Live data from Hacker News

Anti-Pasta: When Italian Futurists Tried to Ban Pasta in Italy

mentalfloss.com

91–100 of 112 posts

Re: Anti-Pasta: When Italian Futurists Tried to Ban Pasta in Italy

#91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is why food bans are bad. The same thing that harms one person can work for someone else. Even something like Bloomberg's ban on large sodas is probably heavy handed. Sugar is not always a poison. It can be a valuable fuel, even at large quantities (and large sizes can also add a lot of convenience to some people's lives).

The problem is the sugar is addictive, abused by 99% of its users and it provides no benefit. In what cases is soda a valuable fuel that couldn't be replaced by something more natural and healthy?

> Provides no benefit

It's sugar, it provides energy. Some people like the taste and the bubbly sensation of soda.

Here is Zdeno Chara, one of the best defencemen in recent hockey history drinking one during a very important game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVA7lgJRHQQ

Just because someone who is burning 2,000 calories is drinking a small bottle doesn't mean it is appropriate to drink 2L everyday. Everything in moderation.

Re: Anti-Pasta: When Italian Futurists Tried to Ban Pasta in Italy

#92

Futurists were the most punk rock artistic movement before punk rock happened in the 70s. They even invented Industrial noise before Throbbing Gristle with Russolo's "Art of Noises" and orchestra of noise makers. The interesting thing about them is while they enjoyed shocking people and beating up their artistic rivals, they weren't nihilists like punks were: they were punk rock for technological progress rather than…

The post-Fascist futurists had a lot going for them as well - especially the Soviets, who basically created the foundation for modern electronic music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTj1TtXHKG0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTiSkiUw7dA&list=OLAK5uy_lx_... (side note: I lament being born too late to ever experience real subculture...)

These days I think living a life without living it through social media is about as subcultural as it gets. Almost in the literal sense.

Re: Anti-Pasta: When Italian Futurists Tried to Ban Pasta in Italy

#93
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work on the basis of 80g of uncooked pasta per person for our family. We aren't exactly skinny, either, despite being pretty active (an average of 70 miles of cycling a week). The difference is probably made up with vegetables, fruit etc.

Growing up in Rome, our rule was 100g per person, and 100g for the pot if it's just a light sauce. Basically, a box fed about 5 people.

That seems like a pretty good rule of thumb. I tend to eat a bit less than that. If I'm planning for a group doing some activity like strenuous hiking, I'll plan for a bit more. But 4-5 people to a box/pound sounds about right.

Re: Anti-Pasta: When Italian Futurists Tried to Ban Pasta in Italy

#94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Over the last several decades they have debunked and disproven this several times. Citations please.

>Citations please. 1969: Dietary sugar and coronary heart disease J Yudkin 1973: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article-abstract/26/5/524/4816... 1977: "Diet-Heart: End of an Era" Mann George V 2002: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.CIR.0000019552.77... 2009: Sugar: The Bitter Truth, Robert Lustig (MD, PhD) There's significant studies done in the last 10 years. We know for a fact that carbs/sugar are the pro…

Thanks for the citations! I'm familiar with some of these, but not others.

Re: Anti-Pasta: When Italian Futurists Tried to Ban Pasta in Italy

#95
post #6

> the popular 21st-century view that heavy pasta meals leave diners feeling equally heavy and lethargic. Pasta gets a bad rap unfairly, I think. A few years ago over the course of ~18 months, I lost 100 lbs. I ate pasta almost every day when I did this. One problem, particularly in the US, is that portion sizes are so large. This affects much more than just pasta. But in the American mind, a serving of pasta is often…

> One problem, particularly in the US, is that portion sizes are so large.

Portion size was the key for me. I stopped feeling heavy and lethargic after pasta meals once I started weighting my pasta before eating. This made a world of difference on my state after eating and, by contrast, helped me realise how heavy I usually felt after eating (80g of uncooked pasta seem to be a good balance for me).

Re: Anti-Pasta: When Italian Futurists Tried to Ban Pasta in Italy

#96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is the sugar is addictive, abused by 99% of its users and it provides no benefit. In what cases is soda a valuable fuel that couldn't be replaced by something more natural and healthy?

> Provides no benefit It's sugar, it provides energy. Some people like the taste and the bubbly sensation of soda. Here is Zdeno Chara, one of the best defencemen in recent hockey history drinking one during a very important game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVA7lgJRHQQ Just because someone who is burning 2,000 calories is drinking a small bottle doesn't mean it is appropriate to drink 2L everyday. Everything in…

He could easily just drink two smaller bottles though

Re: Anti-Pasta: When Italian Futurists Tried to Ban Pasta in Italy

#97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Futurists, though, were by and large fascists. Punk is strong anti-fascist.

There are fascists punks and there are anti-fascists punks and there are punks who do not care about politics.

Nazi punks fuck off!

Re: Anti-Pasta: When Italian Futurists Tried to Ban Pasta in Italy

#98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Futurists, though, were by and large fascists. Punk is strong anti-fascist.

There are fascists punks and there are anti-fascists punks and there are punks who do not care about politics.

Might depend on your country certainly the UK Punk /new wave, ska two tone scene was very political and 99% progressive (Morrisey being the one stand out)

OI certainly had a strong association with hard right politics - but that was a bit later.

Re: Anti-Pasta: When Italian Futurists Tried to Ban Pasta in Italy

#99
post #95
post #6

> the popular 21st-century view that heavy pasta meals leave diners feeling equally heavy and lethargic. Pasta gets a bad rap unfairly, I think. A few years ago over the course of ~18 months, I lost 100 lbs. I ate pasta almost every day when I did this. One problem, particularly in the US, is that portion sizes are so large. This affects much more than just pasta. But in the American mind, a serving of pasta is often…

> One problem, particularly in the US, is that portion sizes are so large. Portion size was the key for me. I stopped feeling heavy and lethargic after pasta meals once I started weighting my pasta before eating. This made a world of difference on my state after eating and, by contrast, helped me realise how heavy I usually felt after eating (80g of uncooked pasta seem to be a good balance for me).

Weighing and portions are key.

When I cooked professionally in Rome, we weighed out 50g for Italians and 100g for Americans in terms of planning large buffet/group lunches (combined with options for soup and 6-7 different salad or veggie dishes).

I've found that 75g hits the spot for me.

Re: Anti-Pasta: When Italian Futurists Tried to Ban Pasta in Italy

#100
If buying (hard) pasta in the US make sure to look at the ingredients on the package and only buy pasta that lists only two ingredients: semolina and water.

Not sure why so many other ingredients are added here. The pasta with only semolina and water tastes much better.

Also make sure to cook it al dente, not al mush: https://www.simongriffee.com/pastaclock/

Post reply on HN