Poaching, Simmering, Boiling -- What the heck?

image from Sterlic/Flickr

Many the recipe for simple foods as well as complex has listed "bring to a boil, then simmer" or something similar. We already talked about boiling. If you didn't read that, go to Technique 101: Boiling Water. I'll wait.

*taps foot*

So, BOILING, as you already know (because you read that post, right?!) is huge, rolling bubbles, and when you stir, they don't disappear or anything of the type. The water is 212 or above if you're at sea level, but can vary depending on altitude or if you salted the water. While most people are familiar with boiling, it's often too violent for many forms of cooking and can destroy veggies, tear apart pasta and break the crap out of eggs. In general, Boil is a big bully who beats up innocent nommables.

Now, SIMMERING is where you see those little bubbles in the pot, rising slowly, but the water isn't rolling or anything. The temperature is somewhere between 185-200 or so. Most stuff says "Bring the water to a boil, then lower to simmering." Why? Beats me, but I'm assuming they're telling you to just get it hotter faster. If I'm wrong, someone please tell me.  Anyway, simmering doesn't beat things up. It's nicer than the Bully Boil, and much more appropriate of a guest for most meals. Simmering is good at taking the time on soups or sauces, and also sweet talking tough meats down to their most gentle side, but if you stick a lid on him, be aware it can get him angry and up to being a Bully Boil. So just watch the temperature.

POACHING sounds like a big meanie, going and stealing things that aren't his, but the only thing he steals is the softest of foods from the other two rougher types. When you're poaching water, you'll see just the start of the bubbles on the bottom of the pot, and your water will be somewhere around 160 ( high-end latte temperature) and 180. Poaching is ideal for very soft and sensitive foods, like eggs, fruit and things that are at risk of falling apart, like gentle hearts (no seriously) and livers and other nasty inside chunks. Most food needs to be completely covered in the water though, as it's not going to build up enough ambient heat to cook the stuff sticking out the top.

So, when a recipe calls for poaching, simmering, or boiling, you're not gonna mess it up anymore, right? Good. Me either. Usually.

  

Tools of the Trade: Sharp Knives

Cooking can be hard. In fact, it can be infuriating. Especially when you don't have the right tools. But unlike other blogs or chefs, I'm not going to tell you to run out and spend tons of money -- I promise. In fact, I'm cheap. With cheap, comes, well, cheap things. But first thing's first... you know what sucks worse than trying to chop through an acorn squash by doing motion like you're wielding an axe? Doing it with a crappy knife.

I had a big set of 20 knives, in one of the wooden blocks. Steak knives, paring knives, giant knives... and you know what? It wasn't worth it. Sure, steak knives are handy for individual place settings, but I found that all those different knives people recommend for so many different tasks really just gave me a headache.

I know I said I have three. The other is dirty. So what?

Instead, after one trip to my mom's, I used her santoku knife. Santoku knives are the "general purpose" knife in Japan, and now in my house too. I have three... and I stopped using other knives. Two were a little expensive for my tastes ($15 and $20) but the third is flimsier but still does its job beautifully and cost $7 at a grocery store. You don't have to pay big for good results.

 So, these THREE knives replace my huge, $40 knife set. But I said I wasn't going to try to sell you on certain things -- I'm not.

The most important thing about your knives is that they are very SHARP.  

After using my poor quality and very dull knives, then switching to these, which are very, very sharp, cooking suddenly became a hell of a lot easier, less frustrating, and even at times, enjoyable.

In fact, you will cry less chopping onions if your knife is very sharp because you won't smash the cells that release the gas that burns your eyes. So it's a win-win.

Just How "From Scratch" Are We Talking?

image credit: pressurechief_redux on Flickr

If you're wondering if this blog is going to help you, ask yourself two questions:

1. Do you base your success on whether or not something is edible?
2. Do you find most recipes to be confusing?

If you answer 'yes' to those, either or both, then yeah, this blog will help you. A little background -- my friends literally did gauge my cooking progress by how long it had been since I'd burned something... and it was a good gauge, to be honest.

We used to spend around $800 a month on food for the two of us, at Super Wal-Mart in Georgia. Because honestly, I had no idea what I was doing, bought almost all prepackaged foods and ingredients, because the idea of cooking even a premade meal was kind of daunting. I made nothing from scratch.

My parents bought me a book when I first got married called 'Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen' which claimed to have "foolproof" recipes. They are basic. I'm talking, instructions on how to do a baked potato. Sad thing? I needed those directions, and referred to them frequently. But amongst those simple instructions were also recipes that I feel were a little too advanced for the target audience, and that there were some basics, like chopping an onion, that were overlooked. It seems like common sense, but to someone who's never done it, it can be daunting... and when you cut an onion wrong, it can make you cry -- literally. So, that's where I'm starting. The SUPER basics. I'll mix in recipes and other things along the way, but I'll make sure that I'm not overlooking people who start where I did.

I do shop healthy. Well, not as healthy as some, but the Standard American Diet (SAD) is frightening to me. If something comes up where I am talking about specific ingredients I avoid, brands, or whatnot, I'll mention why, but in general, that's going to be your own preference -- no lectures, I swear.

Please feel free to ask questions, give friendly advice, or make suggestions along the way as well!