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How to Ramen-ize Dried Pasta and Rice

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Re: How to Ramen-ize Dried Pasta and Rice

#41

Post by logfromblammo »

carlob wrote: post #31
SixSigma wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How does the end result compare to forking over the extra $ for fresh pasta rather than dried? Why not just make your own fresh pasta, it's not that hard! I have an attachment for my food mixer - so all I have to do is put my dry flour in the mixing bowl until the gluten is developed and then feed it through the pasta rollers. $200 gets you a dedicated machine http://www.pasta-recipes-made-easy.com/electric-pasta-m…

Don't waste your money on electric and get the $60 manual thing. http://www.amazon.com/CucinaPro-150-Imperia-Pasta-Machine/dp...

A word of warning, though--that pasta roller will be nearly useless to you unless you have a very heavy table or countertops with a right-angle edge. If you have a rounded edge, you can't clamp it down properly, and won't be able to turn the crank.

When we use ours, it has to be clamped to a wooden TV-tray table, and I have to hold it down with my legs as I crank, because both hands are occupied with the pasta, and the table is too light to keep the work surface from bouncing around.

If you have no suitable surfaces in your home, get the freakin' electric roller.

Re: How to Ramen-ize Dried Pasta and Rice

#42

Post by dagw »

ecmendenhall wrote: post #32

The Harold McGee article linked on the right mentions that the alkaline ingredients in ramen noodles are slightly different from baking soda: > As for the particular alkaline ingredients that are added to noodles, Chinese and Asian alkaline noodles, in general, contain potassium and sodium carbonate, which are not the sort of things that we usually have lying around in our kitchens. They’re carbonate salts of those m…

My local Asian supermarket sells the alkaline McGee is talking about as "lye water". Check if yours does as well. A lot easier to just buy a bottle rather then screwing around with baking soda in the oven.

Re: How to Ramen-ize Dried Pasta and Rice

#43

Post by ceejayoz »

tptacek wrote: post #37
Steuard wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, I'm not sure that I get the value here. Is it just the ability to do some of the prep in advance? Why is (2hrs + 4min) better than (10min)? When I'm cooking a meal, getting the pasta done is rarely the limiting factor on any axis: it's dead simple, predictably timed, and requires very little attention beyond an occasional stir. If you're looking for a different taste or texture and this is a way to achieve…

Yes. It moves and splits the prep, so that the longest part of it is doable far in advance. It removes a timing element from the the finishing of the dish, too; it user-proofs the pasta. Pasta timing is predictable, but requires actual attention to be paid to that timing. It's particularly useful for risotto, or for dishes like baked mac & cheese where rehydration in boiling water will overcook the pasta. What's part…

What? You've removed 4-6 minutes from the "longest part" (which is likely eaten up by setting up the soak, draining it, and washing the soaking container) and your technique still requires timing the pasta.

Re: How to Ramen-ize Dried Pasta and Rice

#44

Post by ramses0 »

ceejayoz wrote: post #43
tptacek wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. It moves and splits the prep, so that the longest part of it is doable far in advance. It removes a timing element from the the finishing of the dish, too; it user-proofs the pasta. Pasta timing is predictable, but requires actual attention to be paid to that timing. It's particularly useful for risotto, or for dishes like baked mac & cheese where rehydration in boiling water will overcook the pasta. What's part…

What? You've removed 4-6 minutes from the "longest part" (which is likely eaten up by setting up the soak, draining it, and washing the soaking container) and your technique still requires timing the pasta.

I will try using this technique next time I make carbonara.

Carbonara is simple: cook bacon, reserve grease, pour in hot pasta + cheese + milk + egg.

If I'm on the ball, I can cook and crumble the bacon a day in advance, but then the full pasta boil is easily the longest part of the process.

If I have the bacon already prepped and can reduce the "bring-to-boil + wait ten minutes", it's actually a very nice time savings for me when having a dinner party.

Re: How to Ramen-ize Dried Pasta and Rice

#45

Post by [deleted] »

aidenn0 wrote: post #35
archagon wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you sure about that? When I visited Italy, it seemed that pretty much all pasta was fresh pasta. You could find it in practically every store. Every restaurant served pasta that was fresh and eggy. I'm skeptical that a technique requiring dry pasta would be so widespread in a country that loves its fresh pasta so very much. Also, my feeling is that the definition of "al dente" is a little nebulous. I've seen it u…

Going by etymology, I would guess it means the former, as "al dente" comes from "Of the tooth"

[deleted]

Re: How to Ramen-ize Dried Pasta and Rice

#46

Post by surement »

archagon wrote: post #34
surement wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How does the end result compare to forking over the extra $ for fresh pasta rather than dried? Fresh pasta is not better than dried pasta, just different. You can't get an al dente texture with fresh pasta, for example.

Are you sure about that? When I visited Italy, it seemed that pretty much all pasta was fresh pasta. You could find it in practically every store. Every restaurant served pasta that was fresh and eggy. I'm skeptical that a technique requiring dry pasta would be so widespread in a country that loves its fresh pasta so very much. Also, my feeling is that the definition of "al dente" is a little nebulous. I've seen it u…

Some people just find al dente to be more pleasant for certain pasta shapes than the soft texture of fresh pasta.

Finishing the pasta in the sauce is always a good idea when it's possible, but you'd still aim for an al dente final texture (e.g. put it into the sauce when it's about a minute away from being al dente).

Re: How to Ramen-ize Dried Pasta and Rice

#47

Post by dragonwriter »

surement wrote: post #25
ZoFreX wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you tried this yet? How does the end result compare to forking over the extra $ for fresh pasta rather than dried? Between this tip and the baking pasta one, my girlfriend is going to look at me very oddly next time I cook pasta.

> How does the end result compare to forking over the extra $ for fresh pasta rather than dried? Fresh pasta is not better than dried pasta, just different. You can't get an al dente texture with fresh pasta, for example.

> Fresh pasta is not better than dried pasta, just different.

That's true in the trivial sense that "better" is subjective, so nothing is inherently better than anything else.

OTOH, plenty of people do find fresh pasta better than, and not merely different than, dried pasta.

> You can't get an al dente texture with fresh pasta, for example.

Untrue. Al dente texture can be achieved with fresh or dried hard-wheat pasta; you can't get it with soft-wheat pasta, and soft-wheat pasta is easier to work by hand, and is for that reason increasingly popular as fresh pasta -- but you can make fresh hard-wheat pasta, and it used to be more common than it is now among fresh pastas, and you absolutely can make such pasta al dente.

Re: How to Ramen-ize Dried Pasta and Rice

#48

Post by jtheory »

dunham wrote: post #5

The Ideas in Food guys later played with freezing individual portions these ramenized noodles (which I've been meaning to try for an easy work lunch, but haven't gotten around to yet). http://blog.ideasinfood.com/ideas_in_food/2014/12/ramen-on-d...

Warning, not all noodles freeze well.

Lasagne freezes well (in my experience) but we once tried freezing fresh Asian noodles, and they were mushy and inedible when thawed -- I'm guessing the water content was sufficiently high that the ice crystals tore them up inside.

Re: How to Ramen-ize Dried Pasta and Rice

#49

Post by weeksie »

tptacek wrote: post #2

To me, this feels like part of a cooking change we'll remember in 20 years. We were all taught to cook dry pasta in a giant pot full of boiling salted water, the more water the better. No! Not optimal! A trivially simple change fundamentally alters the process for the better: soak the pasta in cold water for a couple hours (as far in advance as you like, for convenience). The pasta rehydrates and takes on the texture…

I don't think this article is about regular pasta (e.g. for use in Italian dishes), I think it's specifically meant for ramen noodles, hence the added baking soda to make the water alkaline. There isn't any real advantage in adding so much to your prep time otherwise.

Besides, if you're cooking Italian pasta just get the fresh stuff, it'll take 4 minutes to cook and it'll taste better anyway.

Re: How to Ramen-ize Dried Pasta and Rice

#50

Post by lultimouomo »

archagon wrote: post #34
surement wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How does the end result compare to forking over the extra $ for fresh pasta rather than dried? Fresh pasta is not better than dried pasta, just different. You can't get an al dente texture with fresh pasta, for example.

Are you sure about that? When I visited Italy, it seemed that pretty much all pasta was fresh pasta. You could find it in practically every store. Every restaurant served pasta that was fresh and eggy. I'm skeptical that a technique requiring dry pasta would be so widespread in a country that loves its fresh pasta so very much. Also, my feeling is that the definition of "al dente" is a little nebulous. I've seen it u…

"Al dente" is the equivalent of rare, there's no ambiguity to it in Italian.

We mainly eat dried pasta; it could be that fresh pasta is overrepresented in restaurants, though.

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