Spoon Rests! What A Totally Superflous Kitchen Item!

[icyfroth]

I often see them in the op shops and think pffft, what a useless item. As if you couldn't use a saucer or whatever you have at hand while you're cooking. Making bolognese tonight I just rested the spoon on the side of the can.

[*crikey*mate*]

LOL, do whatever you are comfortable with

just remember you don't need to add oil in quantities that will make the US jealous.

I use fresh pasta

rice will always need oil though, if for nothing else than to stop the raft effect.

Very few people would wash their rice before cooking until the water runs clear

BUT to wash rice, place in a chinois under running cold water. rest the point in the drain hole so that the offrun water can escape easily and the water level doesn't rise in the sink immersing the rice into dirty water. Mix it around too as the water runs through, but don't scrape into the very point of the strainer. At first the water will be milky/cloudy, but eventually it will run clear, then scoop out all but the bottom bit at the point of the cone (you will see that this little bit of rice will be a different colour to the rest as all the imopurities etc have gone to the bottom and those that couldn't escape, will be caught there.

For even better results, repeat the above process (after cleaning out the chinois first. If you don't have a chinois, a drum seive will work almost as well, but it is a bit more clumbsy and awkward in most home kitchen sinks.

Think of salt like a magnifying glass for flavour. Salt draws out the flavours of food.

Sounds like your night was good Deb, any left overs?

[j*oono]

Great idea Laney.  Does it add that smokey flavour?

[cherry*135]

No oil or salt in pasta here. Prefer fresh pasta.

crikey: rice will always need oil though, if for nothing else than to stop the raft effect.

Very few people would wash their rice before cooking until the water runs clear

Never hear of putting oil in rice.

I do wash rice before cooking until water runs clear... is says to do that on the packet.

[cherry*135]

The best rice I have ever tasted is Persian rice. A lady at our markets sells hot Persian dishes & rice that you can buy to take away.

Her rice is light, nonsticky (basmati I think) and is just perfect... I am not really a rice lover, but I like that a lot. There is a bit of saffron in it.

I might ask her one day, if she puts oil in the rice.

[mtnlane]

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@j*oono wrote:

Great idea Laney.  Does it add that smokey flavour?

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hahahaha j*oono - nooooooooooo

I have graduated to bigger ashtrays so that one was pensioned off long ago as an ashtray 

[j*oono]

I love Basmati and also Jasmine rice.  I am a bad bad bad rice cooker.

I don't wash it, I just rapid boil it for 10 minutes (no oil) and then drain it in the colander and poor boiling water over it to wash the starch away. Perfect every time 😄

[amber-eyed-girl]

Cannot see any references to sauce invading pasta...but it needs to stay in harmony with the pasta and not be repelled.

the worst pasta I have ever had was in a Michelin starred restaurant.

gluggy pasta, cold gluggy sauce with off cream and tinned mushrooms.

was looking at spoon rests today, there are some funny shaped ones.

[*crikey*mate*]

I hope that you never have to upgrade to bigger pet bowls!

[debra9275]

I like your T&G cornish ware ( as well as your ashtray) Laney lol

Haha at the smoky flavor Joono

Am I love saffron rice

[mtnlane]

Nah - whilst the current ones are the biggest we could get, they don't have the ciggy rest spots and would be useless as spoon rests as the spoons would not stay put 

We do use empty jam jars as wine glasses at our really up-market dinner parties though - the Vegemite jars are always very popular but  be warned, we have been told the ridges around the tops are no good for guests who dribble 

They would be no good as spoon rests either though