Process Analysis on how to cook a specific item ( author's Choice) Essay

Process Analysis on how to cook a specific item ( author's Choice) - Essay Example Pasta can be used with almost every meal but the taste would be seemingly different in accordance to the type of sauce, cream and associating dishes added to it (Woodruff, 2001). The Al Dente term is defined as ‘to the tooth’ which translates to that pasta strand with the outer lying soft texture but still firm on the inside. In other words, the pasts is not overcooked and is much firmer that most commonly cooked pasta. Al dente pasta is more of a cooking technique rather than an actual type of pasta. Cooking pasta the al dente way means it attains a particular texture. Al dente pasta has its health benefits as it helps lower the glycemic index which translates to our bodies having less blood sugar thus avoiding blood sugar spikes. Overcooked pasta on the contrary, has high Glycemic Index rating which cause a spike in the sugar level in the blood (Woodruff, 2001). Pasta is a starch-based filling just like bread, rice and potatoes which makes for a healthy diet. People ar e encouraged to eat at least 6 servings of starch daily. People can be creative and make the pasta more interesting by making different kinds of pasta. One has the option of using vegetables, chicken and shrimp. Other options include simmering pasta with sauces, spices and herbs like in the Mediterranean dishes. Americans prefer the plain old macaroni and cheese or mixing pasta with casserole dishes (Woodruff, 2001). Ingredients Some of the requirements include several sprigs of fresh rosemary, bread pieces, mustard, quality beef or pork which should be minced for the meat balls. In addition, oregano, salt, pepper, basil, garlic, chili and cheese for spicing up the meat ball sauce. Not forgetting the egg which is used for making the spaghetti meat balls and vinegar, onions, tomatoes and of course s The Pasta One thing that someone must have in mind before starting the cooking of the ‘Al dente’ pasta is that it must be soft enough but also have some sort of rigidity and maintain shape. This means that it must not be sticky but instead be starchy at just the right amount so that the meat ball sauce may stick on it. Method The first step is to put water in a large cooking container and let it boil. The amount of water should be about four to five times the amount of pasta which is being cooked. The amount of pasta also depends on the number of people to be served. So for 250gms of spaghetti, it is advisable for one to use about a liter full of water to prepare it. Salt is added to the water at this point not so much and not too little; just the right amount. Then the pasta is added into the pot or cooking container once the water has boiled. This is done by slowly dropping in the pasta into the boiling water. Once the pasta and water are now boiling in together, the heat at this point should be monitored and kept as a medium. One can simmer down until the pasta is well-cooked or put the heat high enough to stir up the pasta so that the strands remain separated. During the first few minutes, one can stir the pasta with a fork and the stirring can be reduced or completely stopped once the water is becoming used up. By keeping the pasta at the right temperature, and ensuring that the water does not all dry up, then the pasta is less likely to stick onto the sides of the pot. Depending on the instructions on the spaghetti packet, one should not cook for a time longer than what indicated there. About a