Times I Wish I Knew More About Cooking, Episode One Million

So I set about tonight to make the Mesir Wat referenced earlier.

I happen to have two separate bags of red lentils bought in the bulk section of PCC.  They were bought within a few weeks of each other, one of those times I forgot what I already had as I was shopping for that month's batch of Red Lentil Soup with Harissa Paste and Smoked Hot Paprika.  (Which is incidentally, far too long of a name and so will forthwith be referred to as Red Lentil HP SHP, pronounced Hop Ship.)

This is what is in each of the bags.

Does it matter that they almost look like two entirely different kinds of lentils?  The ones on the left look almost old and tired next to the bright clarity of the right. I've made a Red Lentil Curry recently where the lentils never seemed to get to that falling-apart softness.  Were those maybe the old-n-tired ones? Are small ones sweeter?

I know enough about cooking now to at least have SOME sense of perspective.  I know this isn't like using sugar for salt or some other major recipe-altering kind of deal. 

But I do look forward to the day where I can be like one of those Italian granny kinds of cooks who can look at the two kinds of lentils and be all like, "Yes to the right!  No to the left! Get it away from me!!" with all sorts of dramatic dismissive gestures.  I mean, I COULD make the gestures now, but would secretly run off to google an answer when I thought no one was looking.