Methods of Cooking

To cook is to be a sorcerer. Through the use of heat, raw ingredients are transformed into edible foods. The medium through which this is done is either dry or moist heat. Cooking by dry heat means to bake or roast food in an oven, and to broil or grill food under or over heat. French-fried foods are considered dry cooked, although the foods are cooked in a deep liquid, namely oil. Moist heat cookery is usually done on top of the range and includes braised, poached, and sautéed foods.

The basic methods of cooking are the same for all kinds of foods. You can French-fry an egg just as easily as potatoes. Chicken and beef are often cooked by the braising method: when braised in red wine, one becomes the famous Coq au Vin, the other Boeuf Bourguignonne. Sautéed crabs and sautéed sweetbreads require in general the same basic treatment.