I have one, too, from Sears, had it for years, use it now and again. Let's be fair about this. we all have different levels of cooking experience, and some feel far safer using the special pot, holding up the insert to drain, rather than taking a pot full of pasta and boiling water to the sink and pouring the contents in a strainer. some are afraid of getting burned, and safety is the name of the game. remember, more than one way to get to Robinhood's barn! smiles. I really do enjoy mine.
Fear is just excitement in need of an attitude adjustment! -----Original Message----- From: Cookinginthedark [mailto:cookinginthedark-boun...@acbradio.org] On Behalf Of Penny Reeder via Cookinginthedark Sent: Friday, January 23, 2015 8:10 PM To: cookinginthedark@acbradio.org; Alex Hall Subject: Re: [CnD] spaghetti questions Hi Alex and others, My pasta pot is one of the best investments I ever made. It's great for pasta - also for shrimp boils (with shrimp, potatoes & corn all cooked together in the same pot, and for innumerable other large cooking tasks, and it's so much safer to lift the colander out of the pot, let it drain back into the pot and then pour the pasta into a waiting bowl than to try to do this over the sink! I got mine many years ago at Costco, and I'm pretty sure that Dale sells them at Blind Mice Mart. Penny On 1/23/15, Alex Hall via Cookinginthedark <cookinginthedark@acbradio.org> wrote: > Getting the pasta into the strainer has always been a challenge for > me. An insert that I can just lift up and that would already have my > pasta, but let the water drain, actually sounds like a really handy > thing for me. This might not be what you're talking about, but if it > is, I can actually see a use for it. If you have tips on not getting > noodles outside your colander, please share them. As I said, I've always had trouble with that. >> On Jan 23, 2015, at 8:39 PM, brenda mueller via Cookinginthedark >> <cookinginthedark@acbradio.org> wrote: >> >> Look, guys, >> >> You don't need all this fancy stuff. You just bring the water to a >> boil, drop the broken up spaghetti in the pan, and test it with a >> fork. Now while you're waiting, get out your strainer. When the >> spaghetti is the right consistency, put it in your strainer, How do >> you know when it's right? You catch a spaghetti with a fork and taste >> it, of course. and go from there. It shouldn't take much more than >> five minutes or so for cooking. Pasta pot? give me a break. I >> haven't waisted my time buying one. >> Brenda Mueller >> >> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: Paula and James Muysenberg via >> Cookinginthedark<cookinginthedark@acbradio.org >>> To: cookinginthedark@acbradio.org, Nicole Massey >> <ny...@gypsyheir.com >>> Date sent: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 09:43:18 -0600 >>> Subject: Re: [CnD] spaghetti questions >> >>> Hi, all, >> >>> My name is Paula. I just joined yesterday, and am looking >> forward >>> to learning from everyone. I've already gleaned some great tips >> on >>> cooking spaghetti from y'all, even though I've been preparing it >> for years. >> >>> I want to mention to Leslie, that if you have difficulty >> cutting up >>> cooked spaghetti, as I do, you can break up the pasta before you >> cook >>> it. I get a few spaghetti noodles in my hands, hold them over a >> bowl or >>> plate, and break them into two or three pieces. You can do this >> while >>> your water is heating. It doesn't take long, even if you're >> making a lot >>> of pasta, because you can break up severl at once. >> >>> Paula >> >>> On 1/22/2015 9:09 AM, Nicole Massey via Cookinginthedark wrote: >>>> I was told by the ex-boyfriend of a friend of mine, who was >> wrong in just about everything else, that to measure spaghetti in >> terms of number of people you grab a bunch of spaghetti in your >> dominant hand, with your thumb and index finger circling the pasta. >> If the ring puts your fingernail at the first joint of your thumb >> that's pasta for one, the second joint is pasta for two, and the end >> of your thumb is pasta for three. I've found this works well. Some >> may say that this varies depending on how big your hands are, but the >> assumption is that the smaller the hands the smaller the appetite, so >> you may want to vary it a bit, deciding if you want a loose or tight hold on the pasta. >>>> The pasta pot uses less water than you think it does, so trend >> your water level down a bit. Don't put oil in the water, as it'll >> prevent the sauce from sticking to your pasta, and don't salt the >> water until it's boiling or it'll take longer to reach a boil. >>>> Sauce is a matter of preference, and it depends on if you want >> the spaghetti drenched in sauce or if it's just a flavoring element, >> and also on how much other stuff you choose to put in it, like >> chopped up vegetables. I find that three or three and a half minutes >> in the microwave is often enough to heat sauce, so unless you're >> going for presentation you can heat it in the bowls you're going to serve in. >>>> And of course, YMMV, as in all things cooking. >> >>>>> -----Original Message----- >>>>> From: Cookinginthedark >> [mailto:cookinginthedark-boun...@acbradio.org] >>>>> On Behalf Of Holly Anderson via Cookinginthedark >>>>> Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2015 8:49 AM >>>>> To: cookinginthedark@acbradio.org >>>>> Subject: [CnD] spaghetti questions >> >>>>> Hi all. Today Iâ EURO (tm)m going to attempt something Iâ EURO >>>>> (tm)ve never >> done before, >>>>> spaghetti. I know its kind of sad. Iâ EURO (tm)m making spaghetti >>>>> for 2 >> people. >>>>> I have a spaghetti cooker, it has a section with holes inside a >> pot >>>>> that the spaghetti goes in. So when I lift the section with the >> holes >>>>> out of the pot the water will drain from the spaghetti. My >> questions >>>>> are: >>>>> 1. How long do I cook he noodles? >>>>> 2. This one is probably depending on how much we eat. but Iâ EURO >>>>> (tm)m >> not sure >>>>> how much to make for 2 people. >>>>> 3. I have a jar of meat sauce, do I just put it in a pot not he >> stove >>>>> and simmer, how long do I cook the sauce, and how much sauce for >> 2 >>>>> people. >> >>>>> I know these questions seem basic, but Iâ EURO (tm)m new to all this. >> And it >>>>> might just be a trial and error type thing, but Iâ EURO (tm)m kind >>>>> of >> nervous. >>>>> Any help would be really appreciated. >> >>>>> Thanks. >>>>> Holly >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Cookinginthedark mailing list >>>>> Cookinginthedark@acbradio.org >>>>> http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Cookinginthedark mailing list >>>> Cookinginthedark@acbradio.org >>>> http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark >> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Cookinginthedark mailing list >>> Cookinginthedark@acbradio.org >>> http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark >> _______________________________________________ >> Cookinginthedark mailing list >> Cookinginthedark@acbradio.org >> http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark > > > -- > Have a great day, > Alex Hall > mehg...@icloud.com > > _______________________________________________ > Cookinginthedark mailing list > Cookinginthedark@acbradio.org > http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark > _______________________________________________ Cookinginthedark mailing list Cookinginthedark@acbradio.org http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark _______________________________________________ Cookinginthedark mailing list Cookinginthedark@acbradio.org http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark