> heartbroken to read this) but I have been thinking about it and it
> occurs to me that if one were to heat up (or possibly just warm up)
> the egg/cheese mixture in a bain-marie then add hot noodles to that
> inside the pot, it might bypass the problem caused by cooling
> noodles/cold sauce... You wouldn't need to put all the noodles, just
> enough for the sauce to take, then add the rest afterwards.
>
> Any comments?

Why on earth go to all that trouble when all you have to do is simply have
your egg mixture ready next to the stove and put the pasta in it when it's
HOT? There is no problem if you follow that simple step.

"Janet Puistonen" > wrote in
newsXwpg.1096$J47.272@trndny02:

> Why on earth go to all that trouble when all you have to do is
> simply have your egg mixture ready next to the stove and put the
> pasta in it when it's HOT? There is no problem if you follow that
> simple step.

Next to stove would not have much impact. Do you mean next to the
element?

--

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why
the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

Dom Helder Camara

Michel Boucher wrote:
> "Janet Puistonen" > wrote in
> newsXwpg.1096$J47.272@trndny02:
>
>> Why on earth go to all that trouble when all you have to do is
>> simply have your egg mixture ready next to the stove and put the
>> pasta in it when it's HOT? There is no problem if you follow that
>> simple step.
>
> Next to stove would not have much impact. Do you mean next to the
> element?

No, I just mean that if you have the more-or-less room temperature egg
mixture ready and close at hand, when the pasta is done you can either
quickly fork it into the eggs straight out of the boiling water, or quickly
dump it in a colander in the sink and then **immediately** dump it into the
eggs. Speed is of the essence. the pasta must be HOT.

You really don't need to fool around with heating the eggs. Hot pasta will
do that for you.

And by the way, what is this "noodles" you refer to? Are you actually using
noodles? As in egg noodles? I have found that carbonara works best with
spaghetti. Preferably thick spaghetti. Which is probably why if you check
out Italian cookbooks they always refer to "Spaghetti Carbonara," not some
other pasta shape. They are good at matching shapes and sauces.

"Janet Puistonen" > wrote in
newsMApg.126$Ym2.84@trndny05:

> And by the way, what is this "noodles" you refer to? Are you
> actually using noodles? As in egg noodles? I have found that
> carbonara works best with spaghetti. Preferably thick spaghetti.

Yes, spaghetti and yes, thick, not spaghettini. Are spaghetti not also
referred to as noodles where you live? We call spaghetti the object
"nouilles" in French, but "spaghetti" when it's a dish with spaghetti
noodles. Colloquially, we refer to a spaghetti dish as "un spaghetti"
or "un spaghet". My mother made a "spaghetti au four" which was an
oven-baked spaghetti dish and not a single spaghetti noodle in the
oven.

--

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why
the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

Dom Helder Camara

On Sat, 01 Jul 2006 19:32:32 -0500, Michel Boucher wrote:

> "Janet Puistonen" > wrote in
> newsMApg.126$Ym2.84@trndny05:
>
> > And by the way, what is this "noodles" you refer to? Are you
> > actually using noodles? As in egg noodles? I have found that
> > carbonara works best with spaghetti. Preferably thick spaghetti.
>
> Yes, spaghetti and yes, thick, not spaghettini. Are spaghetti not also
> referred to as noodles where you live? We call spaghetti the object
> "nouilles" in French, but "spaghetti" when it's a dish with spaghetti
> noodles. Colloquially, we refer to a spaghetti dish as "un spaghetti"
> or "un spaghet". My mother made a "spaghetti au four" which was an
> oven-baked spaghetti dish and not a single spaghetti noodle in the
> oven.

Oh, should I say thanks now? That was as clear as mud.
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 01 Jul 2006 19:32:32 -0500, Michel Boucher wrote:
>
>> "Janet Puistonen" > wrote in
>> newsMApg.126$Ym2.84@trndny05:
>>
>> > And by the way, what is this "noodles" you refer to? Are you
>> > actually using noodles? As in egg noodles? I have found that
>> > carbonara works best with spaghetti. Preferably thick spaghetti.
>>
>> Yes, spaghetti and yes, thick, not spaghettini. Are spaghetti not also
>> referred to as noodles where you live? We call spaghetti the object
>> "nouilles" in French, but "spaghetti" when it's a dish with spaghetti
>> noodles. Colloquially, we refer to a spaghetti dish as "un spaghetti"
>> or "un spaghet". My mother made a "spaghetti au four" which was an
>> oven-baked spaghetti dish and not a single spaghetti noodle in the
>> oven.
>
> Oh, should I say thanks now? That was as clear as mud.


I understood it all, until we got to "oven-baked spaghetti dish and not a
single spaghetti noodle in the oven."

"Ophelia" > wrote in
. uk:

>> Oh, should I say thanks now? That was as clear as mud.

When my mother made a "spaghetti au four", it was not her placing a
single spaghetti noodle in the oven, it was a dish baked in the oven
which included many spaghetti noodles.

--

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why
the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

Dom Helder Camara

"Michel Boucher" > wrote in message
. ..
> "Ophelia" > wrote in
> . uk:
>
>>> Oh, should I say thanks now? That was as clear as mud.

Thank you Michel but that was not my quote)

>
> When my mother made a "spaghetti au four", it was not her placing a
> single spaghetti noodle in the oven, it was a dish baked in the oven
> which included many spaghetti noodles.

Now I understand

"Ophelia" > wrote in news:PsRpg.41659$7Z6.11
@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk:

> "Michel Boucher" > wrote in message
> . ..
>> "Ophelia" > wrote in
>> . uk:
>>
>>>> Oh, should I say thanks now? That was as clear as mud.
>
> Thank you Michel but that was not my quote)

Obviously not. I probably started a little higher than your quote to
add context.

>> When my mother made a "spaghetti au four", it was not her placing a
>> single spaghetti noodle in the oven, it was a dish baked in the oven
>> which included many spaghetti noodles.
>
> Now I understand

Anyway, I suspect that spaghetti, although it has passed into useage as
a term unto itself, like snow or rain or sheep, with no separate
plural, is in fact already plural in Italian, as evidenced by the fact
that one does not speak of many spaghettis (or at least should not).

Technically although not in actuality, one could assume that a single
strand would be a spaghetto, or a macarono, or a fettucino. This is
easier to conceive in French:

http://www.clubcitron.net/Science%20...tron/spaghetto

http://clubmousquetaire.chez-alice.fr/page9.html

--

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why
the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

Dom Helder Camara

Michel Boucher wrote:
> "Ophelia" > wrote in news:PsRpg.41659$7Z6.11
> @fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk:
>
>> "Michel Boucher" > wrote in message
>> . ..
>>> "Ophelia" > wrote in
>>> . uk:
>>>
>>>>> Oh, should I say thanks now? That was as clear as mud.
>>
>> Thank you Michel but that was not my quote)
>
> Obviously not. I probably started a little higher than your quote to
> add context.
>
>>> When my mother made a "spaghetti au four", it was not her placing a
>>> single spaghetti noodle in the oven, it was a dish baked in the oven
>>> which included many spaghetti noodles.
>>
>> Now I understand

Thank you for your sites but I do not understand French From my
understanding of Italian I suppose that Un Spaghetto is ONE and Spaghetti is
MANY? )

"Ophelia" > wrote in
. uk:

>>> Now I understand

This isn't my quote :-p

> Thank you for your sites but I do not understand French From my
> understanding of Italian I suppose that Un Spaghetto is ONE and
> Spaghetti is MANY? )

Well, yes, that's what I was saying. But one always speaks of pasta in
the many and not the singular, so that the plural has become the only
form of the word in use.

--

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why
the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

Dom Helder Camara

Michel Boucher wrote:
> "Janet Puistonen" > wrote in
> newsMApg.126$Ym2.84@trndny05:
>
>> And by the way, what is this "noodles" you refer to? Are you
>> actually using noodles? As in egg noodles? I have found that
>> carbonara works best with spaghetti. Preferably thick spaghetti.
>
> Yes, spaghetti and yes, thick, not spaghettini. Are spaghetti not
> also referred to as noodles where you live? We call spaghetti the
> object "nouilles" in French, but "spaghetti" when it's a dish with
> spaghetti noodles. Colloquially, we refer to a spaghetti dish as "un
> spaghetti" or "un spaghet". My mother made a "spaghetti au four"
> which was an oven-baked spaghetti dish and not a single spaghetti
> noodle in the oven.

We usually refer to the Italian types using the general term "pasta," and
within that group refer to each shape by its name: spaghetti, penne,
farfalle, linguini, ziti, rotini, et al.

"Noodles" normally refers to the wide, flat short type of noodle made by
Germans.

"Janet Puistonen" > wrote in
news:AlXpg.166$Rk2.61@trndny04:

>> Yes, spaghetti and yes, thick, not spaghettini. Are spaghetti
>> not also referred to as noodles where you live? We call
>> spaghetti the object "nouilles" in French, but "spaghetti" when
>> it's a dish with spaghetti noodles. Colloquially, we refer to a
>> spaghetti dish as "un spaghetti" or "un spaghet". My mother made
>> a "spaghetti au four" which was an oven-baked spaghetti dish and
>> not a single spaghetti noodle in the oven.
>
> We usually refer to the Italian types using the general term
> "pasta," and within that group refer to each shape by its name:
> spaghetti, penne, farfalle, linguini, ziti, rotini, et al.
>
> "Noodles" normally refers to the wide, flat short type of noodle
> made by Germans.

Which just goes to show that language is not a fixed object.

--

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why
the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

Dom Helder Camara

Michel Boucher > wrote:
>"Ophelia" > wrote in
.uk:
>> Thank you for your sites but I do not understand French From my
>> understanding of Italian I suppose that Un Spaghetto is ONE and
>> Spaghetti is MANY? )
>
>Well, yes, that's what I was saying. But one always speaks of pasta in
>the many and not the singular, so that the plural has become the only
>form of the word in use.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=spaghetti

''from It. spaghetti, pl. of spaghetto "string, twine,"
dim. of spago "cord," of uncertain origin.''

Pasta names are extremely euphemistic and banal. The
Italians just call it what it looks like.

Spaghetti macaroni look like strings, so they're called
strings.

I wonder if pasta would sell half as well if it was
all translated into English. Strings, quills, tongues,
ears, tubes, ribbons, radiators, butterflies, etc. Eh.
Should be okay. Shells sell pretty well. Don't know
if it would work with something like lasagna though,
because it translate to "pot", as in the pot in which you
cook lasagna...

--Blair
"Pazzi."

"Michel Boucher" > wrote in message
...
> "Ophelia" > wrote in
> . uk:
>
>>>> Now I understand
>
> This isn't my quote :-p
>
>> Thank you for your sites but I do not understand French From my
>> understanding of Italian I suppose that Un Spaghetto is ONE and
>> Spaghetti is MANY? )
>
> Well, yes, that's what I was saying. But one always speaks of pasta in
> the many and not the singular, so that the plural has become the only
> form of the word in use.

Quite so

Blair P. Houghton > wrote in news:8%%pg.346278$Vt5.91246
@fe09.news.easynews.com:

> I wonder if pasta would sell half as well if it was
> all translated into English. Strings, quills, tongues,
> ears, tubes, ribbons, radiators, butterflies, etc. Eh.
> Should be okay.

Indeed, if that was how they had been introduced. After all, those are
common terms in Italian and I don't see any Italians turning their
noses up at ears and tubes.

For some reason, I am reminded of that delightful exchange between Paul
Dooley and Barbara Barrie as the parents in Breaking Away (1979):

Dad: What is this?
Mom: It's sauteed zucchini.
Dad: It's I-tey food. I don't want no I-tey food.
Mom: It's not. I got it at the A&P. It's like... squash.
Dad: I know I-tey food when I hear it! It's all them "eenie" foods...
zucchini... and linguini... and fettuccine. I want some American
food, dammit! I want French fries!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078902/

--

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why
the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

Dom Helder Camara

On Sun, 02 Jul 2006 18:02:13 -0500, Michel Boucher
> wrote:

>"Janet Puistonen" > wrote in
>news:AlXpg.166$Rk2.61@trndny04:
>
>>> Yes, spaghetti and yes, thick, not spaghettini. Are spaghetti
>>> not also referred to as noodles where you live? We call
>>> spaghetti the object "nouilles" in French, but "spaghetti" when
>>> it's a dish with spaghetti noodles. Colloquially, we refer to a
>>> spaghetti dish as "un spaghetti" or "un spaghet". My mother made
>>> a "spaghetti au four" which was an oven-baked spaghetti dish and
>>> not a single spaghetti noodle in the oven.
>>
>> We usually refer to the Italian types using the general term
>> "pasta," and within that group refer to each shape by its name:
>> spaghetti, penne, farfalle, linguini, ziti, rotini, et al.
>>
>> "Noodles" normally refers to the wide, flat short type of noodle
>> made by Germans.
>
>Which just goes to show that language is not a fixed object.
>

Isn't that funny? When I first read your message about carbonara with
"noodles," I realigned my thinking that you were using fettucini
rather than spaghetti, so it would be "noodles." Now I find out you
really did mean spaghetti.

In the midwest, I once had a roommate who talked about "clam chowder
soup." "Spaghetti noodles" sounds like that.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

(Curly Sue) wrote in
:

> In the midwest, I once had a roommate who talked about "clam
> chowder soup." "Spaghetti noodles" sounds like that.

But I never said "spaghetti noodles". I only spoke of noodles. Or are
you just extrapolating? :-)

--

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why
the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

Dom Helder Camara

On Mon, 03 Jul 2006 16:24:51 -0500, Michel Boucher
> wrote:

(Curly Sue) wrote in
:
>
>> In the midwest, I once had a roommate who talked about "clam
>> chowder soup." "Spaghetti noodles" sounds like that.
>
>But I never said "spaghetti noodles". I only spoke of noodles. Or are
>you just extrapolating? :-)
>

No.... you are having a senior moment, and I quote you:

>Yes, spaghetti and yes, thick, not spaghettini. Are spaghetti not also
>referred to as noodles where you live? We call spaghetti the object
>"nouilles" in French, but "spaghetti" when it's a dish with spaghetti
>noodles. Colloquially, we refer to a spaghetti dish as "un spaghetti"
>or "un spaghet". My mother made a "spaghetti au four" which was an
>oven-baked spaghetti dish and not a single spaghetti noodle in the
>oven.


Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!