#boil

#boil

Lukewarm coffee is the only insult I regularly give myself. I get distracted by work and forget my mug until it cools down, only to find my once-beautiful coffee tepid and stale and tragic.

Potato sprouts contain compounds (specifically glycoalkaloids like solanine and chaconine), which stick in the potatoes' skin and become toxic in the body when consumed in large quantities, leading to an upset stomach or indigestion. However, it's worth noting that potatoes already contain glycoalkaloids - the compound is just more concentrated in the sprouts.

The word 'allium' is the name of a group of vegetables including garlic, onions, chives, leeks and others that are botanically related. Because of the myriad ways they influence flavor, in states ranging from raw to cooked (even burnt), they're culinarily related too.

You can skip the entire cumbersome step of straining your rice by placing a fine mesh sieve or strainer on top of your pot and pouring the rice directly into it, rather than into the water. Leave the sieve in the pot for the whole cooking process with a cover placed on top. The steam rising from the water will cook the rice, giving you a perfectly separated, airy result.

Bones give the broth body, and dark meat adds richness. While white meat chicken, say from the breast of leftover rotisserie chicken, may be easy to add to your soup, it won't give you great depth of flavor like a drumstick would. She prefers to keep the skin on and the bones in as the meat cooks in the soup, noting that any excess fat can be skimmed off prior to serving.

A candle warmer can provide much slower, steadier heat. Just place your bowl onto the warmer and stir the chocolate gradually until it reaches your desired consistency. You'll get smooth results every time because you can control every second of the process. This also avoids any potential of the chocolate coming into contact with water, which can turn chocolate into a gritty mess.

"Even just a few minutes makes a difference," Daud explains. "Resting lets the excess steam escape and gives the starches time to settle, so the rice ends up fluffy instead of wet or clumpy." Daud adds that the go-to time is 10 minutes for a standard amount of rice, but larger batches can require a longer rest. "If I'm making a bigger batch for a dinner party," she says. "I usually give the rice around 30 minutes to rest." However, when making certain "cultural dishes" like maklouba, Daud notes that she will "let it rest up to an hour or even a bit more before serving."

Whether donning an apron at home or in a Michelin-starred restaurant, pretty much everyone agrees on the merits of cooking with cast-iron pans. They've been around for generations, passed down like an heirloom and fired up for all kinds of meals, from everyday comfort food to special company-is-coming fare. But there's one thing that needs to be acknowledged: it's not ideal for everything - specifically, cooking eggs.