Pasta permitted
March 22nd, 2007
It has been since 21 February that I have not had pasta. The urge to have a luscious sauce over a supporting cast of mild long things has recently grown to lead me to try slivered lettuce, slivered cooked cabbage, etc., etc. Hmmm. So when I noticed that I had some buckwheat noodles in a jar in the pantry I decided to have them. They certainly are whole grain and I can eat whole grains. The dish they were bought for is pizzoccheri and I didn’t like that at all. Carole of Alpine Settler feels differently about that, but I learned it for a friend whose favorite dish it is and decided I would rather starve.
I didn’t feel much different about this dish, which at least wasn’t swimming in butter and grease released by Bitto cheese. I truly believe that buckwheat was not born to be pasta. There are disconcerting minuscule crunchies in it that feel like ground glass. And yes, it really is that khaki/camouflage color.
It’s an ideal diet food, because even hungry I couldn’t eat much. Instead of saving the other half of the recipe, I gave it to the cats. They circled it, sniffed it, then carefully picked out the turkey bits. My cats love pasta. They hate pizzoccheri noodles. Here they are having a look. There are eight cats here, and only these two even thought it was worth a sniff.
They’ve dragged an empty catfood bag from the garage trash bin either to tell me what they’d prefer or to cover this abomination from their offended eyes.
Entry Filed under: Uncategorized, Food, Italy, Dieting
13 Comments Add your own
1. sognatrice | March 22nd, 2007 at 10:46 am
Wow. When the cats won’t eat it, it makes you wonder, but the color and ground glass reference are what sealed it for me. Won’t be trying that anytime soon. Thanks for the warning!
2. eg | March 22nd, 2007 at 11:58 am
That does not sound good at all. I think I’d rather go without.
3. Leolalee | March 22nd, 2007 at 12:35 pm
I’m not real fond of buckwheat anything. I have not tried the noodles. I have tried the ground buckwheat, Kashi brand, I think, and don’t like it much, either. I am using only whole wheat pasta any more, and that is easy to find around here.
I have been trying to find bulger wheat. The only way I can find it locally is as tabouli, and the brand I found has seasonings I don’t care for very much. I am going to a larger town on Sat. to shop, and I will hit a health food store and see if I can find some there.
4. Giulia | March 22nd, 2007 at 1:46 pm
I had such a hard time getting past “It has been since 21 February that I have not had pasta.” I almost felt my body go into a mini convulsion. Oh man, admitting that makes me realize that I am too dependant on my pasta dishes.
I’m assuming that either you’re on a diet or are doing this for health reasons? I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to eat pasta unless there was a good reason for it. That pizzoccheri dish doesn’t look to appealing. :(
5. Judith | March 22nd, 2007 at 4:16 pm
This blog is on a diet!
I usually eat very good stuff. Low carb, but yummy. The crema di pomodoro from last year for example.
No pasta, no bread, no pizza, no sugars. When thinking what is good and easy and fast, pasta ALWAYS comes to mind.
Today I wore the skinny black jeans. They hurt worse than a corset, but I could zip them without lying down so I figured it would be good for me. What was really good was taking them off when I got home. Ahhhhh!
Lee, Bulgur is hard to find here too. The version most available is so fine ground it resembles sand. Doesn’t feel like it, like those noodles!
6. MissJo | March 23rd, 2007 at 2:43 am
Cats I can understand.
Your cats are especially interesting.
Are these bilingual?
7. Judith | March 23rd, 2007 at 6:10 am
All my cats are bilingual and respond better to Giu! than to Down! the neighbors cats know food English.
8. Giulia | March 23rd, 2007 at 8:25 am
I am fairly new to your blog so I am just now getting the feel of it. I guess I should have read the “Know The Cook” section right off the bat. ;) That’s great that you are so health concious of your eating habits. I wish I could be that way!
9. Judith | March 23rd, 2007 at 8:38 am
Giulia, I have gained weight! This is pure vanity fueled in part with knowing I am healthier when thinner. Not thin– probably never again thin, but last week I discovered I feel like me again. When I can’t bear to see myself in the mirror, I don’t know who I am.
10. Jane | March 23rd, 2007 at 9:58 am
First of all for all of you reading Judith–she is thin! Just look at the picture that she links to on her Cicoria and KZ entry. Second, I would say that your cats, Judith, are very smart cats–I love the image of them dragging the cat food sack over to the dish. Casey will have a good laugh. Buckwheat pasta? Don’t think so!
11. gianna | March 23rd, 2007 at 11:20 am
Congratulations! I’ve never been able to go on diet. How are you? I think that your colesterole is getting lower, without all the butter that American people use. Thank you for “Pastiera” I’ll use it in my evening cooking lessons at school.
Bye
12. Judith | March 24th, 2007 at 9:33 am
Jane, I have lost about half the weight I intend, but I am taking a break for a field trip to Puglia. Chilies!
I need to have it on the spot to make sure mine is as intended. So I will quietly go on dieting after Easter, but the blog won’t be on a diet.
13. Casey | March 29th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
Man, Judith, that is really funny. I am still laughing. You have really smart cats. Was the black one Bear and the other one Mommy. I thought the food looked awful and I guess it was awful. It looked like dirt mixed with wood. Yuck! Bye! Casey
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