Mangiamacaroni

Every once in a while, Freecycle stops being an inbox-clogger and connects the right people. A chance hopeful post the other day put me in touch with two great people named Alice and Simon, who handed down to me a good-as-new Atlas pasta machine. It's great to get free stuff, sure, but even more than that it is great to participate in a community of exchange where old things don't have to be thrown out, and every new adventure or pursuit doesn't have to start with money. We almost all have more than enough of something (I, for example, have silverware and compost to excess at this time), and it feels good to be able to share and to receive.

In telling me about the machine, Alice shared how special it had been when she first got it in the seventies, and knowing what it meant to her makes it all the more special in my kitchen. And have I been using it?

Oh yes. I have already made two batches and hope to make more soon. I've had some mishaps with sticky dough, and with dirty countertops (gritty pasta=very very bad), but on the whole, it couldn't be easier to work with and turns out lovely, uniform pasta. I'm using Alice Waters' recipe (2c flour, 2 eggs, 2 yolks), and also had good luck subbing in greens for half the eggs. Pasta is so versatile, so delicious, and so fun to play with. Lasagne, anyone?

Thank you, Alice and Simon, for sharing this lovely, sturdy old machine with me. I hope to keep it in the family for a long time.