which resemble coiled balls of yarn, slowly start to uncoil • At 140°F: One of these uncoiled proteins, ovotransferrin, begins to bond with itself, creating a semisolid matrix that turns the egg white milky and jelly-like • At 155°F: The ovotransferrin has formed an opaque solid, though it is still quite soft and moist • At 180°F: The main protein in the egg white, ovalbumin, will cross-link and solidify, giving you a totally firm but still tender white • Beyond 180°F: The hotter you get the egg, the more tightly the egg proteins bond, and the firmer, drier, and more rubbery the egg white becomes Eventually, hydrogen sulfide, or that “rotten-egg” aroma, begins to develop Congratulations: your egg is overcooked ALTITUDE AND BOILING B ecause of gravity, the higher you go, the fewer air molecules there are in a given space—so the air is less dense Lower density means lower atmospheric pressure, and lower atmospheric pressure means that water molecules in a pot need less energy to escape into the air In Bogotá, Colombia, where my wife is from, for example, you’re a good 8,000 feet above sea level and water boils at a temperature about 14 to 15 degrees lower than it does at sea level The graph below charts the boiling temperatures of water as you go into higher altitudes The altitude effect can wreak havoc on recipes Beans don’t cook right Pasta never softens Stews take longer to braise Pancakes can overrise and deflate Go high enough, and you won’t even be able to cook vegetables, which need to be heated to at least 183°F to break down For some of these problems, most notably involving stews, dried beans, and root vegetables, a pressure cooker can be a lifesaver It works by creating a vaportight seal around the food As the water inside it heats up and converts to steam, the pressure inside the pot increases, because steam takes up more space than water This increased pressure keeps the water from boiling, allowing you to bring it to a much higher temperature than you ... some of these problems, most notably involving stews, dried beans, and root vegetables, a pressure cooker can be a lifesaver It works by creating a vaportight seal around the food As the water.. .The graph below charts the boiling temperatures of water as you go into higher altitudes The altitude effect can wreak havoc on recipes Beans don’t cook... inside it heats up and converts to steam, the pressure inside the pot increases, because steam takes up more space than water This increased pressure keeps the water from boiling, allowing you to