On Wed, 2 Mar 2011 14:37:01 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

> Oh. What I saw there was the Jumbo and they looked mighty large to me!

Maybe they do look big to you, but I've handled the box and they are
not the size I want.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Wed, 2 Mar 2011 14:35:09 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

> Oh dear gawd. Some of use were eating. I would use the word are, but not
> it's were.

He's drunk already.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:17:28 -0800, Christine Dabney
> wrote:

> On Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:11:08 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
> >On Wed, 2 Mar 2011 14:37:01 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Oh. What I saw there was the Jumbo and they looked mighty large to me!
> >
> >Maybe they do look big to you, but I've handled the box and they are
> >not the size I want.
>
> In my experience, while they look smaller in the box, they get pretty
> damned big when you cook them. And I have been buying them for
> eons...
>
Every pasta expands when cooked. My original point was that I bought
shells that were larger when they were dry and they are not sold
anymore.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Mar 2, 4:35*pm, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
> On Tue, 1 Mar 2011 23:24:37 -0800 (PST), "
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > wrote:
> >On Mar 1, 7:02 pm, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
> >> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> >> > " wrote:
>
> >> >> I would like to make the type of shells that are stuffed with cheese
>
> >> >> Any suggestions for where I can find these pasta shells? I am open to
> >> >> dry pasta, cooked pasta, and even stuff shells if it just cheese and
> >> >> light seasoning. No sauce, meat, or veggies.
>
> >> >In the absence of shells, would you consider stuffing manicotti (large
> >> >tubes) instead of shells? The idea is the same. Do a Google Image
> >> >search.
>
> >> I honestly don't see the point to stuffing pasta without closing it...
> >> I'd much rather pirohy, ravioli, kreplach... if I want open stuffed
> >> pasta then I'm going all the way to a huge honkin' lasagna. I think
> >> stuffed tubes and shells are for folks who can't make up their minds
> >> if they're coming or going... those gotta be *** dishes.
>
> >I wouldn't care if they were open or closed, but ravioli seems to have
> >a lot of noodle and not so much cheese.
>
> Make your own and fill them to your hearts content... I totally agree,
> the canned ones are kinda chintzy on filling.

Celantano, the large ones which are frozen, are not TOOO skimpy.
Def. not like homemade tho.

On 3/1/2011 5:36 AM, Catmandy (Sheryl) wrote:
> On Feb 28, 11:03 pm, "

>> Any suggestions for where I can find these pasta shells? I am open to
>> dry pasta, cooked pasta, and even stuff shells if it just cheese and
>> light seasoning. No sauce, meat, or veggies.
>
> i don't understand. All of my local supermarkets sell large empty
> shell-shaped dried pasta which one would boil until just beginning to
> get tender then stuff with a mixture of whatever you like and baked.
> Surely Safeway carries Ronzoni dried pasta? Or San Giorgio? Or
> Creamettes? Or a store brand? Or Barilla?
>



Sheryl: You are in an ethnic Italian area, so I'd expect to find more
types of pasta there. I've found the stores have cut way back on the
individual ethnic foods, perhaps to provide shelf space for different
ethnicities or space for more processed, prepared meals.

Ten years ago our stores here had all the pasta shapes, in 4-5 different
brands. Not today. They also had Mexican foods (salsa, refried beans,
canned chiles, etc. in at least four brands. No longer.

The upside is that they do carry more fruit and vegetable selections
than ever before, unfortunately (for locavores) shipped from all over
the world.

gloria p

On 3/1/2011 1:50 AM, Sqwertz wrote:
> Why not just use manicotti? Those are easier to find, make a better
> presentation, IMO, and easier to handle.

Agree

Christine Dabney wrote:
> On Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:32:22 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
>> Every pasta expands when cooked. My original point was that I bought
>> shells that were larger when they were dry and they are not sold
>> anymore.
>
> Wow. Those that I buy now are the same size as they have always
> been... If you bought larger ones, they must have been huge. I
> haven't ever seen larger ones, not in all the years I have been buying
> them...even back as far as the early 70s. And that includes most
> brands...
>
> Christine

Nor have I ever seen them as large as sf seems to recall that the jumbo
ones weren't big enough. Sometimes the years affect ones memory. Its a
good excuse not to make *any* if they *have* to be of a size no one can
find. Me? I'd use the jumbo and be happy.

On Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:54:20 -0800, Christine Dabney
> wrote:

> On Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:32:22 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
> >Every pasta expands when cooked. My original point was that I bought
> >shells that were larger when they were dry and they are not sold
> >anymore.
>
> Wow. Those that I buy now are the same size as they have always
> been... If you bought larger ones, they must have been huge. I
> haven't ever seen larger ones, not in all the years I have been buying
> them...even back as far as the early 70s. And that includes most
> brands...
>
Yes. They were huge. I don't remember where I got them and they
weren't in a cute box that you'd buy at the grocery store.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

Christine Dabney > wrote:

>On Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:32:22 -0800, sf > wrote:

>>Every pasta expands when cooked. My original point was that I bought
>>shells that were larger when they were dry and they are not sold
>>anymore.

>Wow. Those that I buy now are the same size as they have always
>been... If you bought larger ones, they must have been huge. I
>haven't ever seen larger ones, not in all the years I have been buying
>them...even back as far as the early 70s. And that includes most
>brands...

Did you ever look at Ratto's? I seem to remember in the distant
past their having some out-sized dry pasta, including shells.


Steve

On Mar 2, 12:56*am, "Julie Bove" > wrote:
> > wrote in message
>
> ...
> On Mar 1, 4:36 am, "Catmandy (Sheryl)" > wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Feb 28, 11:03 pm, "
>
> > > wrote:
> > > I would like to make the type of shells that are stuffed with cheese
> > > (usually ricotta with some Romano or Parmesan). I was buying some
> > > frozen shells at Safeway that I really liked, but apparently they have
> > > been discontinued. I really liked them as I could make up a batch of
> > > spaghetti sauce and freeze in portions. Then pull out some sauce and a
> > > few shells for a quick and easy meal.
>
> > > I have not been able to find any large shells to buy, either dry or
> > > cooked (like Boutoni or something). And I don't like stuffed
> > > ravioli.
>
> > > Any suggestions for where I can find these pasta shells? I am open to
> > > dry pasta, cooked pasta, and even stuff shells if it just cheese and
> > > light seasoning. No sauce, meat, or veggies.
>
> > i don't understand. All of my local supermarkets sell large empty
> > shell-shaped dried pasta which one would boil until just beginning to
> > get tender then stuff with a mixture of whatever you like and baked.
> > Surely Safeway carries Ronzoni dried pasta? Or San Giorgio? Or
> > Creamettes? Or a store brand? Or Barilla?
>
> >http://pasta-products-ronzoni.newwor...roducts.cfm?na...
>
> They sell a variety of dried pasta, but I have not seen any shells
> other than than the small size used in mac & cheese. It could be the
> area I am in, which is lower income. They do not stock some of the
> fancier items.
>
> ---
> Perhaps you have to go to another city? *Go to the Safeway website and plug
> in zip codes for neighboring cities. *Some Safeway's do carry them here.. *So
> do some Albertsons. *But I know each Albertsons is different. *I usually
> shop at two of them. *I have a hard time remembering which one carries
> which.

I looked again and found one size larger, though still half the size
of the ones I was getting frozen. They are called jumbo, but I would
not consider them to be large. If I can find some in another city
that are larger, I will stock up.

On Mar 2, 1:05*am, Andy > wrote:
> "Julie Bove" > wrote:
> > plug in zip codes
>
> Julie,
>
> Exactly!
>
> Very simple to shop in that on-line manner.
>
Sometimes it works, but for certain stores, you can only get shop
their zipcode if they have delivery service. Last September, I went to
Colorado. I found addresses for plenty of Safeway stores there, but
there wa sno delivery service in the area I would be in. Fortunately,
my cousin lives there, so I was able to ask them to look for the pop
I drink in a 6 pack. We only started getting them last year in our
area, and they are a lot cheaper than buying singles. I wanted to buy
some there so I wouldn't have to bring so much with me on the trip.

On Mar 2, 2:07*pm, sf > wrote:
> On Wed, 2 Mar 2011 08:50:05 -0800, "Julie Bove"
>
>
>
> > wrote:
>
> > "Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> > > "sf" > wrote in message
> > .. .
> > >> On Tue, 1 Mar 2011 23:33:22 -0800, "Paul M. Cook" >
> > >> wrote:
>
> > >>> "sf" > wrote in message
> > ...
>
> > >>> > You are a complete idiot.
>
> > >>> Maybe so. *But *I* know where to find jumbo pasta shells!
>
> > >> So do I. *What I want is bigger than they are. *Comprende?
>
> > > Sounds like a personal problem.
>
> > Amazon Fresh has them.
>
> Friesian (sp) wants them premade, not me. *Thanks anyway. *I'm just
> looking (not very hard) for dry shells that are larger than jumbo.
> Paul (I think) gave a link that indicated to me that one brand says
> jumbo, another says giant... and both are too small. *He seemed to
> think he was the last word and that was always the size. *He's wrong.
> I said at the top of the thread that it looks like the size I want is
> not being made in or distributed to the US and Barilla's jumbo is
> smaller than the size I was looking for.
>

I went ahead and bought the jumbo (I'd call them medium), and put one
next to one of the frozen ones I have. The jumbo is half the size of
the frozen one.

I think I can make them work. The meal should taste about the same. It
will just be a lot of smaller shells rather than 2-3 larger shells.

On Wed, 02 Mar 2011 22:24:16 -0800, sf > wrote:

>On Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:54:20 -0800, Christine Dabney
> wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:32:22 -0800, sf > wrote:
>>
>> >Every pasta expands when cooked. My original point was that I bought
>> >shells that were larger when they were dry and they are not sold
>> >anymore.
>>
>> Wow. Those that I buy now are the same size as they have always
>> been... If you bought larger ones, they must have been huge. I
>> haven't ever seen larger ones, not in all the years I have been buying
>> them...even back as far as the early 70s. And that includes most
>> brands...
>>
>Yes. They were huge. I don't remember where I got them and they
>weren't in a cute box that you'd buy at the grocery store.

Something like this;
http://www.thespainscoop.com/wp-cont...0_0052_001.jpg
<G>

Actually, I know what you mean & I was trying to find a photo. 1
shell per person. Maybe 5-6 to the pound.

I haven't seen them in many years. If I happen over to the Italian
neighborhood I might look just for giggles.

Jim

Christine Dabney > wrote:

>On Thu, 3 Mar 2011 07:11:10 +0000 (UTC), (Steve

>>Did you ever look at Ratto's? I seem to remember in the distant
>>past their having some out-sized dry pasta, including shells.

>Yes, in the distant past. Rattos is a shadow of it's former glory.

Rats. I haven't been there for a long time either.


Steve

On Thu, 03 Mar 2011 07:28:43 -0500, Jim Elbrecht >
wrote:

> I haven't seen them in many years. If I happen over to the Italian
> neighborhood I might look just for giggles.

That would be nice, if you remember to do it when you're over there.
Thanks. My Italian deli is too small to stock such things. No biggie
if they aren't sold in the US anymore, I was taking a trip down memory
lane. I'd forgotten they existed until I saw them in Italy last year
and was reminded of the size. Friesian refreshed my memory with this
thread.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Thu, 3 Mar 2011 07:11:10 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
Pope) wrote:

> Christine Dabney > wrote:
>
> >On Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:32:22 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
> >>Every pasta expands when cooked. My original point was that I bought
> >>shells that were larger when they were dry and they are not sold
> >>anymore.
>
> >Wow. Those that I buy now are the same size as they have always
> >been... If you bought larger ones, they must have been huge. I
> >haven't ever seen larger ones, not in all the years I have been buying
> >them...even back as far as the early 70s. And that includes most
> >brands...
>
> Did you ever look at Ratto's? I seem to remember in the distant
> past their having some out-sized dry pasta, including shells.
>
I haven't been there in 15-20 years, but it's on the list of places to
go if JL and I ever do a field trip together.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Wed, 2 Mar 2011 23:49:34 -0800 (PST), "
> wrote:

> I went ahead and bought the jumbo (I'd call them medium), and put one
> next to one of the frozen ones I have. The jumbo is half the size of
> the frozen one.

That's probably the correct size for you then, pasta gets bigger when
it's cooked.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

"l, not -l" > wrote in message
eb.com...

> Guess it's a regional thing; here (St. Louis suburb), all of the
> supermarkets I shop (5 within two-miles of home) carries large and jumbo
> shells. Usually one of two brands, Barilla or R&F.

Not R&F, they don't sell it retail any longer.



Brian
--
Day 756 of the "no grouchy usenet posts" project
Current music playing: None.

In article >,
Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> > " wrote:
> >
> >> I would like to make the type of shells that are stuffed with cheese
> >>
> >> Any suggestions for where I can find these pasta shells? I am open to
> >> dry pasta, cooked pasta, and even stuff shells if it just cheese and
> >> light seasoning. No sauce, meat, or veggies.
> >
> >In the absence of shells, would you consider stuffing manicotti (large
> >tubes) instead of shells? The idea is the same. Do a Google Image
> >search.
>
> I honestly don't see the point to stuffing pasta without closing it...
> I'd much rather pirohy, ravioli, kreplach... if I want open stuffed
> pasta then I'm going all the way to a huge honkin' lasagna. I think
> stuffed tubes and shells are for folks who can't make up their minds
> if they're coming or going... those gotta be *** dishes.

I'm not nuts about lasagne; I think it's mostly noodles and not so much
filling. I think manicotti has more filling per each than a serving of
lasagne. <shrug>

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

In article
>,
" > wrote:

> On Mar 1, 7:02*pm, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
> > I honestly don't see the point to stuffing pasta without closing it...
> > I'd much rather pirohy, ravioli, kreplach... if I want open stuffed
> > pasta then I'm going all the way to a huge honkin' lasagna. *I think
> > stuffed tubes and shells are for folks who can't make up their minds
> > if they're coming or going... those gotta be *** dishes.
>
> I wouldn't care if they were open or closed, but ravioli seems to have
> a lot of noodle and not so much cheese.

Hah! I just said that, too.

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...

> I'm not nuts about lasagne; I think it's mostly noodles and not so much
> filling. I think manicotti has more filling per each than a serving of
> lasagne. <shrug>

Of course, you're free to make lasagne that's as meaty or cheesy as you
like.



Brian
--
Day 756 of the "no grouchy usenet posts" project
Current music playing: None.

In article
>,
" > wrote:

> On Mar 1, 6:42*pm, Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
> > In article
> > >,
> >
> > " > wrote:
> > > I would like to make the type of shells that are stuffed with cheese
> >
> > > Any suggestions for where I can find these pasta shells? I am open to
> > > dry pasta, cooked pasta, and even stuff shells if it just cheese and
> > > light seasoning. No sauce, meat, or veggies.
> >
> > In the absence of shells, would you consider stuffing manicotti (large
> > tubes) instead of shells? *The idea is the same. *Do a Google Image
> > search.
> >
>
> Absolutely! I will look again, but I didn't see any manicotti noodles
> when I looked. I've tried a few frozen varieties, but they always come
> with a red sauce that I do not like. Too many chunky tomatoes and some
> seasoning I don't like. But if I could make my own, that would be just
> fine. I don't care how they look or what shape they are. I'm just
> going for the flavor, and the ability to make a bunch and freeze them
> for easy meals later.

One tip I've seen for filling manicotti shells is to use a large and
heavy pastry bag with a large open tip (or maybe no tip). You should be
fairly able to squeeze the filling into the cooked manicotti tube
without making too much mess outside the tube.

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

On Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:17:58 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

>
> One tip I've seen for filling manicotti shells is to use a large and
> heavy pastry bag with a large open tip (or maybe no tip). You should be
> fairly able to squeeze the filling into the cooked manicotti tube
> without making too much mess outside the tube.

Good tip. I've never tried to fill them.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On 3/3/2011 4:17 PM, Melba's Jammin' wrote:

>
> One tip I've seen for filling manicotti shells is to use a large and
> heavy pastry bag with a large open tip (or maybe no tip). You should be
> fairly able to squeeze the filling into the cooked manicotti tube
> without making too much mess outside the tube.
>



OK, how do you avoid the mess that comes from filling the pastry bag?
I'm serious. I've never used a pastry bag/icing tube w/o losing ~half
the filling along the way. (OK, slight exaggeration, but not much.)

gloria p

Christine Dabney wrote:
> On Thu, 3 Mar 2011 07:11:10 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
> Pope) wrote:
>
>
>>Did you ever look at Ratto's? I seem to remember in the distant
>>past their having some out-sized dry pasta, including shells.
>>
>
>
> Yes, in the distant past. Rattos is a shadow of it's former glory.
>
> Christine

I was in just yesterday, had to get a bit of cheese, and made a point of
looking for 'big shells."

Yes, as i wrote earlier they have the pasta shells, imported from Italy,
in a size that is about 3 inches long and come several dozen to a
package iirc.

I didn't notice price or poundage but generally Ratto's pasta is
competitive with the Smart & Finale a block away. But Ratto's has
stopped selling bulk pasta and now only sells packaged, albeit imported,
pasta. I often get their wide egg noodles.
--
JL

On 3/2/2011 2:20 AM, wrote:
> That explains it. This area probably has few Italians. We have a lot
> of Hispanics, Asians, African Americans, and Mid East (mostly from
> India, but also Bangladesh and a few other countries). I know of
> couple larger Asian markets and Hispanic markets within 10 miles, but
> I have never seen an Italian market.

You don't have any white people?

On 3/3/2011 5:10 PM, Cheryl wrote:
> On 3/2/2011 2:20 AM, wrote:
>> That explains it. This area probably has few Italians. We have a lot
>> of Hispanics, Asians, African Americans, and Mid East (mostly from
>> India, but also Bangladesh and a few other countries). I know of
>> couple larger Asian markets and Hispanic markets within 10 miles, but
>> I have never seen an Italian market.
>
> You don't have any white people?
>
\


That comment was worthy of our worst bigots here.

Quick, find out where she lives so you never drive
through and get exposed to non-white people.

gloria p

On Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:08:52 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

>In article >,
> Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
>
>> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>> > " wrote:
>> >
>> >> I would like to make the type of shells that are stuffed with cheese
>> >>
>> >> Any suggestions for where I can find these pasta shells? I am open to
>> >> dry pasta, cooked pasta, and even stuff shells if it just cheese and
>> >> light seasoning. No sauce, meat, or veggies.
>> >
>> >In the absence of shells, would you consider stuffing manicotti (large
>> >tubes) instead of shells? The idea is the same. Do a Google Image
>> >search.
>>
>> I honestly don't see the point to stuffing pasta without closing it...
>> I'd much rather pirohy, ravioli, kreplach... if I want open stuffed
>> pasta then I'm going all the way to a huge honkin' lasagna. I think
>> stuffed tubes and shells are for folks who can't make up their minds
>> if they're coming or going... those gotta be *** dishes.
>
>I'm not nuts about lasagne; I think it's mostly noodles and not so much
>filling. I think manicotti has more filling per each than a serving of
>lasagne. <shrug>

Maybe you've only had cheapskate church lady lasagna... you haven't
had my decadant dago lasagna... I've never once in my life cooked
anything with saving money involved

On Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:54:00 -0800, "M. JL Esq." >
wrote:

> Yes, as i wrote earlier they have the pasta shells, imported from Italy,
> in a size that is about 3 inches long and come several dozen to a
> package iirc.

Thanks, JL! Much appreciated.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:43:58 -0700, "gloria.p" >
wrote:

> On 3/3/2011 4:17 PM, Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>
> >
> > One tip I've seen for filling manicotti shells is to use a large and
> > heavy pastry bag with a large open tip (or maybe no tip). You should be
> > fairly able to squeeze the filling into the cooked manicotti tube
> > without making too much mess outside the tube.
> >
>
>
>
> OK, how do you avoid the mess that comes from filling the pastry bag?
> I'm serious. I've never used a pastry bag/icing tube w/o losing ~half
> the filling along the way. (OK, slight exaggeration, but not much.)
>
Not sure what you mean... out the back of the bag? If so, you didn't
twist it shut and squeeze from the end.


--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On 3/3/2011 7:21 PM, gloria.p wrote:
> On 3/3/2011 5:10 PM, Cheryl wrote:
>> On 3/2/2011 2:20 AM, wrote:
>>> That explains it. This area probably has few Italians. We have a lot
>>> of Hispanics, Asians, African Americans, and Mid East (mostly from
>>> India, but also Bangladesh and a few other countries). I know of
>>> couple larger Asian markets and Hispanic markets within 10 miles, but
>>> I have never seen an Italian market.
>>
>> You don't have any white people?
>>
> \
>
>
> That comment was worthy of our worst bigots here.
>
> Quick, find out where she lives so you never drive
> through and get exposed to non-white people.
>

Are you talking about my comment?

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
>
>> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>> > " wrote:
>> >
>> >> I would like to make the type of shells that are stuffed with cheese
>> >>
>> >> Any suggestions for where I can find these pasta shells? I am open to
>> >> dry pasta, cooked pasta, and even stuff shells if it just cheese and
>> >> light seasoning. No sauce, meat, or veggies.
>> >
>> >In the absence of shells, would you consider stuffing manicotti (large
>> >tubes) instead of shells? The idea is the same. Do a Google Image
>> >search.
>>
>> I honestly don't see the point to stuffing pasta without closing it...
>> I'd much rather pirohy, ravioli, kreplach... if I want open stuffed
>> pasta then I'm going all the way to a huge honkin' lasagna. I think
>> stuffed tubes and shells are for folks who can't make up their minds
>> if they're coming or going... those gotta be *** dishes.
>
> I'm not nuts about lasagne; I think it's mostly noodles and not so much
> filling. I think manicotti has more filling per each than a serving of
> lasagne. <shrug>

I do my lasagna with two layers of noodles and one of zucchini.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:43:58 -0700, "gloria.p" >
> wrote:
>
>> On 3/3/2011 4:17 PM, Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>>
>> >
>> > One tip I've seen for filling manicotti shells is to use a large and
>> > heavy pastry bag with a large open tip (or maybe no tip). You should
>> > be
>> > fairly able to squeeze the filling into the cooked manicotti tube
>> > without making too much mess outside the tube.
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>> OK, how do you avoid the mess that comes from filling the pastry bag?
>> I'm serious. I've never used a pastry bag/icing tube w/o losing ~half
>> the filling along the way. (OK, slight exaggeration, but not much.)
>>
> Not sure what you mean... out the back of the bag? If so, you didn't
> twist it shut and squeeze from the end.

Or filled it too full.

In article >,
"gloria.p" > wrote:

> On 3/3/2011 4:17 PM, Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>
> >
> > One tip I've seen for filling manicotti shells is to use a large and
> > heavy pastry bag with a large open tip (or maybe no tip). You should be
> > fairly able to squeeze the filling into the cooked manicotti tube
> > without making too much mess outside the tube.

> OK, how do you avoid the mess that comes from filling the pastry bag?
> I'm serious. I've never used a pastry bag/icing tube w/o losing ~half
> the filling along the way. (OK, slight exaggeration, but not much.)
>
> gloria p

What mess? Take a water glass (5" tall, maybe?) and put the bag in it
for stability. Fold the bag down around the outside of the glass‹that
will give you an open mouth to spoon the filling into. I have a 16"
plastic-lined canvas bag that would be perfect for "piping" the filling
into the manicotti tube.

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "gloria.p" > wrote:
>
>> On 3/3/2011 4:17 PM, Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>>
>> >
>> > One tip I've seen for filling manicotti shells is to use a large and
>> > heavy pastry bag with a large open tip (or maybe no tip). You should
>> > be
>> > fairly able to squeeze the filling into the cooked manicotti tube
>> > without making too much mess outside the tube.
>
>> OK, how do you avoid the mess that comes from filling the pastry bag?
>> I'm serious. I've never used a pastry bag/icing tube w/o losing ~half
>> the filling along the way. (OK, slight exaggeration, but not much.)
>>
>> gloria p
>
> What mess? Take a water glass (5" tall, maybe?) and put the bag in it
> for stability. Fold the bag down around the outside of the glass > will
> give you an open mouth to spoon the filling into. I have a 16"
> plastic-lined canvas bag that would be perfect for "piping" the filling
> into the manicotti tube.

The only time I ever had a mess with a pastry bag was when it split open.
The bag was very, very old though. I bought a couple of them probably 30
years ago. A lightweight one and a heavier one. I kept using them until
they got brittle. And then I still kept using them. And then... Well you
can guess what came next.

On Mar 3, 3:17*pm, Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
> In article
> >,
>
>
>
> " > wrote:
> > On Mar 1, 6:42 pm, Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
> > > In article
> > > >,
>
> > > " > wrote:
> > > > I would like to make the type of shells that are stuffed with cheese
>
> > > > Any suggestions for where I can find these pasta shells? I am open to
> > > > dry pasta, cooked pasta, and even stuff shells if it just cheese and
> > > > light seasoning. No sauce, meat, or veggies.
>
> > > In the absence of shells, would you consider stuffing manicotti (large
> > > tubes) instead of shells? The idea is the same. Do a Google Image
> > > search.
>
> > Absolutely! I will look again, but I didn't see any manicotti noodles
> > when I looked. I've tried a few frozen varieties, but they always come
> > with a red sauce that I do not like. Too many chunky tomatoes and some
> > seasoning I don't like. But if I could make my own, that would be just
> > fine. I don't care how they look or what shape they are. I'm just
> > going for the flavor, and the ability to make a bunch and freeze them
> > for easy meals later.
>
> One tip I've seen for filling manicotti shells is to use a large and
> heavy pastry bag with a large open tip (or maybe no tip). *You should be
> fairly able to squeeze the filling into the cooked manicotti tube
> without making too much mess outside the tube.
>

I was actually thinking of using a food bag with the corner cut off.
(I don't have any pastry bags). So, that is definitely the way I will
go. I am hoping to make them on Sunday or Monday. I have a cat show
this weekend, so not much time to experiment.

On Mar 3, 3:43*pm, "gloria.p" > wrote:
> On 3/3/2011 4:17 PM, Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>
>
>
> > One tip I've seen for filling manicotti shells is to use a large and
> > heavy pastry bag with a large open tip (or maybe no tip). *You should be
> > fairly able to squeeze the filling into the cooked manicotti tube
> > without making too much mess outside the tube.
>
> OK, how do you avoid the mess that comes from filling the pastry bag?
> I'm serious. *I've never used a pastry bag/icing tube w/o losing ~half
> the filling along the way. *(OK, slight exaggeration, but not much.)
>

I've done icing at work. I roll the sides of the bag down, use a spoon
to load the icing, then put the sides back up. I don't fill it full,
and I twist the end so that it can't come back out.

On Fri, 4 Mar 2011 02:28:18 -0800 (PST), "
> wrote:

> I was actually thinking of using a food bag with the corner cut off.
> (I don't have any pastry bags). So, that is definitely the way I will
> go. I am hoping to make them on Sunday or Monday. I have a cat show
> this weekend, so not much time to experiment.

Get a set of those plastic pastry tips that they have in the store.
It seems to me that the extra inch/half inch on the tip would give you
a running start. Please report back with your results because I've
never made manicotti. I just look at them and think about how long
and floppy and hard to fill they'd be after they're cooked... and make
lasagna instead.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:11:08 -0800 in rec.food.cooking, sf
> wrote,
>On Wed, 2 Mar 2011 14:37:01 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:
>
>> Oh. What I saw there was the Jumbo and they looked mighty large to me!
>
>Maybe they do look big to you, but I've handled the box and they are
>not the size I want.

How big, in inches, are the shells you folks are looking for?

On Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:08:52 -0600 in rec.food.cooking, Melba's
Jammin' > wrote,
>I'm not nuts about lasagne; I think it's mostly noodles and not so much
>filling.

Am I missing something? Is there some reason you cannot use
whatever ratio you want? Fool everybody, fill up the pan and then
lay a noodle on top.