Explain what sous vide cooking is.

Sous vide cooking is a culinary technique where food is placed in vacuum-sealed bags and then submerged in a water bath at a precisely controlled temperature. This method ensures that the food cooks evenly, retaining moisture and flavor, while also allowing for a high degree of control over the cooking process. By cooking food at lower temperatures for extended periods, sous vide enhances texture and tenderness, making it particularly popular for meats, vegetables, and eggs.

While the other options reference various cooking methods, they don't capture the essence of sous vide. High-temperature grilling involves direct heat and can lead to uneven cooking or loss of moisture; cold serving techniques for desserts do not apply to the cooking aspect; and direct flame cooking lacks the nuanced temperature control that sous vide offers, making option C the most accurate definition of sous vide cooking.