Posted on 01/09/2023 2:43:19 PM PST by nickcarraway
Whose side are you on?
Giorgio Parisi, an Italian theoretical physicist and professor at Sapienza University, has studied some of the universe’s most complex problems. He even won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics for his “discovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems.” He also happens to be an enthusiastic amateur chef who enjoys the “theoretical and experimental part” of meal prep.
So when Parisi explained a more energy-efficient method of cooking pasta on his Facebook page, he may have thought it was just another interesting observation about the world. Instead, Parisi launched a country-wide controversy and found himself being criticized by some of Italy’s top chefs.
This all started when Parisi suggested that we should turn the burner off after adding pasta to a pot of boiling water. “After bringing the water to a boil, just throw in the pasta and wait two minutes,” he explained. “Then you can turn off the gas, put the lid on and calculate one minute longer than the indicated cooking time.”
This method, he said, saves “at least eight minutes of energy consumption” — and those minutes add up. According to Forbes, the average Italian eats over 50 pounds of pasta every year, and the average person could save around $6 in energy costs annually. Country-wide, that equates to a savings of approximately $47.6 million and 350 million kilowatt hours (kWh) every year. Parisi’s cooking method also reduces each individual’s carbon emissions by about 13.3 kg annually.
Despite the potential economic and environmental benefits of Parisi’s pasta-prep style, it wasn’t exactly well-received. Antonello Colonna, whose Labico, Italy restaurant has received one Michelin star, told La Repubblica that this method will just result in a pot of rubbery pasta. “I remember it well when at my parent’s house, the gas cylinder went out just as the spaghetti was cooking, and when that happened, [we] were in trouble because the consistency of the product was now compromised,” he said.
Chef Luigi Pomata added that “it would be a disaster” to turn the heat off as pasta cooks. “Let’s leave cooking to chefs while physicists do experiments in their lab.”
Last week, David Fairhurst, a lecturer at Nottingham Trent University’s School of Science & Technology, took Parisi’s ideas even further and determined that the most energy-efficient way to cook dried pasta starts by pre-soaking the pasta in cold water for two hours, then halve the recommended amount of water and gently simmer the pasta instead of bringing it to a rolling boil, keeping a lid on the pot as it cooks.
As Fairhurst wrote, “We aren’t all Michelin-starred chefs or Nobel Prize-winning physicists, but we can all make a difference in the way we cook to reduce energy bills while still producing great-tasting food.” Now it’s up to you which side of the argument you’re on.
“boiled eggs turn out better that way too.”
They do!
Figure a way to get pasta on the table a minute faster and you'd have something. A minute later? ... meh ....
It’s either made from Kale or Crickets. Maybe both! ;)
Could be true. But when have you ever met an average Italian?
1. Cook pasta, not make it. Article has it right, headline doesn’t.
2. His motives (green lunacy) make his objectivity suspect.
Still, if it works, it works.
Chefs are probably right that it’s different. Many people though might think “good enough.”
“I I thought he was going to say: “add ground insect powder to the semolina.”“
Yes. I thought it was about making pasta too.
As for your thought, don’t give them any ideas. It sounds like something they would say to do.
Loved that arrabiatta spaghetti sauce from Trader Joe’s to bad it was discontinued.
At 8 servings per pound of dry pasta, that’s 400 servings per year or more than one per day.
I always thought Spaghettification was a meraphor. (it descrives how matter gets long and thin as it approaches a black hole.)
Bugsolutely!
(Eewww…)
Good one. It depends on the pasta. Italiaeners are used to fresh pasta which is super easy to cook. The stuff in the store needs to be cooked thoroughly. Normally I use my sense of smell to determine when it is done and normally I boil it at least 2 minutes longer than the package says!
Their is a similar shortcut to making hard-boiled egg. But I have been unable to get anyone to follow my example.
OH!! The humanity! 😭
I always turn the burner off about 3-4 minutes before it’s done. I also scoop out about 2 large coffee-cups worth of water to add back after straining it (pasta will continue to cook and absorb water after you strain it, so this keeps it moist). How much water I add back depends on the kind of sauce, mostly.
I steam my hard-boiled eggs. Boil about an inch of water, lower the eggs in a strainer, cover, let steam about 15-17 minutes.
I guess a double boiler would work?
Perfect
This is nothing new.
The only thing new is highlighting it to support the carbon BS.
Richard Hayden: No. My pasta-maker is easy to operate, because the directions are easy to follow.
Janet Miles: Well, we’ve heard that before: you buy an appliance with easy-to-follow directions, and you get it home, and you need a Ph.D to figure it out. Usually, this “easy direction” stuff is a big lie.. like the Holocaust! [ the phones ring wild, and the bulbs light up on the map ] Now, are your directions really easy to follow? Or is it just another Holocaust-type scam?
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