00 Flour
I like to make my own pizza and pasta. When you look at recipes for either, they usually recommend that you use type 00 flour. "Fine," I exclaim at the recipe (not out loud - I'm not a mental) "but where exactly am I supposed to buy type 00 flour? None of the supermarkets sell it, not even bloody Waitrose."Well it just so happens that I found a great Italian deli today, bursting with authentic Italian produce. In fact the place was so authentic that they struggled to understand me.
"Hello, shop keep," I didn't really say this, but let's pretend I did, as it emphasises the cultural divide between me and the aged nonna that served me - "do you sell flour?"
"Uh?"
"Flour, do you sell flour? Like, pasta flour?"
"Go to the bottom of the shop..."
"right..."
"...and when you get there, ask the man who is down there."
"Right-o, thanks awfully!" I didn't say.
Well to cut a long story short, I asked the man at the bottom of the shop, and now have 2Kilos of type 00 flour, which this weekend I shall use to make tagliettelle and if time allows, pizza.
The only long term draw back of all this is that this Italian Deli was in bloody Maidenhead, just round the corner from my company's head office, so if the stuff is really that much better, I can't exactly nip down there to pick up some more. But at least I can try it, and if I like it, make the effort to buy it online.
By the way, I just found out that making fresh pasta is bloody easy and not expensive. Basically, per person, you just mash together 1 egg and 100g flour into a dough, and then roll it out, and that's basically it. Maybe I'll do a proper post on pasta making before long.
Ciao for now.
8 Comments:
I heard a rumour that there is a rather good Italian deli in Woodseats.
Not sure where but if you ask Mark on Monday I'm sure he will tell you.
Just thinking... doesn't Nonna's on Ecclesall Road have a deli behind it now? Ah... here it is.
Situated on Hickmott road, just around the corner from Nonna's Restaurant, Nonna's Cucina is a haven for all shoppers.
...
It is the place to go for all your Italian food & wine shopping needs.
Well, I was just logging on to post about how I'd just bought lunch at Nonna's Cucina and noticed they too sell 00 flour, and Tony has beaten me to the punch.
They also sell delicious folded pizza (similar to Clazone, but less doughy) stuffed with cheeses and mushrooms and tomatoes. I'm now stuffed! And some fab pastas. It is my favourite shop in Sheffield I think.
Sorry, just noticed typo, I of course meant Calzone).
Look, I'm not being a fancy London type or anything, but even my local Asda (in Feltham, Middlesex - not exactly Little Italy) sells type 00 flour. Let alone the local Waitrose (Staines!), which is awash with the stuff. If one can actually be awash with flour.
Are you ABSOLUTELY SURE you've looked properly in the supermarkets up there, or did you do "boy looking"?
oh, and if you're making fresh pasta, then you've gotta go the whole hog and stuff it.
Buy a pot of mushroom pate (if you're lazy like me) or make up a filling and do yourself a batch of pasta parcels.
Then poach some sage leaves in butter and pour over. Bob is, I believe, your uncle.
I can confirm that Sainsburys at Crystal Peaks sells 00 Flour. It wasn't even in the posh aisle!
I looked all over and couldn't see it - obviously doing "boy looking" - but Suzy spotted it. The "00 Flour" part was in quite small print and it was disguised as flour for making sauces or something. It might not have been Italian either.
OO flour can be found in posh aisle in big sainsburys.
My own crisis is to find somewhere that sells Barrys tea.It is the best strong tea And my local budgens in tolworth has been revamped and no longer stocks it.Glengettie is a close second which you can find in waitrose.Please if anyone knows where to buy Barry's tea apart from on its overpriced website please let us know.
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