Mitchell, I love hearing about your new kitchen, your new life, and the ease with which you (apparently) have settled into it. On the pasta front, however, I'd like to make a respectful suggestion: You seem to me to be stinting on the semolina (aka semola rimacinata) with these hand-made southern pastas, and I get the impression that you don't quite understand its role. In Bari, those old (or not so old) ladies who line the streets of the town to make orecchiette every morning, are probably using nothing but semolina in the dough. This is historically what's done in the south and there's a reason. Semolina is made from hard durum wheat (Triticum durum) which grows well in the hot, dry climate of Puglia. Northern pasta, on the other hand, is made with softer T. aestivum, which we call bread wheat (this in itself is a source of confusion). It prefers the more European (as they say) climate of northern Italy. This is what our all-purpose flour is made from and it requires an egg (or 2 or 10) to give it the elasticity and tensity that's needed for freshly made pasta. The good folks at King Arthur (how lucky you are to live so close by) also produce both coarse and fine-ground durum, as I'm sure you know. Now that you've determined to make more pasta in your new digs, try making some Pugliese style with nothing but durum. And take the time too to make a fine Pugliese style bread with all-durum dough.
Just as a side, and I'm sure you know this too but perhaps your readers don't, Italian law requires all commercially made dried pasta to be made with durum and even though (ssshhh) most of the durum is imported from Canada (which is why it's called Manitoba in Italy), I still think it makes a much tastier dried pasta than most pasta produced elsewhere. And probably better for you too!
Apologies for all the parenthetical expressions--it is my wont. And continued good luck to you & Dr. Nate.
Thanks for the correction and additional information. I hope everyone who gets the newsletter will see this comment. Indeed it’s something I knew and should have remembered. I have made many of these “water pastas” (makes me think of water challahs) with only semolina. I’ll note that not just the texture but also the flavor of some of the more precious, stoneground durum wheats from Italy is remarkable. The smell of them cooking in the water, all wheaty, rich, and almost sweet, sends me. Alas, you can do it with less and without, as well. Ask Nate! (KA flour happens to be higher than many in gluten.) At the moment I have a “semolina” Anson Mills grinds from Emmer wheat. It has all the right flavor but not enough protein to make the dough. I always appreciate learning from your vast knowledge and experience, as I’ve done for decades!
Mitchell, I love hearing about your new kitchen, your new life, and the ease with which you (apparently) have settled into it. On the pasta front, however, I'd like to make a respectful suggestion: You seem to me to be stinting on the semolina (aka semola rimacinata) with these hand-made southern pastas, and I get the impression that you don't quite understand its role. In Bari, those old (or not so old) ladies who line the streets of the town to make orecchiette every morning, are probably using nothing but semolina in the dough. This is historically what's done in the south and there's a reason. Semolina is made from hard durum wheat (Triticum durum) which grows well in the hot, dry climate of Puglia. Northern pasta, on the other hand, is made with softer T. aestivum, which we call bread wheat (this in itself is a source of confusion). It prefers the more European (as they say) climate of northern Italy. This is what our all-purpose flour is made from and it requires an egg (or 2 or 10) to give it the elasticity and tensity that's needed for freshly made pasta. The good folks at King Arthur (how lucky you are to live so close by) also produce both coarse and fine-ground durum, as I'm sure you know. Now that you've determined to make more pasta in your new digs, try making some Pugliese style with nothing but durum. And take the time too to make a fine Pugliese style bread with all-durum dough.
Just as a side, and I'm sure you know this too but perhaps your readers don't, Italian law requires all commercially made dried pasta to be made with durum and even though (ssshhh) most of the durum is imported from Canada (which is why it's called Manitoba in Italy), I still think it makes a much tastier dried pasta than most pasta produced elsewhere. And probably better for you too!
Apologies for all the parenthetical expressions--it is my wont. And continued good luck to you & Dr. Nate.
Thanks for the correction and additional information. I hope everyone who gets the newsletter will see this comment. Indeed it’s something I knew and should have remembered. I have made many of these “water pastas” (makes me think of water challahs) with only semolina. I’ll note that not just the texture but also the flavor of some of the more precious, stoneground durum wheats from Italy is remarkable. The smell of them cooking in the water, all wheaty, rich, and almost sweet, sends me. Alas, you can do it with less and without, as well. Ask Nate! (KA flour happens to be higher than many in gluten.) At the moment I have a “semolina” Anson Mills grinds from Emmer wheat. It has all the right flavor but not enough protein to make the dough. I always appreciate learning from your vast knowledge and experience, as I’ve done for decades!
that flush you see on the eastern horizon is me blushing at the compliment!