To Cook or Not to Cook?

Hi everyone! Happy Friday! So this is my new post in my Class on Life Series. Today we will be talking about, you guessed it, cooking! Something every person should have some basic knowledge in. Warning this blog is a bit long. Without further ado, lets get right in to it!

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What you are going to learn:

• Microwaving (yes this is a thing)
• Baking
• Frying
• Grilling and Broiling
• Sautéing
• Water Heating Methods

How to Microwave:

Rule one: read the microwave instructions on the back of the food you wish to microwave. Rule two: read the microwave instructions on the back of the food you wish to microwave! Never put metal or aluminum cookware in the microwave! Food should always have a microwave-safe lid on it. To avoid “cold spots” on your food, move the food around during cooking. Pause the microwave to stir sauces, flip over the meat, or rearrange vegetables.

How to Bake:

Baking is usually associated with food items that need batters and doughs. Some examples are bread, cookies, pies, and muffins. Most of the baking is FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS! Your food will come out if there are changes made in any place of the instructions. If you’re new at baking try simple recipes, like cookies or brownies. Make sure you have the essential bake wear when baking. Don’t use liquid measuring cups to measure dry ingredients. Keep everything separate. And be patient! Baking anything must a lot of patience if you want your dish to come outright.

How to Fry Foods:

Pan frying is very similar to sautéing. Both involve cooking food in a pan, using oil. However, pan frying is used for larger pieces of meat, like chicken breasts, steaks, pork chops, etc.

Shallow frying is when oil typically reaches about halfway up the sides of the food being cooked. This is used for cooking  fried chicken, battered shrimp and eggplant parmigiana.

Stir frying is when the food is cut into small pieces and cooked in oil in a wok.

Deep frying involves completely immersing the food in hot oil. The coating of oil allows it to cook evenly on all sides. It is used to cook items such as battered foods (chicken), French fries, and donuts.

How to Grill/Broil

The difference between the two, is broiling the heat source is from above. While grilling is from below. Grilling or broiling is a good choice for tender cuts of meat, chicken, and fish. Marinating means soaking food in a liquid or dry seasoning before cooking it. It is to help tenderize the meat and add flavor. The food will need to turn or flipped over during grilling/broiling to ensure it’s cooking on both sides. Barbecuing is grilling, with BBQ sauce added to the mix at any of all the stages of grilling.

How to Sauté

This is a quick-cooking method that has cooking food in a pan, over high heat. With sautéing, the most important rule is that the pan heated to a high temperature before adding the food. Omit foods that can be sautéed, almost anything can be. Except for thick or tough cuts of meat (shank or brisket), roast chickens, or hard root vegetables. To check if the pan is hot enough, add a couple of drops of water to the pan. If they sizzle and evaporate in a couple of seconds, the pan is hot enough.

How to Cook with Water Heating Methods

In all of these methods listed below are easy and simple ways to cook. All of them just require you to be watching the food as it is cooks, and the temperature of how hot your water is.

Boiling can be a violent cooking method, as the bubbles of vapor moving through the water can damage delicate food.

Poaching is the gentlest form of cooking items like fish and eggs in water.

Slow boiling is when the water reaches a boil of 100°C or 212°F. It is slightly more vigorous than a simmer. 

Steaming is a very gentle form of cooking, for delicate foods like fish and vegetables. It is also a very healthy form of cooking. Steaming is a relatively fast cooking method since it is conducted at such a high temperature. Steamer inserts are also available at most kitchenware stores and are the way to properly steam food. 

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