The Healthy Kitchen: Culinary Methods Defined

Steam frying – typically a Chinese method of cooking with light stir fry, combined with steaming. In the WFD, steam frying is used frequently with, instead of oil small amount of liquid is used, depending on the dish it may be water, stock, juice, coconut water, etc. this method is best done in a non stick pan.

Steaming - the most common cooking technique in many cultures, steaming is typically used for vegetables, separating the water from the product and cooked with the steam of the boiling water. To retain optimum freshness, texture and nutritional content a light steam is best.

Slow cooking – a cooking method describing the use of a crock pot, a counter top electric appliance that can be left unattended for hours cooking at very low temperatures 175°F–200°F; this is one of the best methods for beans and stews, by adding the raw product, whole spices, stock of choice, and vegetables. Note that slow cooking does deplete vitamin and mineral content of most vegetables with the long heated process.

Pressure Cooking – is a technique used by boiling and not allowing the heat, steam, or liquid to escape below a preset pressure. Since small amount of water is used for this method, many vitamins and minerals are lost, or diluted by water in boiling methods. Pressure cooking is one of the best ways to quickly cook beans, infusing them with immediate flavor/ cooking liquid used. While pressure cooking, products are not in contact with air, and surrounded by concentrated steam, leaving the brightness and photochemical present in vegetables such as broccoli, and asparagus. Being known for a dangerous method of cooking due to pressure explosion, be sure you have a cooker with proper safety stopper / release.

Baking – used for prolonged dry cooking, most commonly with the absence of fats. To avoid any usage of fats in baking and avoid sticking, use a non stick (green pan) pan.  Baking is widely used as an health alternative to deep frying.

Grilling -  a form of cooking that involves radiant heat from above or below, from a grill or griddle. When the heat source comes from below it is most commonly known as BBQ, rather than when heating from above it is referred to by roasting. For any type of grilling, the presence of moisture through a marinate, can easily be excluding added oils.

Grilling also enables the natural juices from the product used to be released, also giving the dish a ‘smoky ‘ flavor when using charcoal, or wood open grill.

Steam searing – a common cooking method that uses a very high heat pan that touches the surface of the food used to create a ‘crust’ form from the process such as charring, caramelizing etc. With the method of steam searing, a non stick (green pan) is recommended, and can achieve the same effects with the small addition of a liquid, water, stock, juice, marinate etc.

Blanching – a common method used with fruits, vegetables, and fruits that submerges the product in boiling water for a moment, removing and submerging in an ice bath top ‘shock’ the color and retain the crispness. This method is widely used for herbs when making herb infused oils.

Poaching – a common term used with animal proteins, but also can be used with a variety of vegetables and fruits. Using a boiling liquid (if just water is used than it is considered the first step of blanching, without the ice shock)  such as stock with the presence of others spices and an acid of choice. Using same method as blanching, submerge your product used for short time, strain and remove from heat immediately and served. This method is used widely with fruits, in poaching berries, pears, apples, etc in a wine based liquid accompanied by sweeter spices

Braising – also known as ‘pot roasting’ is a common cooking method using moist and dry heat. First the product is seared on very hot pan in order to release its flavor, followed by adding a small amount of cooking liquid, typically with acidic component such as beer, wine, or simply just a stock mixture, covered and cooked until product is tender and cooked through. This process infuses the product with the flavors the liquid carries.   

Infusing – infusions are the results from steeping plants, herbs, dried fruits of spices in a liquid of choice. Water is used for more tea based results while oils and vinegars are infused for added kick of flavor to any dish in the preparation or as finishing accent. Being more commonly used also is infusions of alcohol, which extracts the flavors of the items used very quickly, while oils need to be slowly heated for immediate results, or longer term infusions over a few days to create potency.

Toasting – is a common cooking method of applying dry heat to a product. Toasting breads is the most common, and slow lower heat toasting for bread crumbs. Nuts, seeds, and whole spices when toasted releases their natural oils and flavors are amplified. For most curries and far eat uses, whole spices are often toasted prior to using to avoid bitterness. Just note that nuts and seeds are more health beneficial when germinated rather than toasted.

Smoking - process of flavoring, cooking and/or preserving a product though the presence and/or submersion of smoke created by a variety of wood chips, and/or plant products, such as herbs, spices, teas etc. Tea smoking process typically in Asia uses the combination of rice, whole tea leaf, and sugar heated at the base of a wok, product on screen / steamer above and covered. Smoking process can be with hot or cold smoking and can be done in a home kitchen. 

Sous-Vide – a method getting more recognized these days of ‘cooking under vacuum’ used to retain the integrity of the ingredients and retain optimum flavors through slow cooking for longer periods of time. Being different from ‘slow cooking’, sous-vide uses air tight vacuum sealed bags placed in water well below boiling point around 140 degrees.

Very careful attention needs to be made with this method to avoid bacteria growth with this low heat cooking, so a sous vide designed water bath is recommended.

Juicing – extracting the natural liquid of a fruit or vegetable. There are many varieties of juicers on the market, from heating juicers, centrifugal, single and double gear juicers and also hydraulic press methods of juicing. All provide fresh juices, but depending on the method will determine the amount of vitamins and minerals lost. Using a slow grinding gear juicer, or juice press is best option for the vitamin and mineral preservation.

Germinating – the process of soaking a nut, seed, grain or legume in water for a period up to 12 hours. With nuts / seeds, the enzyme inhibitor is released, making the product more digestible as well as much more versatile in preparation.

Sprouting – a practice of soaking, draining and then rinsing seeds at regular intervals until they sprout. Common process for mung beans, adzuki, alfalfa, clover, radish, lentils ect

Dehydrating – the process of removing the moisture content by surrounding the product with a warm circulation of air, not exceeding 48 degrees from a particular food or dish

Pressing – used in marinating and pickling processes. Pressing the item opens the pours of the vegetable / fruit that you are working with, then allowing the marinate, or brine to be absorbs much more quickly. Process is used in quick marinating mushrooms, and sour krauts.

Culturing – the process of adding a pro-biotic to a making a nut or seed bream in order for it to expand and culture overnight, in tern creating a raw, vegan cheese. There are difference methods in using this process, such as pressing while culturing for more firm cheeses.

Fermenting – a term used for making fermented foods, such as various sour krauts, bread starters, rejuvelac (fermented wheat berry juice used as a cheese starter), wine, beer etc.

Pickling / Brining - is the process of preserving food by anaerobic fermentation in brine (a solution of salt in water), to produce lactic acid, or marinating and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar (acetic acid). The resulting food is called a pickle. This procedure gives the food a sour taste.

Marinating – the process of adding a fat, acid and salt and other selected spices and herbs as the base to a vegetable or fruit to soften, enabling the product to break down slightly and have a cooked and soften texture, while also absorbing the flavors in the marinate.

Freezing  - the process of turning a liquid into a solid. With Raw cuisine freezing or blast chilling is used for many desserts. Typically when using coconut oil in a recipe, once this recipe is chilled, the dish will solidify and have firm consistency. Also freezing is also used to break down some vegetables, such as freezing corn, or peas prior to use gives them more of a ’cooked’ effect in raw dishes.

Foaming - a culinary technique invented by Spanish chef Ferran Adrià and consist of natural flavors (like fruit juices, savory essences) mixed with a gelling agent such as agar, and extruded through a whipped cream canister equipped with N₂O cartridges. Foams have been described as "airy," with the flavor taking precedence over the substance it is suspended in.