There are so many misconceptions in cooking that sometimes it’s amazing.
An entire book could be published about cooking myths and debunking them.
But for now, let’s just discuss a few simple myths that you probably believe.
Some may be obscure to you, but trust us, a lot of people believe these things.
So here are the cooking myths and their associated cooking truths.
1. Adding oil to your pasta as it boils will keep the noodles from sticking together.
This is probably one of the biggest myths in cooking and almost everyone thinks like this.
And to be honest it makes sense in theory.
Because.
Oil is a lubricant so if you add some to your pasta as it cooks the oil will work as a lube and the noodles will not stick.
But this is absolutely positively completely and absurdly wrong.
And in fact, boiling your pasta in oil and water will oftentimes cause the noodles to stick.
The only thing you should boil your pasta in is water and some salt, this will make a noticeable difference in its taste.
And pasta should be boiled for 9 mins.
Thin noodles like vermicelli and angel hair only take 5 to 6 mins.
2. Cold water boils faster than hot water.
You might think this is crazy for someone to believe but it is true.
In fact we saw someone who thought this very thing on TV watching one of those competitive kitchen shows.
Here’s the truth.
Hot water boils faster than cold water.
Hot water also FREEZES faster than cold water.
ANNNDDD boiled water freezes perfectly and forms ice cubes that are completely transparent like these:
(try it, if you don’t believe us)
3. Cooking veggies in the microwave kills all the nutrients.
This is a big one too.
But it’s wrong as well.
The best way to kill nutrients in a veggie is to over-boil it.
Try it.
Boil some broccoli in a large pot and keep on boiling and boiling.
You will end up with some green water.
The green color in the water is actually the nutrients from the broccoli florets escaping.
Cooking veggies in the microwave is a good way to actually KEEP all the nutrients in the food because usually cooking times will be very short.
It’s important that you really remember the last myth about cooking veggies in the microwave.
Because when read you these delicious vegetable recipes, in Cooking with Vegetables, you will need to understand how to cook them properly:
Veggies All Day, Every Day,
BookSumo Press