On Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 11:22:37 AM UTC-10, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2016-10-23 2:45 PM, wrote:
> > On Sun, 23 Oct 2016 11:23:11 -0700, sf > wrote:
>
> >> When I first started cooking, white sauce required a double boiler and
> >> a 20 minute covered simmer. Then I threw off the shackles and started
> >> doing it over direct heat without any encouragement from cookbooks or
> >> television. I forged off in that direction unaided and alone.
> >> <sniffle>
> >
> > What a load of crap! Double boiler was used for many things, I still
> > use it occasionally, but never for white sauce.
>
> My mother used to do it in a double boiler. She used to make it
> frequently to make cream salmon or cream chicken with patty shells. It
> was a slow and laborious job, perhaps one of the reasons I never did it.
> My wife showed me how to make white sauce and it was much faster to do
> in the pot on direct heat.

My guess is that in this day of non-stick pans and microwave ovens, a double boiler is not necessary. I think my induction range will do quite nicely instead.