Two entirely off topic questions...

[RavensGryf]

Who better to ask than the nice folks at Parrot Forums . Maybe you know the answer to one of my questions, maybe you know both?!

Question #1)

Whenever I make spaghetti, I always get a ton of excess water in my bowl. I notice it once I start eating . I boil my favorite whole grain Barilla thin spaghetti and drain it VERY well in a colander, tossing it around to make sure ALL the water is out. The pasta seems dry enough at that point. Nonetheless, I always end up with water pooling in my dish. My solution has been to I take some paper towels and soak it up, but there is so much water that it takes quite a few paper towels. And face it, no one likes soggy red paper towels unappetizingly sitting in your dish next to your meal, even when you're not trying to impress anyone . I cannot tell if the water is coming from the pasta or the sauce (it doesn't contain water, and tomatoes are drained really well). Where is all this water coming from?! :17:
Someone needs to invent a dish with small drain holes in it, and a separate dish under it to catch the water, unless you guys have a better solution . Does this only happen to me?

Question #2

I bought a cute small plastic dish for Chip, for his fresh foods. It came from the rodent department. When I got home and peeled the sticker off it (it was inside the bottom of the dish where the food goes), I found that it wasn't a clean peeling sticker. It left sticky adhesive glue. The same type of glue that you typically see from price tags. Do you know anything bird safe to remove this glue with, short of torching the thing?

Thank you

 

[Kiwibird]

Who better to ask than the nice folks at Parrot Forums . Maybe you know the answer to one of my questions, maybe you know both?!

Question #1)

Whenever I make spaghetti, I always get a ton of excess water in my bowl. I notice it once I start eating . I boil my favorite whole grain Barilla thin spaghetti and drain it VERY well in a colander, tossing it around to make sure ALL the water is out. The pasta seems dry enough at that point. Nonetheless, I always end up with water pooling in my dish. My solution has been to I take some paper towels and soak it up, but there is so much water that it takes quite a few paper towels. And face it, no one likes soggy red paper towels unappetizingly sitting in your dish next to your meal, even when you're not trying to impress anyone . I cannot tell if the water is coming from the pasta or the sauce (it doesn't contain water, and tomatoes are drained really well). Where is all this water coming from?! :17:
Someone needs to invent a dish with small drain holes in it, and a separate dish under it to catch the water, unless you guys have a better solution . Does this only happen to me?

Question #2

I bought a cute small plastic dish for Chip, for his fresh foods. It came from the rodent department. When I got home and peeled the sticker off it (it was inside the bottom of the dish where the food goes), I found that it wasn't a clean peeling sticker. It left sticky adhesive glue. The same type of glue that you typically see from price tags. Do you know anything bird safe to remove this glue with, short of torching the thing?

Thank you

1. Once it's drained, do you put it back in the pot so you can heat the sauce up on it? If so, did you remember to get all the water out of the pot itself? I've done that before... more than once Otherwise I have no clue!

2. Put some cooking oil on the sticker and let it really soak in. Should be relatively easy to scrape off. If that fails, put some denatured alcohol on a rag and rub it (test in a small spot first to make sure the plastic isn't a variety that it damages).

 

[happy410]

Suggestion for question #2
Rub peanut butter on the sticky area and let it sit a few minutes then rub it in. Rinse, then your ready to go.

 

[SailBoat]

Item 1: It has to do with the extensive surface area and starch, which aids in holds water. Leave it in the colander until your guests are ready to place on their plate. It should be the last item placed in a bowl and brought to the table. I always use the ooops story. Never pre-mix!

Item 2: Never tried Peanut Butter, interesting but my Amazon would be rapidly attacked to the site. Goo-Be-Gone has several chemicals that are toxic to Parrots and therefore I would not recommended its use without proper clean-up. The hard plastic surface of 'food' dishes will quickly clean after applying Goo-Be-Gone. The oil cutting ability of Dawn will quickly break-down Goo-Be-Gone. Use several hand washes with Dawn and into the Dish washer will eliminate any trace of Goo-Be-Gone. NOTE: Clearly use only what is needed to break down the glue. Goo-Be-Gone and the Glue will have an oily feel. See below regarding any Glue left on the dish prior to placing in the dish washer.

You can also soak with a mix of Dawn and hot water until it lifts-off! It will take several soakings since the glue breaks down slowly in this mix. Use a paper towel to work at the label. The fast answer would be to simply place it in the dish waster and run it several times - Not Recommended, since the glue will stick in the filter /pump.

 

[Terry57]

I always drain my spaghetti, then put it back on the stove with the sauce for a few minutes, and I haven't had any issues with excess water

Great ideas for getting a label off, I usually just soak and soak and soak some more, but these sound much quicker.

 

[Flboy]

Question #1, since I never have this problem, solution may be what I do out of habit! Strained pasta gets dumped back into hot pot and I throw a bit of butter on it to avoid clumping
#2 yes, peanut butter works, but a product called goof off is fantastic! Most definitely not bird safe, not even people safe! But remember, it is a highly volatile solvent, so once evaporated, gone!

 

[RavensGryf]

Thanks for answers so far!

About the spaghetti, I never mix the sauce with it in the pot. After it "seems" thoroughly drained, I fork a portion over into the bowl. Then once the pasta in in the bowl I spoon the cooked sauce over it. The pasta can really be dry (except for olive oil residue from putting oil it in the water), but still amazingly, water starts appearing in the bowl.

Ah some good ideas there that I never thought of. As far as oil goes, I have olive oil, I wonder if that would work? I don't have Dawn, but I have antibacterial Palmolive. I am betting that either of those should work. I'll try one, if it doesn't work, I'll try the other!

 

[MonicaMc]

1.) Never had that issue... I like my pasta and sauce mixed.... *never* with sauce piled on top of plain pasta.


2.) Hair dryer. Heat applied to stickers helps to remove the stickers, and most, if not all, of the stickiness. I would just heat it up, then scrape it off. Failing that, I might go for some rubbing alcohol or dish soap...

 

[RavensGryf]

It's interesting, but I never thought of mixing pasta 'with' the sauce while it's still on the stove. The only time I like the sauce touching the pasta is in the bowl right before I eat it . Even the leftovers go in the fridge separately. No mixing for me .

 

[plumsmum2005]

# 1 No idea have the very same problem! Serve rice instead or have a slice of bread with it LOL Sorry not much use was I on this one? LOL

# 2 Use nail polish remover and wash.

 

[Christinenc2000]

James is a excellent cook but his sauce always had water. Mine never did . I used Tomato paste. Just a little.

NOW his sauce is as thick as mine.

 

[SailBoat]

Next time you are in the Store that you purchased the bowl(s) from, pass along your dislike for the location of the label. The proper location would have been on the bottom and not on any surface that would come in contact with food.

 

[Aquila]

1. Are you rinsing the pasta with water after cooking? If you do, you're rinsing off the excess starch that makes the pasta more sticky! I also like my sauce and pasta more separate, not mixed, but I leave the pasta in the colander to "air dry" a few minutes before serving, mixing it now and again.

2. Isopropyl alcohol will dissolve stubborn stickies!

 

[RavensGryf]

1) Whew, good to know other 'excellent cooks' have confessed to the water problem too .

Christine, I think I'll try mixing in some tomato paste next time to thicken the sauce, but I really think the pasta is the culprit! Does adding the paste change the flavor much?

Liz, no I don't rinse the pasta. I drain it so well that there is absolutely no visible water in it. It's just a mystery. At least Plumsmum can relate

2) K, I can't use nail polish remover. It's the type of material where it will eat into it and leave a mark.

@happy, I'm sorry I didn't see the peanut butter suggestion yesterday, I didn't have my glasses on . I bet it would work because of the oil.

Sailboat, I remember that product Goo Gone lol. I had it at one time, and it smelled exactly like gasoline. Regarding complaining about the dish... I am not sure if the pet store employees would actually follow through and get the word to the right channels in the fist place. Besides, it was made for rodents, and perhaps glues aren't an issue with them?

I have not tried anything yet, but I will keep you all posted.... Thanks again!

 

[Christinenc2000]

No it does not change the flavor. I can't remember the oz can size .

Very small can and it only takes 1/4 to 1/2 of the can to thicken. Also leaving the sauce uncovered while cooking helps.

A lot of Chiefs use a small amount of the pasta water in there sauce to thicken it . I never had luck with that.

Just in case someone thinks the pasta water is nuts lol http://www.thekitchn.com/quick-tip-thicken-sauces-with-122982

 

[RavensGryf]

That's intersting about adding the cooking water in the sauce. Sounds a bit unappetizing though lol. I'll keep that in mind about not adding too much paste, just enough to thicken.

I still feel the water is 'somehow' coming from the pasta. It swear it is dry as can be, yet water will still appear. I should experiment with different shapes, but I do like the thin spaghetti noodles.

 

[happy410]

After we drain our pasta, we toss it in a large bowl with olive oil. We never have the water issue, maybe the oil acts like a barrier.
We spoon sauce over pasta, never have mixed it together.

 

[wrench13]

Answer#1 - Be nice to the Super Moderators

Answer#2 - Be really nice to the Super Moderators
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J/K - I don't cook. And my solution would be to take a knife to the sticker.

 

[Flboy]

It's interesting, but I never thought of mixing pasta 'with' the sauce while it's still on the stove. The only time I like the sauce touching the pasta is in the bowl right before I eat it . Even the leftovers go in the fridge separately. No mixing for me .

Before microwave, leftover pasta, already mixed, fried in a bit of butter!

 

[plumsmum2005]

I use 'free from' (wheat) spaghetti and it is still the same but the tossing in oil idea might work. Just a thought we also use linguine and for some strange reason I always buy the expensive bronze die pasta and this doesn't end up sitting in it own puddle. Probably because all the tv chefs say it soaks up the sauce??? Let up know how you get on.