I was talking with a friend that I hadn’t seen in a while and mentioned my new found interest in milling fresh flour, in particular my experiments with fresh pasta. He recommended that I check out Cooking by Hand by Paul Bertolli and sent me a copy. (He also suggested I start making prosciutto in my basement.)

A fascinating read and a departure from the usual cookbook. Rather than a collection of recipes, Bertolli delves deep into ingredients and food making. Flour and pasta making being just one. Not once in all of my various cookbook perusing have I ever encountered anything that truly tried to get to the heart of quality pasta. A good cookbook gives you ideas and inspiration, while making you feel inadequate at the same time. So many things to try and so little time.