Trying to squeak in a quick post so that I don’t go a whole month without one…which you know means you’re in for a literary masterpiece. AND, I have to get it done during the short window I have while the baby is sleeping – I’m pretty sure that’s how all the great novels are written.
The other day I was making (by “making” I mean opening the box and dumping it into water) pasta and because I’m a dork with no memory, I always check the directions, but I never noticed this until now:
I realize “to taste” means more “to your liking” or “however much you want,” but I just don’t think “to taste” is the wisest direction to use in conjunction with boiling water.
And at the grocery store, because these are the kinds of things that are important to me, I checked some other brands and they said the same thing.
In a world where IKEA specifies that you NOT put babies inside storage bins, you’d think that the wording about tasty salty boiling water would be different. Maybe:
“Add between one grain and a coffee mug of salt,” or, “salt it like you mean it but don’t get too crazy.” I’m just throwing those out there, I’m not a pasta box directions writer. But, if you’re in charge of hiring for that position and have discovered me, I’m open to it.
I’m sorry but if you think I’m going to taste this boiling water before adding salt to it then you’re crazy. You know how bland boiling water tastes? That reminds me, my grandma use to have an excellent recipe for boiling water. I should see if my mom has it.
If you find it I would love to have it, I’m always looking for new boiling water recipes.
You make an excellent point. Those instructions also don’t account for discrepancies in taste in a household. (I spent the first few years on my marriage training my husband to accept that “to taste” didn’t mean turning the food into a salt lick.)
I’m one of those people that will eat salt plain, so maybe a salt lick would work for me.
I’ve never added salt to my pasta. I figure there’s enough of that in the sauce. Am I missing out?
Like Von, who commented below, I salt my pasta water because everyone on TV does.
I never salt. Not to taste or otherwise. Agree with Thoughtsy about the salt in the sauce. No need for salty pasta.
I want to read a box that says something creative and different. A pasta writer not afraid to think outside the box . . . of pasta. That’s what I want!
I mean, think about it, can you name one pasta cooking directions writer? There’s real opportunity there…
…amount of salt desired…as much salt as you like… See, it all gets too wordy and they would need to make bigger boxes to contain the instructions.
I do salt the cooking water for pasta. Every chef I’ve seen on tv says to do so, and they wouldn’t lead me astray over something like that. It’s a little bit of salt, not Satan’s sprinkle of sin.
That’s exactly why I salt my water, too. They even say things like, “It’s your only chance to flavor your pasta,” and I’m not sure exactly what that means, but I don’t want to miss out.
That’s what’s wrong with you kids today.
Why, when I was a boy, we had to walk to school in boiling water everyday.
Barefoot!
Uphill!
Both ways!
If only we’d had the luxury of salt, but that was reserved for the rich kids with those newfangled “al-dente pasta makers”.
Darned whippersnappers.