best material is stainless steel. The most useful
size for a small family is 9 inches in diameter
by about 3 inches deep. Th ere are
times when I use two baskets:
root vegetables, which take up to
20 minutes, are cooked in the lower tray,
and their leaves, which take only about
5 minutes, are added to the top tray at
the 15-minute mark.
Steamed vegetables are dull surfaced—they do not reflect light. A very light
spritz of olive oil from a manual spray will help enhance the color, or try a scat
tering of fresh herbs and perhaps a light dusting of smoked paprika to make
them look much more appealing as well as add flavor without compromise.
I add a light sifting of sea salt to the vegetables before they are steamed. Somesalt will dissolve on the surface and some will be lost, but it’s better to control the
amount than to succumb to the top dressing assault so often used at the dinner
table.
Drip-Stew
Drip-stewing is one of the oldest known cooking methods, dating back thou
sands of years to ancient China. A three-legged clay vessel with hollow legs sup
ports a bowl, into which meats and vegetables are piled along with enough water
to at least fill the legs. The covered pot was traditionally placed in the hot cinders
of a fi re. The water boiled in the legs, releasing steam and indirect heat to the
foods in the bowl. You can duplicate this method using a large pot and a kugel
hopf cake pan.
COOKING METHODS FOR MAXIMUM FLAVOR AND NUTRITION • 51