While neither simmering nor boiling is difficult, both are essential techniques used to prepare everything from pasta to green vegetables to stewed meats. They're really degrees of the same thing, but the effect each has on food is profoundly different. These two basic cooking methods are used in most kitchens every day and require little more than a heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan to evenly distribute the heat.

Unlike the French, who are gifted with a vocabulary that describes the stages of a liquid about to boil (such as fremir, which means to tremble or shake), we have no equivalent words to describe variations in simmering. But for most purposes, a simmer is the stage when the water is in motion but almost no bubbles break the surface; they're trying to, but the water's surface tension holds them in place. Boiling, though, refers to liquid that's in full motion, with bubbles rapidly rising to the surface. The recipes and tips in this package will distinguish between the two and illustrate when each works best.

The bottom line. Here are the three most important things to know to successfully simmer and boil food:
1. When simmering, a small bubble or two should break through the surface of the liquid every second or two. If more bubbles rise to the surface, lower the heat, or move the pot to one side of the burner.
2. If simmering meat or large pieces of fish, place the food in cold water, and then bring it up to a simmer.
3. When boiling vegetables or pasta, add the uncooked food to water that’s fully churning.

New Recipes for Boiling and Simmering