Tag: ways

5 ways to waste less | The Italian kitchen – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

L’waterfall it is the primary good for us human beings, but also for the environment. How to save water it must be a behavioral thought for everyone. L’waterfall it is therefore of vital importance and is also the most abundant chemical compound on earth. The quantity present on earth is immense, estimated at around 1200 billion tonnes. Our planet, in fact, is occupied for approximately 70% from water while only 30% is occupied by emerged lands.

Water is vital: our life depends on water

Most of our body is made up of water. It is the main ingredient of the blood, of our cells and represents approximately the 65% of our body weight. Water is vital and indispensable for our health: drinking water helps keep our organs healthy and replaces the liquids we lose through breathing, sweat and digestion.
To keep fit we should drink at least a liter of water a day, that is, approximately 6-7 glasses. Water is therefore a fundamental element for life on our planet!

World Water Day 2024

The World Water Day is celebrated on March 22nd (World Water Day), an anniversary established by the United Nations in 1992 and included in the Agenda 21 directives, the result of the Rio conference. The objective of the day is to raise awareness of world institutions and public opinion on the importance of reduce water waste and to adopt behaviors aimed at combating climate change.

At a political level, attention towards the topic is very high. From March 22nd to 24th the international community gathers in the United Nations Headquarters in New York for UN 2024 Water Conferenceor the second world conference on water 45 years after the first conference, which took place in 1977 in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

With the support of UN-Water and the UNDESA secretariat and organized by Tajikistan and the Netherlands, the conference has the main aim of push political and social attention towards a global problem starting from the recognition of water as a universal human right up to the priorities of use, passing through the impacts on health and the environment. Italy will be represented by Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, minister of the environment and energy security, accompanied by technical representatives of the ministries responsible for the matter (Health, MAECI, MASAF) and of the main agencies and scientific institutions that deal with water according to the their mandate (ISPRA, ISS, AICS).

How to save water in 5 tips

Since water is therefore indispensable for us and for the Planet, let’s see how to use it starting from the small daily things at home. For example, a banal gesture to start from in the kitchen is to use less water to cook pasta.

all the ways to cook them at home – Italian Cuisine

Loved by adults and children, the chestnuts I’m typical autumn fruit to cook at home too, in many different ways. Some prefer them read, some baked. Some cook them in a pan, some in the microwave and some on the barbecue.

Warm cuddle autumnal to be enjoyed in front of the fireplace during the cold evenings typical of this time of year, roasted chestnuts are full of beneficial properties, they contain mineral salts and fiber to the point of being considered a highly energetic food.

Depending on the method with which they are cooked, the result can be a soft bite, almost creamy on the palate, as well as more floury but never intrusive. What makes the difference, however, is not only the cooking method, but also the container and the amount of heat in contact with the chestnuts.

The smokier flavour it will be given by cooking on the grill or on the fireplace, with the classic chestnut cooking pan; the sweetest one from boiling in hot water.

Warm and enveloping, roasted chestnuts can be prepared in many different ways.
Here are the most common and fast that you can also replicate at home.

1. ROASTED CHESTS

Cut the chestnuts by cutting only the peel, transfer to a perforated pan and leave to cook on a low heat, stirring frequently for 10-15 minutes. Then wrap them in a cloth for 5 minutes, this way they will have the right humidity and they will peel in an instant.

2. BOILED CHESTNUT

Rinse the chestnuts, boil for 35-40 minutes, then dry and eat by cutting them in half.

3. CHESTNUTS IN THE AIR FRYER

Blanch for 5 minutes (or leave to soak for 15 minutes), cut the peel from one end to the other without touching the fruit and leave to cook in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 200°C. When you open the basket they will have already opened.

4. MICROWAVE CHESTNUT

Leave to soak for 30 minutes. Cut the peel without touching the fruit and bake in the microwave for 5 minutes. at 800w

How to cook pasta al dente in 6 alternative ways – Italian Cuisine

Passive, express, double, bell-shaped, in a pressure cooker or as a risotto: have you ever tried these methods of cooking pasta? We explain them to you here, because they save water, gas and time

"Al dente"Is the expression it encompasses the Italian way of pasta. This type of cooking established itself in Italy after the Second World War and was definitively consolidated in 1967, when the purity law on pasta sets among the parameters of its quality theuse of only durum wheat it's a minimum level of protein. Until the first half of the twentieth century only the finest pastas were composed solely of durum wheat, the raw material that makes it more tenacious, while in the most common variants it was not uncommon to find percentages of soft wheat higher than 50%, with an evident impact on consistency and chewability.

Al dente or scotta: a question of balance between starch and gluten

Pasta is mainly made of starch (carbohydrates) e gluten (proteins). In contact with water, proteins create gluten, the "cement" that gives structure to the pasta and retains its starch. The stronger the gluten hold, the less starch will escape from the pasta during cooking. This equilibrium is what makes the difference between one held al dente it's a overcooked pasta. In fact, a small spill of starch helps the pasta to bond with the sauce, but it must not be excessive because it would make the pasta sticky.

The pasta should be thrown into theboiling water: the hotter the water, the more quickly it will be absorbed by the hydration paste. in this way the heat will reach the center of the pasta quickly and it will cook evenly.

Good to know: al dente is healthier

A pasta cooked well, al dente, is also one healthier pasta because it has a lower impact on the glycemic index and less stimulation of insulin production. Digestion becomes slower, as does the absorption of the glucose that makes up the starch: the result is a lower glycemic index.

Pasta al dente: 6 alternative cooking methods

According to a Doxa research for the pasta makers of the Italian Food Union, in 2020 1 out of 3 Italians (32%) experimented with new methods of cooking pasta, including taste, savings and environmental sustainability. Are you wondering what they are? Here you are!

1. Passive cooking

Passive cooking of pasta works like this: we throw the pasta into boiling water and let's cook it for 2 minutes from the resumption of boiling, so we turn off fire. We cover and leave the pasta to cook passively in water, without heat loss, for the remaining minutes according to the cooking times indicated on the package.

2. Express cooking

For those who love almost “raw” pasta, this is the ideal cooking method. The pasta is boiled but drained one or two minutes before cooking time indicated on the package. The cooking is then completed in the pan together with the seasoning.

Smoked tea penne with salmon and vodka

3. Risotto pasta

Have you ever tried to do the risotto pasta? Proceed as with a risotto, pouring the pasta and the sauce into a single pan and adding the water little by little while cooking. In this way the flavor of the ingredients that season our dish is enhanced because it is released more starch which makes the condiments more enveloping. However, three precautions are needed: the cooking liquid must be added little by little and always boiling to keep the temperature constant; the dough must be stirred continuously to facilitate the release of the starch necessary to form the cream; thicker pasta shapes should be pre-cooked in boiling water for half the required cooking time. This cooking method is suitable for pasta with not too full-bodied sauces, which would require different cooking times, such as pasta with garlic, oil and chilli or pasta with clams.

4. Double firing

It involves cooking in two different moments. About two or three hours before we sit down at the table, we cook the pasta for half of the indicated time. Then we drain the pasta in a pan with a drizzle of oil, let it cool (preferably in a blast chiller) and we put it away in the fridge covering the pan with a film. When we have to serve the pasta, pour it for a minute (or a half) in boiling water, season and bring to the table.

5. Bell cooking

For the bell cooking proceed as follows: at two thirds of the cooking time, the pasta must be drained well, transferred to a salad bowl and sealed with cling film. The film will swell "like a bell" and cooking will be completed dry. In this way, the pasta will remain intact, good and al dente even for the next day. The only trick: prefer small and short formats.

6. In a pressure cooker

Have you ever thought about cooking pasta in the pressure cooker? The ingredients are all put in a pot, with 100 ml of water instead of the canonical liter for 100 grams of pasta. It takes about 11 minutes from the start of cooking. Try it: you will use less water, less gas, an eighth of the salt you normally need and a pot instead of two (which are also to be washed).

Gordon Ramsay Recipes