Method Behind The Madness

    Before the dawn of recipe apps on our mobile devices and 24 hour cooking channels, recipes and the unorganized books that held them together were regarded as closely held secrets.  Momma Karen’s recipe book looks like my binders I had in elementary school.  Random scraps of paper with scribbled writing shoved in no discernible order in any pocket that was available.  But it made sense to me and it makes sense to her. When she needs to find a recipe, out comes a folded piece of paper that undoubtedly brings back memories of whoever created the recipe and the meals shared around it! There is  something special about preparing and cooking a recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation.

To cook food means to heat it in order to make certain changes in it.  Skillful cooks know exactly what changes they want to make and what they have to do to achieve it. I believe there is a chef in all of us; there is something exciting about buying raw ingredients and using it as a blank canvas to create a meal. No matter how simple, dining on a meal that you created is always rewarding even if you have to scrape some of the burnt pieces off!

Something that had always been difficult for me was that cooking was my career and the last thing I wanted to do at home was cook! My professional cooking days are long past and over the last few years I have really started to enjoy cooking at home again. This could also be attributed to me continually trying to impress and show off for the little lady!

Recipes are important tools because they are a means of recording and passing along essential information. In spite of their importance, recipes have many limitations because they assume that you already have certain knowledge and understand the terminology.  Which may be true in some cases but I thought it would be helpful to go over the basic cooking methods and how they affect the foods being cooked.

Cooking methods are classified as “moist heat” and “dry heat.”

Moist- heat methods are those in which the heat is conducted to the food by water, stock/sauce or by steam.

Dry-heat methods are those in which the heat is conducted by hot air, hot metal, or hot fat. Dry-heat methods are usually divided into two categories: without fat and with fat. (kind of like me before and after I got married)

Moist-Heat Methods

Poach, Simmer and Boil all mean to cook food in water or a seasoned and flavored liquid. The temperature determines the method.

To boil means to cook in a liquid that is bubbling rapidly and is greatly agitated. Water boils at 212°F at sea level. Boiling is generally reserved for certain vegetables and starches. The high temperature would toughen the proteins of meats and fish.

To simmer means to cook in a liquid that is bubbling very gently. The temperature should be between 185°F and 205°F.

To poach means to cook in a liquid, usually a small amount that is hot but not actually bubbling. The temperature should be between 160°F and 180°F. Poaching is used to cook delicate foods such as fish and eggs.

Steaming means to cook foods by exposing them to direct steam. In commercial kitchens, steaming is usually done in special steam cookers that are designed for large quantities and standard-size pans. But at home, you can use a covered pan or tightly wrap the item in aluminum foil or parchment paper so that it cooks in steam formed by its own moisture.  "Baked" potatoes wrapped in foil are actually steamed.

Braising means to cook covered in a small amount of liquid, usually after an initial browning of the item. In almost all cases, the liquid is served with the product as a sauce.

Dry- Heat Methods

Roasting and Baking  mean to cook foods surrounding them with hot, dry air, usually in a oven. Roasting usually applies primarily to meats and poultry. Baking applies to breads, pastries, vegetables and fish.

Broiling means to cook with radiant heat form above. It is a rapid, high-heat method that is usually used only for tender meats, poultry, and fish and for a few vegetable items.

Grilling and Griddling are cooking methods that use heat from below. 

To grill means to cook on an open grid over a heat source, which may be charcoal, electric element or a gas-heated element.

Griddling is  done on a solid cooking surface called a griddle, usually with a small amount of fat.

Sautè means to cook quickly in a small amount of fat. The French word sauter means "to jump," referring to the action of tossing small pieces of food in a sautè pan. Always preheat the pan before adding the food to be sautèed. 

Pan-frying means to cook in a moderate amount of fat in a pan over moderate heat.

Deep-frying means to cook a food submerged in hot fat. Most foods are fried at 350°F to 375°F.

Most of these terms are common knowledge but now you have the methods behind the madness. Hopefully this helps in understanding which method to choose or is recommended in those amazingly crumpled up recipes that have been passed down to you!