Abstract: Pastas and other foods are cooked by being steeped in a small volume of water added to an insulated vessel provided with a removable cover and strainer. The preferred embodiment of the cooking vessel is an insulated cylinder of translucent plastic. The cylinder walls and base are insulated. An open top enables water and a food item to be introduced into the vessel's interior volume. A removable cover for the open top retains heat. A removable strainer for the open top allows water to be drained off. Food items cook in the vessel without additional heat being added to the water during the cooking process.