Q: Why is tortellini shaped so strange?
A: Food question! And Italian food, no less! Way to go, Chris. Let's see if I can address this in a coherent manner...
After looking into the matter, I've discovered that there are several vaguely similar theories creating a a basic mythological story. Essentially, a peeping-Tom innkeeper peered through the keyhole to check out a beautiful woman. With only candle light in the room, and his narrow field of vision through the keyhole, he was only able to see her belly button. To the innkeeper, this was still - apparently - so marvelous that he rushed off to the kitchen to create a piece of pasta that would remind him of his voyeuristic escapade.
Not quite the rustic explanation I was expecting :-) Either way, tortellini is my favorite stuffed pasta, and will forever remind me of the finest meal I consumed in Rome - Tortellini alla Panna con Prosciutto Crudo - cheese-filled tortellini in a cream sauce with chopped ham. Wow, it was good.
That's it! Remember to post questions for next week's Ask Dan in the comments section.
Ciao!
A: Food question! And Italian food, no less! Way to go, Chris. Let's see if I can address this in a coherent manner...
After looking into the matter, I've discovered that there are several vaguely similar theories creating a a basic mythological story. Essentially, a peeping-Tom innkeeper peered through the keyhole to check out a beautiful woman. With only candle light in the room, and his narrow field of vision through the keyhole, he was only able to see her belly button. To the innkeeper, this was still - apparently - so marvelous that he rushed off to the kitchen to create a piece of pasta that would remind him of his voyeuristic escapade.
Not quite the rustic explanation I was expecting :-) Either way, tortellini is my favorite stuffed pasta, and will forever remind me of the finest meal I consumed in Rome - Tortellini alla Panna con Prosciutto Crudo - cheese-filled tortellini in a cream sauce with chopped ham. Wow, it was good.
That's it! Remember to post questions for next week's Ask Dan in the comments section.
Ciao!