Add Oil to Pasta Cooking Water to Prevent Sticking

Well duh, of course this will work−oil is slippery, after all! But sorry, no. In realty, almost all the oil goes down the sink when you drain the pasta and the sewer beasties will enjoy your good olive oil.

So how can you reduce sticking? Tossing the pasta with a little oil just after draining works much better. Or do as the Italians do, which is to mix the pasta with the sauce right away after you drain it. This has the added advantage of letting the flavors meld.

Other ways to reduce sticking problems include buying high quality pasta (which sticks less than the cheap stuff), by not overcooking the pasta, and by making sure you are boiling it in enough water, and by salting the water. Also, stirring the pasta for 10-20 seconds right after adding it to the boiling water makes stickiness less of a problem.

If you are cooking the pasta for later use, or for use in a cold dish, try rinsing with cold water right after draining.

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Cinnamon is all the Same

I am not talking about subtle flavor differences here! Rather, what most people don’t know is that what is labeled “cinnamon” in the grocery store can be from two entirely different plants and have very different flavor profiles. And worse, one kind of cinnamon can be toxic. Whoa, hold that cinnamon toast maybe?

Both types of cinnamon are made from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree. The bark is dried until it curls into rolls, which are usually ground to a fine powder. Turns out, however, there are two species of Cinnamomum tree, and they produce very different products.

Ceylon cinnamon, sometimes called true cinnamon, comes from the bark of Cinnamomum verum. The name is because the tree is native of Sri Lanka, which was called Ceylon during colonial times. These days it is cultivated in many locales. Cassia cinnamon is derived from the bark of Cinnamonum cassia, and is native to China and Southeast Asia.

From a culinary perspective, Ceylon cinnamon has a more delicate and “sweet” flavor, sometimes described as being citrusy with floral notes. It is preferred for desserts, teas, and subtle dishes. In contrast, cassia cinnamon is bold, spicy, and slightly bitter. It is considered more appropriate for savory dishes, baked goods, and spice blends such as garam masala. Cassia cinnamon has a reddish hue and the quills (sticks) comprise a single layer and are hard to break. Ceylon cinnamon is more a light brown and the quills have multiple layers and are easy to break. It must be noted that both are perfectly acceptable for typical culinary uses.

Now what about this “toxic” business? Cinnamon contains coumarin, an organic compound that can be toxic to the liver and cause other health problems. True (Ceylon) cinnamon has very small and perfectly safe amounts, but Cassia cinnamon has significantly higher levels, as much as 250 times as much! As little as one teaspoon of cassia cinnamon can exceed the recommended maximum daily dose. People with liver disease should be mindful, particularly if cinnamon is being used as a daily supplement and not as a cooking ingredient.

Cinnamon toxicity

Note that the coumarin found in cinnamon is totally different from the drug coumadin (also called Warfarin) that is administered medically as an anticoagulant or blood thinner.

What about Saigon or Vietnamese cinnamon? It is just cassia cinnamon under another name, and the same concerns about coumarin apply.

How do you know what you are getting? Most cinnamon sold in the US is cassia cinnamon and it is rarely if ever labeled as such. Ceylon cinnamon is almost always labeled because it is more expensive

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Liverwurst and Braunschweiger are the Same

Nein, mein Herr! Or in English, no sir! Liverwurst and braunschweiger are two traditional German liver sausages, and it is understandable that non-afficionados would not be aware of the differences. And in the United States there are few real fans, although I am most definitely one!

Use Best Quality Olive Oil for Sautéing

Some recipes call for sautéing in olive oil, preferably extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for reasons of flavor and the reported health benefits. But there is no reason to reach for your high-end, expensive EVOO.

It seems that the special, subtle flavors of high-end EVOO pretty much all vanish when the oil is heated to sautéing temperatures. If you want to use olive oil, it is fine to use the less expensive everyday oil. Save your special, expensive oil for salads, dipping bread, and other non-heated uses. If you want that lovely olive oil flavor on cooked foods, drizzle a bit of the good stuff on after cooking, preferably while the food is still warm.

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Cold Eggs/Hot Water is Why Boiled Eggs Crack

Many people hard-cook eggs by putting them into already-boiling water. The temperature shock, it is claimed, causes the shell to expand quickly and crack, resulting in stringy and unsightly egg white leaking out. But while this theory seems to make sense, it is not true.

Cracked egg in hot water

First of all, an expanding shell is not likely to crack–a shrinking shell is. In this case, an egg could crack when it is done cooking and is transferred from the boiling water to the cold water bath. Of course, by that time, cracks do not matter.

So, why do some eggs crack sometimes when you boil them? Some eggs already have invisible cracks in them from rough handling during production and shipping. These will indeed open up in hot water and release egg white. In some cases, if the water is actively boiling, the eggs will be bounced around and cause new cracks. Thus, if you must boil eggs, use gently simmering water.

I once saw Julia Child demonstrate this on her TV show. She took a bunch of raw eggs from an ice water bath and put them directly into simmering water, and not one of them cracked. Pretty convincing! This has also been my experience, although Like many other cooks, I prefer the steaming method these days. Please refer to this page for details.

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Raw Milk is Healthier Than Pasteurized Milk

Some people claim that raw milk is healthier than milk that has been pasteurized. They claim that the heating of pasteurization destroys some of the beneficial nutrients, enzymes, and probiotics that are found in raw milk. It is true that heat can change the chemical composition of milk, but there is very little evidence that this can have any health effects. And what little evidence raw milk advocates cite comes from small/flawed studies or is anecdotal.

On the other hand, there is absolutely no doubt that unpasteurized milk can be deadly. It can carry a multitude of nasty disease pathogens including E. coliSalmonellaListeria, and Brucella and those responsible for tuberculosis and typhoid. The dangers are particularly acute in vulnerable populations like children, pregnant women, and the elderly.

It is true that milk intended for human consumption without pasteurization is raised and treated more carefully that so-called commodity milk that is meant to be pasteurized. This reduces but does not remove the danger of diseases. In summary, raw milk offers no demonstrated health benefits but does pose some very serious risks.

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Nutritionally, an Egg is an Egg is an Egg

Unfortunately, this is not true. Farm eggs and store-bought eggs differ significantly in nutritional content. As you have probably already guessed, the farm eggs win this contest hands-down. Why? It is mainly due to the diet of the hens that produce the eggs.

Hens that are raised on small farms spend much of their time freely roaming pastures and finding their own food. Their diet is varied and includes seeds, insects, worms, and greens. These foods provide a wider variety of nutrients than the processed pellets that are fed to factory chickens (think “chicken chow”). As a result, there are more nutrients in the eggs. For example:

  • Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Farm-fresh eggs can have up to 20 times more omega-3 fatty acids than conventionally raised eggs.
  • Vitamins: Farm eggs have more vitamins A, D, and E, sometimes a lot more. They also have seven times more beta-carotene, which contributes to the deeper yolk color.
  • Cholesterol and Saturated Fat: Farm-fresh eggs often contain less cholesterol and saturated fat than store-bought eggs.
  • Protein: Some studies suggest that farm eggs may have slightly more protein per egg compared to store-bought varieties.

It should be noted simply being organic does not guarantee better nutritional value. An organic egg could well have been raised on a factory farm and fed “chicken chow.” So, for better nutrition, buy your eggs from small local farms if at all possible.

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It is Safe to Cook Kidney Beans in a Slow Cooker

No. NO! Seriously, it is not safe. Red kidney beans contain a potent toxin called phytohaemagglutinin which can cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Fortunately, this toxin is deactivated by the heat of boiling. So boiled kidney beans, and this includes canned beans, are perfectly safe. But slow cooking uses lower temperatures than boiling, which is 212 degrees Fahrenheit. The actual temperature reached in a slow cooker varies by model and the setting used, but it is always below boiling−this is the very definition of slow cooking! Thus, the toxin in kidney beans will not be deactivated, at least not fully, by slow cooking.

You can safely cook kidney beans in a slow cooker if you soak them overnight and then boil them for 10 minutes before putting in the slow cooker, but it hardly seems worth the trouble! And as I already mentioned, canned kidney beans are perfectly safe.

By the way, other beans (for example cannelini and turtle beans) also contain phytohaemagglutinin but in much lower concentrations than red kidney beans. I have not seen any warnings about cooking those in a slow cooker.

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Hot Lemon Water has Health Benefits

Drinking hot lemon water–that’s right, hot water with lemon juice added–according to various “influencers” has a plethora of health benefits. Really? Well, no, not really! Crikey, the things some people will believe! Yet another myth to be busted−and I’m just the one to do it!

These supposed health benefits include better hydration, burning more calories, lowering toxin levels, boosting immune function, better digestion, reduced bloating, smoother skin, and (last but not least) more energy and focus. Sorry folks, it just ain’t so.

Well, hydration, OK, we all know that staying properly hydrated is good. But you’ll get the same effect from drinking tea or just plain water. And lemons contain vitamin C and citric acid, two important nutrients, but unless you have a serious dietary deficiency, the amounts in a bit of lemon juice are not going to make any difference.

If you enjoy hot lemon water, have at it. It certainly can do no harm, but don’t expect miracle health benefits.

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Swiss Steak Originated in Switzerland

Well, the name certainly sounds like it came from Switzerland! But no, the name comes from the process used to tenderize the steak by pounding or rolling it, which is called swissing. The meat – a tough cut, typically round or chuck steak–is then floured and pan fried followed by simmering in a tomato/onion sauce until tender.

Additional reading: Recipe for Swiss steak

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