However, Italy isn’t the only place where pasta is consumed. While not every culture has a version of this dietary staple, you can find noodle-like foods in countries all around the world. Here’s a sampling:

• Couscous - probably the smallest form of pasta, made with Semolina and traditionally used in North African cuisine.
• Cellophane noodles (along with wheat and rice flour noodles) - widely used throughout China where noodles have been eaten for as many as 2000 years!
• Spaetzle - German egg noodles which are often served with butter, gravy, or added to soups.
• Fideos - Mexico’s take on this succulent starch is also the base for sopa seca (dry soup).

Looking for some pasta inspiration? Ruth, food blogger at Once Upon a Feast has created the tradition of Presto Pasta Nights, calling on foodies the world over to submit their favorite pasta dishes for inclusion in her weekly tribute to this highly versatile and oh-so scrumptious ingredient. 

If you’re not inspired to cook pasta, take a gander at the most recent installment of PPN (as Ruth calls it). The twenty-eight photos of dishes ranging from stuffed shells with lamb, feta and spinach to soba noodles in tahini sauce with pork floss, are sure to have your mouth watering in no time.

Clotilde Dusoulier, cookbook author and food blogger extraordinaire (of Chocolate and Zucchini fame) has some great suggestions on the best way to store fresh greens, timely tips for the beginning of salad season. Even if you haven’t started your window-box herb garden or sprout center, there may still be hope for finding fresh edible leaves this spring. Take a look at Local Harvest’s directory of local growers to find a farmer near you who might have early greens.

Once you’ve found the goods and followed Clotilde’s advice, what next? After months of stews, soups, and hearty winter fare, what could be more delicious than a light, fresh salad? Here are a few ideas for dressing up your greens:

• Dried fruit (currants, cranberries, or diced apricots) add texture and a delightfully sweet flavor.
• Toasted seeds and nuts (almonds, walnuts, sunflower or sesame seeds) pack a crunchy, protein-filled punch.
• Grated root vegetables (beets, carrots, turnip or rutabaga) can dress things up with a burst of color.
• A bit of crumbled or shredded high-quality cheese is always welcome - just keep it light to avoid overpowering the delicate greens.

Let your creativity guide you as you make a salad to remember!

As a fan of the egg you’re in good company. Historians have confirmed records of egg consumption (from a distant ancestor of today’s hen) as early as 1400, B.C. in China and Egypt. In addition to being delicious and relatively inexpensive, eggs are a good source of vitamins (A, D, and E), nutrients (riboflavin and choline), and protein.

However, for chefs, the egg’s nutritional content is perhaps less important than its amazing versatility in the kitchen. What other ingredient can be prepared in so many ways? In addition to the standard preparations (fried, scrambled, soft-boiled, hard-cooked), eggs are delicious in frittatas, omelets, stratas and quiches and are an important ingredient in baked goods (if you’ve ever inadvertently omitted them from a cookie recipe you’ll agree). Of course, the list of delicacies made with eggs would be incomplete without mentioning souffles, meringues, and custards.

While most of us probably use eggs almost every day, there’s still a lot we can learn about them, which is why this week is dedicated to the egg. Stay tuned for practical tips and interesting facts about this important ingredient.

There’s no question that fresh herbs are far and away one of the most important ingredients to have on hand. They also happen to be very easy to grow, which makes them an ideal choice for chefs living in even the smallest of apartments. If you have a windowsill that gets some sunlight, you can grow herbs.

Here’s a short list of what you’ll need to get started:

1. Seeds - Decide which herbs you use most frequently and purchase seeds. If you don’t have a sunny place to grow them, look for varieties (such as mint) that do well in low light environments. (If the idea of starting plants from seeds seems too intimidating, you can spend a bit more for a seedling, but keep in mind that you’ll still need to re-pot it.)
2. Soil - A small bag of potting soil is all you’ll need, available at most hardware stores. To avoid consuming the pesticides and chemical fertilizers found in some brands of soil, look for an organic soil blend.
3. Pots - No need to be fancy here. You can plant in almost anything, including old milk cartons or yogurt containers. Antique stores and yard sales are a great source of creative options for plant containers, but be sure to make a few small holes in the bottom of your planter to allow the soil to drain.
4. A sunny spot - A windowsill in your kitchen is ideal. Some herbs can do well outside, too, as long as the temperature stays above freezing. If you have space, consider moving your plants outside this summer.

More information about the needs of specific herbs is readily available online. Start now and in a matter of weeks you could be sampling your first flavor-packed harvest!

Copeland was one of three children, raised by his single mother and extended family. He never finished high school, but got his start in the food industry at an early age, working as a soda jerk. By 18 he had his own Tastee Donut franchise.

Before his 30th birthday, Copeland opened his first chicken restaurant in New Orleans. It failed, and he went back to the drawing board to adjust his recipe. The following year, in 1972, Copeland tried again, with a restaurant bearing the name Popeyes Mighty Good Fried Chicken. Within 20 years he owned or franchised over 800 Popeyes.

Although Copeland went on to lose most of his Popeyes when he filed for bankruptcy after buying a competing chicken chain, that didn’t stop him.  He opened Copeland’s of New Orleans, a chain that has expanded to 9 states, and owned several other restaurants, hotels, comedy clubs, and even a food processing company at the time of his death.

What can chefs-in-training learn from Copeland’s life? While he may have taken his secret spice blend recipe to the grave, Copeland’s example reminds us of the importance of using mistakes as an opportunity for learning and growth. May he rest in peace.

The following list is made up of kitchen essentials. If you’re serious about a career in culinary arts, spend the extra money on tools of the highest quality so you can use them for years.

• The Knife - If you haven’t already invested in a chef’s knife for yourself, now’s the time. While the best knives run over $100 apiece, this is not an item to scrimp on. Five years from now, when you’re still slicing and dicing with ease, you’ll be glad you spent the extra $60.
• Cookware - If you still have some cash left after the knife purchase, invest in some pots and pans. Don’t have enough for that Le Creuset set you’ve been drooling over? Check out last month’s posting on cast iron cookware, a economical and practical alternative.
• Wooden Spoon - You’ll be stirring many a soup, chowder, batter and dough over the next thirty years. Find yourself a wooden spoon that feels good when it’s in your hand. If you’re partial to beautiful tools, look for a hand-crafted spoon which could become a family heirloom if you care for it correctly.
• Cutting Boards - Still got some cash to burn? You won’t regret investing in a good cutting board. Measure your counter space before you go shopping to ensure that you pick a board that fits. A good wooden cutting board will be a functional and attractive addition to your kitchen for years to come.

Insurance policies for body parts are no longer reserved for models and musicians. The Associated Press reported in Forbes this week that one of Europe’s foremost winemakers and tasters, Ilja Gort, had his nose insured by Lloyd’s of London for 5 million Euros. While insuring a nose might seem outlandish to some, Gort’s policy is actually not the first of its kind. In 2003, British wine taster Angela Mount took out a policy for 10 million pounds ($20.1 million; Euro12.7 million) to cover her senses of taste and smell. Although many people, especially chefs, depend upon their taste buds and nose to create culinary masterpieces (and earn a living), few can afford to protect themselves against an accident that could leave them without a way to smell or taste the foods they cook.

However, according to an article in Reader’s Digest, there are a few things you can do in your everyday life to keep your senses sharp.

The suggestions from the experts include the following advice:

• Stay active - research suggests that your sense of smell is more effective after exercise.
  
• Keep yourself hydrated - a dry mouth adversely affects your ability to taste.
  
• Check out your medicine cabinet- many common pharmaceuticals have side effects that can impair your senses.
  
• No smoking - with every inhalation you’re damaging smell and taste receptors.
  
• Keep your airways clear - try using a Neti pot or saline solution to remove obstructions and moisten your sinuses.

According to the organization’s mission statement, the Chefs Collaborative values local food in an effort to support a more sustainable food supply. An ambitious vision statement directs their activities:

“As a result of our work, every chef in the U.S.A. will be aware that food purchasing choices affect the environment and our communities.”

How do they hope to achieve such an idealistic and inspiring reality? Chefs Collaborative (CC) offers information about sourcing local ingredients and sponsors chef trainings (most recently in the Boston area) on topics such as how to break down a whole pig. In addition, CC is active in the Renew America’s Food Traditions (RAFT) coalition, to encourage members to use regional animal breeds and produce varieties in their kitchens. Finally, through a program called Seafood Solutions, CC educates chefs on the complex issues surrounding the fishing industry to help them make sustainable choices.

Interested in joining this high-minded group? Next month’s Earth Dinner, organized by CC and Organic Valley at participating restaurants around the country will be one opportunity to meet other culinary professionals working on these issues over a delicious and environmentally-friendly meal.

These figures represent good news for chefs who hope to take their culinary careers to the open ocean. Each new ship that embarks carries hundreds or even thousands of hungry mouths and requires a large team of skilled cooks to feed them.

If life at sea appeals to you, check out the many culinary job opportunities on cruise lines. Several websites have detailed information about how to find employment on a cruise ship, usually through a recruitment agency. While you may not qualify for the highest-paying positions of executive chef or chef de partie, a job as sous chef or first cook could set you up for a promotion after a few successful contracts.

While not everyone is cut out for the long hours and close quarters of life on a cruise ship, the opportunity to travel, meet scads of new people, and earn a salary that can mostly be saved (room, board, and medical costs are covered by employers), is hard to pass up. Do your research and by this time next year you may be mastering the art of cooking to the rhythm of the ocean waves.

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