I had resisted it originally when my mom first suggested I get one because I associated hot water dispensers only with my older relatives and, as a larger group, older Asians in general. But, as has happened many, many times, my mom was right: I did want a hot water dispenser. I saw how incredibly useful it could be. Coffee and tea at any hour of the day! Instant noodles! Instant oatmeal! Even for cooking, like when making soup, I could add boiling water, without having to have a kettle of water on the stove, if the soup got too thick.
And I found yet another use: pre-cooking spinach.
I think I've mentioned before how much I loathe "pre-cooking," as in anything that needs to be cooked before making the actual dish. Spinach is one of those. I can't tell you how many recipes I've seen that required cooking spinach in boiling water first, then wringing out the water. I understand why (because spinach releases so much water that if you don't do it first, it will make your final dish a big watery mess--I know this from firsthand experience), but it still made me reluctant to cook with spinach.
Not any more though, because of my beloved hot water dispenser.
I poured hot water from the hot water dispenser over spinach and let it sit briefly before draining and rinsing in cold water. It was the perfect texture for sigmchi namul--still a little crisp but completely wilted.
Mixed with garlic, salt, pepper, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Yum. I know people add soy sauce too but I think the salt and sesame oil provide all the flavor needed.
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