would in the open air. Most pressure cookers allow
you to cook at temperatures between 240° and
250°F, no matter what the altitude. This is why
pressure cookers are so popular throughout the
Andes—no self-respecting Colombian home is
without one.

WATER-BOILING MYTHS

Myths about boiling water abound. Here are four

of the most common:

• Cold water comes to a boil faster than hot
  water. False. It’s absolutely untrue, but there
  is a good reason to use cold water instead of
  hot for cooking: hot water will contain more
  dissolved minerals from your pipes, which can
  give your food an off flavor.


• Water that’s been frozen or previously boiled
  will come to a boil faster. False, though there
  is a little scientific reasoning behind this one.
  Boiling or freezing water removes dissolved
  gases (mostly oxygen), which can slightly
  affect the boiling temperature—so slightly, in
  fact, that neither my timer nor my
  thermometer could detect any difference.


• Salt raises the boiling point of water. True . . .