-=> Dale Shipp wrote to Michael Loo <=-

 ML> American about the need for browning meat for
 ML> spaghetti sauce. In fact, you don't have to;
 ML> you get a softer texture and less umami, but it
 ML> works just fine.

 DS> Unami -- I keep running across that term in various cooking shows and
 DS> have yet to grok it.  My online dictionary is no help -- it defines the
 DS> word as being a Native American tribe of the Lenape Nation.

 DS> Can you explain it in a manner that even I can grasp?

Start by spelling it with two ems. You've spelt it with an en and an em.
You - em - ay - em - eye : umami. (oooh mommy)

It's a Japanese word meaning "yummy" or "delicious" given to the fifth
taste.

Miriam Webster says: : being, inducing, or marked by one of the five 
basic taste sensations that is typically induced by several amino acids 
and nucleotides (such as glutamate and aspartate) and has a rich or 
meaty flavor characteristic of cheese, cooked meat, mushrooms, soy, 
and ripe tomatoes 

And the Urban Dictionary says: A bullshit invited flavor that tv chefs 
pretend to be able to recognize, but can never define. Due to peer 
pressure they regurgitate keywords to make it appear that they know 
what it is, but in reality none of them have a clue.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Linguine w/Asparagus & Parma Ham
 Categories: Vegetables, Pork, Pasta, Chilies
      Yield: 6 Servings
 
     20    Green asparagus spears
      8 sl Parma ham, prosciutto or
           - Serrano ham *
      2 cl Garlic; fine chopped
    1/2    Red chile; sliced in rings;
           - or the whole chile
      5 tb Olive oil
     11 oz Linguine or spaghetti
           Salt & pepper
 
  * Prosciutto (pro-SHOO-toe) is the Italian word for ham,
  used in English to refer to dry-cured ham (prosciutto
  crudo). A regular cured ham-what Americans refer to as
  "ham", in Italian is prosciutto cotto, cooked ham.
  
  Parma ham is prosciutto produced in the Parma Protected
  Designation of Origin area.
  
  Serrano ham, or jam├│n serrano (serrano means sierra or
  mountain) is a dry-cured Spanish ham, similar to prosciutto:
  both are covered with salt and then hung to dry.
  
  Since prosciutto is cured for 2 years and serrano for just 6
  to 18 months, prosciutto is generally a drier product.
  
  DIRECTIONS
  
  Peel the asparagus if necessary, then boil gently in a large
  pot salted water until al dente. DonΓÇÖt overcook: The
  asparagus will continue to cook a bit when removed from the
  water and will be heated further in the last step, below.
  Remove and slice diagonally.
  
  Boil the pasta in salted water, but remove 2 minutes before
  the end of the standard cooking time.
  
  Place the garlic, chile and olive oil in a frying pan, and
  heat gently over a low flame until the garlic has browned.
  Add the ham and the sliced asparagus, and heat gently.
  
  Add about 3 tablespoons of the pasta boiling water to the
  oil in the pan, stir in the cooked pasta and season to taste
  with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
  
  NOTE & TIP
  
  Adding the pasta boiling water at step 4 provides a mellow
  saltiness, increasing the flavor and improving the texture
  of the pasta. It is a good idea to add some cooking liquid
  to pasta dishes that do not have much sauce: It prevents the
  dish from being too dry.
  
  Recipe courtesy of Umami Information Center, UmamiInfo.com.
  
  Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives
 
MMMMM

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