SOLISSEA'S CORNER: The Art of Simmering

Those who cook know that simmering is a food preparation technique in which foods are cooked in hot liquids, and skillfully kept just below the boiling point of water. Technically, water boils at about 212˚F, so simmering is usually between 170˚ and 190˚.

Simmering is a cooking process, so it is important to understand that the art of simmering does not apply to warming or reheating food that has already been cooked. It is the initial process of cooking foods with the purpose of drawing out their full flavor, along with any herbs or spices you add to a recipe. When you simmer, the food takes on a whole different complexity of flavor than if you stop cooking or start boiling rapidly. A long simmer does wonders for either elaborate or simple recipes such as sauces or mom's stew.

Simmering Is An Art?

Why is simmering an art? Because, you have to keep the temperature of the liquid just right as too low of a heat can cause the cooking process to stop causing your recipe to turn bland, while too high of a heat can burn, toughen or break up the ingredients giving a much less desirable flavor and texture to the dish. Simmering is a gentler method of cooking, while boiling is much more volatile. Simmering also allows for the impurities in food or unwanted parts of stock or meat (such as fats, proteins, bones, etc.) to rise to the surface so that they can be skimmed from the top instead of churned back in where they would otherwise make your dish cloudy or greasy.

A constant simmer is not always easy to regulate because even on a very low setting the heat can be too intense and cause the liquid to boil. A good simmer will allow a bubble or two to surface every few seconds, but never more than that. When simmering, the heat bubbles should stay below the surface of the liquid.

I Think There May Just Be A Metaphor In There…

Now, if you have been reading my blog for a while, you might think that there is a metaphor for life simmering in this post. You would be correct!

I actually got the idea of the metaphor a few months ago while watching Michael Jackson’s This Is It. You cannot watch that movie without realizing that music was in every fiber of Michael Jackson’s being. Music and creating were his life. Well, about 32 minutes into the movie, MJ is talking to the Musical Director, Michael Bearden. As they were rehearsing the song, The Way You Make Me Feel, MJ wanted the intro of the song to sound a particular way. Now, to the viewer and probably the Musical Director and back-up singers, it probably sounded just fine at the time. However, MJ stops the rehearsal a few times and finally tells Mr. Bearden:

You gotta let it simmer.
You’ve got a moment where it has to simmer.
Just bathe in the moonlight.
You have to let it simmer.

When Mr. Bearden lets it “simmer” as MJ requested, and they decide to add an additional bar or two in order to accomplish this, you can hear how that one small change brought out the subtle nuance of the musical intro to the song. It truly made a difference.

The Art of Simmering

Boiling

Poaching

There are many ways we can utilize the concept of simmering in life. If you think about it, most of life should be lived at a simmer. There are times when the boiling method is appropriate (such as moments of righteous anger, or, as I like to call it, anger with-a-cause; or during moments of extreme happiness or joy); and there are times where a cooler poaching method is appropriate (chillaxin’ on the beach in Belize, family movie nights, lazy Saturday afternoons, etc.), but for the most part life should be lived at a skillful simmer in order to draw out the full flavor and nuances of each experience and every moment we are given.

Creative Simmer

Whatever you do, be it for work or a hobby, letting creative ideas simmer is always a good choice. Just as in cooking, if your creative process boils too fast, your final product may be rough, ideas may be broken up, and while your final product may be usable, you will not produce the quality you originally intended. You must let your creativity simmer for a moment.

Emotional Simmer

Emotions should simmer. Emotions - whether good or bad - should rarely exist in a constant state of a rolling boil; nor should they exist in a constant state of poaching where there is only indifference or barely any life to them. Have you ever been around a person who is in “extreme” mode all the time? One who boils with anger or excitement at the slightest provocation or, one who boils with an unhealthy or insincere cheerfulness? Or how about someone who can never seem to get excited or passionate about anything? Like food that is improperly prepared, it is unsavory to say the least and a bit difficult to digest, so we end up avoiding them when we can. A person who simmers in their emotions is a pleasure to be around because they have a gentle, flavorful, pleasant disposition and, if the situation calls for anger-with-a-cause or an exuberant burst of joy, they are ready for the moment and can do so while bringing the full flavor of the experience along with them!

General Life Simmer

Life in general should be lived at a savory simmer. In just about every situation we encounter, we have a choice of how to handle it. If we get too excited and move the experience too quickly into a boil, we lose the fullness of the experience and come away with only part. Alternatively, should we lose heart and attempt to stay safely at a cool poaching level in life, we may never taste even a semblance of the rich, fullness of the experience that was intended for us, and possibly even create an unsafe atmosphere where the experience can become toxic or poisonous. Yes, life should be lived at a savory simmer.

Cooking Note: In cooking, the result of a good simmer will cause the surface of the food to shine. Even though the occasional bubble escapes, the surface stays shiny and colorful. No matter what you are simmering, it has a more pleasant, flavorful, colorful appearance while cooking than when poaching or boiling. The aroma of a simmer is more pleasant and savory than with poaching or boiling, and a long-simmering tasty dish on the stove will create an inviting atmosphere of coziness and comfort.

Hey Good Lookin' -
Whatcha Got Cookin'?

So, where do you find yourself most of your time? Are you sort of poaching and just feeling indifferent and barely living?

Are you living in a constant rolling boil of toughness or brokenness?

Or, are you simmering and getting the most flavor and nuance out of every experience, while releasing an inviting aroma of warmth and comfort with your life?

Contrary to popular belief, life is not a bowl of cherries. Life is a sometimes complex, sometimes simple dish of fresh ingredients given to you each day, and each day you must choose how to prepare it. Whether the ingredients for the day are for a gourmet meal or mom’s simple 7-ingredient recipe for stew, choose to get the most flavor out of it that you can.

How can you do that? Simply adjust your flame accordingly until your life shines, bubbles occasionally, and has a gentle, pleasant, inviting aroma that invites others to partake of the flavor of YOU!