“Every Fern is tucked and set, ‘Neath coverlet,
Downy and soft and warm.”
Susan Coolidge
Wind chills in my part of the country exceed -30 below zero today. So today I will be keeping it warm by putting forth an effort to make Italian pasta, fettuccine to be exact. What inspired me today was a news broadcast that a suburban (somewhat country town) is not only providing their students with homemade pasta meals but is also doing the local food thing. Plates are heaped high with broccoli and carrots and a spaghetti pasta meal. I am so impressed. This community has also reserved a local farm that is up and working for their students to participate in.
Pasta 101
This kind of weather calls for something “pasta”. I have on my shelf a beautiful Marcato Atlas150 pasta machine. Brand new! Never tried it! Today was the day and here is how it went.
I unloaded the box and found four parts and an instruction book – a handle, a clamp to attach the body to the counter, the main body (which is a set of rollers), and a head with two patterns depending on if you want a spaghetti noodle or a fettuccine noodle. I made both.
This was by far the most simply and elegantly made pasta machines I have every had. My mother used to make her own noodles and cut them out with a kitchen knife. The final product is excellent and it will be my dinner tonight! I highly recommend it!
I used Heckers flour, which I ordered on line and I have found it to be an impressive product.
Country Comfort 