Have I told you about my kitchen gadget addiction? This is in addition to my cookbook addiction, shoe addiction, massage addiction, pinterest addiction (among various other internet time sucks), coffee addiction, scowering every aisle of Target addiction, Amazon wishlist addiction, crack cocaine addiction- just kidding! In all seriousness though shopping in general for me is a REAL problem, much to my accountant husband’s chagrin. Shopping and food are my therapy and I need A LOT of therapy! 
My last Sur La Table fix resulted in a very nice loot haul: 1 Mercato Atlas 150 stainless steel pasta machine @$79.95, 1 gnocchi board $5.95, 1 silicon red tongs @ $7.95 and a set of micro fiber kitchen towels on clearance.
Oh what grand plans were quickly formulated in my over-active imagination: The romantic candle lit feast of fresh pasta, homemade bread and gorgeous marinara made from vine ripened local tomatoes. I will be serving my husband in high heels and my cute little A-Line retro dress, Andrea Bocelli playing on my pandora, Italian is just rolling off my tongue “bellisimo, muah, la dolce vita, amore amore amore”…uh yeah.
What actually ensued might as well have been a scene out of the Godfather. My pasta is sleeping with the fishes.
Mmmm cannolis, I’ll get on making those as soon as I KILL this pasta
I must tell you how sad, how very very sad it was at my first attempt of making fresh pasta. If only you could have seen the look on my face when my dough just turned into this chalky crumbly no-one-wants-to-eat-this lump, it was like someone ran over my puppy. Dough in trash=FAIL
Going to try Miss Vitale’s “fool proof” recipe next time. She is Italian, of course, she makes it look so easy! What do you know it’s her grandmother’s recipe…no I’m not jealous, no not at all.
I will persevere! I will make some delicious noodles even if it makes me lose my noodles trying- I lost most of them a long time ago anyway. All of my best learning and biggest feats have come through making mistakes, lots of mistakes. Through failure we become better people. Pasta is a very deep food, oh yes it is.
In any case at least I know how to boil water unlike this kid:
I feel better now. Haha, this kid should win an Oscar! Who says you can’t have pasta with a side of beanie? First rule of cooking: Always keep a sense of humor and experimentation!
Ciao for now my friends!
Um, I don’t mean to be this annoying person pelting your blog with comments all the time, but you are so hilarious! I have had soooo many fails like that! Ask me about my layer cake skills sometime:) But in all seriousness, I have been dying to get a pasta maker for ages, so I am anxious to see how you like yours!
Um, annoying? You are the antithesis of annoying! I am elated to call you my friend and so appreciate the support you have given me!!!!
I know that the pasta machine will be a solid investment if I put in the effort. Pasta is one of those things that can only be learned by buying sacks of flour and cartons of eggs in bulk and just going to town experimenting. It’s easier I’m sure if you have an Italian grandmother to school you but some of us have to learn by you tube and elbow grease.
If it doesn’t work out for me you can happily take it off my overworked hands!
That image of you speaking Italian in an a-line skirt and serving Chris pasta hilarious. Like an Itian June Cleaver
Ahem, Italian.
Haha, yeah I don’t know how the June Cleavers of the world do it! Even if the pasta would have turned out great I would have served it to him with flour in my hair and all over my pajamas
Hey Kendra – for some reason I thought I had already made a comment on this post – but I can’t see it! (Must be losing my mind). Have you tried making it again? I have a friend who married an Italian guy and pasta was the first thing he taught her to make (hidden agenda) and now she makes it every Saturday night. I guess that’s why I turn up on her doorstep just ‘dropping past’
Great post!
Thanks Dianne, much appreciated! I have tried again and it was a success, yay! I would totally be that drop in friend too
Isn’t it great having friends that know their stuff!? Thank God my friend came to help me out and as soon as she was there it became super simple. You should have your friend show you too, it’s lots of fun.