The world's top cooking websites

<h1>Cooking</h1><strong>Cooking</strong> is the act of preparing <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/food" title="Food">food</A> for consumption. It encompasses a vast range of methods, tools and combinations of ingredients to improve the flavour and/or digestibility of food. It generally requires the selection, measurement and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure in an effort to achieve the desired result. Constraints on success include the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, tools and the skill of the person cooking.<p>
The diversity of cooking worldwide is a reflection of the myriad nutritional, aesthetic, agricultural, economic, cultural and religious considerations that impact upon it.<p>
Cooking frequently, though not always, involves applying heat in order to chemically transform a food, thus changing its flavor, texture, appearance, or nutritional properties. There is archaelogical evidence of cooked foodstuffs (both animal and vegetable) in human settlements dating from the earliest known use of <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/fire" title="Fire">fire</A>.<p>

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<A CLASS="internal" HREF="#Effects of cooking">1 Effects of cooking</A><BR>
<A CLASS="internal" HREF="#Cooking techniques">2 Cooking techniques</A><BR>
<A CLASS="internal" HREF="#Other (cool) preparation techniques">3 Other (cool) preparation techniques</A><BR>
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<A CLASS="internal" HREF="#Ingredients">3..1 Ingredients</A><BR>
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<A CLASS="internal" HREF="#See also">4 See also</A><BR>
<A CLASS="internal" HREF="#External link">5 External link</A><BR>
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<A NAME=""><H2>Effects of cooking</H2><p>
If heating is used, this can disinfect (depending on temperature, cooking time, and technique used) and soften the food. 45 to 140&deg;F (4 to 60&deg;C) is the "danger zone" in which many food spoilage bacteria thrive, and which must be avoided for safe handling of meat, poultry and dairy products. Refrigeration and freezing do not kill bacteria, but slow their growth.<p>
<A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/raw_food_diet" title="Raw food diet">Living foods diet</A> adherents advise against the use of heat in the preparation of food: they believe that temperatures above 106&deg;F (41&deg;C) destroy essential <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/enzyme" title="Enzyme">enzymes</A> in the food, which they believe are necessary for proper digestion and nutrition.<p>
<A NAME=""><H2>Cooking techniques</H2>   <p>
Some major hot cooking techniques: <p>
<ul><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/baking" title="Baking">Baking</A>
<ul><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/broiling" title="Broiling">Broiling</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/flashbake" title="FlashBake">FlashBake</A><p>
</li></ul></li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/boiling" title="Boiling">Boiling</A>
<ul><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/blanching" title="Blanching">Blanching</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/braising" title="Braising">Braising</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/coddling" title="Coddling">Coddling</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/double_steaming" title="Double steaming">Double steaming</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/infusion" title="Infusion">Infusion</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/poaching__cooking_" title="Poaching (cooking)">Poaching</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/pressure_cooking" title="Pressure cooking">Pressure cooking</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/simmering" title="Simmering">Simmering</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/steaming" title="Steaming">Steaming</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/vacuum_flask_cooking" title="Vacuum flask cooking">Vacuum flask cooking</A>
</li><li> Steeping<p>
</li></ul></li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/frying" title="Frying">Frying</A>
<ul><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/deep_frying" title="Deep frying">Deep frying</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/hot_salt_frying" title="Hot salt frying">Hot salt frying</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/hot_sand_frying" title="Hot sand frying">Hot sand frying</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/pan_frying" title="Pan frying">Pan frying</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/pressure_frying" title="Pressure frying">Pressure frying</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/sauteeing" title="Sauteeing">Sauteeing</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/stir_frying" title="Stir frying">Stir frying</A><p>
</li></ul></li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/microwaving" title="Microwaving">Microwaving</A><p>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/roasting" title="Roasting">Roasting</A>
<ul><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/barbecue" title="Barbecue">Barbecuing</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/grilling" title="Grilling">Grilling</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/searing" title="Searing">Searing</A><p>
</li></ul></li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/smoking__food_" title="Smoking (food)">Smoking</A><p>
</li></ul><A NAME=""><H2>Other (cool) preparation techniques</H2>    <p>
<ul><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/brining" title="Brining">Brining</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/drying__food_" title="Drying (food)">Drying</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/grinding" title="Grinding">Grinding</A> (e.g. sesame seeds to produce <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/tahini" title="Tahini">tahini</A>), chopping, slicing finely, grating, etc..
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/marination" title="Marination">Marinating</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/pickling" title="Pickling">Pickling</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/seasoning" title="Seasoning">Seasoning</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/sprouting" title="Sprouting">Sprouting</A>
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<A NAME=""><H2>See also</H2><p>
Specific techniques and ingredients are often regional. See <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/cuisine" title="Cuisine">Cuisine</A> for information about the many regional and ethnic food traditions.  Please see <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/food_writing" title="Food writing">food writing</A> for some authors of books on cookery, food, and the history of food.
<ul><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/cooking_weights_and_measures_1" title="Cooking weights and measures">Cooking weights and measures</A> (includes conversions and equivalencies common in cooking)
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/food_and_cooking_hygiene" title="Food and cooking hygiene">Food and cooking hygiene</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/food_preservation" title="Food preservation">Food preservation</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/list_of_cookbooks" title="List of cookbooks">List of cookbooks</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/list_of_food_preparation_utensils" title="List of food preparation utensils">List of food preparation utensils</A> including <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/cooking_pan" title="Cooking pan">saucepans</A>, frying pans, woks and many others. <p>
</li></ul>For recipes, see the <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/list_of_recipes" title="List of recipes">list of recipes</A> and the <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/list_of_cocktails" title="List of cocktails">list of cocktails</A>.  Also see <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/staple_food" title="Staple food">staple (cooking)</A>.<p>
<A NAME=""><H2>External link</H2>
<ul><li>
</li><li><A HREF="http://www.gti.net/mocolib1/kid/food1.html" class="external">Culinary history timeline</A><p>
</li></ul><p>

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