"Is that really not true?" asked an Epi editor upon seeing one of the food myths listed below. Emails flew back and forth here when folks realized that some old axioms might not stand up to close scrutiny in the kitchen.
I'll admit I didn't scour Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen or Herve This' Molecular Gastronomy for comprehensive answers. So I'm curious if you, dear reader, have experience that can prove or disprove the myths below. I'll assume they are indeed false until I hear otherwise.
1) Searing meats seals in the juices
2) You have to refrigerate butter or it will spoil
3) Oysters must be consumed during "r" months only
4) Boiling veggies eliminates all vitamins and minerals
5) Cold water boils faster than warm water
6) A potato will absorb excess salt in any soup or stew
7) Adding olive oil to boiling water keep spaghetti from sticking
8) Alcohol burns off entirely when cooked
9) Lobsters scream when dunked in boiling water
10) Never eat fish in a restaurant on a Monday
James Oliver Cury is the executive editor of Epicurious.com. He is a member of the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee and has been a judge at the Culinary Institute of America, the Jack Daniels World Barbecue Championship, and the Food Network's Iron Chef show. He's written for dozens of magazines, including Esquire, Playboy, Details, Entertainment Weekly, Maxim, Men's Journal, SPIN, Glamour , US Magazine, Food & Wine, and Every Day with Rachael Ray.
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