Book of Days Tales

Today is the birthday (1736) of James Watt whose improvements of the steam engine were critical in the development of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. He did not, as many believe, invent the steam engine, but his  (many) improvements were monumentally important.  There is a popular story that Watt was inspired to invent the steam engine by seeing a kettle boiling, the steam forcing the lid to rise and thus showing Watt the power of steam. This story is told in many forms; in some Watt is a young lad, in others he is older, sometimes it’s his mother’s kettle, sometimes his aunt’s. Because he did not actually invent the steam engine the story is pure fiction. It seems that the story of Watt and the kettle was created, possibly by Watt’s son, and persists because it is easy for children to understand and remember. In this light it can be seen as akin to the story of Isaac Newton, the falling apple and his discovery of gravity.

Given the fable about Watt and the kettle, I thought I’d give some hints about cooking in an electric kettle. I’ve had to do this when I lived in hotels/hostels in China and Myanmar when I wanted quick cheap meals. Obviously, you can use an electric kettle simply to boil water for instant noodles and the like, and I’ve certainly done that, but that is not what I am talking about – I am talking about cooking in the kettle. If your imagination does not stretch beyond boiling water in the kettle you can at least dress up instant noodle soups with items you can get at any local store (in Asia, that is), such as packaged sausages, dried shrimp, preserved vegetables, and quail eggs.

If you are going to cook in the kettle itself you need a place to wash it out, and, preferably, two kettles – one for cooking and one for boiling water. Residual spices in the kettle, even washed out, do not go well with your morning tea – or in my case yerba mate. If you can find one, the best kettles for cooking in do not have an automatic off switch when the kettle boils. Off switches constantly interrupt the boiling process, especially because you cannot immediately turn the kettle back on when it clicks off. You have to wait for the thermostat to cool enough to click it back on, so your cooking temperature is always going up and down.

Unless you have a lot more patience than I do, you are not going to want to cook dried beans or lentils in an electric kettle. But vegetables are just fine, and you can easily make a wonderful vegetable soup by chopping up your choice – Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, leeks, bell peppers . . . whatever, using some stock powder as a base. Throw in some dried shrimp or pickled vegetables for added flavor if you want. You can also make decent pasta dishes, as long as you cook the smaller kinds – penne, farfalle, elbow macaroni, etc. When the pasta is cooked, drain off the water, and dump in your sauce, give it a good stir and heat for a minute or two. Anything you can cook in a small saucepan in about 20 to 25 minutes, you can cook in an electric kettle. Trust me – I have a lot of experience. I lived in Asian hostels for 2 years.