The Difference In Baking And Roasting

Let me preface this blog by saying that I consider myself a magazine junky.  Not because I buy or subscribe to every magazine out there and then skim it’s glossy pages.  It’s because I carefully handpick every single magazine that I buy and/or subscribe to.  Then, I read every single page from cover to cover.  I read the contributors list, I read the editor’s note (which is actually my favorite part), and I even read the ads.  

I recently became a subscriber of Food Network Magazine.  My first issue came in the mail a couple of weeks ago, but I saved it for this week, since I’m flying. 

(picture from foodnetwork.com)

If you didn’t know, it’s like a rule that flight attendants read magazines.  So, I couldn’t wait to delve into it.  I got in about 45 minutes total Sunday, and about an hour total yesterday.  I’m 2/3 of the way through it, and I’m loving it!  “What is there to read?” you ask.  THERE ARE RECIPES!  HUNDREDS OF RECIPES!  And I have read every one of them so far.  I read the intro, the ingredient list, the instructions and then the nutrition facts.  I love it!  However, (I’m finally getting to the point of all this) in my reading I have come to learn that I have no idea what is the difference in ROASTING and BAKING.  I have been thoroughly confused because they are saying, “roast the veggies at 400 degrees” and “bake the cake at 400 degrees”. 

So, I did some research.  And that my friends, is the difference.  According to Danilo Alfaro’s Article on About.com, both roasting and baking are called Dry-Heat Cooking Methods in which dry heat, rather than moisture, are what cook and brown the dishes.  (A covered dish in an oven is not considered dry-heat cooking because at that point it is the moisture from the food that is cooking the dish.)

Alfaro says:

Despite these similarities, roasting and baking can mean slightly different things depending on who you ask. Some chefs use the word "baking" only when speaking of bread, pastry and other bakery items. Some may use the word "roasting" only when referring to meats, poultry and vegetables, but use the term "baking" for fish and other seafood. Yet another distinction can be made with respect to temperature, with "roasting" implying greater heat and thus faster and more pronounced browning.

Well, there you have it.  However, from my reading of Food Network Magazine.  I have decided that the words can be used interchangeably, or at  least they are only different depending on what type of food is in the oven because there is definitely a recipe in there that calls for you to roast an item at 350 degrees.  This was the recipe that made me throw my hands up and finally sit down and figure out the difference. 

Now that you know the difference, I hope you all BAKE SOME VEGGIES and ROAST A CAKE today.