Move diet articles to posts/guides/diet/.

content/posts/guides/diet/cooking.md

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+---
+draft: false
+pinned: true
+hidden: false
+title: "My Cooking Methods"
+subtitle: "How and why I cook the way I do. 🙃"
+feathericon: ""
+author: Bug
+#started: 2026-04-11T10:00:00-07:00
+date:    2026-04-11T10:00:00-07:00
+lastmod: 2026-04-11T14:00:00-07:00
+toc: true
+audio: false
+images:
+tags:
+  - diet
+  - food
+series:
+  - diet
+categories:
+  - guides
+  - pinned
+aliases:
+  - /posts/recipes/food/cooking
+  - /posts/guides/diet/cooking
+  - /cooking
+  - /cook
+  - /posts/blog/cooking
+  - /posts/blog/cook
+  - /posts/guides/diet/cooking
+  - /posts/guides/diet/cook
+---
+
+Also be sure to visit my [Diet](/diet) page to see what sorts of food I frequent.
+
+## Grains & Legumes
+
+Rinsing and soaking these are very helpful for my digestion.
+Since I'm a nomad and engage in dry camping (boondocking) I've had to find a way to do this while conserving water so that I can stay out longer.
+
+As of April 2026 I've shortened it down to only using twice the amount of cooking water, rather than 3 times or more if using separate water for both the rinse and the soak.
+Further reducing the water usage involves washing the meal's veggies in the soaked/rinsed water.
+
+### Example
+
+So, basically, if making 1 cup of rice with 2 zucchini:
+
+**Rinse & Soak Stage**
+
+1. Add 1 cup of rice and 3 cups of water to the Instant Pot bowl.
+1. Agitate the rice. You'll notice the water becomes cloudy.
+1. Set the Instant Pot to Yogurt - Less - 30 minutes.
+1. Allow to sit until ready to start cooking.
+
+**Food Preparation Stage**
+
+1. Remove the bowl from the Instant Pot.
+1. Rinse off the zucchini in the bowl then remove them.
+1. Pour the rice and water into a colander or strainer of some sort.
+1. Continue like you normally would if normally cooking this meal.
+    1. Slice or dice the zucchini to your preferences.
+    1. Add the rice, zucchini, and 2-3 cups of water to the bowl.
+1. Set to Rice - High and allow the pressure to release naturally!
+    - (I get better results using High Pressure for rice.)
+
+Some may think that even this is a lot of water rice! I prefer my meals moist to help with hydration and digestion. Dry, crunchy, or even al dente rice is a no-go for me.
+
+## Rehydrating Dried Fruits
+
+Normally this is for mangoes and sometimes dates, as I've found that banana coins get a weird texture.
+
+This is as easy as adding the dried fruit to a cup or a bowl, adding enough water to cover them, and then letting it sit for 1-2 hours depending on your patience.
+
+For mangoes the water becomes a deliciously sweet nectar, and for dates it becomes a savory and sweet caramel-like drink, especially if using barhi dates.
+
+## Simplicity & Food Combining
+
+There's something to be said about enjoying the food you eat. If you don't like the flavor of rice, then rice may not be for you. Many people don;t even know that rice has a flavor because they're so used to it being cooked with salt, oil, and then having sauces dumped on top.
+
+I subscribe to similar ideas as Natural Hygiene which says monomeals (meals consisting of only a single food ingredient) are the healthiest way to eat and the best chance at a highly efficient digestion. I rarely combine fruits, and allow 20-45 minutes in between each fruit type if eating multiple around a mealtime.
+
+The same goes for cooked food. Sometimes I may combine rice with lentils, however most the time I find myself having rice and a veggie for lunch, then lentils or tofu and a veggie or two for dinner. Vegetables low in acid, calories, and starch (such as celery, kale, or zucchini) are typically safe to combine with higher calorie staples.
+
+The same goes for seasonings. If cooking a celery stew (Khoresh Karafs), my only ingredients will be lentils and fresh celery, with the only seasonings being peppermint and parsley, fresh if I have it otherwise dried. Craving pizza? I'll add oregano and thyme to a meal. Experimenting like cooking a pot of rice with rosemary and lavender can be pretty great too!!
+
+---
+
+[blog.hyperling.com/cooking](cooking)