A line cook at a diner in Amarillo told me to salt my pasta water like the sea, and dinner got easier somehow
I was eating at a spot off Route 66 last month and the cook said he salts his water until it tastes like ocean water, not just a pinch. Tried it on a plain box of spaghetti that Tuesday and my kid actually asked what I did different. Do you all salt that heavy or am I late to this?
My grandma from Sicily did the same thing back in the 80s, she'd taste the water and say if it doesn't make you thirsty it ain't ready. I've noticed that pattern in a lot of cooking, where the old folks just trusted their senses instead of measuring stuff. Same deal with how they season beans or know when bread dough feels right, no recipe card needed. We got so hooked on exact amounts from boxes and videos that we forgot how to just taste and adjust.