same temperature as someone in Boston would have to add more than half a pound of salt to that quart of liquid (225 grams to a liter) Cooking Below the Boil Though the boil is a handy temperature landmark, it’s not necessarily the best temperature at which to cook foods in water Fish and many meats develop an ideal texture at temperatures around 140ºF/60ºC If they’re cooked in boiling water, which is 70ºF hotter, then the outer portions of the food overcook and dry out while the interior heats through Lower water temperatures reduce this overcooking, though they also prolong cooking times A water temperature of 180ºF/80ºC, verified by thermometer, offers a good compromise between gentle and efficient cooking Steaming: Heating by Vapor condensation and Convection Though it’s less dense than liquid water and so makes less frequent contact with the food, steam compensates for this loss in efficiency with a gain in energy It takes a large amount of energy to turn liquid water into a gas, and conversely gaseous water releases that same large amount of energy when it condenses onto a cooler object So molecules of steam don’t just impart their energy of motion to the food; they impart their energy of vaporization also This means that steaming does an especially quick job of bringing the surface of the food up to the boiling point, and an effective job of keeping it there Pan-Frying and Sautéing: Conduction Frying and sautéing are methods that heat foods for the most part by conduction from a hot, oiled pan, with temperatures between 350 and 450ºF/175–225ºC that encourage Maillard browning and flavor development The fat or ... especially quick job of bringing the surface of the food up to the boiling point, and an effective job of keeping it there Pan-Frying and Sautéing: Conduction Frying and sautéing are methods that heat foods for the most part by conduction from a... conversely gaseous water releases that same large amount of energy when it condenses onto a cooler object So molecules of steam don’t just impart their energy of motion to the food; they impart their energy of vaporization also This means that steaming does an...Though it’s less dense than liquid water and so makes less frequent contact with the food, steam compensates for this loss in efficiency with a gain in energy It takes a large amount of energy to turn liquid water into a gas, and conversely gaseous water releases that same