When the Pasta's Waiting for You

The Washington Post reported yesterday that actor Henry Winkler was seen in the city's Georgetown neighborhood, talking on his cell and chatting with a fan. But Winkler, having stepped outside a restaurant called Papa Razzi for his phone call, cut the conversation short. He kissed the fan on the cheek and told her:

"My pasta's getting cold."

And, as any actor knows, eating cold pasta is a bummer.

Cooking the "Risotto" Way

I am a big fan of pasta, especially risotto. That's why this recent article from the N.Y. Times caught my eye. Mark Bittman writes:

Cooking pasta the way you would make risotto may sound new and hip. But it's at least old enough to have been demonstrated to me in Rome in 1976, and I imagine as old as pasta itself.

. . . The pasta retains its starch, making it creamy and rich; it also gains the flavor of the stock.

It would be interesting to give this a try.