The Types Of Pasta

The Types Of Pasta Delicious, healthy, quick to cook and, above all, economical pasta really is the ultimate convenience food. Whether simply tossed with a sauce, fresh vegetables or salad ingredients, or combined as a dish and baked in the oven, pasta can be used as the base of countless fabulous meals. And because there are so many different types of pasta fresh or dried, long or short, stuffed or flat and so many ways of combining them, from the ultra-simple to the impressively sophisticated, there really is a pasta dish for every occasion. Of the many, many different types of pasta available, they can be divided into four main categories: long, short, flat and stuffed. In turn, these many be fresh or dried, with wholemeal varieties available in some shapes, and made of durum wheat flour and water, or with additional egg. They may also be coloured and flavoured with spinach (green), tomato (red), beetroot (pink), saffron (yellow), squid ink (black) and herbs. Fresh pasta is delicious, although not necessarily better than dried pasta and many Italians will choose dried pasta over fresh for specific dishes. As a rule of thumb, buy the best pasta you can afford, as it will make all the difference to the final flavour and texture of the dish. LONG PASTA Most types of long pasta are sold dried, and some are also available fresh. They vary in length and may be sold in straight lengths, pressed into waves or coiled into nests. They are usually made from plain durum wheat. Those made with delicate egg pasta are usually sold coiled into nests. Most long pastas suit smooth, creamy and clinging sauces. Common varieties include: à ¢-  Bucatini Resembling thick spaghetti, each strand is hollow. There is a thicker version known as bucatoni. à ¢-  Capelli dangelo Also called angel hair pasta, this very long, thin pasta is like delicate vermicelli and is sold in nests. It is usually served with sauce, or in soup. Figure 2.2 Capelli dangelo à ¢-  Fettuccine Long, flat ribbons sold in nests. It may be plain, with egg or with spinach. It can be used interchangeably with tagliatelle. Figure 2.3 Fettuccine à ¢-  Linguine Resembling thin, flat spaghetti and used in the same way. Figure 2.4 Linguine à ¢-  Pappardelle Broad, flat noodles, often with a wavy edge. It often made with egg pasta and is tranditionally served with meat and game sauces. Figure 2.5 Pappardelle à ¢-  Spaghetti Probably the best known of all long pastas, these long, thin strings are good with ant sauce. Spaghettini has thinner strands. Figure 2.6 Spaghetti à ¢-  Tagliatelle Flat ribbon noodles sold in nests. It may be plain or with egg or spinach. Figure 2.7 Tagliatelle à ¢-  Vermicelli Fine pasta strands, sold coiled into nests. It may be plain or with egg and is good with light sauces. Figure 2.8 Vermicelli SHORT PASTA There are even more varieties of short pasta than there are long. They are widely available fresh and dried and may be plain, with egg, or flavorued and coloured. They are favoured by many for their versatility suiting most sauces and being great in salads and baked dishes. Common varieties include: à ¢-  Conchiglie Shell-shaped and available in many different sizes from large ones for stuffing, medium ones for tossing with sauce and tiny ones for soup. Figure 3.1 Conchiglie à ¢-  Farfalle Little pasta bows, plain or flavoured with spinach or tomato. Figure 3.2 Farfalle à ¢-  Fiorelli Pretty pasta tubes with a lacy edge. Figure 3.3 Fiorelli à ¢-  Fusilli Spirals resembling tight springs, formed by wrapping dough around a thin rod. Figure 3.4 Fusilli à ¢-  Macaroni Thick, slightly curved tubes of pasta. It is particularly popular served with thick, creamy sauces and in baked dishes. Figure 3.5 Macaroni à ¢-  Pastina Tiny pasta shapes for soup. They come in a fabulous array of shapes for soup. They come in a fabulous array of shapes including stars, letters, tubes, shells, bows, rings and squares. Larger ones are good for chunky soups such as minestrone, while the tiniest are ideal for light broths. Figure 3.6 Pastina à ¢-  Penne Tubular pasta shapes with angled ends, resembling a quill. Figure 3.7 Penne à ¢-  Rigatoni Ridged, chunky tubes used in the same way as macaroni. Figure 3.8 Rigatoni à ¢-  Rotelle Shaped like tiny cartwheels, these are very popular with children. Figure 3.9 Rotelle FLAT PASTA There are many flat pasta ribbons (see long pasta, above), but there is really only one type of flat pasta sheet. à ¢-  Lasagne Usually plain or flavoured with spinach, and available dried or fresh. The most commonly available varieties require no pre-cooking. The flat or ridged sheets may be layered with sauce and baked to make classic lasagna, or cooked then rolled around a filling and baked to make cannelloni. Figure 4 Lasagne STUFFED PASTA Usually available fresh, but also dried, stuffed pasta is good served simply, tossed with butter or oil, or with smooth sauces. Common varieties include: à ¢-  Cannelloni Dried pasta tubes for stuffing yourself, then covering in sauce and baking. Figure 5.1 Cannelloni à ¢-  Cappelletti Little hat-shaped pasta shapes made from a square of pasta dough that has been filled, folded into a triangle, and the ends wrapped round to make a brim. Traditionally eaten at Christmas in broth, but also good tossed with butter or sauce. Figure 5.2 Cappelletti à ¢-  Ravioli Usually square, these stuffed cushions of pasta may be large or small. Fillings may vary, to, with meat, fish, shellfish, cheese and vegetables all being popular. Figure 5.3 Ravioli à ¢-  Tortellini Similar to cappelletti in appearance, although larger and made with dough rounds rather than squares. Like ravioli, fillings are many and varied. Figure 5.4 Tortellini COOKING PASTA Pasta, whether fresh or dried, is incredibly simple to cook as long as you follow there simple rules. 1. Always use a big pan with plenty of water. The pasta needs enough room to cook without sticking together. Allow about 5 litres of water for every 500g of pasta. If youre cooking less pasta, you should still use at least 2.75 litres of water. 2. Add enough salt to the water: pasta cooked in unsalted water will give tasteless results. Allow 1 2 tablespoons of salt for every 500g of pasta. *Dont worry if this sounds like a lot of salt; most of it will be thrown away with the cooking water. 3. Add a little oil to the water to prevent the pasta sticking together. In the case of lasagna sheets, up to a tablespoonful of oil may be needed. Bring the cooking water to a fast rolling boil before adding the pasta otherwise the pasta can become stodgy. 4. Add the pasta in one go so that it all has the same cooking time. Long pasta such as spaghetti should be placed in the boiling water, then gently pressed into the water as it softens to ensure even cooking. 5. Give the pasta a quick stir to prevent it sticking together, then quickly return the water to a roiling boil. 6. Reduce the heat to medium-high so that the water remains at a brisk boil, stirring now and again to prevent the pasta sticking. 7. The pasta is ready when it is al dente that is tender, yet still with a bite when bitten. The easiest way to check this is to remove a piece of pasta from the pan and give it a bite. If you overcook pasta, you will get soft, stodgy results. 8. As soon as the pasta is al dente, drain it well, shaking the colander or sieve to remove any excess water. Reserve 2-3 tablespoons of cooking water in case you need to loosen the pasta sauce when you combine it with the pasta. *If the pasta is to be served cold, rinse it under cold water in the colander, then set aside. 9. Serve immediately with the sauce of your choice, or add ingredients ready for baking. HOW MUCH PASTA? The quantity of pasta required per person is a slightly moveable feast, depending on appetite, whether the sauce is light or substantial, and whether youre serving the dish as an appetizer or main course. However, you can use the following dry weight as a general guide: à ¢-  for an appetizer, allow 50g (2oz) per person à ¢-  for a main meal, allow 75-125g (3-4oz) per person COOKING TIMES Accurate timing is essential for perfect pasta, and cooking times can vary according to the variety, brand and type of pasta. Always check the packet for timing, or, if youre making your own, follow the timing given in the recipe. Start timing as soon as the water returns to the boil after adding the pasta. As a general guide, use the following times: à ¢-  thin, fresh noodles 1-2 minutes à ¢-  thicker fresh noodles and pasta shapes 2-3 minutes à ¢-  stuffed fresh pasta 3-4 minutes à ¢-  dried pasta 8-12 minutes (though wholemeal may take longer). WHICH PASTA? WHAT SAUCE? Another secret to success when serving pasta is pairing the right pasta with the right sauce -synchronizing your timing so that theyre both ready at the same time. *Most sauces can stand a little waiting while the pasta finishes cooking, but pasta is best served as soon as it is cooked, so try to make sure your sauce is ready in time. Although some sauces are traditionally served with specific pastas for example fettuccine all Alfredo, bucatini all Amatriciana, and penne all Arrabiata common sense usually prevails when pairing pasta and sauces. Heavy, chunky sauces are best served with short pasta shapes, such as penne, conchiglie and rigatoni, or wide noodles, such as pappardelle and tagliatelle. The sauce doesnt slide off these pastas in the way that it would a fine, delicate pasta such as capelli dangelo. Long, thin pastas, such as spaghetti and linguine, go better with smooth sauces that cling to their length, such as tomato or creamy sauces. And delicate pastas such as vermicelli go well with light sauces, such as seafood ones. There are also classic Italian regional pairings. For example, olive oil sauces made with tomatoes and seafood, which are popular in the south, are usually served with the plain durum wheat pasta, such as spaghetti and vermicelli, that is popular in the area. In the north, however, sauces are frequently made with butter and cream, and these go very well with the egg pasta that is made there. STORAGE Fresh pasta is best eaten on the day that it is made, although it can be refrigerated for 24 hours, or frozen for up to 3 months. Ready-made, vacuum-packed varieties may be stored in the refrigerator for slightly longer, so check the advice on the packet. Once opened, dried pasta should be stored in an airtight container and used within 9 months. Figure 6 Cooking pasta steps HISTORY OF PASTA Although pasta is associated with Italian food, but researchers claim pasta to be a Chinese invention that was brought by Venetian merchant Marco Polo to Italy after his famous trip to the Middle Kingdom in the 13th century.The idea that Marco Polo brought pasta from China to Italy is as similar to Italians as the idea that the hamburger came from Germany is to Americans. No one argue that the Chinese have made pasta, from many more kinds of flour than Europeans have, since at least 1100 B.C. Italians insist as a point of national pride that they invented pasta in their part of the world, despite considerable evidence that they did not. They cite as proof a set of reliefs on an Etruscan tomb dating from the fourth century BC, which carved a knife, a board with a raised edge that resembles a modern pasta board, a flour sack, and a pin that they say was made of iron and used for shaping tubular pasta. The Museum of the History of Spaghetti, owned by Agnesi (a pasta manufacturer near Tu rin) makes much of these reliefs, as do most histories of pasta-including the standard one, Anna del Contes Portrait of Pasta. The reliefs do not persuade the American historian Charles Perry, who has written several articles on the origins of pasta. There are plenty of things to do with a pin besides shape pasta, he says. In fact, Perry says, no sure Roman reference to a noodle of any kind, tubular or flat, has turned up, and that makes the Etruscan theory even more unlikely, given that the Romans dominated Italy soon after the Etruscans did. The first clear Western reference to boiled noodles, Perry says, is in the Jerusalem Talmud of the fifth century A.D., written in Aramaic. The authors debated whether or not noodles violated Jewish dietary laws. (Today only noodles made of matzoh meal are kosher for Passover.) They used the word itriyah, thought by some scholars to derive from the Greek itrion, which referred to a kind of flatbread used in religious ceremonies. By the tenth century, it appears, itriyah in many Arabic sources referred to dried noodles bought from a vendor, as opposed to fresh ones made at home. Other Arabic sources of the time refer to fresh noodles as lakhsha, a Persian word that was the basis for words in Russian, Hungarian, and Yiddish. (By comparison with these words, noodle, which dates from sixteenth-century German, originated yesterday.) In the twelfth century an Arab geographer, commissioned by the Norman king of Sicily to write a sort of travel book about the island, reported seeing pasta bei ng made. The geographer called it itriyah, from which seems to have come trii, which is still the word for spaghetti in some parts of Sicily and is also current in the name for a dish made all over Italy-ciceri e trii, pasta and chick-pea soup. The soup reflects the original use for pasta, which was as an extender in soups and sometimes desserts. Serving pasta as a dish in itself with a bit of sauce does seem to be an Italian rather than a Greek, Persian, or Arab invention. (Classic Cuisine of the Italian Jews, a wonderful book by EddaServiMachlin, has delicious pasta recipes that show some of the many influences that the Arab world had on Italian food.) The Marco Polo myth has refused to die. Italians accuse Americans of promulgating it, beginning with an influential article in a 1929 issue of Macaroni Journal (now Pasta Journal), an American trade magazine, which has inspired countless advertisements, restaurant placemats, cookbooks, and even movies. (From 1919 on, Macaroni Journal occasionally published articles purporting to give the history of pasta, usually-though not always-labeling the less plausible ones as lore. The 1929 story began, Legend has it . . .) In the 1938 film The Adventures of Marco Polo, Gary Cooper points to a bowl of noodles and asks a Chinese man what he calls them. In our language, the man replies, we call them spa get. In the centuries after Marco Polos voyage pasta continued to be a luxury in Italy. By 1400 it was being produced commercially, in shops that retained night watchmen to protect the goods. The vermicelli, as dried pasta was known, was kneaded by foot: men trod on dough to make it malleable enough to roll out. The treading could last for a day. The dough then had to be extruded through pierced dies under great pressure, a task accomplished by a large screw press powered by two men or one horse. This somewhat gamy procedure was not used for other kinds of dough, but commercial pasta dough has never been normal dough. The flour used to make it-semolina-is granular, like sugar, and has a warm golden color. Semolina makes a straw-colored dough that must be kneaded for a long time, which is why it has always been far more common in commercial than in homemade pasta. Semolina is milled from durum wheat (Triticum durum; durum means hard), a much harder grain than common wheat (Triticumvulgarum), which is used to make ordinary flour. (The harder the grain, the more energy required to mill it.) All durum makes firmer cooked pasta than common flour does, but not all durum is alike in hardness or quality. The kind of durum milled into semolina and how a manufacturer makes and dries the dough determine the firmness of the pasta when it is cooked. Durum wheat was suited to the soil and weather of Sicily and Campania, the region around Naples, and so the pasta industry developed there, in the eighteenth century, and led Italian production into this century. Naples had a perfect climate for drying pasta. The alternation of mild sea breezes and hot winds from Mount Vesuvius ensured that the pasta would not dry too slowly, and thus become moldy, or too fast, and thus crack or break. The number of pasta shops in Naples went from sixty to 280 between the years 1700 and 1785. Young English aristocrats making the grand tour in the eighteenth century were shown the city where pasta hung everywhere to dry-in the streets, on balconies, on roofs. Neapolitan street vendors sold cooked spaghetti from stalls with charcoal-fired stoves, working with bowls of grated Romano cheese beside them. Customers would follow the example of the barkers, who lifted the long strands high and dropped them into their mouths. The grand tourists assumed that t he fork hadnt yet caught on in Italy, whereas it was the Venetians who in the sixteenth century had introduced the fork to Europe. EVOLUTION OF PASTA As we look into the history of Italian pasta cooking, we will see that the food used as a basic type of food in the Italian diet has not always been so. While till the 1500s, macaroni (the term used for any dried pasta) was considered an exotic food, cooking pasta in an Italian household was considered very expensive chiefly due to the high costs and the time-intensive labor required for making pasta and was reserved only for the upper class. However, after the 17th century, the variation of the pasta industry saw a sea-change along with rapid industrialization and technological advances, finally making Italian pasta cooking a hot favorite among all classes. For this reason, Italians embraced pasta as an essential part of their daily diet. Eventually, the diversity, distinctive flavors and unique specialty dishes originating from Italian pasta made Italian cuisine a hot favorite among the whole of Europe and America. Italian pasta of course rules the roost, being the most important o f food culture throughout all of Italy. Through the course of time, the role of Italian pasta has changed greatly throughout Italys culinary history. Once enjoyed by Italys elite as a handmade specialty, today cooking pasta is made the foundation of Italian cuisine all over the globe. Today, a large amount of Italian pasta products available in the market consist of both fresh and dried pasta and range in size from tiny soup pasta to large sheets of lasagna noodles. Furthermore, there are shaped Italian pasta available in many different sizes and specific shapes. While the basic cooking method used for cooking pasta is boiling, a few other methods are also used to cook specific types of pasta, including baking, stir-frying, and deep-frying. Accomplished with a minimal amount of equipment like a large pot, a large spoon, and a colander, Italian pasta meals are known for their flavor and paired with healthy ingredients like tomato sauce, fresh vegetables, olive oil and fish. The meal is low in fat and contains nutrients and antioxidants to nurture body as your palate. Human diet on pasta PASTA IS A MEAL Generally, pasta is a simple dish, but comes in large varieties because it is a versatile food item. Some pasta dishes are served as an appertizer in Italy because the portion sizes are small and simple. The servings are usually accompanied by a side of meat. Pasta is also can be prepared as main course, such as salads or large portion sizes for dinner. HOW DO ITALIANS EAT PASTA? They serve pasta in warm, shallow and wide bowls instead of on dinner plates. In Italy, they call this a piatto fondo or deep dish. The rims of the bowl should be just enough to spin the fork against. They dont have to use the spoon. They put smaller portions of spaghetti on their fork before start to twirl. Then, twirl the pasta with a fork keeping the fork tip in contact with the plate. By doing so, they avoid the need to slurp and the need for a bib. DO ITALIANS EAT PASTA EVERYDAY? Yes, they eat pasta every day. In Italy, pasta is the most dishes that are dressed really simple and with few ingredients. They always use fresh and natural ingredients, dress lightly and most of all dont overcook. This is because overcooked pasta sends blood sugar higher than pasta cooked al dente. Italians believe that overcooked pasta is harder to digest and doesnt leave them feeling sluggish. When pasta is overcooked, it means it has absorbed its maximum amount of liquid. On the other hand, pasta cooked al dente can still absorb more during the digestive process and therefore digests more easily. PASTA SERVING SIZE Portion size of pasta is different depending on the ways that they eat pasta: Two to four ounces dry spaghetti as an appetizer Four to six ounces for a main course WHY EAT PASTA WITH SAUCE? Pasta sauces vary in taste, color and texture. Different types of pasta are served with different types of sauce according to the general rule that must be observed. For example, simple sauces like pesto are ideal for long and thin strands of pasta while tomato sauce combines well with thicker pastas. Thicker and chunkier sauces have the better ability to cling onto the holes and cuts of short, tubular, twisted pastas. Sauce should be served equally with its pasta. It is important that the sauce does not overflow the pasta. The extra sauce is left on the plate after all of the pasta is eaten. WHY PASTA POPULAR IN ITALY? Pasta is a traditional food in Italy and it is popular because it can be made into lots of shapes and pasta dishes. People can create lots of different dishes with it. It tastes delicious and its filling. Now, it became modern cooks because it is easy to prepare and convenient. Its also has a long shelf life Commercialization of Pasta Commercialization enables manufacturers to take the right product into the right place, at the right time, to satisfy end-consumers. In fact, the commercialization of pasta could only have developed in a strongly urbanized society. Due to its ease of preparation, low cost, versatility, palatability, long shelf life, and nutritional value, pasta is a popular commercial food product. Pasta products are commonly produced by extrusion, and their main ingredients are durum wheat semolina and water. Celiac disease is an immune-mediated disease triggered by the ingestion of the protein composite gluten. The only treatment for celiac disease is the permanent exclusion of sources of gluten (wheat, rye, and barley products) from the diet. It is important that high-quality cereal products made from alternative grains are available to this segment of the population. Recently, research on the improvement and development of gluten-free pasta has enahnced. Meanwhile, the number of gluten-free pasta products available on the market has increased dramatically. Preparation of Pasta BLT PASTA SALAD (BLT Bacon, Lettuce, Tomatoes) Ingredients 250gm any spiral/corkscrew pasta (Riccioli)  ½ cup milk 200gm bacon, sliced small 200gm cherry tomatoes, halved 1 clove garlic, finely minced 1 head of cos lettuce or 5 heads of baby romaine, torn to small pieces (basicallycos lettuce or romaine is the same thing) 100gm mayonnaise 70gm natural set plain yogurt 4 tbsp chopped spring onions salt black pepper Methods 1. Cook the pasta as per instructions on packaging until al dente. Drain and mix with milk. Set aside. (toss it from time to time to distribute the milk) 2. Fry bacon in pan (no oil) until crispy and the bacon oil oozes out. Tilt pan and let the oil drain off the bacon. Dish up bacon. Set aside. 3. Pour away most of the oil in pan, leaving behind about 2-3 tbsp of it. On medium heat, sautà © garlic until fragrant and pour in the halved cherry tomatoes. Just spread in pan but dont toss them. Let it cook until the garlic is golden. Tilt pan, push tomatoes to the higher side and let the oil collect at the lower side. Dish up tomatoes and as much garlic as you can. Set aside. (the tomatoes should not be mushy, but just cooked) 4. Prepare salad dressing, mix everything together and sprinkled the final 1 tbsp of spring onion as garnish. BAKED PASTA Ingredients 400gm pasta (shell pasta) 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp oil 1 large onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 400gm beef, minced 4 tbspchilli Paste 1 large carrot, diced 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped 1  ½ c peas 4 eggs, beaten 1 c cheddar, grated A handful of fried scallions A handful of parsley, chopped Salt sugar for seasoning Method 1. Cook pasta in a pot of boiling water until 2/3 cooked. Season with salt. Drain and set aside. 2. Then, heat wok with oil and butter. 3. Cook onion until soft and slightly caramelized. 4. Add in garlic. 5. Add the beef and cook until slightly brown. 6. Add chili paste and cook until the oil starts to bubble on the surface. 7. Add in carrot and stir well until slightly soft. 8. Add in tomatoes and let it cook until soft. Then mix in the pasta. 9. Switch the heat off, add parsley and season well with salt and sugar. 10. Make a well in the center of the wok and pour in beaten eggs. Let it scramble and stir to mix. 11. Combine the ingredients well. 12. Put the combined ingredients in a casserole dish. 13. Sprinkle the cheese and fried scallions evenly over the top of the mixture and bake at 150oC for 20-25 mins. GREEK MEAT PASTA Ingredients 1 package rotini pasta (16 ounce) 3 tbsp olive oil, divided 1 pound ground beef 6 tomatoes, grated 1 sweet yellow onion, grated  ½cup water 3 tbsp tomato paste 1 tbsp ground cinnamon  ½tsp white sugar  ½tsp cayenne pepper Salt ground black pepper to taste 4 cups shredded Mizithra cheese 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese Method 1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. 2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir ground beef until browned, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, onion, water, tomato paste, cinnamon, sugar, cayenne, salt, and pepper; stir to combine. Simmer meat sauce over medium-low heat until flavors combine, 20 minutes. 3. Preheat oven to 350 o F (175 oC). 4. Pour meat sauce over rotini; mix well. Pour half the pasta mixture into a casserole dish; sprinkle with half the Mizithra cheese and half the mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining pasta mixture; sprinkle remaining Mizithra cheese and mozzarella cheese. 5. Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 40 minutes. SEAFOOD PASTA Ingredients Spaghetti 10 medium-sized prawns, peeled and deveined 2 handful of clams 4 pcs of frozen fish cocktail 1 can of tomato pasta sauce 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 50ml water 3 tbsp olive oil Method 1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti exactly according to the packet instruction. Drain and set aside. 2. Oven-baked the fish cocktail as per the packaging instruction. Cook and set aside. 3. Heat some olive oil in a sauce pan. Sautà © the garlic till fragrant. Add the clams and prawns to stir-fry for 1 minute. 4. Pour in the pasta sauce and water. Cook and stirring for 2 minutes. 5. Toss with spaghetti and serve with baked fish cocktails. MUSHROOM PASTA WITH TRUFFLE OIL (vegetarian) Ingredients 200g pasta (I prefer to use spaghetti or angel hair pasta) 100g grey oyster mushrooms, sliced thinly A handful of cep mushrooms, soaked and chopped roughly (optional) 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped Salt and freshly ground pepper Fresh parsley, finely chopped Truffle oil Egg (optional) Method 1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to pack instructions (al dente should take about 8-10 minutes). Remove from heat and drain, run under cold water to stop from cooking further. 2. Heat olive oil in frying pan on medium high heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes until golden brown, then add the mushrooms and fry for 1-2 minutes until cooked. 3. Finally add the pasta, parsley and mix thoroughly, and then season with salt and pepper. 4. Remove from heat and serve immediately. Add a dash of truffle oil to finish. Significance of Pasta

Subtle Differences in Where The Wild Things Are Essay -- Picture Books

Subtle Differences Make Where The Wild Things Are a Classic When one thinks of a children's picture book, one usually thinks of bright colors and a story that involves a princess and a prince charming. One of the most classic children's books, Maurice Sendak's Where The Wild Things Are, however, neither uses bright colors nor a traditional love story. Instead the readers meet a young boy, Max, who, when sent to his room without dinner, imagines a far off land. We meet his friends, "the wild things", and learn that Max is the "most wild thing of all". Those aforementioned trends are not the only aspects that set Where The Wild Things Are apart from other children's picture books. Its structure, plot, and message all contribute to the individuality of this particular children's book. One interesting aspect about Where The Wild Things Are is the way the pictures and text are set up. The first sixteen pages and last two pages have text with a blank background on the left and the picture on the right. Only a few pages in the middle have the picture and text conjoined on the same page. William Moebius, in his article 'Introduction to Picturebook Codes', refers to something called "the drama of the turning of the page" (132). He observes that a picture book only allows the reader a few words and ideas at a time; authors very carefully decide which ideas and words belong on each page. The few pages where text and picture are together, Max is interacting with the wild things, while the other pages solely describe Max's individual actions. Perhaps Sendak wants the reader to be more aware of the text while Max is alone than what is going on in the text when he is with the wild things. Sendak chooses ... ... have their own way of expressing love, and we learn at the end that Max uses this expression to show his love for his mother. Max and his mother subtly show their loving relationship, and it is just enough for the readers to understand. Where The Wild Things Are seems to be a simple text to understand, but it has many subtleties that are expressed both through text and pictures that give the story a bigger meaning than what is on the surface. The combination between text, pictures, repetition, and the messages sent makes this picture book a children's literature classic. Works Cited Moebius, William. Introduction to Picturebook Codes, Word & Image, vol. 2, no. 2 (April - June 1986), pp. 141-51, 158. Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are, New York, Harper Collins Publishers: 1963. Subtle Differences in Where The Wild Things Are Essay -- Picture Books Subtle Differences Make Where The Wild Things Are a Classic When one thinks of a children's picture book, one usually thinks of bright colors and a story that involves a princess and a prince charming. One of the most classic children's books, Maurice Sendak's Where The Wild Things Are, however, neither uses bright colors nor a traditional love story. Instead the readers meet a young boy, Max, who, when sent to his room without dinner, imagines a far off land. We meet his friends, "the wild things", and learn that Max is the "most wild thing of all". Those aforementioned trends are not the only aspects that set Where The Wild Things Are apart from other children's picture books. Its structure, plot, and message all contribute to the individuality of this particular children's book. One interesting aspect about Where The Wild Things Are is the way the pictures and text are set up. The first sixteen pages and last two pages have text with a blank background on the left and the picture on the right. Only a few pages in the middle have the picture and text conjoined on the same page. William Moebius, in his article 'Introduction to Picturebook Codes', refers to something called "the drama of the turning of the page" (132). He observes that a picture book only allows the reader a few words and ideas at a time; authors very carefully decide which ideas and words belong on each page. The few pages where text and picture are together, Max is interacting with the wild things, while the other pages solely describe Max's individual actions. Perhaps Sendak wants the reader to be more aware of the text while Max is alone than what is going on in the text when he is with the wild things. Sendak chooses ... ... have their own way of expressing love, and we learn at the end that Max uses this expression to show his love for his mother. Max and his mother subtly show their loving relationship, and it is just enough for the readers to understand. Where The Wild Things Are seems to be a simple text to understand, but it has many subtleties that are expressed both through text and pictures that give the story a bigger meaning than what is on the surface. The combination between text, pictures, repetition, and the messages sent makes this picture book a children's literature classic. Works Cited Moebius, William. Introduction to Picturebook Codes, Word & Image, vol. 2, no. 2 (April - June 1986), pp. 141-51, 158. Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are, New York, Harper Collins Publishers: 1963.

Half-Full or Half-Empty?

Half-full or Half-empty? How many of us grew up believing in Peter Pan philosophies that thinking happy thoughts would make everything better? Or at â€Å"every clouds has a silver lining†, â€Å"the glass is always half-full? † and that no matter how awful life is has been â€Å"there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. † Otherwise, you were at varied enormous principle, raised on the belief that by thinking the worst of everything and everyone, you’d be better prepared for disappointment†¦ Psychologists believe that an optimistic attitude is the stairway to success and contentment.It has shown that a positive thinker is more resilient in the fare of difficulties, but they also have healthier lifestyle habits and can cope with stress more easily. And being an optimist has also some benefits, it can reduce tension and enhance emotional being. They’re noted for their ability to see the good of everything, viewing the world as a place of f ull adventure and opportunity. Pessimism brings loss. It ruins hope and possibilities. If a person is pessimistic, he/she doesn’t hope for a better future neither do something to achieve. He doubts his ability to overcome the obstacles along the way.At the end, he/she will just stay where he/she is, without making progress. Because pessimism, people can waste years, even their whole lives. There are ways on how to overcome pessimism and be an optimistic. First, find a cause you believe in. A â€Å"cause† from the bottom of your heart has a blazing courage that can overcome any pessimism. For example, if you think that you can’t pass the test in your school, just bear in mind your true purpose of that test and make you inspiration as a tool for you to make it. Read inspiring stories and connect to your spiritual source. We all know that are strength is limited.By praying, you connect a supernatural force that gives strength you need. For many people, this is the stronger power source. Focus on the possibilities, not in the impossibilities. Of course people become pessimistic when they focus their mind on the impossibilities. All they see is the darkness of the challenges ahead. In that way, all they think is overwhelmed by the difficulties. So remember to focus your mind on the possibilities. See how can you go through all these and be victorious. Pessimism is something we face now and then. Let’s overcome it so that we qualify as leaders in life.

Secrets in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter Essays

Secrets can destroy even the most respected people. Sometimes is not the secret itself that drives people into exhaustion, but the emotional baggage that comes with it. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Dimmesdale physically deteriorates because of his guilt caused by a dishonorable sin. The Puritan society in which the story is set discourages the idea of the private self, which Hawthorne shows by creating distinctions between the characters’ private and public lives, specifically Dimmesdale’s. Dimmesdale’s public life and private life are radically different, but affect each other nonetheless. Dimmesdale’s private life destroys him mentally and physically. His affair with Hester violates his moral codes that he is†¦show more content†¦His followers disregard the fact that he has committed a sin and instead respect him even more for being humble. Had it been anyone other than Dimmesdale to confess to aiding in adultery, they most likely would have verbally assaulted or shunned him. However, Because Dimmesdale appeared weak and sickly, they accepted his private life. The settings in which Dimmesdale’s public and private lives are set are distinguished. The scaffold is considered the public setting in the novel; not only is this where Hester was humiliated in front of the community, but it is also where Dimmesdale makes his final plea for the townspeople takes place. Generally, the forest is where the private conversations occur; it is where Hester and Dimmesdale talked to each other in privacy for the first time since their affair and where their sinning happened. Even though it is clear that Dimmesdale felt extremely guilty, he never actually wanted to admit that he had sinned. The fact that he intended to confess his sin for the final time during the night shows that he does not want the people to know, but just wants to clear his conscience by confessing to himself. While Dimmesdale was on the scaffold, Reverend Wilson walked by and Dimmesdale apparently said hello but was in suchShow MoreRelatedThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1397 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Graves Professor Connie Caskey English 251: American Literature I 8 February 2016 The Scarlet Letter was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850 which is based on the time frame of the Puritans, a religious group who arrived in Massachusetts in the 1630’s. The Puritans were in a religious period that was known for the strict social norms in which lead to the intolerance of different lifestyles. 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In Hawthorne’s novel, Hester Prynne bares the scarlet letter â€Å"A† to emphasize her sin of adultery against her husband who has been missing for 2 years, with a reverend named Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester PrynneRead MoreEssay Nathaniel Hawthorne1152 Words   |  5 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne’s hatred of Puritanism was so big that he described in many of his writing such as The Scarlet Letter and The Minster Black Veil. He usually satirized them as evildoers and sin creators, not holy and Christ zealous as they described themselves. Hawthorne also used the effects of mysterious human mind and spontaneous action to describe the Puritan as satanic worship and God disobedience. In result, his writing reflected much of his Puritan ancestry affections. Nathaniel HawthorneRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne1488 Words   |  6 Pages In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, the main character, Hester Prynne, is a true contemporary of the modern era, being cast into 17th century Puritan Boston, Massachusetts. The Scarlet Letter is a revolutionary novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne examining the ugliness, complexity, and strength of the human spirit and character that shares new ideas about independence and the struggles women faced in 17th century America. Throughout the novel, Hester’s refusal to remove the scarlet letterRead More The Double Life Exposed in The Scarlet Letter Essay1497 Words   |  6 Pagesin The Scarlet Letter    Irish novelist Brian Moore observed, There comes a point in many peoples lives when they can no longer play the role they have chosen for themselves.   From Hollywood movie stars to professional athletes, people have and will continue to lead false lives, under the public spotlight, concealing their personal travails.   In literature, the preceding statement has held true numerous times, in works such as Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet LetterRead MoreThe Scaffold in Nathaniel Hawthrone ´s The Scarlet Letter 789 Words   |  3 Pages The symbol of the scaffold evolves in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet letter is build around the symbolic scaffold. The main characters transform the scaffold from the exposition to resolution. Next the traits of the scaffold itself deteriorate throughout the novel. Finally, the scaffold is applied symbolically throughout Hawthorne’s novel. The scaffold transforms throughout the book because they are there for different reasons. In the beginning