I have submitted a book review, now published on Amazon.com at
http://www.amazon.com/Geometry-Pasta-Caz-Hildebrand/product-reviews/1594744955/ref=cm_cr_pr_link_1?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
In case that link does not work for you, the text of my review is:
How very sad that this book, despite being published in Italy, is
almost entirely devoid of metric units of measurement. Even the basic
recipe for pasta screams from this brutal excision. The author touts "3
1/2 ounces" of pasta per person as a main course. That of course is 100
g and relates directly to the old Italian rule of thumb "un etto
[ettogrammo] per uomo". Then the recipe for that calls for "3 1/2
ounces, or 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons semola, with 3 tablespoons
water". An Italian would just weigh out the semola in grams and then add
45 mL of water, if forced not to "eyeball" it.
Where I did see metric measurement units in use was in the description
of the pasta sizes -- but only in part. For example, the specifications
for ditali are given as "Diameter: 0.24 in / Length: 0.28 in / Wall
thickness: 1 mm". Spaghettini is specified as "Length: 10.4 in /
Diameter: 1.5 mm". Why the mixed units?
One can tolerate the use of non-metric units for the sake of those few
who are metric-disabled, but the recipes ought to include proper metric
measures!
What a shame for this book to have come so far and yet to have just
missed the mark.
Jim
--
James R. Frysinger
632 Stony Point Mountain Road
Doyle, TN 38559-3030
(C) 931.212.0267
(H) 931.657.3107
(F) 931.657.3108
