SIX Techniques You Need to Know

Boil: Technically, boiling happens at 212˚F. A vigorous boil is good for cooking pasta and green vegetables. What I call a nice happy boil is still hot—195˚ to 211˚F—but the water is moving more slowly. This is good for soups and things like reducing the liquid in the adobo on this page.

Simmer: Simmering is when the liquid is just below boiling—180˚ to 195˚F—and the bubbles form and break slowly. This kind of gentle cooking is good for braises, stews, and milk, and helps tenderize meat and develop flavors. I like to call this a lazy boil.

Roast: Roasting is cooking by indirect heat, uncovered, at a temperature of 400˚F or higher to create a browned, flavorful surface on the food being cooked. This technique is good for meat, poultry, some fish, and root vegetables.

Bake: Baking is also cooking by indirect heat, but at a lower temperature (typically 300˚–375˚F), and sometimes covered. This is good for more delicate things like cake, cookies, and lasagne.

Sauté: This is what I call cook and stir. To sauté is to cook food quickly in a minimal amount of fat over high-ish heat while keeping it moving. Sauté is the correct term, but I think it sounds a bit pretentious, n’est-ce pas? You’ll know that the fat is the right temperature when the surface appears to shimmer if you look at it from the side.

Salting: What I’m about to say is based purely on personal observation, but I believe and stand by it: An American pinch of salt uses two fingers and is approximately ¼ teaspoon. A French pinch of salt uses three fingers and measures approximately ½ teaspoon. And an Italian pinch of salt uses all five fingers and amounts to about a full teaspoon. That is all to say that different people will read “a pinch of salt” differently. You will be instructed to add a pinch of salt in many of the recipes throughout the book. Use your instincts! Again, you shouldn’t be afraid to use as much salt as you please, BUT it’s wise to start with a small (two-finger) pinch each time, and taste as you go—you can always add more salt later, but it’s impossible to rewind the salt if you add too much right away.

A NOTE ON THE RECIPES

You will see symbols next to each recipe for what diets or dietary needs they comply with, including gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan. If there are options in a recipe’s ingredient list, it’s the first option that will fit the category listed. (So if a recipe is presented as being gluten-free, tamari will be listed before soy sauce; or if oil is the option before butter, then the recipe could be labeled dairy-free and vegan.) Sometimes a recipe might not be any of these things outright, but there are tips for making simple swaps to convert it to whatever you need it to be. Here is a key for reference:

 GLUTEN-FREE

 VEGETARIAN

 DAIRY-FREE

 VEGAN

There are also symbols in each recipe that designate which appliances can be used to make it: