Chef's Corner Glossary
Glossary of terms used on this site
There are 175 entries in this glossary.All
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Alfalfa Sprouts |
Alfalfa is generally grown for animal feed, but the seeds are also sprouted for human consumption. Alfalfa sprouts are popular in salads and sandwiches. Ingredient Season: available year-round |
| Alfredo Sauce |
A rich sauce of butter, grated parmesan cheese, heavy cream and black pepper. Created by Roman restauranteur Alfredo de Lello in 1914 as part of the dish fettuccine Alfredo -- supposedly to help restore the appetite of his wife after she gave birth to their son. Ethnicity: Italian Ingredient Season: available year-round |
| Almond Bark |
Almond Bark is an easily meltable chocolate or vanilla flavored candy coating. It comes in 24 ounce packages in the US, each square is 2 ounces. Ingredient Season: available year-round |
| Almonds |
This nut is the kernel of the fruit of the almond tree. Grown extensively in California, the Mediterranean, Australia and South Africa. There are two types: sweet (what you eat) and bitter (used to flavor extracts, syrups and liqueurs). The bitter type is illegal to sell in the United States because when raw it contains traces of lethal prussic acid, which is destroyed on heating. plural: almonds Ingredient Season: available year-round How to select: Available blanched, unblanched, whole, sliced, chopped, candied, smoked, in paste form, and many flavors. How to prepare: Toasting before use in a recipe will intensify the flavor. Substitutions: equal amount of hazelnuts; 2 tbsp ground almonds=1/4 tsp almond extract for flavoring only |
| Anchovy |
A true anchovy is a small, silvery fish from the Mediterranean and southern European coast (though other fish are frequently called "anchovies"). Often filleted, salt-cured and canned in oil. plural: anchovies Ingredient Season: available year-round How to select: Sold canned flat or rolled. How to store: Unopened for a year at room temperature. Opened, refrigerated for 2 months as long as the fish are covered in oil and sealed. How to prepare: If you wish to eliminate the saltiness, soak them in water for 30 minutes and pat dry with paper towels. Use sparingly to flavor recipes. Substitutions: 1 anchovy fillet=1/2 tsp anchovy paste |
| Apple |
A fruit grown throughout the world in temperate climates for at least 3,000 years, there are now thousands of varieties from yellow to green to red, tender to crisp, sweet to tart and simple to complex. The apple tree and pear tree are related to each other--They are both part of the rose family. "Baking" apples are varieties that hold up well when cooked and don't turn mushy. Good baking apples are: Rome Beauty (Queen of the bakers because cooking accentuates its flavor) Golden Delicioius (holds it's shape well, unlike Red Delicious which should not be used for baking) Granny Smith (tart and tangy) Cortland (good sweet tart balance) Pippin (good sweet tart balance) Winesap (tangy, winelike) Ingredient Season: September - November How to select: Available year round from storage, but high season is at harvest (September to November). Select firm, smooth skinned apples, free from bruises. For cooking or baking use: baldwin, cortland, northern spy, rome beauty, winesap, and york imperial. How to store: In a cool dark place or in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for months, though they may get a bit mealy. Substitutions: 1 cup chopped apples = 1 cup chopped firm pears + 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 cup chopped apples = 1 cup dried apples, reconstituted; 6 tart apples = 2 (20 oz) cans sliced pie apples, drained |
| Apricot |
A relative of the peach, the apricot is smaller with an oval pit which removes easily. There are many varieties (Riland, Tilton, Blenheim, Royal, Chinese, etc.) which range from pale yellow to deep burnt orange. plural: apricots Ingredient Season: June - July How to select: Look for plump, firm fruit with uniform color. There are about 8-12 apricots per pound. How to store: Store in plastic in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. How to prepare: bake, poach, raw, stew Substitutions: fresh apricots = same amount reconstituted dried apricots, peaches or nectarines |
| Artichoke |
The large bud of a thistle plant with tough petal-shaped leaves. Unrelated to the Jerusalem artichoke, Chinese artichoke or Japanese artichoke. Ingredient Season: March - May How to select: Look for deep green artichokes with tight leaf formations. Also available canned. How to store: Unwashed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. How to prepare: To eat whole, you cook by baking, braising, roasting, or steaming and then break off each leaf. Draw the bottom of the leaf against your teeth to remove the soft part and discard the rest. Often dipping the bottom of each leaf in a sauce or butter. Once all the leaves are removed, you scrape away the inedible choke, and are left with the tender heart and meaty bottom. Leaves and choke can be removed before cooking, so only the edible heart is used in the dish. Substitutions: artichoke = Jerusalem artichokes or hearts of palm |
| Arugula |
An herb with a with a peppery mustard flavor. The smooth dark green spiky leaves resemble dandelion leaves, and it is sold loose or banded in bunches. Younger, smaller arugula is milder tasting and less bitter. Arugula has traditionally been used in Italian cuisines. It's gaining popularity as an ingredient in fresh salads, but is also good with cheeses, sandwiches, chicken and tuna salads, egg dishes, pasta and tomato dishes, and sautéd vegetables.Also called Rockette or Rocket in other countries Ingredient Season: available year-round How to select: Found in specialty markets or large supermarkets in bunches in the produce section. Leaves should be bright green. How to store: Store in plastic in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. How to prepare: Prone to pick up lots of sand, arugula should be soaked and washed throughly to remove the grit. Substitutions: Watercress, baby spinach, endive, dandelion greens, radicchio |
| Asiago Cheese |
Asiago is made in the region of Vicenza and Trento, Italy. It is a traditional, farmhouse and creamery, unpasteurized, hard cheese. Originally made of ewe's milk, now is made with cow's milk only. There are two types of Asiago: first one (mistakenly taken for Pressato) is a lightly pressed cheese made from whole milk matured for 20-30 days. The other (Asiago d'Allevo) is the mature cheese made with skimmed milk. Long and slow maturation process creates fruity, slightly sharp cheese with a compact, granular interior full of small holes. Matured over 2 years, becomes intensely flavored. Can be grated and used as a condiment. Ethnicity: Italian Ingredient Season: available year-round |
| Asparagus |
Asparagus (from the Persian word asparag, meaning a sprout), are slim green spears, often tinged with a bit of purple at the tip. Europeans are more familiar with white asparagus which is grown completely underground to prevent it from becoming green. There is also a purple variety called Viola. Asparagus plants usually live 8 to 10 years, and the size of the asparagus spear is relative to the age of the plant; in other words, the thicker the vegetable, the older the plant. Ingredient Season: February - June How to select: Look for firm, bright green stalks with tight, compact heads. Choose firm spears with tightly closed leaves. Avoid spears that are dry, limp, or wrinkled, or have ruffled tips with leaves spread out from the stalk. Thinner spears are usually more tender. Uniformity in size is important for even cooking. One pound equals 16 to 20 spears, or about two cups chopped. Available year round from hothouses, but true growing season is February to June. How to store: Stand unwashed stalks upright in about an inch of water and cover them (and the container) with a plastic bag, or wrap the stem ends in a wet paper towel and seal the asparagus in a plastic bag. Asparagus will keep for only about three days refrigerated. How to prepare: Hold the stalks upside down under cold water and to release any sand that might be caught in the tips. Then hold both ends of each spear and bend; the tough, fibrous base should snap right off. To boil asparagus, tie the stalks together with kitchen string, then stand them up in a cooking pot so the tips are just above the water line. If the stalks are too tall to allow you to use the regular lid to the pan, invert another pan on top instead. You can also cook asparagus in the microwave. Arrange the stalks spoke-fashion, tips toward the center, in about two tablespoons of water in a round baking dish. Cover and cook at HIGH for 7 to 10 minutes, or until crisp-tender. |
| Avacado |
A lush fruit (not a vegetable!) with a with bright green flesh from the tropics. 80% of today's crop comes from California, and varieties range from round to pear-shaped with skin ranging in color from black to green and smooth to dimpled. Unlike most fruits, avocados only ripen off the tree. Avocados do not soften on the tree. After picking they need 4-17 days to soften, depending on temperature and humidity. They are rich in monounsaturated fat, and have more than twice as much potassium as a banana. Avocados are rarely served hot because they can easily become bitter when cooked over high heat. Ingredient Season: available year-round How to select: Look for unblemished fruit, heavy for their size. Ripe avocados yield to pressure. Speed the ripening process by placing in a paper bag. How to store: At room temperature until ripe, in the refrigerator for several days to slow the ripening process. Will discolor rapidly when exposed to the air, so if you need to store them or recipes made with significant avocados, wrap tightly in plastic wrap so no air touches the surface at all. Contrary to popular belief, storing the seed with the guacamole will do absolutely nothing to keep the dish green. |
| Bacon |
Fatty side of a pig which has been cured and smoked. Bacon should be 1/2 - 2/3 fat, which gives bacon its flavor. Rendered bacon fat, bacon grease, is often used as a cooking fat, especially in Southern U.S. cuisine. Ingredient Season: available year-round How to select: You will get 16-20 regular slices per pound, when purchased sliced. You can also buy slab bacon to slice yourself. Cracklings are the bits of fried bacon rind. You can also purchased pre-cooked bacon bits for salads, and the like, but if they are true bacon they will need to be refrigerated. Imitation bacon bits are sold on the shelf. Substitutions: 1 slice bacon = 1 tbsp bacon bits; bacon = smoke sausage = turkey bacon = Canadian bacon = boiled, baked or smoked ham |
| Baking Powder |
A leavening agent made of baking soda, cream of tartar and cornstarch. When combined with a liquid carbon dioxide gas bubbles are released causing a dough to rise. Ingredient Season: available year-round How to select: There are three kinds available: double-acting (works when it gets wet and again in the oven heat), single-acting and phosphate baking powders (works in wetness). Double-acting is the most common. Check the pack date before purchase. How to store: Keep in a cool, dry place. It is perishable, so if necessary test before using it: combine 1 teaspoon with 1/3 cup hot water. If it bubbles rapidly, it is still good. Substitutions: 1/2 tsp cream of tartar + 1/4 tsp baking soda = 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp double-acting baking powder = 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 cup buttermilk, sour milk or yogurt (to replace 1/2 cup liquid in recipe); 1 tsp double-acting baking powder = 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/4 cup molasses (reduce liquid in recipe by 1/4 cup; adjust sweeteners); 1 tsp double-acting baking powder = 2 tsp quick-acting baking powder; 1 tsp single-acting baking powder = 3/4 tsp double-acting baking powder |
| Baking Soda |
A leavening agent which reacts when combined with an acid such as buttermilk, yogurt or molasses producing carbon dioxide bubbles which cause a dough to rise. If such a thing as 'baking soda' does not exist in your country, look for it at the chemist's, where it's usually known as sodium bicarbonate. To test baking soda for freshness: Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 1/2 cup of hot water. The soda will actively bubble if it is fresh. Ingredient Season: available year-round How to prepare: Baking soda reacts immediately when wet, so it should always be added to dry ingredients first. Once the batter is wet it should be put in the oven immediately. |
