Cooking tasty food with Steaming

Steaming is a great cooking method. It preserves the flavor, color, moisture and nutrients in foods. and requires no added fat. The steam keeps ingredients from sticking and burning, so cleanup is a snap, too.

It's especially important to begin with fresh, high-quality ingredients when steaming, because nothing is disguised in the cooking. Until recently, I only used my steamer basket for vegetables, but I've discovered that nearly any fresh food with a delicate texture -- fish, shellfish, chicken breasts, fruit -- is a good candidate for steaming. Here are more tips on Steam Cooking: • Flavorings can be incorporated into steamed foods by adding herbs, spices, aromatic vegetables, wine, juice, etc., to the steaming liquid, and using it as a marinade before cooking. Try lemon grass, ginger, a touch of toasty nut oil or a splash of balsamic vinegar or pomegranate molasses. • You don't need fancy equipment. One good option is a collapsible steamer basket (available at supermarkets) or metal rack set into a large pot, wok or skillet. • An alternative is to create a platform for the food with a pair of chopsticks or upside-down ramekins. Place the food in a heatproof dish and set it on top. • Whatever your equipment, a tight seal is important. Choose a pan with a tight-fitting lid, or cover the pan with foil and press it tightly around the edges. • The steaming liquid must be at least 1 inch deep and should not touch the bottom of the steamer basket or rack. Too much water and the food is immersed and will boil instead of steam; too little and you risk evaporation and burned pans. • Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat before adding the food. Then adjust the heat so the water simmers briskly. Begin timing at this point. • Keep a pot of boiling water on the stove to replenish the steaming liquid if needed. A few marbles placed in the bottom of the steamer will make a racket until the water is gone; silence means it's time to add water. • If you open the lid of the steamer briefly to check the cooking progress, add a minute to the total steaming time. • Steam is hotter than boiling water, so take care not to burn yourself. Use oven mitts when putting in or removing food from the steamer or lifting the lid. Always lift it away from you and let some of the steam escape before removing the lid entirely. Here's a recipe to try out steaming for yourself: STEAMED PEARS WITH RED WINE AND RASPBERRIES Serves 3 3 firm, not quite fully ripe pears 1 star anise 1 vanilla bean 1 cinnamon stick 1 cup dry red wine 3 tablespoons sugar 1/2 pint fresh raspberries 1. Peel, halve and core the pears. Put them in a shallow bowl, cut sides down. Add star anise, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick. Bring water to a boil in a large saute pan or wok. Place bowl in steamer basket and place in pan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until pears are tender when pierced with the point of a knife, about 30 minutes depending on the ripeness of the pears. 2. Meanwhile, combine the wine and sugar in a large serving bowl; stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the pears, vanilla bean, cinnamon stick and star anise to the bowl along with the raspberries, and let stand until cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled