Cooking: Time, Temperature, Method, and Seasoning

Potroast photo borrowed from http://butimhungry.com

Culinary Corner:
In cooking, nothing affects basic flavor of foods like time and temperature. High heat, low heat, quickly searing or slow cooking makes so much difference in flavor and texture of most foods. All foods are not the same when it comes to how they are best prepared. A choice ribeye steak, for instance, is amazing when flame-broiled over high heat, quickly searing the outside and sealing in juices. The inside can be anywhere from rare to well-done (yuck) depending on preference. On the other hand, a thick chuck roast or brisket is just made for slow cooking in liquid, with lower temperatures and several hours of cook time. It's how a tough meat becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender and flavorful. For slow cooking, meats taste better if browned on all sides first. I use olive oil in a medium-high skillet for this.
Microwave: Some foods are actually even better cooked in a microwave, believe it or not! Did you know that fish, such as salmon, perch, cod and other fresh or thawed fish fillets, covered and steam-cooked in the microwave oven, come out perfectly moist and tender? There's no dried out top from broiling, no fat from frying. I make poached and scrambled eggs in the microwave, too.
Grilling: Summertime means the grills come out! Some people, like me, occasionally grill all year long, but summer and grilling are soul mates.Don't confine your outdoor cooking to meats. Corn on the cob, potatoes, onions, bell peppers, tomato wedges and even big Portobello mushrooms are great from the grill, too! A grilling basket is one of my favorite ways to cook the veggies. Kabobs are great, too.
Seasoning: My rule of thumb with herbs, spices and seasonings of all kinds is - if the first thing I notice about the flavor is the seasoning, there's too much. I like to be taken by the aroma and flavor of the food I'm eating, lightly enhanced by the seasoning. I want my meats to taste like the meats they are, and the vegetables to taste like what they are, with a hint of added herbs, spices, salt, etc. I don't want to say, "Oh! That's great Italian (Mexican, etc.) seasoning! What's in it?"