I suppose I should have made it clearer, but I decided not to have a nephew at all. Or rather, Gilbert's the nephew; he'll hardly be able to live on his own after this. And I'm sure he has it in him to be as much of a pain as the little girl in the movie was. So you're going to get to see the grieving process from the POV of two brothers, instead of an aunt and niece. I hope it still works!
I'm so used to writing funny that sad isn't really in my comfort zone, so I'm really happy to hear that the sad bits worked for you.
Ah, specifics. I guess I have to reveal my embarrassing secret: I don't even know what to ask because I can barely manage warming up Eggo waffles in the toaster (they're on par with cockroaches, on a live-through-nuclear-winter scale. And I still manage to ruin them). I guess... is there a restaurant quality dish that you really like? Frankly, if I asked you for a specific recipe it'd be because I browsed through a google search of "italian dishes that are difficult to make" right beforehand. (My cooking fail is a large part as to why I was hesitant to take this prompt)
Re: Author here
anonymous
April 8 2010, 14:15:27 UTC
Yes, I got it just after I posted actually (it makes sense and I love the German bros being bros, so it works really well for me).
Hmmm... Lemme see... Some basics!
- Base for sauces (battuto): carrot, onion, garlic, parsley, celery, everything cut in pieces (not minced!), let it cook in olive oil (a couple spoons every two people) until the onion and the garlic are golden. You can fish the pieces out then, they're just for flavor and not for eating. Then pour the rest of the ingredients in the oil (eg. passata). Watch out, boiling oil hurts! With passata, don't use garlic. Garlic and onion need to have the 'skin' peeled off.
- To take the edge off the taste of garlic: cut it in half and cut the green part off. Or: cover it in milk and boil it. Or: cover it in water, boil it, change the water, repeat five more times (always start 'a freddo', with the water cold). Or use shallot ;) (but if you use shallot, don't use onion!).
- Meat: in a nonstick pan with a drop of olive oil (or butter, but I don't like it). If it's 'fat' meat (bacon, sausages) no need for oil. When it's warm enough, pour some wine (red for red meat - pork, beef, white for white - chicken, turkey). Cooking wine need not be 'good' wine - a mediocre one is ok. The wine makes the fat in the meat evaporate.
- Pasta: salt the water, a small handful for person. The water should fill three-quarters of the pot and be enough to keep the pasta a couple centimeters under the surface. But don't put the pasta in the cold water! Wait until the water is boiling and then put the pasta in it, about 80-100 gr. for person. Quantity changes according to the type of pasta - short pasta like penne, mezze maniche etc. 'yields' better, so you need less. Stir it with a wooden spoon every once in a while. If you cook spaghetti, carefully push it under the water surface without breaking it. The cooking time is usually written on the pasta's box, but...
- ... Italians know it's often uncorrect. The only way to judge is to fish a sample out of the water and bite it. If it still has a 'soul' (anima), that is, there's a white part in the middle, it's undercooked. If it yields no resistance to the tooth or it breaks easily, it's overcooked. Al dente (lit. 'to the tooth') means it resists to the biting 'just enough'. It's a rather elusive concept.
- Pour the pasta in a colander, drain it, then put it in a bowl and pour the sauce of choice in it immediately! If the sauce is not done, pour some olive oil in it and stir! If you don't, the pasta will become glue!
- Basic pasta sauces: just olive oil and pepper. Or olive oil and butter. Or olive oil, butter and parmesan - I think Americans call that last one alfredo, but Italians don't use that name (and don't use that much butter!). With oil, parmesan and pepper you do a cacio e pepe - typically Roman sauce. Aglio, olio e peperoncino: cook garlic in oil until it's golden, then mix it with minced chilli peppers.
- Basic pasta sauces/2: carbonara. Cut some bacon in small cubes, cook it in a pan. Take a raw egg for every couple people, whisk, spray with salt, pepper and (if you want) nutmeg. When the pasta is done, put everything (bacon, egg, pasta) in a pan, stir, cook until the egg is a bright yellow and it's not runny anymore.
- Basic pasta sauce/3: battuto as described (no garlic!), pour passata, cook for a while (uncooked tomato is sour!), stir often (or it'll stick/burn), adjust for pepper and salt (always!), when done wash some basil leaves, rip them in big pieces (don't use a knife!) and mix it in. Don't cook the basil, cooked basil is bitter! If you want, add grated parmesan or mozzarella.
- Olive oil: use only 'extra-virgin'! Greek is good, Spanish is good, Tuscan or Southern Italian is better.
I should add...
anonymous
April 8 2010, 14:29:19 UTC
... even if all of those aren't that complicated, I can def. see them served in a restaurant, especially if it's Italian-style. The basic idea behind a good Italian restaurant, even fancy ones, it's that, just like "there are no small part, just small actors", there are no easy recipes, just bad cooks.
However, I could put together some more difficult recipes, but you have to give me (read: my mum ♥) a day or so. I hope it's ok for now!
Ok, mum says (whew, that was fast)...
anonymous
April 8 2010, 14:51:39 UTC
... 'hard' recipes are of two kinds: - long and elaborated. Eg. Ragù. This kind is not 'difficult' to make, but requires attention and long cooking times. I can make a good ragù and I'm no cook, but it takes at least three and an half hours. Another type is pasta all'uovo, pasta with egg in the dough. You can buy it, but it's better home-made, and requires a long kneading (with strong arms, and sexy hips movements;)).
- elaborated and 'it-may-not-work'. The classic example is soufflé, which may not rise (or rise and then deflate!) if the doses aren't just right, the oven isn't at the exact right temperature, or, believe it or not, the room's windows are open!
Both kinds are def. restaurant recipes.
Sorry for multiple posting! I'm dumb sometimes >_>
Authornon is impressed. I've got plenty to work with now, thank you! And tons of thanks to your mom, too. (Reading this made me start to get hungry... all I had for dinner was a peanut butter sandwich... I really need to try to learn how to cook real meals again)
Never underestimate mothers when it comes to cooking.
anonymous
April 9 2010, 10:31:54 UTC
I'm not the author, but I just felt like commenting on this:
with strong arms, and sexy hips movements;)
I am now imagining Ludwig doing that ._. this image won't leave my head. Ever. German!Anon feels ashamed.
To the author, because I don't want to post two comments: In my eyes, this story is pretty much... perfection. I've never seen a fic with everyone so IC (I kind of wish you'd, how do I say this... bring the Nordics in more because I'm sure you wouldn't mess up their characters like others do, but oh well)
I'm so used to writing funny that sad isn't really in my comfort zone, so I'm really happy to hear that the sad bits worked for you.
Ah, specifics. I guess I have to reveal my embarrassing secret: I don't even know what to ask because I can barely manage warming up Eggo waffles in the toaster (they're on par with cockroaches, on a live-through-nuclear-winter scale. And I still manage to ruin them). I guess... is there a restaurant quality dish that you really like? Frankly, if I asked you for a specific recipe it'd be because I browsed through a google search of "italian dishes that are difficult to make" right beforehand. (My cooking fail is a large part as to why I was hesitant to take this prompt)
Reply
Hmmm... Lemme see... Some basics!
- Base for sauces (battuto): carrot, onion, garlic, parsley, celery, everything cut in pieces (not minced!), let it cook in olive oil (a couple spoons every two people) until the onion and the garlic are golden. You can fish the pieces out then, they're just for flavor and not for eating. Then pour the rest of the ingredients in the oil (eg. passata). Watch out, boiling oil hurts! With passata, don't use garlic. Garlic and onion need to have the 'skin' peeled off.
- To take the edge off the taste of garlic: cut it in half and cut the green part off. Or: cover it in milk and boil it. Or: cover it in water, boil it, change the water, repeat five more times (always start 'a freddo', with the water cold). Or use shallot ;) (but if you use shallot, don't use onion!).
- Meat: in a nonstick pan with a drop of olive oil (or butter, but I don't like it). If it's 'fat' meat (bacon, sausages) no need for oil. When it's warm enough, pour some wine (red for red meat - pork, beef, white for white - chicken, turkey). Cooking wine need not be 'good' wine - a mediocre one is ok. The wine makes the fat in the meat evaporate.
- Pasta: salt the water, a small handful for person. The water should fill three-quarters of the pot and be enough to keep the pasta a couple centimeters under the surface. But don't put the pasta in the cold water! Wait until the water is boiling and then put the pasta in it, about 80-100 gr. for person. Quantity changes according to the type of pasta - short pasta like penne, mezze maniche etc. 'yields' better, so you need less. Stir it with a wooden spoon every once in a while. If you cook spaghetti, carefully push it under the water surface without breaking it. The cooking time is usually written on the pasta's box, but...
- ... Italians know it's often uncorrect. The only way to judge is to fish a sample out of the water and bite it. If it still has a 'soul' (anima), that is, there's a white part in the middle, it's undercooked. If it yields no resistance to the tooth or it breaks easily, it's overcooked. Al dente (lit. 'to the tooth') means it resists to the biting 'just enough'. It's a rather elusive concept.
- Pour the pasta in a colander, drain it, then put it in a bowl and pour the sauce of choice in it immediately! If the sauce is not done, pour some olive oil in it and stir! If you don't, the pasta will become glue!
- Basic pasta sauces: just olive oil and pepper. Or olive oil and butter. Or olive oil, butter and parmesan - I think Americans call that last one alfredo, but Italians don't use that name (and don't use that much butter!). With oil, parmesan and pepper you do a cacio e pepe - typically Roman sauce. Aglio, olio e peperoncino: cook garlic in oil until it's golden, then mix it with minced chilli peppers.
- Basic pasta sauces/2: carbonara. Cut some bacon in small cubes, cook it in a pan. Take a raw egg for every couple people, whisk, spray with salt, pepper and (if you want) nutmeg. When the pasta is done, put everything (bacon, egg, pasta) in a pan, stir, cook until the egg is a bright yellow and it's not runny anymore.
- Basic pasta sauce/3: battuto as described (no garlic!), pour passata, cook for a while (uncooked tomato is sour!), stir often (or it'll stick/burn), adjust for pepper and salt (always!), when done wash some basil leaves, rip them in big pieces (don't use a knife!) and mix it in. Don't cook the basil, cooked basil is bitter! If you want, add grated parmesan or mozzarella.
- Olive oil: use only 'extra-virgin'! Greek is good, Spanish is good, Tuscan or Southern Italian is better.
Hope it helps!
Reply
However, I could put together some more difficult recipes, but you have to give me (read: my mum ♥) a day or so. I hope it's ok for now!
Reply
- long and elaborated. Eg. Ragù. This kind is not 'difficult' to make, but requires attention and long cooking times. I can make a good ragù and I'm no cook, but it takes at least three and an half hours.
Another type is pasta all'uovo, pasta with egg in the dough. You can buy it, but it's better home-made, and requires a long kneading (with strong arms, and sexy hips movements;)).
- elaborated and 'it-may-not-work'. The classic example is soufflé, which may not rise (or rise and then deflate!) if the doses aren't just right, the oven isn't at the exact right temperature, or, believe it or not, the room's windows are open!
Both kinds are def. restaurant recipes.
Sorry for multiple posting! I'm dumb sometimes >_>
Reply
Okay, back to work on the next part!
Reply
with strong arms, and sexy hips movements;)
I am now imagining Ludwig doing that ._. this image won't leave my head. Ever. German!Anon feels ashamed.
To the author, because I don't want to post two comments:
In my eyes, this story is pretty much... perfection. I've never seen a fic with everyone so IC (I kind of wish you'd, how do I say this... bring the Nordics in more because I'm sure you wouldn't mess up their characters like others do, but oh well)
Reply
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