Flour + Water by Thomas McNaughton was a great read and I have to
thank my previous boss, Chef Benjamin Lee. While I was at A Voce on 41 Madison in
NYC, I worked the hot apps station which was right next to Pasta station and I
was always curious and enjoyed watching the skill and art of making a silky
smooth pasta dishes. I would take whatever spare time I had after or in-betweens
services to go downstairs and watch Bertha our pasta lady make our pasta, she
made you feel like you were here grandchild.
I was constantly asking my chef
questions about pasta and why he did this or that, I stood over his shoulder and
watched what he did like a hawk, I am sure some days he was happy to know that
I was so interested and other days it drove him up the wall. One day I asked him
about really good books to read, he told me about two, one I haven't gotten yet
(sorry chef!), the other was Flour + Water, a story about three men, who were
all connected in this small niche.
Thomas McNaughton left America to train in Italy and learn the art of pasta
making. When the time came for him to go back home he applied for a job on
craigslist not knowing what he was getting into. Both he and the two other men
end up having a restaurant with great food, where the pasta was made fresh every
day and became the main idea behind the name of the restaurant, Flour + Water
You learn the basics in this book and get an understanding of the real
art of pasta making without having to fly to Italy. McNaughton goes deep into
his descriptions making you understand the difference between different types of
pasta and which ones to use for specific sauces. It sheds some light in the
pasta world for you. Almost every dish in this book has a story behind it or
how it came about, which is awesome because its almost as if the dish has a personality.
The book has a lot of character and has loads of yummy pictures that
influence you to get up and get to rolling or learning. I hope you get this book
and enjoy it as much as I did.
No comments:
Post a Comment