Proper Human Diet

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  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,965 Member
    edited April 2023
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    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Hard durum wheat is used to make "semolina" which is used to make the best pasta. I have a couple of quality brands that have 14g of protein per 100g of pasta (dry). Even a lower grade of pasta has 12g of protein per 100g of dry pasta. Italy grows and produces hard durum wheat, but not enough for their consumption and pasta export, hence importing from the States. Southern Italy makes a durum wheat bread that is amazing.

    And yes, the comment made me laugh because pasta is our main meal almost everyday. It's a staple. I, personally, cook pasta constantly for the family (no one is overweight). Actually, gotta go, time to make pasta for lunch--Pasta with pesto today.

    Yeah, Italy imports a lot of durum wheat from Canada, around 2 million metric tons, which is about 1/3 of total production.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    Ah yes, I didn't mention Canada's production---sorry. However Canada's production still falls under North America. Just to be clear that the pasta that is being eaten in Italy is the same in North America, and Europe. There is no magic difference that I know of.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,965 Member
    edited April 2023
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    SuzySunshine99 wrote: »
    Hmmm, the pasta I buy is imported from Italy.
    So, is the wheat sent from North America, then made into pasta in Italy, then sent back to North America?
    Seems inefficient, haha! :p

    Funnily enough, that's exactly what happens. Even Extra virgin olive oils imported from Italy into Canada can have oil from Spain, Portugal unless it expressly says "Italian Olive Oil" on the container, and I suspect that's even true in Italy.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,965 Member
    edited April 2023
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    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Ah yes, I didn't mention Canada's production---sorry. However Canada's production still falls under North America. Just to be clear that the pasta that is being eaten in Italy is the same in North America, and Europe. There is no magic difference that I know of.

    No, no difference in the basic product, but the quality of the pasta being made has a very wide spectrum from very poorly made to artisanal brass cut. The easiest way to tell quality, and I'm talking hard pasta here, is color. The more yellow a pasta looks, the lower the quality and the lighter the higher the quality. The surface texture is another giveaway. If the pasta is perfectly smooth and shiny, kind of, then that is less desirable than a pasta that appears to have a very rough and dull surface, even spaghetti. So a fairly blonde looking pasta with a rough looking texture as opposed to a yellow shiny smooth looking pasta imo is the one on the shelf to pick.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    neanderthin wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Ah yes, I didn't mention Canada's production---sorry. However Canada's production still falls under North America. Just to be clear that the pasta that is being eaten in Italy is the same in North America, and Europe. There is no magic difference that I know of.

    No, no difference in the basic product, but the quality of the pasta being made has a very wide spectrum from very poorly made to artisanal brass cut. The easiest way to tell quality, and I'm talking hard pasta here, is color. The more yellow a pasta looks, the lower the quality and the lighter the higher the quality. The surface texture is another giveaway. If the pasta is perfectly smooth and shiny, kind of, then that is less desirable than a pasta that appears to have a very rough and dull surface, even spaghetti. So a fairly blonde looking pasta with a rough looking texture as opposed to a yellow shiny smooth looking pasta imo is the one on the shelf to pick.

    Yes, bronze extracted pasta is superior, but what really adds to the cost is if the pasta is air dried or sent through a drying oven.

    The rough surface is desirable so the sauce will adhere to it.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,965 Member
    edited April 2023
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    snowflake954 wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Ah yes, I didn't mention Canada's production---sorry. However Canada's production still falls under North America. Just to be clear that the pasta that is being eaten in Italy is the same in North America, and Europe. There is no magic difference that I know of.

    No, no difference in the basic product, but the quality of the pasta being made has a very wide spectrum from very poorly made to artisanal brass cut. The easiest way to tell quality, and I'm talking hard pasta here, is color. The more yellow a pasta looks, the lower the quality and the lighter the higher the quality. The surface texture is another giveaway. If the pasta is perfectly smooth and shiny, kind of, then that is less desirable than a pasta that appears to have a very rough and dull surface, even spaghetti. So a fairly blonde looking pasta with a rough looking texture as opposed to a yellow shiny smooth looking pasta imo is the one on the shelf to pick.

    Yes, bronze extracted pasta is superior, but what really adds to the cost is if the pasta is air dried or sent through a drying oven.

    The rough surface is desirable so the sauce will adhere to it.

    Absolutely, it's actually the drying process and drying time that's crucial to quality pasta's. The cost for a large conveyor style oven is in the nose bleed stratosphere. Also I said brass and I meant bronze, thanks for the reminder. Cheers.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,383 Member
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    neanderthin wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Ah yes, I didn't mention Canada's production---sorry. However Canada's production still falls under North America. Just to be clear that the pasta that is being eaten in Italy is the same in North America, and Europe. There is no magic difference that I know of.

    No, no difference in the basic product, but the quality of the pasta being made has a very wide spectrum from very poorly made to artisanal brass cut. The easiest way to tell quality, and I'm talking hard pasta here, is color. The more yellow a pasta looks, the lower the quality and the lighter the higher the quality. The surface texture is another giveaway. If the pasta is perfectly smooth and shiny, kind of, then that is less desirable than a pasta that appears to have a very rough and dull surface, even spaghetti. So a fairly blonde looking pasta with a rough looking texture as opposed to a yellow shiny smooth looking pasta imo is the one on the shelf to pick.
    I like the taste and mouthfeel of wholemeal pasta - is there a similar scale re colour / quality?
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,965 Member
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    claireychn074 wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Ah yes, I didn't mention Canada's production---sorry. However Canada's production still falls under North America. Just to be clear that the pasta that is being eaten in Italy is the same in North America, and Europe. There is no magic difference that I know of.

    No, no difference in the basic product, but the quality of the pasta being made has a very wide spectrum from very poorly made to artisanal brass cut. The easiest way to tell quality, and I'm talking hard pasta here, is color. The more yellow a pasta looks, the lower the quality and the lighter the higher the quality. The surface texture is another giveaway. If the pasta is perfectly smooth and shiny, kind of, then that is less desirable than a pasta that appears to have a very rough and dull surface, even spaghetti. So a fairly blonde looking pasta with a rough looking texture as opposed to a yellow shiny smooth looking pasta imo is the one on the shelf to pick.
    I like the taste and mouthfeel of wholemeal pasta - is there a similar scale re colour / quality?

    Good question. I'm personally not a fan of whole wheat pasta and for the same reasons why you like it, and not without trying, but it's been off my radar for decades and I'm not really familiar with the product. If I was to try whole wheat again I'd probably seek one from the brands that I know make some of the best regular pasta. That's all I got, sorry.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,437 Member
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    Some more pasta fact: if you happen to live in the Netherlands or a couple of other countries where this is a thing: Bami noodles are just tagliatelle rebranded as bami, made in the same factory. Either might be cheaper where you live.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,965 Member
    edited May 2023
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    yirara wrote: »
    Some more pasta fact: if you happen to live in the Netherlands or a couple of other countries where this is a thing: Bami noodles are just tagliatelle rebranded as bami, made in the same factory. Either might be cheaper where you live.

    I normally use la Molisana brand for my pasta and their offerings of tagliatelle and pappardelle for examples are noodles which are made with semolina and eggs and water although most SE Asian Bam-i noodles are made from AP all purpose flour, eggs and water and from my experience, generally made fresh, it's confusing no doubt. Cheers

    EDIT: The distinction between pasta and noodles are the addition of eggs. By Italian law, dried pasta must be made with 100% durum semolina flour and water only.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,965 Member
    edited May 2023
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    neanderthin wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    Some more pasta fact: if you happen to live in the Netherlands or a couple of other countries where this is a thing: Bami noodles are just tagliatelle rebranded as bami, made in the same factory. Either might be cheaper where you live.

    I normally use la Molisana brand for my pasta and their offerings of tagliatelle and pappardelle for examples are noodles which are made with semolina, eggs and water although most SE Asian Bam-i noodles are made from AP all purpose flour, eggs and water and from my experience, generally made fresh, it's confusing no doubt. Cheers

    EDIT: The distinction between pasta and noodles are the addition of eggs. Although you will see the term egg pasta, but for the vast majority of noodles in a supermarket we'll see semolina or AP flour and eggs as an ingredient, where imported "Italian Pasta" and by Italian law, dried pasta must be made with 100% durum semolina flour and water only.

  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    neanderthin wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    Some more pasta fact: if you happen to live in the Netherlands or a couple of other countries where this is a thing: Bami noodles are just tagliatelle rebranded as bami, made in the same factory. Either might be cheaper where you live.

    I normally use la Molisana brand for my pasta and their offerings of tagliatelle and pappardelle for examples are noodles which are made with semolina and eggs and water although most SE Asian Bam-i noodles are made from AP all purpose flour, eggs and water and from my experience, generally made fresh, it's confusing no doubt. Cheers

    EDIT: The distinction between pasta and noodles are the addition of eggs.

    In Italian---pasta is pasta. "Pasta al uova" is pasta with egg.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,965 Member
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    snowflake954 wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    Some more pasta fact: if you happen to live in the Netherlands or a couple of other countries where this is a thing: Bami noodles are just tagliatelle rebranded as bami, made in the same factory. Either might be cheaper where you live.

    I normally use la Molisana brand for my pasta and their offerings of tagliatelle and pappardelle for examples are noodles which are made with semolina and eggs and water although most SE Asian Bam-i noodles are made from AP all purpose flour, eggs and water and from my experience, generally made fresh, it's confusing no doubt. Cheers

    EDIT: The distinction between pasta and noodles are the addition of eggs.

    In Italian---pasta is pasta. "Pasta al uova" is pasta with egg.

    Yep, and most Italian recipes use all purpose flour when making it.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    neanderthin wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    Some more pasta fact: if you happen to live in the Netherlands or a couple of other countries where this is a thing: Bami noodles are just tagliatelle rebranded as bami, made in the same factory. Either might be cheaper where you live.

    I normally use la Molisana brand for my pasta and their offerings of tagliatelle and pappardelle for examples are noodles which are made with semolina and eggs and water although most SE Asian Bam-i noodles are made from AP all purpose flour, eggs and water and from my experience, generally made fresh, it's confusing no doubt. Cheers

    EDIT: The distinction between pasta and noodles are the addition of eggs.

    In Italian---pasta is pasta. "Pasta al uova" is pasta with egg.

    Yep, and most Italian recipes use all purpose flour when making it.

    True dat. :)
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,965 Member
    edited May 2023
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    Yeah, ultra processed foods eaten in the quantities the US does for example, is probably not a good plan going fwd considering the results to date. Fortunately the industrial food complex hasn't figured out how to make whole natural foods shelf stable where they can make money from it, it's that refrigeration and spoilage problem and therefore there's not a lot of shareholder value promoting it, which can negatively effect the bottom line if the nation actually embraced the notion.

    For now lower carb will continue to be the grass roots movement that individuals looking for solution to their health problems tend to eventually find themselves after doing the deep dives that are necessary, like the OP and I have to say that a cauliflower pizza crust is not the deep dive that will do the trick. cheers
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,160 Member
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    vivmom2014 wrote: »
    No offense to the OP (who hasn't bothered showing up again for any discussion) but I find it mind-boggling that so-called authors can continue to trot out the same old diet ideas, package them in a book blaring with hyperbolic quotes all over it about being "ground breaking" and people will continue to shell out money for it.

    No to the thousandth power to giving up carbs, as a means of weight loss or EVER. (Ahem, for me. Not telling anyone else what to do.)

    I quit carbs eons ago, and I was pretty into it: made up recipes with all the usual suspects (cauliflower pizza crust, anyone?) and told any & everyone about this rad new eating plan that was going to make weight fall right off of me. I don't even know if it did because I couldn't stand not living with delicious potatoes, breads and pastas, and I ditched "the plan" a few weeks into it.

    There is no reason to eschew (or worse, demonize) carbs. It's SO tiresome. My husband has a friend who hops on the zero-carb-bandwagon whenever he wants to drop weight for an event. Then he goes right back to eating the bun with his burger, and back to his former weight, and the cycle goes on into infinity.

    The one star reviews for the book mentioned above pretty much confirm what I suspected about it.

    I have not read Dr. Ken Berries book, but I do happen to know that he was pre-diabetic. Taking that into account one starts to understand why he is so strongly for an extremely low-carb approach to eating. It is a proven way to rectify pre-diabetes and put type 2 diabetes into remission. Not having read the book, I don't know if he claims this is the only way to eat or not. I find at times the people who read certain books are more vociferous in their advocacy of the diet that the book may put forward for specific reasons. As I said, I have not read the book. I have watched some of his videos on Youtube, and there have been helpful elements. I can't say I have watched enough to say more than I say with every person who suggests a specific way to eat, take the good and helpful. Forget the not so helpful and outright wrong.

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