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.

  

Technique 101: Boiling Water

image credit: Sterlic via Flickr

Okay... I know this sounds totally simple, but I promised I was starting basic. This is about as basic as it gets.

Get a pot where you can put all your water in it and still have 2/3rds to 3/4ths of room left at the top. You're going to add things to this, remember. When in doubt, use a bigger pot.

Now, here's where this gets a little technical and annoying: don't use hot water from your tap. I know, I know, it seems like it'd take less time to get to boiling if it's already hot when you start, but the thing is, you never want to use water from the tap for consumption or cooking that is hot. It actually carries lead and other built-up gunk from inside your pipes. Instead, run your water on cold for 20-30 seconds, then fill your pot.

Then just turn on your stove, all the way on high -- it's okay, you can turn it down when it's going.
Here's the thing about boiling too: it happens at different temperatures depending on your altitude. Around 212 degrees Fahrenheit at sea level, around 203 degrees up here where I am, at almost 5000 feet. But because no one expects you to use a thermometer, know that a simmer is some little bubbles and slight movement, slow boil is some large bubbles, and a real or "rolling" boil is, well, giant, fast bubbles, "rolling" water, and it keeps bubbling WHILE you stir it.

Learn about how long it takes to boil on your stove, because while a watched pot is a safe one (and yes, it will eventually boil), most people don't hang out right in front of their stove while waiting, and once it's boiling, it'll start to evaporate quick. And if you have cheaper pots that have the coil glued on the bottom and your pot boils dry, you can melt the bonding glue... then you pick up your pot, the hot coils fall off onto your kitchen rug and catches your kitchen on fire, which your husband has to put out while you stand there gaping like an idiot.

Not that I'd know or anything... *cough*

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!