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Mezclas
Aug 15, 2017 16:58:32 GMT 2
Post by slowcoach on Aug 15, 2017 16:58:32 GMT 2
Of late I find myself throwing many similar but distinct ingredients into a pot and cooking them. E.G. three different types of lentils, five different types of pasta.
For certain they do not all cook at the same rate, but that is half the fun.
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Mezclas
Aug 17, 2017 21:16:35 GMT 2
Post by auntieannie on Aug 17, 2017 21:16:35 GMT 2
do you add them all at the same time or do you add them in separately?
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Mezclas
Aug 17, 2017 22:24:37 GMT 2
Post by slowcoach on Aug 17, 2017 22:24:37 GMT 2
do you add them all at the same time or do you add them in separately?
At the same time.
There is some method in this madness!
At the bottom of all of this is the lack of potable water.
Unless I feel like living dangerously, I cook using bottled water. So I devise ways of minimizing its use. Cooking pasta in an excess of water, as is the norm, would require not just buying but lifting and carrying bottled water in large quantities.
Cooking pasta in a limited amount of water either requires stirring continuously, which tends to liberate starch and make it sticky or letting it clump together. I noticed that the clumping problem is a function of the packing possibilities of the pasta. One type of pasta doesn't pack well, doesn't lineup and self-assemble into clumps. Here it is called helices or spirales, which are short fusilli. Now I prefer penne, here called pluma or macaroni which self-assembles only too well. Then I thought what happens if ... ?
Mixing them half and half clumps less than either separately, from there to a mezcla of many different types is but a small step. It works so well for me that I just bung it in the microwave and wait for it to go ding, give it a stir, a minute or two to finish cooking, pour off the surplus water which is minimal and done.
The lentils available here are almost invariable complete with their hulls. I am used to, and prefer, de-hulled lentils that break up when cooked, so the lentils are going to get to see a blender anyway. The different lentils do taste different and do cook at different rates. After blending the faster cooking lentils turn to paste but the slower ones are a bit gritty which gives a mezcla better than either separately.
As to the wine? Hick!
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