Steamed: use and misuse of the word

[annecros]

I just chop the ends off my asparagus, boil the heck out of them, puree them and make soup.

The tips - well I must admit I boil them too. But not the heck out of them.

[suzilightning]

i have the same question about steamed puddings.  the recipe i'm planning on trying this week is called Apple Steamed Pudding with Toffee Sauce.

the method is similar to making a cake though you put the mix into a 1.2 ltr pudding basin and cover it with a pleated top of baking paper tied with string.  the recipe says to 'put the bowl in a pan and fill the pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the bowl.  steam the pudding for 1-1/2 hours, replenishing the water halfway into cooking.'

i'll give it a go and let you know results. but until i read thru the whole recipe i was planning on setting the bowl on some kind of trivet that would let it sit above the water not in it.  now i'll just follow the recipe and let it sit in the water.

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i grew up eating steamed puddings in the summer. freshly gathered berries folded into a slightly sweetened bisquick mix. plop into greased coffee cups so they are 3/4 full. put into the big kettle - which would hold 6 or so cups - and pour in hot water till the water comes up about 1/2 way up the cups. cover and steam for about an hour. let cool slightly and top with a hard sauce.

[Adam Balic]

"more thoroughly" ?  Are you asking if something immersed in boiling water becomes more cooked than something blanketed in steam?

Not in my experience, tho it may reach a certain point of done-ness sooner.

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With the asparagus steamer, the bases will cook in the water as it comes to the boil, I would think that the tops would only start to cook through once the water approaches 100.C.