Deryn

Thanks for the Crepes and kayb - I agree that, on the micro level, and for some of the world's population, there have been/are/and will be (for quite some time), benefits from globalisation. Those of us who care have been exposed to so many more food cultures and ingredients than we ever had access to before. 'Our' world, in the short term, has been enriched. Believe me, I think those of us in North America are actually the truly lucky ones right now - we are getting probably the most real benefit for the time being. And we who frequent places like eGullet probably have benefitted most - because we have enquiring minds about foods, techniques and ingredients from around the world and are eager to try new things - and to notice, applaud, and want to experience different cultures, even if vicariously, through food. This is not necessarily true for the 'masses' though. The world's population continues to grow (so more to feed), the availability of good farming land decreases, the quality of the dirt decreases as time goes on (leading to fewer actual nutrients in the food - growing controversy ... is your food really as nutritious as it used to be, as the labels purport it to be, even if it smells/looks/tastes good?), more and more chemicals are used to prop up poor soils, shorten growing times and increase yields, fish that is still affordable for many is farmed and plied with antibiotics or captured from polluted waters, trade agreements mean that we no longer really know where many foods come from and how they were grown, etc., and what used to be locally produced and quickly consumed (i.e. fresh) foods are being shipped back and forth around the world for 'processing' purposes, now possible because of faster and cheaper transportation and 'preservatives' (both with 'additives' and with preservation 'techniques' to keep foods looking fresh or have them arrive at your store not looking as though they travelling thousands of miles from their place of origin). The small producer is, over time, being shut out while corporate conglomerates with the real power and money take deeper hold on the food world - and the food of the world - with profit as their motivator. Even in the western world, cities (by government and corporate design) get larger and larger and as they do, the people in them, while it seems some can and will always find a way to access 'farmer's markets' or grow their own indoors, are 'moved' further and further away from the source of their foods. Busy lives mean that people eat on the run - and many no longer know how to cook. There are always exceptions to the rules of course - we get mini-trend bumps (back to the earth organic and 'fresh to your door' food 'kits') but the long term trends don't look that good to me. Most don't have the time, inclination, training or place to try growing their own - and many (most) young people no longer even have memories of anyone in their families doing that. They rely on media to tell them what is 'good to eat' and where to find it. I wish it were the case, but I don't think that most people are even able to participate in a food revolution and go back to the future. Their heads are buried in their iPhones and they are, more than they know, controlled in almost every aspect of their lives. I'd like to be optimistic but it is difficult when one actually pays attention to what is happening around the world. Countries like India now have KFC's. Mickey D's and Burger Kings abound in places around the world where one would never have imagined they might - and whole groups of people around the globe who have never had obesity and related issues are getting fatter as they lose their unique traditions and lifestyles and slowly adopt ours. There are very few isolated/insulated cultures any more. Even in Paris, the stores are filled with more processed foods than ever before. I am pretty sure that is the case in many other cities and countries around the world these days. We are as much spreading (the not so good parts of) our culture to places where the lifestyle, while perhaps 'poor' in some of our eyes, was for generations rich in healthy eating because of their unique local diets and flora, as they are bringing the best of theirs to us. And unfortunately, I suspect that our influence abroad will be longer lasting and more pervasive than theirs will be here. As people move around the world, while at first they bring their traditions and enrich our lives, in time those are diluted and modified, as they integrate and assimilate and have to use ingredients and cooking techniques, etc. easily available to them in whatever new place they now inhabit. Everyone is equal now is being interpreted to mean that everyone must be, eat, learn, think, grow the 'same'. Watch the trends in other areas of our lives - 'differences' are becoming anathema, not advantages to be admired and celebrated and preserved. Yes, there is a major battle in progress that can make that seem otherwise but in the end the greater goal is actually homogeneity. To say more about that here would be too 'political' so I won't go there but I don't think we will all be richer for it in the future. Personal opinion, but I don't happen to think globalism is necessarily a 'good thing', especially when all of us (in the food arena) over time will have to move towards the lowest common denominator - processed foods and foods from depleted soils - most likely. Not perhaps in my generation or my children's generation or even their children's ... but we are moving in that direction. Some will always eat well - no matter what - but that number will be fewer and fewer over time I suspect. The continuum to me looks as though in time the pendulum, barring a major world reset, will swing back to mediocrity ... Chef Boyardee (in North America) > true Italian sauces and homemade pastas (in Italy and then in many places around the world) > Chef Boyardee (everywhere). I am not sure it is in the 'power of ordinary people' to change this any more. But, I truly hope I am wrong! Anyway .. perhaps this is a subject for another thread. I had no intent to derail. Back to Paris. I am glad that Orbit and her husband were able to have this eye-opening experience there - and to savour at least some of the uniqueness of what is left of the European food culture. Viva la difference!

Darn - I thought Smithy's idea, particularly the tape suggestion, might be viable. But then I know nadda (still ) about chocolate, much less this kind of artistry. That said ... if dental tape (or floss) would work as a food safe 'line tool' if one could figure out how to make it stable ... what about laying down/spraying in a very fine first layer and embedding the dental tape pushing it down so it is very close to what will be the surface eventually. The ends should be long enough so you can pull it off later after the bonbon is released from the mold. Would that rip the whole layer or worse, more, with it too? Or would it be feasible to paint a bit of glucose (or something else that is a teensy bit sticky) on the part of the tape that touches the mold so you can spray and it won't blow away.

There is often something 'magical' about a trip to Europe, especially if it is your first time. And for many, there is a built-in mystique about Paris no doubt (though personally I would rather ramble the countryside of France and skip Paris entirely). One is bound to both feel and see some differences in the culture and the food - especially if you are smart enough not to stay at the 'Ritz' and eat at Mickey D's (in which case, why leave home?). The 'differences' from one's everyday life no doubt cloud perception to some extent. One's senses are heightened in a foreign land and I am sure in the backs of our minds at least it is difficult not to compare it to what we know about 'back home'. At any rate, there IS that bias to overcome. Globalism is taking its toll everywhere however. We are witnessing the homogenization of the world in process. I fear the 'Paris' of today will not exist much longer. (As ElainaA says - check the grocery stores for processed foods! :(). We are beyond fusion now - at least in North America and I think it is probably sneaking up to that point in many countries around the world. I wish in 'levelling the playing field' that the powers that be would aim for excellence, but, they are quite satisfied for most of us to have mediocrity unfortunately. I am happy I won't live long enough (I hope) to really see that process completed. But, while I am here, I will rage, rage, rage against the night and feel fortunate that I know what to look for and/or how to grow and cook the most wholesome, fresh, tasty foods I can. If I want to, I can produce in my own kitchen most of the foods (or very close facsimiles) that distinguish Paris or Thailand or Japan or Israel or Holland or Greece or ... you name it. The ambience will probably not be as perfect a replica but .. I came for the food.

Orbit - Did you know before you went to France? One good long shtf event in the US and perhaps those who remain alive will begin to understand the value in 'growing your own' (preferably from heirloom seeds). Even people living in small apartments CAN grow some things year round - but most don't. Too easy to go to the store, a fast food joint or order in takeout pizza, etc. For many here, food gets most of its taste from additives it seems - and many don't even realize that. They don't read labels, price and convenience are all they care about, they prefer processed foods, they are addicted to salt and sugar, and they eat on the run. The lifestyle in many places abroad is very different - still much slower than ours in North America. In many places over there, people actually still eat together as a family, shop locally almost every day, walk to the store in many cases, know everyone in their communities, and have lives still based on traditions that most Americans don't even remember any more. Our cultures are vastly different unfortunately. There are pockets of sanity in the US/North America but I think they are mostly in rural areas and smaller communities.

I would let that board slide right into the garbage and be done with it. While you may be able to keep it on the counter by using gfweb's good suggestion, if your knife slips because it has a slippery surface - and you may be cut badly if that happens, it is false economy to keep it, no matter whether it was a 'gift' or not or who gave it to you.

Thank you for your questions. I often learn as much from questions as I do from answers. Sometimes they teach me another way of looking at things or sometimes they just goad me into side research projects. At any rate, without questions, what purpose would answers serve? Keep on asking, please.

I am sorry. I should have perhaps said that my questions were more rhetorical than anything, although the idea that if I were to cook up perhaps 4 or 5 basic (spaghetti) pastas from different manufacturers, side by side, and taste them all without any added ingredients to determine if I (and I stress 'I' because we all have different tastebuds and likes/dislikes) can tell the difference in flavour - not cooked texture - and if so, how I could describe that difference, intrigues me. Sometimes we have too many words in the English language and sometimes too few. I think we overuse perhaps the generic word 'flavour' and as a result, we may not convey exactly what we mean.

Are you cooking whole chickens (and then carving them on site?) or using pieces (breasts? thighs?)? How much chicken did you buy (for about 50ish people I would guess)? I know you said you will roast it, but will it all fit in your oven at the same time or are you having to farm out the chicken cooking to other volunteer homes? And with all that mis en place being done in advance, do you have sufficient refrigerator space or is that proving a bit tricky? Good luck with the dinner. I am sure it will be a grand success but I know you will be very tired come late tomorrow evening. Take it easy.

Kerry - Are you sharing any of your IP cooked meals at work? And, if so, are people impressed with the IP and perhaps even running out to buy themselves one?

I still have to ask how one can really determine the 'flavour' of a pasta itself without eating it 'naked' (in other words, without even oil or butter or added salt/pepper, etc.)? Won't you be tasting the oil or butter etc.? I can see that using some or all whole grain flour (as opposed to just white) would change/add 'flavour'. Perhaps even bleached/unbleached would make a difference. I can see that adding an egg or powdered egg to the pasta mix would probably change 'flavour'. Maybe 'baking' pasta vs just air drying it - i.e. the heat/process - could add flavour? I can't see that extruding can really add 'flavour' - merely the ability of a pasta to pick up and hold flavour from a sauce or oil, etc. Where is/what is the essence of flavour that distinguishes pastas made by different manufacturers that allegedly contain only the same few simple ingredients - water, flour and salt?

Roe (= 'eggs' of a sort ) .. lemon juice, olive oil, onion, bread. No 'yolk' though.

shain - Actually I just remembered that I have freeze-dried uncooked (sort of 'fresh') pasta not really 'mixed' with other ingredients (such as in a casserole form) - had forgotten that when my FD was new, I tried freeze-drying some uncooked perogies - and the actual FD'ing worked fine. There were other ingredients but they were only in the filling. Reconstituting was a little more difficult but I was very new to the process at the time so perhaps I would do better now. As I recall, the outer shell (the pasta equivalent part - though technically it may be a bit thicker than a true pasta rolled out - and is probably more a 'dough') got a bit mushy (with a few hard edges as well) by the time the liquid had penetrated sufficiently to rehydrate the filling. Edible but not what I would call a triumphant experiment. If I FD perogies again, I will definitely precook them. Rehydrating a mixed dish that includes unfilled, precooked pasta in some form works great however. Chicken tetrazzini, chili mac or alfredo would be examples. If you want to test that, buy a freeze-dried dinner (there are some by Mountain House or maybe Backpack Camper I believe) that is usually designed for camping or prepping. I don't happen to like all the additives in those 'dinners' but the concept is proven there so part of what I wanted to do with my FD when I bought it was to make my own FD'd dinners without the additives (and/or just be able to freeze dry my own prepared meal leftovers). I would be surprised though if the pasta in the prepared dinners was originally 'fresh'. It is (usually) in smaller pieces (than one might use if freshly made at home) and will rehydrate covered in some kind of 'sauce' so perhaps it is a bit difficult to compare the 'quality' or 'taste' of the actual pasta part to a dish where ingredients are freeze-dried separately and combined after being rehydrated. I will have to test FD'ing fresh pasta, cooked and uncooked, in and separately from other ingredients - with the exception of the filled stuff as noted above. I think there may be a texture disadvantage - a gumminess that may show up when rehydrating a fresh pasta alone from FD state - but I don't know for sure (and whether it is precooked or not may also make a difference). I am not sure I really see much advantage in using fresh vs dried in a mixed dinner to be honest. Pre-dried, off the shelf, pastas actually store well for many years if properly packaged so if there was any worry with the pasta not hydrating at the same rate as the rest of the ingredients, the best idea is usually to store and cook the pasta separately and then combine. However, for 'leftover meals' that is obviously not going to happen - and the pasta included will be precooked obviously. You may also find some useful info on the subject if you visit the HarvestRight site - they have many video clips and suggestions about what you can successfully freeze-dry.

40 deg C = 104 deg F (too darned hot for this northerner, but Texans call this an average spring day) 20 deg C = 'room temperature' (pretty close to 70 deg F) 0 deg C = 32 deg F (oranges freeze in Florida but it is just hitting sweater weather in Canada) -40 deg C = -40 deg F (darned cold no matter what system you are using) For everything else I just go by what it 'feels' like outside.

shain - It 'could' exist I am sure - but I am not sure it would hold together well after freeze drying if its sole ingredients were flour and water (plus a bit of salt) since freeze-drying takes out all the water leaving ... flour. Perhaps if one added an egg that would help. I am not near my FD right now or I would see what I could do to find a more definitive answer. I have FD'd both fresh and dried pastas but they were already cooked and there were other ingredients in the mix as well.

If he's single, bring him along up to Nova Scotia with you, Jaymes! Have a wonderful and very safe road trip. Wish I could join you (except I just don't have southern blood - mine melts above 75 degrees).

paulraphael - I get what you are saying but if one makes the Setaro and serves it completely plain (without any pepper or oil, etc.) alongside another brand of (again plainly cooked) dried pasta will it 'taste' different?

My 32 year old daughter is completely metric (I think - that is what she was taught at school and she now lives in Scotland so I expect that has been reinforced - particularly since she teaches school there now). My mid-40s boys are far from metric inclined - they learned the Imperial system and I don't think they have really bothered to adapt much - though they have to buy gas in litres and drive in kph - and I am sure they use both metric and Imperial tools. I am probably more metric now than they are but I still have a foot in both worlds too - and some measurements come more easily to me in one system than another. I believe that the Canadian government estimated about 20 years was all it would take but I am pretty sure we are not really there yet and it has been longer than that now. I think the lack of a faster transition in this case has been because Canada sits right next door to the States which definitely has not made the shift to metric easy since we still use many products produced in the States. It's complicated. The government might say Canada has completely converted now - but I don't believe everyone really 'thinks' metric - we just 'manage' to cope with what is still a dual system. Anyway .. I didn't have a clue what kind of measurement a 'glass' is - so I thank those who offered a possible solution to that question even though it might vary depending on where you are or what is being measured.

Thanks, pastrygirl. 'Approximation' and little tricks like that get my brain into the right area constantly so that I don't have actually look up or do the more complex math in most instances. That brings to mind the fact that Canadians mostly still use ovens that work in Fahrenheit but outside temperatures are in Celsius. We still live in a very mixed up world.

I don't have Mr. Google sitting in my head as I go about my daily life. I don't even carry a smartphone of any kind but I would hate for that to be my 'brain' anyway in every situation. I (as do most of us) manage but I was just trying to illustrate how hard it is to truly convert from one system to the other in reality. Yes, I can 'use' metric but not all of it is 'natural' to me even now after several decades. I am quick at some mental conversions - particularly if complete accuracy is not required - and not so fast at others (but in those cases, it may not be necessary to be fast). The problem is not that one cannot convert from one to the other (and over time get better at it on the fly), it is that even bright people who learned one system or the other as children (and solidified that by using that system for decades before suddenly being told they have to switch to a 'foreign measurement language') may take many years to become so fluent in 'metric' in all the many dimensions required, that they no longer convert at all, but just 'think' in it constantly .. in other words, 'live' it with the old ways totally forgotten. Of course, one of the reasons that (older) Canadians perhaps have had a long learning curve is that the US, which does not use metric measurements, is right next door and with so many things common to both of us, we have to keep both concepts in our heads making a complete transition more difficult. Younger Canadians were for the most part raised to think in metric but still, if they cross the border or buy some goods in Canada even today, may encounter situations where they have to mentally convert to the American system. Had both countries tried this conversion together it might have gone better for all of us - but they didn't.

If one were to start to change to a metric system today, you MIGHT have most of the American population converted and 'thinking' in metric around the turn of the next century. Not an easy task and it requires several generations to die off before it can be 'complete'. Canada has tried it - but most of us Canadians above the age of 35 or 40 I would say convert to and from Imperial for some things and for others we stubbornly refuse to change from the system we learned as kids. I know what a metre of yard goods is ... 39 INCHES or 1 yard plus 3 inches. I have real trouble with millimeters - too small (I want to know how much rain fell in inches please) - and when something is measured in centimeters I have to multiply by 2.5 (approximately) so I can imagine its size in inches. I don't know my height in metric (though I could convert it in my head if forced to). I can buy meat by the pound or kilo - but I still tend to convert the price for each so I have some basis for comparison with what things still cost in the US I guess - but then again, many stores still use both for that type of thing too - often converting for you on the label or a sign next to the display. I can weigh out things in either pounds and ounces or grams, etc. but pounds and ounces are still more natural for me to 'think in'. Temperature I am pretty fluent in - I go back and forth with some ease in that area - but still find it annoying and much less precise to use Celsius versus Fahrenheit. I am so used now to crossing the border in my truck - which was built for the American market and shows mileage not kilometer(age) that I can do that kind of conversion easily so I don't break the speed laws. I agree it would be nice again to have 'one system' for north America at least (though an Imperial gallon was never the same size as an American gallon - but it is even more tricky now to compare the cost of litres of gas in Canada to what one pays for a gallon in the US, especially with a fluctuating exchange rate) but frankly I am not sure I would wish to see the US try to go metric all the way in my lifetime.

I see no mention of any 'capsaicin'-like ingredient so I would guess that the sharpness really just comes from the garlic (not that you could not add a bit of something-something if the garlic was not enough kick).

paulraphael - Good point about 'flavour' and dried pasta. While I mentioned that I have used Barilla Plus for years (at least for basic shapes and 'everyday' use as opposed to 'company's coming'), I have done so with the idea that it was more a 'filler' carb and a carrier for a flavourful sauce - and was not expected to be flavourful in itself. I merely like the 'texture' I guess - when it is a bit undercooked ... al dente - because I can't say I think it really has much flavour of its own other than a bit salty perhaps (if I add salt while cooking). I may add only butter or oil and a few herbs and perhaps pepper - may not even add cheese of any kind - but those ingredients add the 'flavour' I don't expect to get from the plain dried pasta. I like only that I have never managed to produce mushy pasta when using Barilla Plus, which is more than I can say for a few other common brands. A dried egg pasta may have a bit more 'flavour' naturally - or perhaps a handmade tomato, spinach or squid ink pasta 'may' have 'flavour' (I have tasted some pretty bland ones) but otherwise, since pasta is basically made from just flour and water, where does 'flavour' in dried pasta originate? Durum/hard wheat flour may be used in all or most of these dried pastas we commonly buy on supermarket shelves ... so maybe it is the water that is different/leads to one having more 'flavour' than the next? I doubt whether the flour is double 00 or not would make much difference, would it?

Red is a lucky colour, isn't it? Congratulations to you and your family on your son's marriage. And even more congratulations to the bride and groom. I wish them a long and happy union. What a wonderful occasion for you all - and for us since you have chosen to let us in on it all via your pictorial tour. Thank you.

The food in your video brought back many memories of my visit there many years ago. Glad to see that between that time (in the 70s) and 2012 not much appears to have changed in the culinary repertoire of Portugal - my favorite European country. Thank you. I am salivating - and I am sure I will, as a result, gain a pound or two, without even a taste unfortunately.

I have liked Barilla Plus dry pasta products (I like to undercook my pasta - hoping perhaps for some resistant starch component without having to cool it) for many years now. Suddenly it is very hard to find unfortunately - seems it has been since Pronto came out - a product which is clearly a different animal and won't work as a replacement. So I am on the hunt for a new pasta I can enjoy and which can be consistently found where I spend my time (especially up north). I don't think I will be able to get De Cecco on a regular basis. I too regard dry and fresh pastas as different beasts entirely. I make fresh pasta - have never lived anywhere where a purchased version of same was special enough to spend $ on in my opinion. Was all that commentary about the Barilla company really necessary here - and now?