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@Tropicalsenior I enjoyed the first video a lot. What I liked the most was number 7 "Sourdough should" Like people telling you what sour should be or else it isn't "real" sourdough. I think @MaryIsobel should watch it too as it addresses "my sourdough died" as probably a mistaken diagnosis of the reality of the sourdough condition. The one on preferments left me more confused about what it is and if it ever isn't something, if you know what I mean. I want to keep the bake wth Jack so I can watch the other episodes..

I use a smallish volume of water. Enough so the pasta can swim and swell but no more. A small volume concentrates the starch so that sauce addition is more effective and doesn't dilute it too much.

Faster than the Fasta?

@Duvel Insightful . That is , however a good idea Soooo @Duvel you are now Charged w AnyThing MC has said about the Various , New ?? So old , its just as good for the Pasta , On my plate Soon .

I thought this was an interesting video comparing different chicken breeds with the same cooking method. One caveat is that they are based in the UK so the availability of different breeds there is prob different if you are based in a different country.

it's cute when the publisher insists on including volume measures to by-weight recipes . . . to all - appreciate the tips / info / etc - this project could be a bit easier than I initially thought!

https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2025/10/justin-woodward-portlands-premier-fine-dining-chef-of-past-decade-dies-at-43.html

Are you making a pitch for Modernist Pasta ?!

Maybe this video, 50 Ways to Kill Your Starter will give you some inspiration. Seems that it's a lot tougher than we think it is. I found this when I cleaned my freezer today. It looks like I might be back in business. I thought that I had tucked some in there as a backup when my starter was going good but until now I couldn't find it.

My original thought was that a book , that understands Pasta , should understand all and newer methods of cooking said pasta . no more , no less.

@weinoo after two pieces of American Junk ( Jeep , Jimmy ) which both decomposed @ 40,000 miles I got a Hylander ( made in Indiana ) and I gave it away to a mechanic where i took it 16 y.o. just needed a little work.

I tried the microwave pasta gadget in two (admittedly feeble) microwaves and they took way longer than the guidelines suggested so I didn’t keep it. In a mild defense of McFadden's gallon of water for 8 oz pasta, he uses that water in the sauce, not just after the pasta is cooked, but sometimes a good bit earlier. He also recommends @weinoo's method of bringing the water to a boil as his first step in most recipes, then backing off on the heat if more time is needed for the sauce so he’s allowing for a little evaporation. I also agree with @weinoo that shapes like rigatoni can be pan hogs, especially when they’re still quite firm so I don’t think 4 qts is a gross excess. Also, McFadden spends a good bit of time explaining how to taste the pasta for doneness, much easier on the stovetop. That said, reducing the amount of water used to increase its starchiness and save boiling time isn’t a bad thing at all. If I’m cooking 1-2 servings of long pasta, I routinely use a 12-inch skillet with an inch or two of water. Boils fast and the pasta all gets submerged at once. Maybe as fast as the Fasta!

@Tropicalsenior Thank you. I will look at the videos later today

If only; I did get my father's 1995 Camry, but that wasn't until 2005.

I do like the Prima Taste laksa a lot - for a convenience product it’s really really tasty. When living in HK I had their Singapore curry paste (pretty much the one from the instant noddles) as a staple in my pantry - for me the best available commercial SE asian curry paste available (and in HK everything is available 😉) …

The epi shape is very forgiving. I made it from a plethora of doughs, e.g. this one from left-over pizza dough. Due to the shape the sharp „ears“ brown faster than the bulky parts, which - at least in my experience - makes epis a bit unevenly crunchy.

@weinoo Ill look for it. Al Bronzo @ Walmart , believe it or not , is $ 3.65 DelCecco is $ 2.00 , on sale , and I buy 20 - 30 cases your after the TrustFund .

I gotta hand it to you @rotuts - you'd make a good millennial or Gen Zer! Oh come on - it's not that expensive. Per portion, quite reasonable as a matter of fact. Believe me - I've got DeCecco and Barilla in the pantry as well - depends on the sauce and how old school I wanna get. Actually, Barilla is now making an upgraded pasta that's quite good...

@weinoo I agree : ' not every new ... " but some do . This does. I plan to make Marcella's ' sauce ' soon . no kale , thank you and get some rigatoni . hopefully DelCecco Ill pass on your generous offer of sending me a bag or two of you're favorite Ill probably like it , Im sure . then have to tap the Trust Fund .One thing for sure : weight gain is much fasta w the Fasta.

Also, let me submit to you that I believe stovetop is safer for making pasta. I don't have to deal with a boiling hot item and removing it from the microwave, along with its accompanying steam, etc. All I do is use tongs or a spider to remove the pasta from the water and it goes right into the pan directly adjacent to get incorporated with whatever sauce I'm making. Then, after dinner, the pot of water has cooled down enough to be simply emptied into the sink.

Nah - I just don't think every newfangled idea makes things better, or easier for that matter, than the way things have mostly been done. I think plenty of burns and mishaps have happened to people using the microwave oven, though I refuse to look back through the "I will never again..." thread. DM your address to me - I have a store near me that carries Faella, otherwise I'd have to make a large order from Gustiamo. So do all the pastas I make on the stove.

@weinoo I think you've got GrandNona's on the brain . in jest . send me a pack , and Ill report back . the issue is not just time , but ease of use , and replicability . its a lot easier dealing w the very hot water in the Fasta , than several liters in a pot. not in any way more complicated that that. and , w minimal ' testing ' my DelCecco turns out perfectly every time , its dried pasta . it boils . its done . its drained and fool proof.

How is this any faster than cooking in boiling water on the stovetop? As a matter of fact, none of the times appear to be any faster than stovetop cooking; some appear even slower. Now, before you say, I know you're gonna talk about the time it takes to boil water. Sorry - but in my case, that doesn't count. If I'm making pasta for dinner, the water goes on the stove way before I start dealing with the sauce and side dishes. Kept on a very low flame, that water can then be brought to a boil instantly. Have you ever cooked this in your microwave method? Try it and get back to me.

@weinoo interesting poinnts however , many people do have a microwave , and a comprehensive ' pasta ' book should go over the technique. for completeness sake , if nothing else an effective microwave container holds many many shapes i very much doubt a microwave method , properly proportioned , involves any gummy mess . I have not tried fresh pasta in the Fasta , so that area need research. I pour off the hot pasta water , over the sink , into a pyrex measuring cup. I usually get just over 1` cup . this is far more than I need for the ProkRagu version . the Campari version uses the tomato jus as a post cooking hydrator. in the winter time , the mise you've seen , and plates , except for the eggs // green onions . grated cheee sits on top of the oven , and actually warms up a bit going into the oven , and it preheats to 170 F , then is promptly turn off. so I do use a little more water than the markings on the Fasta indicate. not that much more. the volume and temp of the water ( faucet temp ) add to the determination of total Micro time. add pasta to Fasta . Salt . wsater . Micro for the time youve decided by experience gets you perfectly cooked pasta. for a portion for ' two' , based on the Fasta top holes , is 17 minutes , 45 seconds . unattended . for review purposes , FastaPasta guidelines : you see above , FP suggests 13 - 14 min for a portion for 2 for linguini . as you have noted , all types of linguini are not the same . 17:45 works for delCecco , and I add water to the level 3 , not 2 Tj's linguini ' from Italy ' a decent pasta , takes less time , same starting point. I dont think dried pasta needs to swim . its very true that the Fasta should be 1/4 " longer , as the DelCecco pasta sits corner to corner and that added 1/4 " might be usefull. not a deal breaker. no idea is DC is a tiny bit longer than other common pasta.

Lemon polenta cake... I forgot the baking powder but it didn't seem to make much of a difference. I like dense almond cakes drenched in syrup anyway, so this was a happy accident. I make this fairly regularly whenever life gives me lemons. It's a Nigella Lawson recipe, but I think she just added a soaking syrup to The River Cafe's version, and they got it from any one of a thousand nonnas back in the old country.