Life School

This lesson is 750 words, a 3 min and 0 sec reading time. It is part of How to Cook With Air & The Fall Collection.

📍 Introduction:

It's hard to go wrong with roasted vegetables. Almost everybody can eat them. They serve as a great side, base, or main dish. They are tasty hot or cold. A number of chefs even believe they're best at room temperature! 

You can roast many vegetables at once for food prep and re-heat/spruce them throughout the week. Or simply knock some out while you are making something else. 

When a vegetable is nearing its peak ripeness (or even a bit past), just pop it in the oven. See below for instructions for basic roasted vegetables -- but do get creative! There is a lot you can do with roasted veggies. 

✔️ Instructions:

* Preheat oven to 400° (or 450° if cooking many items) 

* Prep your veggies (wash, dry, trim, chop) 

* Season with olive oil & salt; toss in a bowl to coat evenly 

* Line baking sheets with parchment paper

* Dump veggies on paper, place in the oven

* Cook until tender  

🥕 Seasonal Vegetables for Roasting

* 🗓 Year-round (mostly): Broccoli, Cauliflower, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Yams, Carrots, Beets, Winter Squash (e.g., Acorn, Butternut), Garlic, Onion 

* ❄️ Winter: Brussel Sprouts, Celery

* 🌷 Spring: Asparagus, Green Beans, Artichoke, Turnips

* ☀️ Summer: Corn, Bell Peppers, Eggplant, Green Beans, Tomatoes, Summer Squash

* 🍂 Fall: Pumpkin, Brussel Sprouts, Green Beans, Bell Peppers 

⏰ Roasting Time Guide

* 10-15 min: Zucchini, squash, bell peppers, broccoli, asparagus, green beans, mushrooms

* 20-25 min: cauliflower, brussels, butternut/acorn squash, radish, eggplant

* 30 min +: Beets, potatoes, sweet potato, carrots, cabbage 

📝 Notes, Tips & Tricks: 

Cooking:

* Ensure vegetables are dry before cooking/coating with olive oil. This helps them brown instead of steam. 

* Cut veggies to consistent sizes, so they cook evenly 

* Don't skimp on oil 

* Don't crowd the pan, or items will steam instead of brown

* Sugars in vegetables seep out & can scorch pots and pans easily. Use parchment paper to eliminate the need to scrub or even wash at all

* Creative seasonings (e.g., herbs, oils, spices, garnishes) can make all the difference. Experiment! 

* If you try roasting one new vegetable each week, by the end of six months, you will have covered most of the ones you will ever roast! Experiment to keep things fresh (& expand your knife skills repertoire)

* Save the stems, leaves & stalks while trimming down vegetables for roasting. These can be roasted as well, turned into pesto, or saved for making stock. 

Meal Prep & Storage:

* Roast a bunch of vegetables at once for ultimate efficiency. Preheating the oven takes awhile. So does getting out all the gear & cleaning it up. By knocking out all your veggies at once, you save yourself hours later in the week. 

* When roasting different vegetables, start with those with the longest cooking time (root veggies, potatoes). Work your way to those with the shortest cooking time (tender ones like brussel sprouts, leafy greens). You can wash & trim the short-cooking vegetables while the longer cooking ones get a head start. 

* Roasted vegetables taste great at room temperature. Take them out of the fridge ~1 hr before you plan to eat them so they can warm slowly & evenly. 

* Roasted vegetables store very well, either at room temperature overnight or in the fridge for about a week. They don't mold, sour, or rot nearly as much as other items.  

* A few days in the fridge will actually make roasted vegetables taste better as they settle into themselves and absorb the seasoning.

* Store vegetables in clear containers so you can easily see them & noodle on creative ways to spruce them up

* Leave heartier vegetables out in a big bowl to inspire you to cook them. Many don't do well in the fridge anyway.

Serving: 

* Roasted vegetables can be the base for unlimited dishes (e.g., omelets, poached eggs, sandwiches, salads, soups, and even snacks). See below for some recipe inspo.  

* Spruce up roasted vegetables with a quick sauté (e.g., with olive oil and garlic) throughout the week to add some flair. Or simply reheat in the oven at 250°.

* Oil helps brown, cook & flavor the food. Many varieties work well (e.g., olive, coconut, peanut, duck fat, sunflower, grapeseed, canola, bacon grease).

* Sturdier herbs hold up well without burning (e.g., thyme, rosemary, oregano, tarragon, sage).

* A spritz of lemon juice or other acids at the end of cooking brightens flavors. 

🎓 Further Study:

* 7 Ways to Use Leftover Roasted Vegetables

* 10 Delicious Uses for Roasted Vegetables

* What to Do With Leftover Roasted Vegetables

* How to Store Vegetables to Keep them Fresh

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🧳 Essential Gear:  

* Rimmed baking sheet: Quarter-sized is best if you plan to cook multiple items at once with different cooking times. Example: $-$$

* Spatula: For flipping smaller items. Must be heatproof (e.g., silicon or wooden, not plastic). 

⚡️ Recommended

* Digital Thermometer: Particularly useful when cooking poultry, meat, or baked potatoes. Ensures food is cooked to perfection. 

* Parchment paper: Protects pans from residue, caked-on oil, caramelized sticky messes. Practically eliminates the need to wash your pan. 

* Tongs: For turning larger items.

* Oven mitts: Important for protecting your hands. Potholders & kitchen towels can also be used but are more prone to slip.

* Cast Iron Pan: Great for whole roast chicken.

* Aluminum foil: To keep things warm or let them rest after cooking. 

📝 Notes, Tips, Tricks: 

* Keep a crock with utensils & tools near the oven.

* Check your rack height before preheating the oven so you don't have to handle racks while they’re blazing hot.

* Don't make a habit of storing items in your oven when you run out of space in the cupboards; you will almost certainly preheat the oven while forgetting they are there! 

🎓 Further Studies: 

* 9 Essential Roasting Tools [Food52]

* The Best Baking Sheet [Wirecutter]

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📍 Introduction:

Temperature matters quite a bit for roasting & is the ultimate driver of how your food turns out. For most items, you don't need to fret over the difference between 350°F or 400°F, but understanding the way food and temperature interact will help you gain greater control over the outcome. The main difference is that higher temperatures (400-500) cook items faster, drier & browner.  Lower temperatures (300-400) cook more slowly, softly, and juicily. With a little knowledge, you can use temperature as your secret weapon in roasting food to delicious perfection. 

📝Notes, Tips & Tricks

* Don't open the oven door! Within seconds, an open oven loses up to 50% of its heat. A stop-and-start roast will yield mediocre results. Items may be burned in some areas and soggy or undercooked in others. Also, it takes a few minutes for the oven to reheat after opening. Checking regularly means you’ll need to wait even longer for your dish to finish cooking.

* To check items efficiently, turn on the light & take a peek! Better yet, get comfortable using your sense of smell & intuition to know when something is done. 

* If you smell smoke, RUN (don't walk) to the oven. 

* A digital thermometer (like this one) will ensure your item is cooked to perfection every time. This means juicy meat at the level of “doneness” you like, and chicken that is never dried out. To use a thermometer, remove the item from the oven, close the door, and probe into the deepest part. When the temperature hits the sweet spot (e.g., 140° for medium-rare steak) you’re done! 

* Where you place food in the oven matters. The best spot is in the center where the air circulates best.  

* When cooking multiple items, stagger the dishes to ensure the hot air can reach all items evenly. 

* Convection ovens have a fan that circulates the air, making for faster & more efficient browning. To adjust for the greater efficiency, reduce temp by 25°

* An alternative to using the convection setting is to rotate the trays and pans. Get in and out fast to avoid losing heat! 

🤓 Numbers Worth Memorizing:

* Baking: ~325-375° 

* Roasting: ~400-450°

* Max temp for nonstick: 350°

* Warming: 200°

* Pre-heating: 10-15 min

* Convection: lower temp by 25° & reduce cook time slightly

🎓 Further Study:

* How much Heat Escapes When you Open The Oven Door[Rachael Ray] 

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"A hot oven is the rightful domain of a capable cook" - Tamara Adler, An Everlasting Meal

This course is about roasting - a dry-heat oven-based method of cooking that is a central building block in a home chef’s repertoire. Ovens are a busy chef’s best friend because they are consistent, reliable & hands-off. The way they work is pretty simple and hasn’t changed much since their introduction in the early 1700s. They capture a heat source & radiate it through the air (this is why this course is called “How to Cook with Air”). In doing so, they allow the food to cook slowly and evenly. This yields delicate, complex, caramelized flavors and crunchy or crispy textures. 

The predictability of this method makes oven cooking high leverage. Leverage is a concept from operations that refers to using something to its ultimate advantage. An oven is high leverage because it can do a heck of a lot of cooking, predictably, with limited oversight, for many items simultaneously.

Compare this to needier cooking methods like sautéing or grilling, where you must regularly tend to the items to ensure they aren’t burning. When baking or roasting, you can walk away, confident that your dish will turn out fine so long as a timer is set.

We recommend that you take advantage of oven cooking for the freedom it provides. While the oven pre-heats and again while it’s cooking, do your food prep, wash the dishes. You can even Netflix & chill. 

Here’s the table of contents for How to Cook with Air:

15 - Temperatures for Roasting

16 - Products & Gear

17 - Roasting Vegetables

18 - Practice Recipe: Baked Potato

19 - Practice Recipe: Crispy Roasted Brussels

20 - Practice Recipe: Kale Chips

21 - Food Safety Deep Dive (Poultry)

22 - Practice Recipe: Roasted Whole Chicken

23 - Sheet Pan Dinners

As always, please provide feedback in the comments if you feel so inclined. Alright, let’s get started. 

👉 Next Lesson: 15 - Temperatures for Roasting

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This lesson is 363 words, a 1 min 3 sec reading time. It is part of the course How to Boil Water. It is also part of the collection MaxF Meal Prep. Subscribe here.

📍 Introduction

Cooking continuously (first mentioned in lesson 6) refers to preparing a series of items one after the next, whilst using the same pot of water. This method can produce a tremendous amount of food in a short period of time, and is therefore one of the highest leverage activities you can use in meal prep. 

🧂 Ingredients & Equipment:

* Tupperware

*

✅ Instructions:

* Boil water

* Season to taste (sea-water flavor recommended)

* Clean and prep vegetables while waiting 

* Prepare ice bath

* Cook vegetables one after the next & shock in ice bath when done

* Remove, drain, store. 

📝 Notes, Tips, Tricks

* If two items have similar cooking times you can boil them together/simultaneously (handy chart here) 

* Work from least starchy (e.g., vegetables) to most starchy (e.g., pasta, potatoes). End with the eggs to prevent whatever is on the shells from infusing your veggies. 

* Properly wash items (e.g., soak in a big bowl of water) to ensure dirt & sand is removed from nooks & crannies. This keeps cooking water clean. 

* Consider saving an hour to do this after returning home from the grocery store or farmer’s market. By knocking it out in one big push you’ll save hours of prep & cleaning time later in the week.  

📓 Boiling Times Reference Guide:

* Short (1-5 min): Asparagus, Broccoli, Carrots, Corn, Green Beans, Peas

* Medium (10-15 min): Cauliflower, Squash, Brussel Sprouts

* Long (15+ min): Artichokes, Beets, Potatoes

🎓 Further Studies:

* An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy & Grace, by Tamara Adler

* Seasonal Vegetables You Can Boil 📓

* Pasta Al Dente

* Boiled & Mashed Sweet Potato

* Perfect, Peelable, Medium-Boiled Eggs

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This post is 334 words, a 1 min 20 sec reading time. It is the 13th lesson of How to Boil Water. It is also part of the Breakfast Collection.

📺 Video Demonstration (1 min 37 sec)

📍 Introduction

Packed with protein & speedy to make, hard (or medium)-boiled eggs are a delicious, timeless, economical treat.

The trick to nailing boiled eggs is ensuring they cook for a precise number of minutes. If overcooked, eggs are hard to peel, tough & chewy. They can also have powdery & tasteless yolks. 😝

For a more delicate egg with a tender & creamy interior, set a timer and let the simmering water do the rest. If you have a penchant for jammy & gooey yolks, aim for a 7-minute egg. For a little firmer, try 9-10 min. Go ahead and experiment to determine what type of eggs you like best.

🧂 Ingredients & Equipment:

* Eggs

* Timer (optional)

* Slotted spoon (optional)

✅ Instructions:

* Boil water 

* Slowly lower eggs into the water

* Set timer. For medium, 7 min. For hard, 9-10 min. Soft 4-5 min.

* Slightly lower heat

* Prepare ice bath

* Remove eggs, place in the ice bath for ~1-2 min, or until they are slightly warm.

* Peel, dress, serve, eat or store! 

📝 Notes, Tips, Tricks

* By cooking at a simmer (instead of a rolling boil), the eggs will bounce around less. This reduces the chances of cracking.

* To start eggs in cold water, make two adjustments. (1) Turn off the heat once the water is boiling. (2) Let rest covered to finish cooking. Soft is 4 min, Medium = 6 min, Hard = 8 min. 

* Shocking the eggs helps shrink the cooked egg, separating it from the shell and making for easier peeling. It also cools them, making for more comfortable handling. 

* Older eggs peel easier. Fresh ones can be nearly impossible. 

* Boiled eggs can elevate salads, soups, ramen, sandwiches & more. 

* Popular toppings include flakey sea salt (we love Maldon), olive oil, herbs, mayonnaise, hollandaise. 

* Boiled eggs last in the fridge for ~ one week. Leave the peel on for freshness. When in doubt, crack open and take a sniff. If it smells bad, toss it. 

📓 Simmering Time Reference Guide

🎓 Further Studies:

* Bon Appetite’s Jammy Soft-Boiled Eggs

* 25 Recipes to Make with Hard-Boiled Eggs

* How to Peel an Egg in under 10 Seconds - 3 Methods

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📍 Introduction

Broccoli is a great vegetable to practice with because it’s hearty, nutritious, and good value. When blanched, it is tender and flavorful with just the right amount of crunch. This makes it an excellent addition to salads, stir-fries, omelets, and more! 

🧂 Unique Ingredients & Equipment:

* Broccoli

✔️ Instructions:

* Gently wash the broccoli; remove brown/yellow spots if necessary

* Boil & season water

* Add broccoli & cook for ~2-3 min 

* Prepare an ice bath

* Remove when bright green or tender for piercing

* Shock the broc (aka place in the ice bath)

* Drain. Serve, eat, or store! 

📝 Notes, Tips, Tricks

* Do not discard the stems! They have more flavor than the florets and are highly nutritious. If they have thick skins, use a vegetable peeler on them. 

* Blanched broccoli can last about a week in the fridge. 

* Butchering in advance will help promote more even cooking but is not necessary and can be messy. 

* For a more advanced blanch, start cooking the stems 1-2 min before the florets. 

* If your broccoli is wilted, slice off the bottom and soak in some cool water. It will plump up in about an hour. 

* Sample toppings include butter, lemon, olive oil, vinaigrette, toasted nuts, cheese, pesto, chimichurri, etc. Get creative!

🎓 Further Studies: 

* How to Blanch and Freeze Broccoli

Next Lesson: 12: Practice - Perfect, Peelable, Medium-Boiled Eggs

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📍 Introduction

Blanching is a cooking method in which an ingredient is briefly cooked in boiling water and then plunged into an ice bath (aka shocked) to halt the cooking process. This ensures the exact desired level of “done-ness.” When vegetables overcook, they lose their color, flavor, and texture - becoming mushy and bland. Blanching & shocking prevents this from happening and is therefore quite the secret weapon to master! 

🧂 Ingredients & Equipment:

* A large bowl of ice water 

* Tongs, spider or strainer

✔️ Instructions: 

* Boil a vegetable (or pasta) 

* When tender, transfer items to ice bath

* Rest 1-3 minutes, then drain 

* Enjoy now or save for later! 

📝 Notes, Tips, Tricks

* Blanched veggies can be spruced up later in the week with a quick sauté or roast, which makes them ideal for food prep. Blanch to slightly underdone if you plan to cook the item further.   

* To be extra efficient, re-use the cooking water & ice bath across multiple items. You can combine items with similar cooking times (e.g., Broccoli/Cauliflower, Peas/Corn.)

* Here is a handy chart of boiling/cook times by vegetable 

👉 Next Lesson: 11: Practice - Shock the Broc 

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📍 Introduction

Boiling works best for fresh, crisp vegetables as the technique softens them and brings out their natural flavor. Using vegetables picked close to their peak ripeness will help ensure your dish has flavor & crunch.  Below is a chart of vegetables that boil well by season. 

📝 Notes, Tips, Tricks

* Dif vegetable varieties peak in different seasons. For example, New Potatoes are particularly tasty in the spring. 

* Farmers Markets carry the freshest produce as goods are harvested close to sale. With imports, vegetables may be picked 1-2 weeks before reaching peak ripeness to allow time for shipping.

* A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box is a great way to support local farmers & practice cooking different types of produce. Subscribers receive a box of seasonal produce each week. Find a local CSA here. 

🎓 Further Studies: 

* Seasonal Produce Guide

* Seasonal Fruits & Vegetables by Region

👉 Next Lesson: 10: How to Blanch & Shock

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