Pasta for Beginners: Episode One

I would like to introduce you to someone. When I write this blog, I think not only of my daughter Sylvia, and her friends, but also of my friend, Gerald. Gerald is very smart about many things. He's smart about training people to communicate, he’s smart at learning to dance and most of all he’s smart about being a good friend. What Gerald is not smart about is his kitchen (although he is learning and that makes me very happy). I imagine that there are a lot of people in the world just like Gerald (and Sylvia too for that matter). So, when Gerald did me the favor of reading the bolg I had intended for today and had some questions about equipment, I decided to back up and do this in stages.

New Kitchen Primer Presents
Pasta for Beginners
Episode One: Equipment

The photo for today shows more than you need, but has all the basics.

A large pot: This one has the addition of a built-in liner with holes so that when your pasta is done, you can simply lift out the liner to drain.

A pot lid: This is not essential, but will help to get your water boiling.

A colander: If you don't have the built in liner, this is what you use to drain the cooked pasta. If you don’t have a colander, ask for one for Christmas or Hanukah or your birthday. This is a very useful thing to have in the kitchen

A large bowl: This can be used to hold the pasta after you have either drained it or scooped it out of the pot.

Oven mitts: Another kitchen essential, you will need these if you are going to take the pot of cooked pasta to the sink and your colander.

Implements: This picture shows a ‘spider’ and also a ‘pasta fork’. If you are not comfortable picking up a hot pot of water, these tools will help you scoop out the pasta from the water to the bowl. Any spoon with holes or a strainer of some sort will do the job.

Timer: Not essential, but very useful. You may have a timer built into your stove or use the one on your microwave. If you do use the microwave timer, make sure you have a bowl or cup of water in the microwave. To keep your microwave happy, never turn it on when empty.

I think that that’s enough information for one day. Stay tuned for the next and thrilling installment, Episode Two: Ingredients