FOLDING IN
This is a technique that requires a gentle hand. The concept of folding in means to lift from below or the side without chopping or intentionally damaging the food you are trying to mix until each turn of the food eventually reveals that everything is mixed evenly.
While salads are often tossed to mix, more delicate ingredients in a dish would benefit from the gentler folding in, but you are still looking for an even distribution of all ingredients as the final product.
From the book I illustrate this concept with the simple process of adding butter or margarine to cooked green beans and folding it in until the beans are nicely coated with the butter. This process is necessary, because rough handling of the cooked beans can leave them looking mushy and unappetizing.
Return the pan to the stove and add a tablespoon of butter. Use a large spoon to gently fold the beans over themselves. A few patient folds and you will see the beans become covered with the butter.
When they seem to be quite evenly covered, add salt and pepper to taste and serve them at once.
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