Take a ladleful of the boiling water and add it to the ricotta and spinach mixture, stirring it in to create a loose, creamy sauce.

Watch the merrymakers gather, the conversation flow and the awkward moments be thwarted through the offering of another ladleful.

Regardless of which way you decide to go, the casual and interactive nature of a spoonful of this, a ladleful of that is a natural way to get conversation going between everyone at the table.

I methodically worked through the carbonara recipe I'd taken a decade to perfect, feeling an almost giddy joy as I captured a ladleful of starchy pasta-cooking liquid, which jumpstarts the frenzied process of turning egg and cheese and pork fat into a sauce.

When it’s finally time to eat, everyone gets a ladleful of bright yellow rice and potatoes in a plastic bowl.