I have posted a few tips that can be useful when cooking Italian food, like how to cook pasta or cleaning octopus etc.

How to cook pasta : 500g (1 lb) serves 4 to 6 : Bring plenty of water (about 4.8 litres/8 pints) to the boil in a large saucepan and add salt. Put in the pasta, stirring well to prevent it from sticking.If long, do not break it, but force it under water bending it gradually as it softens. Add 1 (one) tablespoon oil to keep the pasta seperate. Cover the pot to bring it quickly to a fast boil, then uncover and continue at a bubbling boil, stirring occasianally so the pasta does not stick together. Begin to taste for doneness when it starts to swell and rise to the surface. When it is only just tender but still firm (al dente) it is done. The time depends on the type of pasta. Do not overcook!! Drain at once and serve quickly in a warm bowl. In northern Italy they melt in a good dollop of butter so that the cooked pasta slithers smoothly. Serve very hot.

Cleaning and cooking live mussels : Scrub the mussels, pulloff their "beards" (the hairy bits that hang out of the shell) and wash in several changes of water. Discard any wich is broken and those that feel very havy or very light or wich do not close when they are tapped or dipped in cold water. You can leave live mussels for a day in the refrigerator or longer in a bucket of cold water. To steam the mussels open, put them in a saucepan with about 0.5 (1/4 in) water - enough to produce steam. Put the lid on and bring to the boil. The shells will open in 3 - 10 minutes. Take them of the heat immediately and discard any wich remain closed. Clams can also be prepared in the same way.

Preparing Octopus : If the octopus is not already cleaned and tenderised, cut part way through the muscle wich unites the tentacles to the inside of the head and discard all the contents of the head cavity. This involves pulling or cutting out the ink bag, the ´hard oval "beak" and the gelatinous innards. Turn the head inside out and wash well under cold running water. Squeeze or cut out the eyes and any cartilage. To tenderise the tentacles, beat them with a mallet until they feel soft and have lost theyr spring. Remove any scales wich may be left on the suckers. Wash the octopus well.

Preparing Squid : Pull the head away from the body poch and discard the soft innards wich come out with it. Discard the insides of the pouch : the ink bag if any (carefully, without breaking), the icicle-shaped transparent cutllebone and the innards. Cut out the eyes (being carefully that ink does not squirt out at you) and the small round cartilage at the base of the tentacles. Peel of the reddish membrane wich covers the pouch and rinse very thoroughly. Cut the fins from the body.

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