"Al dente" means "to the tooth" in Italian. (Like "terroir", it's one of those concepts that poorly translates into English.) The phrase refers to the desired texture of cooked pasta, which should be soft but still slightly firm at the core of the noodle (or shell or spiral or alphabet letter). Some cooks define "al dente" as "not hard and not soft."
Pasta cooked "al dente" should require some chewing but not crunch or stick to the teeth when chewed. The firm texture should allow you to taste some of the pasta's flavor. Overcooked pasta tends to be mushy and flavorless.
So how do you know when your pasta is "al dente"? In my house growing up, we threw a strand of spaghetti at the wall -- as soon as it sticks, it's done. The problem with that test is that overcooked pasta sticks to the wall, too. So now I just use my teeth: Before I think it's ready, I draw a piece of pasta from the pot, let it cool a few seconds and take a bite. If it's ready, my mouth knows.
Related: What's the point of putting oil in my pasta water?
Related: How to cook garlic for pasta
Pistou is the French answer to pesto.
A Provençal condiment made from basil, garlic and olive oil, it's primarily used to flavor a vegetable, bean and vermicelli soup known as soupe au pistou.
Traditionally, pistou does not include parmesan, but in a borderless Europe, the neighboring cheese sometimes makes it into the mix.
Tongs are the most useful tool in the kitchen.
Having a good pair of tongs is like having a heatproof robotic arm in the kitchen. Consider a partial list of things you can do with a pair of tongs: stir something in a sizzling pan; flip something in a sizzling pan; move something around in a sizzling pan; spear something in a sizzling pan; push something in a sizzling pan to check for doneness; hold something above a sizzling pan to taste it; take something out of a sizzling pan. And that's just around a sizzling pan. Standing around a grill or reaching inside an oven, tongs are critical.
You can spend a small fortune on specialty tongs, but you don't have to. OXO's Good Grips stainless steel tongs are inexpensive and probably as special as you’ll ever need.
So here's our public service announcement - buy tongs now.
what you should know
Eons before humans knew what Omega-3 fatty acids were, our species was hip to walnuts.
food of the gods Fossilized walnuts dating from Neolithic times have been found, and written references stretch back into B.C. The botanical name for walnuts, juglans, is derived from the belief that the ancient Roman god Jupiter lived off of them. Depending on where you are in the world, walnut consumption has long been linked with a healthy heart, healthy bones, longevity, fertility, intelligence and libido.
nut cases Modern science continues to show that the walnut is one of the healthiest foods we can eat. Still, it's too often relegated to dessert. Try working walnuts into your diet by putting them in salads, spreads, soups and sandwiches. (Or sprinkling them with sugared bacon, a food for which modern science has shown little regard.)
break out of the shell Nut crackers abound, but buying shelled walnuts makes cooking with them much easier. Because walnuts are so fatty, they can spoil without the right care. If buying in bulk, stay away from shriveled or rubbery walnuts. Smell them to make sure they smell nutty and not rancid.
keep it cool At home, store walnuts in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. If you're going to have them for a while, put them in the fridge.
what you need
One of Chip's favorite things to do in the winter is sit on the sofa late at night with a glass of port, a book and a mound of walnuts, which he cracks with his Stanley hammer. (No joke.)
The roasted walnut oil made by California-based La Tourangelle is in the San Francisco Chronicle's Taster's Choice Hall of Fame.
what you do
When making pesto in the colder months, we like to replace the pine nuts with walnuts. We used basil in this one, but you could just as easily use spinach or arugula.
Brys riffed on hummus back in May for our root source on chickpeas. Recently, we've been taken with this lemon-walnut hummus.
Walnuts are perfect for winter salads like this grated beet, frisee and goat cheese salad.
Upon returning to Chicago after the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Al Capone supposedly ate something similar to this spaghetti with garlic-walnut sauce.
Finely chopped walnuts can make a more flavorful and textured coating than bread crumbs. To see what we mean, try this walnut-crusted chicken stuffed with spinach and feta.
Claire's family has been making holiday walnut rolls for as long as she can remember. Once you make them, you'll know why.
The easiest way to store basil is in a ziploc bag, tucked away in the refrigerator.
The trick here is to manage the moisture content in the bag. If you notice that too much water accumulates in the bag and turns the leaves dark, slip a few pieces of folded paper towel inside the bag between the basil and the plastic. The paper towel will absorb the water, but release enough of it to keep the air inside humid.
If the basil still has roots, you can put the roots in a small cup of water, cover the leaves with a plastic or ziploc bag, and secure the bag around the cup with a rubber band (or just tuck the bag underneath the cup). This method takes up a little more room in the refrigerator, and we haven't noticed that the roots extend the life of the basil that much.
Reference: How to prep basil (Cookthink)
Recipe: Watermelon Basil Agua Fresca (Coconut & Lime)
Recipe: Prosciutto, Mozzarella And Basil Pita Pizza (Cookthink)
