Okay, this may sound dumb...but I know a lot of you young men (and women) out there have no idea what boiling water looks like. So those who know what boiling water is...just bear with me. Or read the funny story below.
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My grandfather knew how to cook. He had been a bachelor for some years before he found and married my grandmother. Plus, great-grandma was a no-nonsense woman, child of pioneers and a wee bit of a pioneer herself. Her boys knew how to cook as well as her girls. (In fact, grandpa's little brother ended up doing all of the cooking after his own wife took permanently ill...and he was a darn good cook, too.)
But when my grandmother took over the homestead's house, she went with the rule that her mother had. Her men weren't going to cook. (Never mind that her father and brother lived in a house with a gaggle of women...there were always female hands about to do "women's" work.) Grandpa always teased her, pretending he was going to come in and do some cooking. The effect was still the same, though...by the time my dad went off to college, he had no idea how to cook. Or even how to boil water.
Its true! It was my mother's favorite "dating" story. She had gone to dad's apartment for a study date, and he asked her if she wanted some tea. She said "yes." Then my dad asked, "Um...how do you know when the water is boiling?"
Don't worry...dad did finally learn how to grill. Or order pizza. Needless to say, my mother made sure that not only did I know how to cook, but so did my brother. In fact, I'd say my brother was a better cook than his first wife.
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Boiling is a necessity, and not just in an emergency situation (such as a water-main break). It is also necessary for reconstituting dried foods, making tea, cooking pasta and rice, and heating canned foods.
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So, how does one boil water?
Its simple. Put the needed amount of water in the pan (or tea pot). If you are getting your water from the tap, use HOT water. There is some axiom that cold water heats up faster and boiling water cools down faster...in theory, perhaps, but in practice...its got further to go, so don't believe that silliness.
Put the pot or pan over high heat, and cover it with its lid. (With all but rice, I suggest not putting the lid on tight...let a little bit of steam escape.) Now walk away from the pan. I'm serious. A watched pot never boils. Just come back every couple of minutes to check on the status of the pan. It may seem like an old wive's tale, but it seems to take forever to get the pot to a boil if you stand there and watch it.
You will begin to see tiny bubbles form on the bottom of the pan. No, this isn't boiling! I believe this is called "simmering". It is just beginning to boil. The bubbles will get bigger and bigger. What you want is a good, rolling boil. This means that there are so many bubbles that the surface of the water is in complete turmoil.
With most foods, once the liquid is boiling, you will move the pan to a lower heat (or turn the heat down) and let it "simmer". If you are boiling water for pasta or for drinking, you will want to remove the lid after it has come to a boil, and let it continue to boil on high heat. Otherwise, it will boil over. What this means is that the water gets so hot that it gets so many air bubbles in it that the water climbs to the top of the pan and starts pouring over the sides...not too different than if you open a soda or beer that was shaken up. However, even with the pan lid completely off, the water could still boil over when cooking pasta...adding a little bit of vegetable oil to the water can help prevent this without hurting the pasta.
Now...do we know how to boil water? I hope so. Try it. You might like making your own tea for once.
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