General Chat

As a general 'rule of thumb', I was told that root vegetables go in cold water, those grown above the water in hot water.

At work, a lady said she was told that all vegetables go in cold water, but root vegetables were cooked with the lid off the pan.

What were you told?

Mum always cooked all veg in cold water and put the lid on after they came to the boil, then turning down the heat to simmer

Mum was in domestic service as a young woman in the early 1920,s she became a cook general in the kitchen of a couple of big houses .she lived in too

I steam my veg in a steamer which has its lid to keep the steam in

I always do the same as Shirley's Mum. I can't remember what my Mum did, but I probably copied her - apart from cabbage, which I remember boiling to death in cookery classes at school! :-)

Shirley, my gran was in domestic service in the early '20's, (cook in 1924) and I presume my mum was told how to cook vegetables by her.

Strange how such a mundane action can differ!! :-D :-D

We always keep the lid on - it saves fuel!! :-)

Don't recall ever being told how to cook veg of any description.
As a rule of thumb, root veg in cold water as it means they start to cook while the water is heating up, and anything grown above ground to go into boiling water. If heated too long, you'd destroy the vitamin content.
Lid on regardless, as it conserves the heat.

To be honest, the only 'boiled' veg we cook in a saucepan are new potatoes. Everything else is done in the microwave.

I was taught the same as you Maggie, root veg in cold above the ground in boiling. However I steam most veg now and only boil new poataoes and part boil roast.

Frozen veg into boiling water - did you all forget about frozen?

Anything for an easy life :-D :-D :-D

I always boil the kettle first and pour it on the veg in the saucepan and cook them that way - they always taste nice - and as I live alone I generally cook my veg all together in the one saucepan - saves on the washing up and the gas :-D

I rarely use frozen, JoyLouise.

I live alone too, Ann, and cook the potatoes in one pan, root veg (ie carrots) in water, then the rest of the vegetables in a steamer on top of the carrots.
The water from these veggies is used for gravy. :-D

Frozen goes in the microwave :-)

just asked a friend how he cooks his veggies.
He puts the water on, and puts in the veggies as he does them.
Potatoes, carrots and swede take longest, so are put in first, to the (by now) warming water. Cabbage and other 'above ground' veggies take less time, so are put in later.
He cooks 'other veg' with potatoes. (I don't)
He reckons it's a habit acquired when he lived in a bedsit, with only a one or two ring baby belling to cook on.
I also lived in a bedsit with a baby belling, but still don't cook 'overground' veg with potatoes (too starchy).
I will cook swede with potatoes if I'm going to mash them together anyway.

I remember not long after we were married and OH worked shifts so got used to cooking. I came home, looking forward to a lovely dinner, and was presented with what I called 'a dog's dinner'. He'd cooked everything bar the meat in one pan. Yuk!

Folks, you can imagine how 'the balloon went up' when he saw my lack of appreciation for his culinary efforts. :-0

By the way, as much as I don't like cooking (or any type of housework for that matter), I do make an effort when we have guests.

I love roasts with all the trimmings and tend to get out the steamer. Once the electric one broke I bought one that goes on the hob so boil potatoes for mash in the bottom, root vegies next basket and, on the top, soft vegies like peas, broccoli etc.

Often, for quickness when I am alone or there are two of us, I have microwaved peas and those microwaveable vegie packs but on the rare occasion when OH fancies home-made chips he does them himself because I love Icel**d's frozen sweet potato chips and he can't stomach them; and, strangely to some people, I never eat fish with chips, only fish with mushies.

I have seen my OH looking at me with shaking head and disbelief.

He does make lovely bread though. :-D

JoyLouise, the only time I eat 'mushies' - or rather the next stage up - marrowfat peas, is with fish!!
I have 'chips' with fish too - but usually potato wedges fried in a pan.

I suppose we all get into habits with cooking everyday food. the main thing is we all seem to eat fresh veg.

My sort of lazy habit is on Sundays when we usually have a full roast in the evening (just the 2 of us), While I am doing other jobs, I steam the green veg until underdone, then just as dishing up I put them in the microwave for two or three minutes to heat/finish. They still taste fresh, even cauliflower. It saves the last minute rush of cooking veg. :-D

dear oh dear

try these

http://www.epicurious.com/tools/searchresults?search=french+vegetable+side+dish

yummy
:-)

These days most veg, apart from new spuds, is better cooked in the microwave - in fact this, and defrosting, is what we use ours most for.

Forget what you grandma told you - she overcooked everything by a factor of ten.....!

There used to be a tale in my wife's family about sprouts. Her Nan, who was in domestic service at the age of 14 and worked in hospital catering for many years used to set her alarm for 6am on Christmas Day so she could get them on for 8am to make sure they would be ready for dinner at 1pm.

Hmm Rollo, so you presume we don't try/have never tried those sort of things.?

All very well, but not when a person has just got in from work, or if you're cooking for one!! :-\
...and the question wasn't about what sort of food you eat.

Inspector Green,
I actually don't really like microwaved food.
I don't eat frozen veg very much, and tend to defrost food in the fridge.

My question was about whether you put veg in cold or hot water, with a lid or without, not how long it's cooked for - that is a matter of personal taste :-D

Oooh - haven't had Potatoes Anna for years - I do them as individual portions in a muffin tin. I usually steam veg (not potatoes) on the hob, but also like roasted veg, especially peppers, courgettes, squash, sweet potato etc.

it is a feature of what the English call cooking that it takes ages as well as taking much of the joy and goodness out of the ingredients. Doing something better doesn't take long - I frequently cook for myself though I rarely start with a saucepan, water and a debate over wther to boil or not or the pros and cons of having the lid on.

It is really easy to fix a decent meal for one more quickly than putting a frozen ready meal in the oven or firing up the microwave.

I saw ain interesting program recently about animals bringing up their young in the Scottish Highlands. The otters for instance learned from mum and were doing fine. The English learn from mum too but not as well as the otters.

There is a now out of print book written by Len Deighton which is as good as anywhere to start.

http://goo.gl/q3xAdQ

Okay Rollo, so you think we need cooking lessons, do you?

BTW - cooking in a microwave doesn't start with a saucepan either. :-D

Interesting if somewhat patronising and off- topic comment on what YOU do - avoiding a saucepan, and, obviously - to your mind - superior to what anyone else could do - but not what I asked!! :-)

Try reading the initial post :-D