| Term | Definition
|
|---|
| ea | each as in 1 lemon, 1 onion, or whatever.
|
| egg wash | Egg whites or yolks mixed with some water or
milk, brushed onto baked goods.
|
| eggplant | A fruit relative of the tomato. Various types
are available, the most common of which is
a deep purple color. Older eggplants tend to
be bitter. The white eggplant is shaped like
an egg, hence the name.
|
| emulsion | A mixture of two liquids that don't normally
mix well. It is done by rapid stirring and
slowly pouring one liquid into the other. A
blender or food processor makes the job very
easy.
|
| endive | One of three types of plants: Belgian endive,
which is grown without light to produce white
leaves, curly endive with curled, lacy leaves,
and escarole. Escarole is the mildest, the
other varieties being bitter.
|
| essence | An oily, concentrated extract from foods, used
to flavor certain dishes.
|
| evaporated milk | Canned milk with about 60% of the water removed.
It can be used as a substitute for cream, or
mixed with water to substitute for milk. The
flavor is somewhat sweeter than either cream
or milk, however.
|
| extracts | Flavorings from various foods, concentrated
through evaporation or distillation. Due to
their intense flavor, they are added in very
small quantities to dishes.
|
| fagioli | The Italian word for beans, generally meaning
white beans.
|
| fenugreek | Fenugreek is a plant native to western Asia. The young leaves are used as an herb and the rock-hard seed pods are ground and used as a spice. It is an important ingredient in curries.
|
| file powder | A standard seasoning of Creole cooking. Made from
ground, dried sassafras leaves.
|
| fino | A Spanish sherry, considered to be one of the
world's best. Unlike some sherries, fino
should not be aged.
|
| fish sauce | An Asian liquid made from fermented, salted fish.
Used in many Asian cuisines.
|
| flambe | A dramatic step in cooking where liquor is added
to food, warmed, then ignited.
|
| Flours | All purpose flour is a blend of high- and low-gluten wheat flours, and is used for general purpose baking. Bread flour is primarily made from high-gluten hard wheat flour. Cake flour is a finely textured, low gluten soft wheat flour. Flours come in bleached and unbleached varieties. Generally these are interchangable, but bread bakers usually prefer unbleached.
|
| fold (to) | to gently mix ingredients with a down,under,up,and over motion so as not to eliminate the air that has been incorporated into beaten eggwhites or whipped cream, for example..
|
| garbanzo beans | Also called chickpeas, these large peas are
common in Mediterranean, Indian, and Middle
Eastern dishes.
|
| gari | Ginger root pickled with sweet vinegar and colored
red. Often served with sushi in thin slices.
Also known as beni shoga.
|
| ginger | The root of the ginger plant is a mainstay in Asian and Indian cuisines, providing a peppery and slightly sweet taste and spicy aroma.
Fresh ginger may be found in the produce section and should be peeled and sliced or ground before using. Dried ground ginger (not an appropriate substitute for recipes calling for fresh ginger)has different characteristics and is used in curries, soups and baked goods (i.e. gingerbread and ginger snaps). Ginger can also be found candied, preserved and pickled, each with its own uses.
|
| glycerin, glycerine | A colorless, odorless,syrupy liquid made from fats and oils and used to retain moisture
and add sweetness to foods. It also helps to prevent sugar crystallization in foods like candy.
|
| hanger steak | Beef muscle over the 7th and 8th ribs; similar to flank or skirt steak in texture and rib-eye in flavor. This muscle is little used by the animal and full of blood giving the cooked meat a reddish appearance.
|
| hardtack | A large, hard biscuit made with unsalted, unleavened,flour and water dough. It is baked and dried to give it a longer shelf life and has been used as a staple by sailors at least since the 1800's.
It is also known as ship biscuit and sea bread.
|
| heavy cream | see cream
|
| horseradish sauce | A condiment used with fish or meat. Available at most supermarkets.
|
| hummus | A Middle Eastern sauce or spread made from mashed cooked chickpeas or garbanzo beans and seasoned with lemon juice, garlic and oil.
It is often served with pita bread for dipping.
|
| kale | A member of the cabbage family closely related to collard greens.
Both crinkly and smooth leaved varieties are winter vegetables and a good source of vitamin A.
Kale is best steamed or boiled and served with butter.
|
| mache | A salad green native to Europe with narrow dark green leaves and a tangy, nutlike flavor.
It can also be steamed and served as a vegetable.
It is also called field salad, field lettuce, lamb's lettuce, and corn salad (though unrelated to corn).
|
| marinara sauce | A highly seasoned Italian sauce generally made with tomatoes, onions, garlic and oregano used on pasta and some meats.
|
| mesclun | A mixture of young, small salad greens often including arugula, dandelion, frisee, mizuma, radicchio and sorrel. It is simply a salad mix or gourmet salad mix.
|
| Milnot | a brand name of a canned evaporated milk.
|
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