| Term | Definition
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|---|
| sweat, to | to cook (usually vegetables) over low heat, causing their juices to be released and their sweetness enhanced while becoming translucent rather than colored
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| Tabasco (Sauce) | Sauce made from the tabasco pepper, vinegar and salt and trademarked by the McIlhenny family since the mid-1800s. It's very hot and spicy.
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| tapas | Appetizers popular throughout Spain.
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| Tempe | Fermented soy beans, like tofu. Used in Indonesian cooking. Quite a distinct taste, as opposed to tofu.
Also spelled tempeh.
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| Teppanyaki cooking | Japanese cooking on a grill.
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| tofu | Also know as bean curd, white tofu is made from curdled soy milk. Popular in Asian cooking, tofu itself has a mild nutty flavor but will readily take on the flavor of the food in which it is cooked.
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| tomatillo | Similar to a small green tomato and from the same nightshade family, tomatillos are distinctive in their thin paper like covering. Typically used green they have a lemon herb flavor and are found in Southwestern and Mexican dishes.
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| tournedo | Beefsteak cut from the tenderloin. Because they are very lean it's common to wrap them in bacon or pork fat for cooking.
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| trifle | Sponge cake or ladyfingers soaked with liquor and covered with jam, whipped cream and nuts.
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| tripe | Most often, the lining of beef stomach. Among other things, used in the Spanish soup Menudo.
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| truffle | Fungus that is considered a delicacy. Prized fragrance is earthy and garlicky. Very expensive due to cultivation techniques. Pigs and dogs actually ferret out the fungi which grow several inches below the ground.
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| tube pan | A tube pan is simply an old-fashioned angel food cake pan. A round high sided pan with a hollow center tube.
The tube helps with more even baking in the center of the cake. Another version of this type of pan is the bundt pan.
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| turnover | Sweet or savory filled pastry squares or semi-circles. Sealed with filling inside, they are usally baked or deep fried, they can be bite sized or up to 6 inches across.
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| unleavened | Describes baked goods that do not contain leavening agents such as baking powder, baking soda or yeast.
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| vanilla | Aeromaic bean of one variety of orchid. Bean or extract are used to heighten the flavor of other ingredients. Pure vanilla is relatively expensive due to the culturing process and time consuming extraction process.
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| veal | Meat from a young calf, generally from 1 to 3 months old.
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| vermicelli | Pasta which is shaped in long thin strands. Much thinner that regular spaghetti.
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| vindloo | Hottest of the Indian curry dishes. They come from central and southwestern coastal India. A complexed spice mixture made up of mustard, cumin, ginger, pepper, fungreek, cloves and coriander makes up the basic sauce. Red chilies and tamarind concentrate add heat and unique flavoring. Sauce is typically combined with meat and served over rice.
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| wassail | Norse for "be in good health". Wassail is a drink made from wine or ale that is mixed with sugar and flavored with spices. Traditionally served in wassail bowl and ladled into cups.
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| water biscuit | Crisp cracker that is often served with wine and cheese. Its blandness is a compliment to wine tasting because it allows the wine flavor to come through.
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| whelk | Large marine snail of the gastropod family. The foot-like muscle is flavorful but tough. It is typically tenderized by pounding before cooking. Sometimes found in Italian recipes.
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| whip | to beat ingredients until light and fluffy.
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| wild rice | Popular for its nutty flavor and chewy texture but not really a rice at all. Wild rice is a long grained marsh grass that's native to the Great Lakes region and traditionally harvested by native Indians. It's very expensive and usually combined with other rices or grains.
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| won ton | Chinese dumpling made from won ton skins (paper thin sheets of dough made from flour, eggs and salt). Skins are filled with meat, seafood or vegetable mixture then boiled, fried or steamed and served as appetizer with dipping sauces.
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| Worcestershire sauce | Thin, dark, piquant sauce used to season meats, gravies, soups and vegetables. The many formulas are typically made various quantities of soy sauce, garlic, lime, molassaes, tamarind, onions, molasses, anchovies, vinegar and seasonings.
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| yarrow | Pungent herb found in Europe and North America. It has a very strong aroma and is used sparingly in egg dishes, salads and soups.
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| yeast | A living single celled organism that grows and converts its food (through fermentation) into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Most commonly used to leaven breads and in beermaking.
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| yogurt | Dairy product made from milk that is fermented and coagulated from introduced or natural "friendly" bacteria. Can be made from the milk of many animals but cow's milk is most popular. Commercially available in flavors, with fruit and as a frozen dessert.
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| Zinfandel | Red wine grape brounght to the U.S. from Italy. Its spicy raspberry flavor makes fruity to rich red wines.
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| zuppa | Italian word for soup.
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