Got a question about cooking ... or anything else? Chrissy Teigen wants to hear from you.
The cookbook author and mom-of-two with a devout social media following launched her lifestyle site on Nov. 4 and it includes a section where fans can ask her anything. While topics surrounding the culinary arts are preferred, Teigen probably wouldn't mind questions pertaining to husband John Legend's "Sexiest Man Alive" award.
The site, aptly titled Cravings after her first cookbook, is a foodie destination containing recipes, tips, adorable footage of the Legend-Teigen tribe and an "Ask Chrissy" section. Visitors just need to create an account, login and then they are free to pose a question to "Queen Chrissy."
Earlier this month, one user asked Teigen about an issue many home cooks have probably dealt with while preparing a meal with pasta — hopelessly peeling apart noodles from tangled, starchy clumps.
"Chrissy, do you know what to do to avoid pasta sticking together when cooking? I’ve noticed sometimes when I am preparing the pasta that it would stick," the person asked. "I am not sure why, because I always add some olive oil and salt to the water. Any ideas?"
Teigen most certainly did have an idea, plus the science to support it.
"To avoid the sticks, make sure you’re cooking your pasta in enough water so it has room to roam free and boil without having to share a proverbial twin-sized bed with other pieces of pasta," she responded. "Also, during the first few minutes, make sure to stir the pasta a lot so that it releases its initial starches right into the water, not onto other pieces of pasta."
Teigen also added a "P.S." at the end of her response in regards to the user adding oil to the boiling water, clarifying that oil is more important to use after the pasta is strained. Teigen recommended adding about a teaspoon of oil to pasta right into the strainer and then tossing it with any noodles.
So, is Teigen's hack actually flawless?
According to chef Frank Proto, director of culinary operations at the Institute of Culinary Education, it is.
"She is on the money with the method," Proto told TODAY Food about Teigen's advice for perfect, non-sticky pasta.
He did not, however, agree with adding oil to strained pasta because it "will make the sauce slip off."
"It’s better to have your sauce ready and strain the pasta into your sauce. I always tell my students that the sauce waits for the pasta and not the other way around," Proto added.
Now that's an easy tip to remember!
