Cooking For Engineers

[Diane B.]

Thanks for that info.

The situation still seems a little ambiguous to me though because of the natural moisture in the food (in garlic in this case).
When cooking en papillote, for example, the foods inside are said to steam (at least in my memory they have been) whether they're in foil or parchment.
I also think of the veggies I microwave in a small container as steaming since I usually add no liquids, and even if only lighted-covered with dry waxed paper (often what I use) they still emit a bit of steam when the covering is removed after cooking. And they "taste" steamed though it's true that I don't cook them past the just-done stage which could cause other effects.

I do get a bit mixed up with categorizations when oil is involved sometimes, but am still interested in anything further you find out about "roasted" garlic or similar situations .

added later... I wonder if the oil that's rubbed all over the exterior of the topped garlic head just gets down more into the crevices of the cut top area than anywhere else and therefore is thick and oily enough to keep any steam created by the moisture in the garlic from reaching that area, and/or just gets hot enough to "fry" that area a bit creating the browning seen there (and a bit down into each clove)??

[sscookwaresets]

[Cheff Wannabee]

I find it rather interesting that your cooking dictionary defines baking and roasting the same way-cooked in an open pan in dry heat! Thoughts?

For what it's worth: I always do my turkeys in a roasting bag tightly sealed with no added liquid. The top browns nicely and the meat is very moist and juicy! I don't even take the package out of the cavity and all that turns out tender as well.

Happy cooking!

[Dilbert]

>> baking and roasting the same way-cooked in an open pan in dry heat! Thoughts?

personally I bake a cake, and a meatloaf, but I don't bake a prime rib.

which of course generates the question, what's up with baked ham?