Methods of Cooking

Boiling Boiling is a method of cooking food in boiling water; the water covers the food, e.g boiling plantains, or rice. The Purpose of Boiling: 1) To soften food such as root vegetables, cereals and grains. 2) To extract nutrients from foods such as bones, calves' feet, meat etc. 3) To preserve the nutrients in food. When cooking food to soften it, place the food in boiling water and continue to boil gently for a short time so that it will not break. Hard boiling breaks delicate food. When cooking food to extract nutrients, cut it into small pieces to expose as much of the inside as possible. Put it in cold water, heat slowly to boiling point and cook for a long time. If nourishment is to be preserved, place the food directly in boiling water. The heat of the boiling water seals the surface and coagulates the outside proteins of meat and keeps the nourishment and flavor in the food. Advantages of Boiling 1) Boiling is a quick and easy method. 2) Boiling makes food easy to digest. 3)It does not need constant attention. 4)It is cheap. Disadvantages of Boiling 1) Valuable mineral salts and flavors are dissolved in the boiling, which at most times is thrown away after boiling. 2) The flavor of soups etc. remain undeveloped. 3) Vitamins C and B are destroyed.