On the stove
Once the ingredients have all been prepared, you are ready to roll. On with the actual cooking! It often takes years of chopping and washing for a professional chef to graduate to the stove, but we are ready now. Counter space is always at a premium. I think if I had double the space that I do, it would still not be enough. One thing I try to always do, though, is have some space around the stove free for use during cooking. The stove itself should be uncluttered. Pot handles should always be turned inward. Your arrangement of which dishes cook where should be governed by the size of the burners and pots as well as by which ones will need more attention. You do not want to reach over a bubbling pot to frequently stir something behind it. I always keep a long-handled fork in the same place for quick reach. It becomes an extension of my arm and I don't have to feel around for pot handles or lids. I use the fork as a locator. This section will help you bring the pot lids into a crashing crescendo in our symphony of preparation.
When trying to keep the level of liquids constant in a soup, you have several techniques at your disposal. One possibility is to not cook the soup uncovered. Put the lid on the soup pot and then cock it so that steam can escape and the liquids can simmer inside without pressure. The tilted lid will allow the steam to condense and fall back inside. When adding liquid to the soup, the recipe will say whether you should add stock, water or another liquid. The key is for it to be hot, so that the cooking is not interrupted. Heat the liquid in another small pot or for a minute in the microwave.
This is actually a misnomer. The eggs are hard-cooked, not boiled. Prick the large end of the egg with a pin or toothpick. There is actually an egg pricker available. I got mine as a joke gift, but have loved it ever since. Pricking the shell breaks the membrane of the white and makes it possible for the sulfuric acid to escape. It also makes for easier peeling later. Place the eggs in a pan of cold water. The pan should be large enough that it is only half full when the eggs are covered with cold water. Bring to a quick rapid boil and reduce heat so that they are simmering quickly, but not rattling. Soft-boiled eggs stay for 3 minutes. Pull from burner and let stand in hot water for 5 minutes before peeling. Hard-cooked eggs stay for 10 minutes, then the additional 5 minutes. Drain the water from the pan and run cold water into it for 10 minutes. This is the point at which patience is a virtue. You are waiting for the acid to escape the egg through its membrane and shell. In this way, you will avoid the green tinged nasty smelling yolk of impatience. Drain and shake the eggs gently in the pan to crack the shells. Remove the eggs one at a time. Running cold water over them all the while, slip the shells off. If you have an egg that you are not sure has been boiled, spin it on the counter. A boiled egg will spin; a raw egg slides sluggishly
If you need a particular measurement of boiling water, measure it first, bring it to a rapid boil and remove immediately so that it does not boil away and spoil your measurement. Alternately, you can put a measuring cup of water with the required amount in the microwave for 90 seconds.
This process is usually meant to brown only the outside of the meat, not to cook it completely. Start in a cold pan on medium-high heat, unless oil should be heated first. When the meat does not slide around easily and starts to stick a little, it is browned. You will also start to smell the fat in the meat cooking. Turn with a fork or tongs and brown the other side.
Choosing a cooking temperature on the stove
I could not tell you what temperature my stove says I am using when simmering or boiling. It is a relative heat. On my stove it might say medium and on yours it would say medium-high. And as soon as I am blessed with a gas stove, I will have to learn that all over again. When getting to know the settings on your stove, start with high. There is usually a notch or some indication that you are on high or are turned off. It will usually click when you get there. Boil a pan of cold water to see how long that takes. Then reduce the heat bit by bit to see how the water reacts. What the recipes will refer to as medium-high will result in a simmer-boil. The ingredients are bubbling with a jaunty lilt, but are not boiling outright. Medium will indicate a slower simmer with occasional burbles. Low will keep ingredients warm, but they will not continue to cook very much. Be particularly watchful the first time you cook a dish with dairy product such as milk or cheese. They will stick and burn quickly.
Once you have found what your stove will do, make not of it. You might want to mark high, medium and low with tape or nail polish. Make sure the surface is scrupulously clean first. If you are using nail polish, put a small dot on and let it dry. Then reapply several coats. It will last a long time.
If you are lucky enough to be cooking with gas, the notches are sometimes missing. Start at what you know to be high heat. Turn it toward off until you no longer hear gas. Hold your hand 6-8 inches above the flame to be sure there is heat. This will be low.
Cooking sugared ingredients requires the knowledge of certain stages of doneness. Some recipes call for merely melting the ingredients before continuing, Others ask for the ingredients to reach varying stages of hardness. Test for the stages by dropping a 1/4 teaspoon dollop of the ingredients into a glass of cold water. Use an absolutely clean spoon. Wait 15 seconds. Reach into the glass and find the sugar. If it has melted into the water, it is not ready. Check for the following stages that might be requested in the recipe. Each type of candy will ask for a different one. There are talking candy thermometers available, but they are not really necessary.
Thread - When reaching into the glass, you will find a 2 inch thread of ingredients which breaks apart when touched.
Soft ball - You will find a small ball of sugar that falls apart when mashed.
Firm ball - You will find a small ball that holds together but changes shape when mashed.
Hard ball - You will find a harder ball that does not change shape easily when mashed.
Soft crack - You will find a thread that you can lift out of the water and bend.
Hard crack - You will find a thread that you can lift out of the water. It will be brittle.
Fill a large pot with water up to 3 inches from the top. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon oil. The oil will help keep the pasta from boiling over. Bring the water to a rapid boil. Gently add the pasta and stir with a fork. Bring back to a rolling boil and set the timer. Al dente means the pasta will be slightly firm in the middle. A minute before the time is up, fish out a piece of pasta with a fork. Let the water drip back into the pot. Taste for doneness. An old trick is to throw the piece against the wall. If it sticks, it's done. Drain the pasta by pouring it away from you into a colander in the sink. To rinse or not to rinse is a personal choice. We are still having that war in our house.
Measure cold water into a pot with plenty of room for the rice to expand. Add salt and butter if needed. Bring to a gentle boil and add rice slowly. Bring back to a gentle simmer. Water should not sound as if it is boiling, but you will hear a soft bubble. Cover tightly. Check twice during cooking time to make sure it is not cooking too fast. Lift lid and stir once or twice. Listen to make sure it is bubbling, but not boiling fast. Two minutes before the end of cooking time, taste for doneness. If you hear a sizzling sound at the bottom of the pot, it is about to scorch.
Brown and wild rices are a little different. They not only take longer to cook, but also want to be left alone. Once you have had success with one of these rices, note how long and at what setting you cooked it. Follow that formula again. I usually have a disaster with a new rice before figuring it out. Don't let that keep you from branching out with new rices, though. There are lots of nice ones out there.
The crystallized juices and fats that result from roasting meats and fowl make an excellent natural gravy, and you will need to deglaze them first. Heat them up on the stove in the original pan; then let them rest a minute or two. Pour off the fats into a container to discard. Add a cup of stock appropriate to the meat. Stir briskly as you heat it gently. Continue adding stock, heating slowly and stirring constantly. The juices will incorporate nicely. Remove from the stove when your desired consistency is reached.
Place a double layer of paper towel on a large plate or platter. Lift the food from the skillet or fryer with a fork or slotted spoon. Let excess fat drip back into the pan. Holding the plate about a foot above the pan, place the food on the toweling. Do not stack the food; keep it in a single layer. To make a second layer, place more paper toweling and repeat the process. Often a recipe will ask you for salt this food. In this case, salt lightly before you make another layer. Oils and fats can remain incredibly hot for some time. Respect the heat and protect yourself from pops and burns. Wear long sleeves. You might wear a thin mitt, but you really need to be able to feel what you are doing.
If you leave the spoon in a hot pot, you don't want to find it with your hand. Run a fork around the rim of the pan until you hit the spoon. Lift it away from the rim of the pan slightly to avoid touching the hot pot. I try to use a spoon rest instead, but there is always that occasion when I lean the spoon against the side of the pot and lose track of it.
Recipes tell you that pancakes are done when small bubbles appear in the center of the pancake or when steam ceases to rise. There is an alternative for us. I think it is worth it to waste a little batter the first time you try it in order to get the idea of how the ingredients react at different settings on your stove. Once you have a formula that works, it's a piece of cake (so to speak). Cook only one at a time and make it a little larger than the recipe says. Try holding your hand two inches above the pancake. You might be able to feel the subtle change in vapor between raw and cooked. If not, try this method. Heat the griddle to medium-high. A drop of water will skittle around on the hot surface. Pour the batter on the griddle from a small measuring cup or pitcher with a pouring lip. After two minutes, check the edge by gently pushing the edge of the spatula under the cake. Slide it about a third of the way in. Pull the spatula out and give it a chance to cool off. Touch it. If it is clean, the pancake is ready to flip. If not, clean and dry the spatula and wait two more minutes. When it is ready, slide the spatula as far as it will go under the cake, at least halfway. Lift it up six inches and tilt the pan a little to meet the cake as it comes down. This will take practice. The first few tries will not be beautiful, but they will be delicious. You can always call them flopjacks instead of flapjacks until you get it down.
Place 4-6 strips of bacon in a cold skillet with one bacon strip's space in between each slice. Bring the skillet to medium-high heat. When bacon starts to sizzle, cook for 2 minutes. If it starts to pop, it wants lower heat. Grab the end of the strip with tongs and drag that end over the rest of the strip. Release tongs. This will flip the piece of bacon over. Turn all pieces. They will continue to sizzle. When the sound changes to a more frantic fry, the bacon is done. Remove with the tongs to a waiting plate covered with paper towels. When the pieces are cool enough to touch, you will be able to tell if they are crisp enough for you. Discard the grease carefully in a dry can to throw away when hardened. Do not put down the sink. It makes for yucky plumbing.
If you fry often, an electric fryer or an electric skillet is quite good. It calibrates the oil and keeps it at that constant temperature. Some cooks only fry occasionally if at all, and it is helpful to know how oil will act and react. If you do not have an electric appliance, fill a skillet with 2 inches of oil. Test the depth with your finger before heating the oil. You might even want to try it for the first time in a deeper soup pot so that any pops will be caught by the sides of the pot. Make sure the pot or skillet has a lid that fits it. Place the lid and a mitt close by. If a fire should start, stay calm. Slip the mitt on, pick up the lid and put it on the pot. Turn the stove off and do not try to lift the pot. Walk away.
Start the oil at a lower temperature than is asked for in the recipe. For example, if it says to heat oil on medium-high heat, start a little lower. Take a pinch of the ingredient you will be frying and drop it in the oil. It should sizzle, but not smoke. When the sound dies down, the food is cooking. The test piece should cook faster because it is smaller, but not so fast that it is cooked on the outside and raw on the inside. Adjust the heat appropriately. Have plates with paper toweling close by to drain the cooked food on. The concept involves cooking the food as quickly as you can, inside and out, without burning the outside.
Roux serves as a thickening agent and appears in many Cajun and Creole dishes. Put the designated amount of oil into a heavy skillet. Heat over medium-high for several minutes. Sprinkle the designated amount of flour over the top of the oil and reduce the heat to medium. Stir constantly while it cooks for several minutes. It will become thick. Do not let it burn. If the spoon or spatula becomes difficult to move, remove from heat immediately. Some recipes will ask you to add onions or tomatoes at the end.
A stock is the base for soups and stews. You can prepare them as you have the ingredients and store them in the refrigerator in jars. Pull them out when needed. Vegetable stocks are made from peelings, celery, onion or leek, and herbs. Start with cold water and create your own simmered flavor combinations.
Meat stocks are created from the water left from boiled or stewed meats. For example, if a recipe calls for boiled chicken breasts, save the water, add bay, celery, and leek greens. All stocks are cooked gently on the stove and then strained. Save only the juice and toss the other solid ingredients.
If melting only small amounts of butter, use a plastic measuring cup in the microwave for 30 seconds or a metal measuring cup on the stove for 50 seconds. For larger amounts, use a saucepan on the stove. You will hear it sizzle a bit just before it is all melted. Remove it from the burner and let it continue to melt in the hot pan. If you leave it on the stove too long, it will turn brown, start to smoke and change flavor.
For pancakes or other griddle food, choose a griddle with a higher lip or sides. You might even want to learn in a skillet with higher sides to give you a point of reference. Pour 1/2 teaspoon of oil on the griddle when it is cold. Spread it around with a paper towel. Heat the griddle on medium-high until a drop of water skitters around. It is now ready to use. Pour batter on or add your ingredients.
When your griddle or skillet is ready, dip a quarter cup measure into the bowl of batter. Drag the edge of the cup on the side of the bowl to scrape off excess batter. Trace the edge of the griddle with a fork to remind yourself of the dimensions. Locate the center and pour the batter into a puddle. If it is too thick to spread, add a little more milk to the bowl of batter. If it seems too thin and runny, add a little flour.
This process is usually used for making a sauce more dense and flavorful. For example, you might be asked to add white wine to sautéing mushrooms and reduce by half. Calculate how much liquid there is in the pan so that you will know when it has reduced. Cook at a brisk simmer, stirring or whisking frequently. When it has reduced, remove from heat immediately.
Measure oil into a cold sauté pan large enough to comfortably hold all the vegetables. Heat oil to medium-high. Add vegetables in reverse order of crispness. For example, if you are sautéing mushrooms, garlic and onions, start with the item you want the most cooked or wilted in the end. Garlic flavors the oil, then the onion, then the mushrooms. Stir gingerly and constantly with a wooden paddle or spoon so that the maximum surface of the vegetable is touching the pan and vegetables are moving around.
The long, slow cooking of ingredients is often necessary to meld the flavors and to make a more complex mixture. Start off with a cold pot and room temperature ingredients. Bring to a gentle boil on medium-high heat and then reduce to medium or medium-low. You will hear the ingredients bubbling slowly but not boiling. Until you get accustomed to your stove, you will experiment to find that exact spot where the simmer becomes too rapid.
You will be asked to skim ingredients, such as fats from stocks or skins from custards and puddings. Since this is a fairly visual process, you should not be afraid to lose a little of the ingredient. It is better to lose a little than to break up the very ingredient you are trying to get rid of and return it to the place you are trying to purify. You can dip a large spoon far enough below the surface that you are sure you are getting all the bad stuff. Have a vessel ready to remove the unwanted ingredients to. An empty can or plastic carton you will dispose of is perfect. My personal preference is to dip with a cloth or lay it on the surface of the liquid to be removed. Gently raise the cloth so that you do not drip it back into the stock or pudding. Fold up the cloth and put it in the hot water laundry pile. I try to keep plenty of such towels on hand...enough so that I will be able to do a load of nothing but towels.
Layered casseroles with corn tortillas require that the tortillas be soft. The recipe will often ask that you soften them in oil. Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium-high until a small piece of tortilla dropped into the oil will sizzle but not smoke. Leave it about 15 seconds. The tortilla will start to curl a bit. You can tell by patting the cooking food with a fork. When it starts to curl, remove it immediately to paper toweling. Do not cook too many pieces at once. When they start to curl, you don't want to be removing too many in a panic. Respect the hot oil by wearing long sleeves.
The concept behind steaming vegetables is to have the hot steam cooking the vegetables while they sit up out of the water. It keeps vitamins, minerals and taste in the food. A collapsible steamer costs next to nothing. It should fit in on of your pots with a tight fitting lid. Put an inch of water in the bottom of the pot, then the three-legged steamer. Place the veggies in the basket and the lid on the pot. Boil the water rapidly. The steam will rise and cook the vegetables. Steam can burn your forearm incredibly fast, so wear a mitt when lifting the lid to check for doneness. After tasting these morsels, you will never boil vegetables again!
I also picked up this trick from a door-to-door pot salesman. Shuck and de-silk your corn-on-the-cob and put the shucks (discarding the silk) in the bottom of a soup pot. Fill the bottom of the pot with about 2 inches of water. Stack the corn Lincoln Log style on the shucks and replace the lid. Rapidly boil the water for 10-12 minutes. Sounds a little weird, but the corn tastes divine.
This is initially one of the most intimidating things you might try, but once you have tried and seen success, you will find it quite easy. The concept is to get the oil very hot, add ingredients in descending order of cooking time, and keep them moving. In this way, they will keep as much surface as possible in contact with the heat and cook quickly. You can easily use a frying pan if you do not have a wok. Add the recommended amount of oil, using oils that can withstand high heat. Throw a drop of water in when you think it is hot enough. It will sizzle and skittle around. If you should accidentally wait too long and it starts to smoke, carefully discard it and start over. Add the ingredients in recommended order and continue to paddle them about the skillet or wok in a random pattern. I use a wooden spatula/paddle. Do not add so many foods that they start stacking up. The first time I tried this technique, I was very nervous, so I used a deep soup pot to ensure that oil or food did not pop out the sides. This gave me the confidence to use a wok from then on. It's a healthy way to create scrumptious combinations.
Thickening sauces, gravies and soups
A recipe will tell you which thickening agent to use. It might be a particular type flour or a cornstarch. Take 1/2 cup of the thing to be thickened out of the pot or skillet. Put it into a large glass measuring cup with a spout. Whisk rapidly. Add a little less than the recommended amount of the thickening agent/liquid mixture to the soup or sauce and whisk rapidly. Check it to see if it is the consistency you would like. If it is not thick enough, add the remaining agent/liquid mixture and whisk again.
The idea of a double boiler is to use steam as your cooking agent for puddings or other liquids prone to scorching. Fill the bottom pot with water to the point that the water level will be just under the bottom of the nesting pot. Put the ingredients into the nesting pot and put the pot into its larger brother. Place the lid on top and bring the water in the lower pot to a gentle boil. You don't want the water to boil away, so listen for it from time to time. Oftentimes the double boiler is a flameproof glass, so the lid can be very hot. Use a mitt.
You will need a place to put the spoons and other utensils you are using in the soup pot or sauté pan after they have food on them. You want the bowl of the spoon to rest in a receptacle while the handle drops over the side. There needs to be sufficient space that you are careful not to snag the spoon handle with your sleeve or accidentally knock it to the floor. I sometimes line the utensils up on a larger platter or elongated plate if I am going to have several burners going at once. At the least, I have multiple spoon rests to accommodate what I am doing.