On Food and Cooking

the greens can be minimized by keeping
cooking times short, between five and seven
minutes, and protecting chlorophyll from acid
conditions. Stir-frying and microwaving can
be very quick, but they expose chlorophyll
fully to the cells’ own acids. Ordinary boiling
in copious water has the advantage of diluting
the cells’ acids. Most city tap water is kept
slightly alkaline to minimize pipe corrosion,
and slightly alkaline water is ideal for
preserving chlorophyll’s color. Check the pH
of your water: if it’s acid, its pH below 7, then
experiment with adding small amounts of
baking soda (start with a small pinch per
gallon/4 liters) to adjust it to neutral or
slightly alkaline. Once the vegetables are
cooked, either serve them immediately or
plunge them briefly in ice water so that they
don’t continue to cook and get dull. Don’t
dress the vegetables with acidic ingredients
like lemon juice until the last minute, and
consider protecting them first with a thin