Happy Thanksgiving!
All of us in the Zelasko household wish you and your family a happy Thanksgiving. I’m grateful for all of you who support my business. May your travels be safe, the family fellowship be fun, and the food be delicious. Be back with you next week.
Sodium Citrate Works!
Last month, I talked about the fluid physics of pasta for making Cacio e Pepe, a three ingredient pasta dish. Researchers analyzed the best way to get the pasta to the right temp and starch level of the water. Then they used sodium citrate to compensate for the experience of an Italian grandmother who knew exactly when to add the pasta water.
Paula ordered sodium citrate, and I finally tried it. I used fresh chopped basil instead of pepper and added a teaspoon of sodium citrate as I added the cheese. No lumps in the sauce for the first time—smooth and silky—delicious! You can use the sodium citrate to make any cheese sauce smooth and not grainy or lumpy. Think about that Thanksgiving macaroni and cheese or some other recipe that requires cheese; you could even add a gravy boat of cheese sauce to encourage young (and older) guests who hate vegetables. Peas with cheese? Yes, whatever works.
The sodium citrate isn’t going to help with the turkey gravy, but for anything with a cheese sauce, like the nachos you’re going to serve as an appetizer or a snack during the game, you might find it’s a whole lot more popular this year if you use the sodium citrate trick. Leave it to physicists who love pasta to come up with the solution to clumpy cheese! That’s one more reason to be thankful.
What are you prepared to do today?
