Weird Gadgets and Opera

I am a kitchen gadget person. I gadgets. Normally they are fun and make me happy. But some gadgets are just plain odd. Take this pasta timer. His name is Al Dente. Yes, it really is Al Dente.



Al plays opera. he does, You put him in boiling water along with the pasta. At 7 minutes, you hear 30 seconds of the “Triumphal March” from Aida; at 9 minutes, the “Chorus of Hebrew Slaves” from Nabucco; and at 11 minutes, the “La donna e mobile” from Rigoletto. A sealed, non-replaceable battery is the source of the power.

Now I am just trying to visualise how this works. Does he play underwater? Or does he float and play on top of the water?

Al Dente has been out for several years, but I just now ran across him. Does someone need this gadget? It's possible. Pasta is a super simple thing to cook, but it's also super easy to mess up. Gummy pasta and pasta that has cooked too long is most unappetizing. The singing pasta timer is made in Germany. 5½" x 1¼" . I've been cooking pasta long enough that I don't think I need to add Al to my gadget collection. But if you think he's just what you need, he's still available at several sources online for $29.95.



P.S. Did you ever wonder what "La donna e mobile" means? Here's a video of the incomparable Pavarotti singing "La donna e mobile" in Italian with English subtitles.



My grandfather loved opera and would listen to it every Sunday afternoon on the radio. Rigoletta is one of the first operas I remember. Hmmm. Maybe I need Al Dente after all.

namasté,