Lumache/Ciocciole - Temporary Score: 5
Description: large macaroni with one edge pinched down; snail shells; i can't tell if this is a style disagreement or a translation disagreement, but every photo and actual bag of pasta that i have found that is named either of these two things is identical. chiocciole is Italian for "snails", but is accepted as this pasta shape (also, amusingly, for the @ symbol).
First Take Points: 4 - part two of me amusing myself (... a little too much? nah, never) with thematic stews. i realize that these are specifically snail shells, and snails are not necessarily aquatic, but a) they are still SHELLS, and b) they look aquatic to me. i don't make the rules in my brain, sorry. this was meant to be a medi shellfish stew with shrimps and mussels and clams, but the grocery order went wildly off the rails, and i was already pot committed (lmao, i crack myself up, i hope some of you are mildly obsessive poker players and daring home cooks who can appreciate that blended pun) so this ended up being the Shrimp and Olives stew (with garlic, tomato, celery, and zuke to add some bulk) (and lumache of course). this was another winner. turns out i love seafood soups (i knew this) and i really love them with thematically appropriate pasta (this was news for me!).
Remix Bonus Points: 1 - no, bro, come on: other than the homerun of the Shrimp and Olives dish, WHY is this noodle? why would you be perfectly good macaroni (enhance, enhance... enhance!) x3 size, and then be closed off at one end! either seal that end or open it up for better yummy-flow, what is this crimping shit?
Amusement Points: 2 - in my outrage at this pasta shape and trying to understand, i have looked at lots of pictures of snails. snails are really cute, and so this has been very pleasing.
Annoyance Deductions: -2 - seriously tho. if you put yummy broth in, it will escape thru the not-quite-closed end. if you stuff cheese in there, fine it won't drip out but still just seal it for safety???
Alternative Uses: ... .... ..... if we put... melted cheese into the lumache... dried uncooked lumache... full of melted cheese... then we pressed our lips to the open end... and... blew really hard... do you think we could extrude a thin cheese ribbon across the room like a streamer?
