On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 1088

up with a glossier, smoother surface, with
fewer pores and cracks through which hot
water can leak in and dissolved starch can
leakout.Theygenerallyloselessstarchtothe
cookingwater,absorblesscookingwater,and
thereforehaveafirmertexturethanthesame
noodle extruded through a traditional bronze
die. Proponents of traditional dies prefer the
roughersurface,whichtheysaybetterretains
thesauceinthefinisheddish.
DryingDurumPasta Before the invention of
mechanical driers, manufacturers held the
new pasta at ambient temperatures and
humiditiesfordaysorweeks.Earlyindustrial
driers operated at 100–140ºF/ 40–60ºC and
took about a day. Modern drying takes only
twotofivehoursandinvolvesrapidpredrying
at or above 185ºF/84ºC, and then a more
extendedphaseofdryingandrestingperiods.
Themodernhigh-temperaturemethodrapidly
inactivates enzymes that can destroy the


yellowxanthophyllpigmentsandcausebrown
discoloration, and it cross-links some of the
gluten protein and produces a firmer, less
stickycookednoodle.However,proponentsof
slow drying say that high heat also damages
flavor.
CookingPastaandNoodles

Whenpastaiscookedinwater,theprotein
networkandstarchgranulesabsorbwaterand
expand,theouterproteinlayerisruptured,
andthedissolvingstarchescapesintothe
cookingwater.Deeperwithinthenoodle
there’slesswateravailable,sothestarch
granulesaren’tcompletelydisrupted:the
centerofthenoodlethereforestaysmore
intactthanthesurface.Cookingpastaaldente
meansstoppingthecookingwhenthecenter
ofthenoodlestillremainsslightlyunderdone
andofferssomeresistancetochewing;atthis
point,thenoodlesurfaceis80–90%water,the