nap or nappe – French word that means to completely coat food with a light, thin, even layer of sauce or a jelly.

Napoleon pastry (nuh-POH-lee-uhn) – It is known as mille-feuilles in France. Outside of France it is known as “Napoleon.” It consists of layers of puff pastry interspersed with pastry cream or whipped cream and iced with fondant and chocolate or with confectioner’s sugar.

History: (1) It is believed to have been developed in France during the latter part of the 19th century. The Danish people have been told for generations that a Danish royal pastry chef invented the dessert way back in the 1800s on the occasion of a state visit between the Emperor Napoleon and the King of Denmark, in Copenhagen. Some sources believe that the chocolate lines on the pastry appear to form the letter “N” for Napoleon. (2) A final story or tale is that the dessert was really a French invention after all, and that it was Napoleon’s favorite pastry. It is said that he ate so many of them on the eve of Waterloo that he lost the battle.

Navajo Fry Bread – The dough used in making this flat bread is a variation of the dough for flour tortillas, consisting of wheat flour, shortening, salt, and water, leavened sometimes by baking powder and sometimes by yeast. Today, there are endless regional variations of this Native American flat bread. Each tribe, and also each family, has their own special recipe. The making of Fry Bread is considered a source of pride. Navajo Fry Bread is considered a tradition in Arizona and New Mexico, and dry bread with honey butter is a specialty of New Mexico.

History:  Navajo Fry Bread actually evolved because of access to European wheat and lard. In 18860, approximately 8,000 Navajos spent four years imprisoned at Fort Summer, New Mexico, and were given little more than white flour and lard to eat. After returning to their new reservation, the United States’ government provided them with wheat flour as part of their commodities program. Because of this, lard and wheat flour became the main ingredients in the making of Navajo Fry Bread. The Indian women had to make the best of what was often considered poor-quality rations in reservation camps and the varying availability of government-issued commodities.

Nesselrode – An iced pudding flavored with chestnuts and dried fruit. Also a cream pie filled with mixed preserved fruits and topped with shaved chocolate.

History: Nesselrode was invented by chef Monsieur Mony, chef to the Russian diplomat known as Count Karl Nesselrode (1780-1862), in Paris. Count Nesselrode was a famous Russian gourmet and diplomat. His contemporaries thought Nesselrode a poor diplomat whose attention was focused only on a good table, flowers and money. As a patron of the culinary arts, he had a number of dishes named in his honor by chefs.

neufchatel cheese (noof-sha-TEL) – A soft unripened cheese originally from Neufchatel-en-Bray, France. It has a fat content of 44 to 48%. It is sold as low-fat cream cheese in the U.S.

Newburg Sauce – An American sauce that was created at the famous Delmonico Restaurant in New York City by their French chef, M. Pascal. This elegant sauce is composed of butter, cream, egg yolks, sherry, and seasonings. It is usually served over buttered toast points. The sauce is also used with other foods, in which case the dish is usually given the name “Newburg.”

History: The sauce was originally named after a Mr. Wenburg, a frequent guest at the Delmonico restaurant. Mr. Wenburg and the boss of the Delmoico had an argument, thus causing Wenburg to insist that the sauce be renamed. The first three letters were changed to “New” instead of “Wen” to create the name “Newberg.”

nicoise – A descriptive term for dishes served with particular foods used by the chefs of the City of Nice, France. This garnish usually includes garlic, tomatoes, anchovies, black olive, capers, and lemon juice. Salad Niçoise is the most famous of all these dishes, consisting of potatoes, olives, green beans, and vinaigrette dressing.

nicoise olive (nee-SHAHZ) – A small, oval olive that ranges in color from purple-brown to brown-black. They are from the Provence region of France (but some are also grown in Italy). They are cured in brine and packed in olive oil.

nixtamal – Kernels of dried field corn that have their hull and germ removed and partially processed with slaked lime and water. The first people of Mexico and Native Americans used ashes dissolved in water. Today the standard alkali for the nixtamalizing process is purified cal, or calcium hydroxide. Nixtamal is usually found packaged in bags in the refrigerated sections of Southwest markets. Posole is an excellent substitute.

Hominy can also be substituted for nixtamal, but it generally has a much milder flavor. Essentially nixtamal is the same as hominy In the Southern U.S. states, nixtamal is called hominy (however, today, hominy has the nutrient-rich germ removed, unlike nixtamal). The southerners serve it whole, as a vegetable, or ground it into grits.

The main application of nixtamal is to grind the kernels and mix them with seasonings to make a dough, similar to masa, which is used to make tamales. Nixtamal is also used whole in soups and stews. In countries where nixtamal is used, it’s made fresh daily. It spoils quickly without refrigeration, but even with refrigeration, its flavor and texture are noticeably better on the day it was made.

Nixtamal (Parboiled Corn) Recipe
Source: “Early California Hospitality” by Ana Bégué de Packman (Academy Library Guild, Fresno, California; 1952)

1 gallon water
4 heaping tablespoons unslacked lime
2 quarts whole dry corn

Mix together water and unslacked lime. When it stops effervescing, add corn and place on stove. Bring to a boil and stir frequently. When the hulls rub off easily and the corn is moist through, drain in a colander and then drop into cool water. Rub the kernels between the hands until they are free from buds and hulls. You should now have a clean, partially cooked corn, which is much like hominy, only not so well done.

noisette (nwah-ZEHT) – (1) It is the French word for hazelnut. (2) In French, noisette is a small version of noix, which means a “walnut.” The noix of a leg of lamb or ham means a “small walnut-shaped” which is a juicy morsel. It is a small, round, or oval slice of lamb or mutton, which is cut from the leg, rib, or fillet. It is cut to provide an individual portion.

non-reactive pan – When a recipe calls for a non-reactive cookware, use clay, copper, enamel, glass, plastic, or stainless steel. Stainless steel is the most common non-reactive cookware available as it does not conduct or retain heat well (it frequently has aluminum or copper bonded to the bottom or a core of aluminum between layers of stainless steel). Although expensive, this kind of cookware offers the benefits of a durable, non-reactive surface and rapid, uniform heat conductivity. Glass cookware is non-reactive and although it retains heat well it conducts it poorly. Enamelware is non-reactive as long as the enamel is not scratched or chipped.

noodle – Any of a variety of thin strips of pasta made from flour, water, and sometimes egg. In Japan, noodles are consumed winter or summer, hot in broth or cold in dipping sauce. There are four main branches in the Japanese noodle family. Soba, which translates as “nearness,” is a thin noodle made from buckwheat flour, good hot or cold. Chubby udon, made from wheat flour, is usually served hot, with tempura. Hiyamugi is a medium-thickness wheat noodle; usually eat cold, served on a bed of ice, with fishcakes and chopped boiled eggs. Somen, a very thin wheat noodle is also served cold with a dipping sauce, often with green shiso leaves, ginger and toasted sesame seeds. In Japan, it’s considered to be very good form to loudly slurp your noodles. It’s a way of telling your host you approve of the cooking.

nori (NOR-ee) – The Japanese name for a flat blade-like red seaweed belonging to the genus Porphyra. Nori, which is usually sold as a rectangular sheet measuring 19 x 21 cm, is the most commonly eaten alga in Japan. Tasters are employed to evaluate the taste, color, texture, and overall quality of cultivated nori, in much the same way that wine tasters select high-quality products for the food industry. High quality nori has a glossy, black color and good aroma. It is so tender that it melts with saliva in the mouth. Poor quality nori has a greenish color with less gloss and aroma, and it has a hard texture. In Japan, the highest-grade nori is elegantly packaged and presented as a special gift. The Chinese people call it “zicai” (purple vegetable).

History: The production and consumption of nori in the form of dried or roasted sheets dates back 1,300 years. The use of this seaweed was introduced into Japan from China. Nori utilization was first recorded in the “Taiho Ritsuryo,” Japan’s first book of laws in 701 A.D., as a taxable agricultural product. Initially, field-gathered plants were used but when the supply became inadequate, cultivation was started in the 17th century.

nougat – It is a French candy made by whipping egg whites until they are light and frothy. Sugar or honey syrup is added to stabilize the foam and creating a frappe. Roasted nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, or walnuts, are added. A number of other flavoring ingredients are then added to create nougat with different flavors. Nuts are also added. Nougat is called torrone in Italy and turron in Spain.

History:  The history of the origin of nougat varies with different historians. Most historians believe that nougat comes from ancient Rome where a sweet made from honey, almonds, and eggs was made and reserved for special functions or as an offering to their gods. The first known documented mention in Italy of torrone was in the year 1441 in Cremona, where at the wedding of Francesco Sforza to Maria Bianca Visconti, a new sweet was created in the couple’s honor.

(1)  French historians think that the nougat traces back to a Greek walnut confection known as nux gatum or mougo that was originally made using walnuts. In the 17^th century, Olivier of Serres planted almond trees close to Montelimar. It is thought that the almonds replaced the walnuts in the Greek recipe and evolved into nougat. Today, Montelimar, a small city in the Drome section of southern France is known for their nougat. The first commercial factory opened in the late 18^th century and now this city has 14 nougat manufacturers producing this wonderful confection.

(2)  Another story tells of a farmer’s wife, taking advantage of plentiful almonds, honey, and eggs on her farm, created nougat candy.

nouvelle cuisine (noo-vehl kwee-ZEEN) – A French term meaning “new cooking.” This refers to a culinary style that began in the late 1950s by young French chefs led by Boçuse, Guérard, and Chapel that moved away from the traditional rich, heavy style of classic French cuisine toward fresher, ligher food served in smaller portions. This style replaced traditional heavy sauces with reductions of stocks and cooking liquids, the presentation of small portions, and visual artistry on over-large plates. French cuisine today is basically a combination of traditional and nouvelle.

nutella – A thick smooth paste made from chocolate and hazelnuts. Today, Nutella is the number one spread in Europe

History: Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and founder of the Ferrero Company, created it in the 1940’s. At the time, cocoa was in short supply due to war rationing, and chocolate was a delicacy limited to a lucky few. So Pietro Ferrero mixed cocoa with toasted hazelnuts, cocoa butter and vegetable oils to create an economical spread of chocolate, which he called pasta gianduja (pronounced: pasta jon-du-ja). Pasta gianduja’s success was unprecedented. In 1949, Ferrero made a supercrema gianduja, which was spreadable as well as, inexpensive. This product became so popular that Italian food stores started a service called “The Smearing.” Children could go to their local food store with a slice of bread for a “smear” of supercrema gianduja. In 1964 supercrema gianduja was renamed Nutella (its origin being the word “nut”), and began to be marketed outside Italy!

nutraceutical – A nutraceutical is any food that is nutritionally enhanced with nutrients, vitamins, or herbal supplements. The most common supplements are calcium, Vitamins E, A, and C and the herbs gingko, ginseng, echinacea, and St. John’s wort. As consumers continue to look for ways to enhance health and well being, manufacturers continue to respond with products enhanced with supplements, including beverages, rice, frozen desserts, snacks, and many others.

 

olive – The Olive was a native to Asia Minor and spread from Iran, Syria, and Palestine to the rest of the Mediterranean basin 5,000 years ago. It is among the oldest known cultivated trees in the world – being grown before the written language was invented. They are now grown in many parts of the world, among them the Middle East, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, the south of France, Spain, Portugal, Algeria, Morocco, and California.

History: Olives appear in one of the first cookbooks ever discovered – the 2000 year old Roman De re coquinaria in which Apicius writes of mixing roots, leaves, and salt into Spanish oil to fake the higher quality Liburnian oil from the South of Istria. Olives are considered one of our original foods dating back as least as far as 17th century B.C.

Olives formed a significant part of the way of life of the Ancient Greeks. Legend has it that Athena (the goddess of wisdom and the arts) was in competition with Poseidon (the sea god). Each was charged with presenting humankind with the most valued gift. Poseidon donated the horse. Athena caused an olive tree to grow at the gates of the Acropolis. It was Athena’s gift the people deemed most valuable. In return for her favors, Athens, the most powerful city in Greece, was named in her honor. Greek gods were also believed to be born under the branches of the olive tree. Aristotle pondered the olive tree at great length and eventually elevated its cultivation to a science. Solon enacted the first laws to protect it. Homer deemed olive oil the “liquid gold.” And Hippocrates prescribed it as the “great therapeutic.”

olive oil – The oil extracted from tree-ripened olives.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – Any olive oil that is less than 1% acidity and produced by the first pressing of the olive fruit through the cold pressing process. Most olive oils today are extra virgin in name only, meeting only the minimum requirement.

Virgin Olive Oil – It is made from olives that are slightly riper than those used for extra-virgin oil and is produced in exactly the same manner. This oil has a slightly higher level of acidity (1 1/2%).

Pure Olive Oil – Also called commercial grade oil. It is solvent-extracted from olive pulp, skins, and pits; then refined. It is lighter in color and blander than virgin olive oil. It is more general-purpose olive oil. Pure refers to the fact that no non-olive oils are mixed in.

History: Olive oil is one of the oldest culinary oils. In ancient Athens, the olive was a symbol of the city’s prosperity. Olive oil was used both in cooking and as fuel for oil-burning lamps. Olive oil was not only part of their daily diet, its properties were greatly revered; it was used to cure a myriad ailments, both internally and externally, religious leaders and kings were ceremonially anointed with, as Homer often referred to, “Liquid Gold.”

Olive oil has been the cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet for thousands of years. Legend has it that the first olive tree grew on Adam’s tomb. Olive trees have a life span of 300 to 400 years. Some grow to be 700 years and older. Cooking with olive oil is like cooking with wine. Never use a wine or olive oil that does not taste good to you. An inferior one will leave an aftertaste.

omelet or omellette (AHM-leht) – A beaten egg mixture that is cooked without stirring until set and then served folded in half. Often served with various fillings, such as cheese, onion, herbs, and meats.

History:  According to legend, when Napoleon and his army were traveling through the south of France they decided to rest for the night near the town of Bessieres. Napoleon feasted on an omelet prepared by a local innkeeper that was such a culinary delight that Napoleon ordered the townspeople to gather all the eggs in the village and to prepare a huge omelet for his army the next day.

osso buco (AW-soh BOO-koh) – An Italian dish comprised of crosscut slices veal shanks braised with vegetables, aromatics, and stock. Osso Buco means literally “bone with a hole.” Milanese style is served with saffron risotto and gremolata.

ostrich (AWS-trich) – Ostrich is a red meat that has a mild, beef-like flavor. It is very low in fat and cholesterol (about the same as skinless turkey). It can be used as a steak, ground for burgers, or made into sausages. It barely shrinks while cooking.

oyster – Oysters have been cultivated for at least 2,000 years and have long been a favorite of Americans. Oysters in the shell must be alive to be good to eat. If an oyster is open, even slightly, and it doesn’t close tightly when handled, discard it. Dead oysters are unfit to eat. Always scrub oyster shells thoroughly before opening. There are four main varieties of oysters in the United States.

Eastern Oysters – Known by many local names, depending on their origin.

Olympia Oysters – Very small oysters from the Pacific coast.

Belon Oysters – European oysters now grown in North America.

Japanese Oysters – Very large oysters from the Pacific coast.

Oysters Bienville – An oyster dish consisting of baked oysters on the half shell topped with a sherry-flavored béchamel sauce mixed with sautéed chopped shrimp, shallots, and garlic.

History: The dish was named for Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, sieur de Bienville, the second colonial governor of Louisiana. It was created by a Frenchman named “Count” Arnaud Cazeneuve in the late 1930s at his restaurant called Arnaud’s Restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Oysters Casino – A oyster dish were the oysters on the half shell are covered with a blended mixture of butter, finely chopped shallots, green peppers, and parsley plus a seasoning of salt, lemon juice, and pepper. It is then topped with strips of half-cooked bacon and broiled until the bacon turn brown and crisp.

History: The dish was originally prepared at a casino located in the Hamptons on Long Island, New York.

Oysters Rockefeller – A dish of oysters that are cooked with watercress, scallions, celery, anise, and other seasonings. It is usually served in the oyster shells.

oyster sauce – It is a Cantonese seasoning that is a staple condiment of Chinese cooking, This rich brown sauce is made with boiled oysters and seasonings (soy sauce, salt, and spices). The ingredients are cooked until thick and concentrated. A good brand is never fishy. Be aware that cheaper brands may have MSG and other additives.

 

pancakes – The pancake is a thin flat cake made from batter and fried on a griddle or in a skillet. The batter usually consists of eggs, flour, milk or water and oil or melted butter. Whether they are called pancakes, flapjack, griddlecakes, flapjacks, wheat cakes, hot cakes, or funnel cakes, they are among our most popular food choices. A piping hot stack of buttered pancakes drenched in maple syrup is an all-American image. Pancakes, in one form or another, are found in almost every culture and all nations have at least one dish, which uses a pancake as container for fillings or toppings:

America:  Native Americans fry bread, cracklin’ bread, funnel cakes, johnnycake
Australia:  pikelets
Austrian:  palatschinken
British Isles:  Scottish Bannocks, English crumpets, oat cakes or biscuits, crempop, yorkshire pudding
China:  egg rolls, spring roll, po-ping
Egypt:  katief
France:  crepes, eierkuckas
Germany:  pannkucken
Holland:  poffertjes, pannenkoeken
Hungary:  Palacsinta
Italy:  cannelloni
Kosher:  Matzos pancake, blintzes
Latin America:  tortillas
Norway:  lefse
Romania:  spinach pancakes
Russia:  blini
Southern India:  lentil patties
Sweden:  plattar, flaeskpannkaka
Trinidad:  roti|
West Indies:  green corn cakes, or corn oyster fritters

History:  Nobody knows just how long people have been making and eating pancakes but you could call the flat bread made by primitive families twelve thousand years ago, a pancake. Grinding grains and nuts and adding water or milk made pancakes. This mixture was then shaped into flattened cakes and baked on the hot stones surrounding the fire. One of the earliest known pancake meals dates back to 4th century B.C. China, where fragile pancakes of millet meal or wheat flour were popular because of their short preparation time. Spring pancakes, a thin pancake made of ground rice, and filled with vegetables and meat have been traced as far back as the Song Dynasty. Archaeologists excavating Stone Age Swiss lakeside settlements have found well-preserved examples of cakes made of pure wheat, millet or barley.

In colonial America, slaves carried homemade dry pancake “mixes” in a pouch to the fields with them. When it was time to eat, they added water to the pouch, worked it into a batter and baked patties on a hot hoe over an open fire. In earlier times, English pancakes were sometimes moistened with ale, which had a leavening effect when the pancake was fried. German pancakes were leavened by eggs and served thin, with jam or jelly.

Pancakes and festivals are often linked together:

1.  The best-known one is Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day, which heralds the beginning of fasting in Lent. On this day there were feasts of pancakes to use up the supplies of fat, butter and eggs – foods that were forbidden during austere Lent.

2.  In England there are several celebrations on this day, but perhaps the best known one is the Pancake Day Race at Olney in Buckinghamshire which has been held since 1445. The race came about when a woman cooking pancakes heard the shriving bell summoning her to confession. She ran to church wearing her apron and still holding her frying pan, and thus without knowing it, started a tradition that has lasted for over five hundred years.

3.   In France, the main ceremonial day, for pancake eating is Candlemas on the 2nd of February. This holy day is six weeks after Christmas and is the day that Christ was presented at the temple by his mother. During this festival, French children wear masks and demand pancakes and fritters. In various parts of France, there are different customs. In Province, if you hold a coin in your left hand while you toss a pancake, you’ll be rich. And in Brie the first pancake (which is never very good anyway) is always given to the hen that laid the eggs that made the pancake. And it’s always regarded as bad luck to let a pancake fall on the floor while tossing it.

4.  Pancakes are the traditional treat of the Jewish Hanukkah festival. They are fried in oil to commemorate the oil found by the Maccabeans when they recaptured Jerusalem from the Syrians, two thousand years ago. The one-day’s supply of oil for the temple lamps burned miraculously for one week. And, tradition says, the wives of the soldiers hurriedly cooked pancakes behind the lines for their warring husbands.

paella (pi-AY-yuh or pa-AY-ya) – There are hundreds of recipes for paella, all claiming to be authentic. The only ingredients that are necessary for paella are rice, tomatoes, and saffron. Other ingredients can be chicken, chorizo, mussels, shrimp, and peppers.

History: There are several stories on the origin of paella:

(1) A Spanish rice dish originating in the town of Valencia on the Mediterranean coast. Peasants working in the rice fields would collect snails and eels from the marshes and cook them with saffron and rice.

(2) Paella is named after the special two-handled pan (also called paella) in which it is prepared and served.

(3) That the dish was really created for a tiny, frail princess and was called paella “for her.”

Pain Perdu ( pahn pehr-DOO) – Also known as “French toast.” In French, the term means “lost bread.” It is usually made with stale chunks of French bread fried in butter and served covered with powdered sugar, thus the term “lost.”   In Spain it is called torriga. England it is called Poor Knights of Windsor. Pain Perdu is considered dessert in France. In the United States, it is considered a New Orleans-style French toast that is made with stale French bread. Pain Perdu got its start as a way of using up leftover bread.

History:  Recipes for French toast can be traced to Ancient Roman times. One of the original French names for this dish is pain a la Romaine’, or Roman bread. Medieval recipes for suggest French toast was enjoyed by the wealthy, as cookbooks were written by and for the wealthy. These recipes used white bread (the very finest, most expensive bread available at the time) with the crusts cut off, something a poor, hungry person would be unlikely to do.

pandowdy – It is a deep-dish dessert that can be made with a variety of fruit, but is most commonly made with apples sweetened with molasses or brown sugar. The topping is a crumbly type of biscuit except the crust is broken up during baking and pushed down into the fruit to allow the juices to come through. Sometimes the crust is on the bottom and the desert is inverted before serving. The exact origin of the name Pandowdy is unknown, but it is thought to refer to the dessert’s plain or dowdy appearance.

panettone (pan-uh-TOH-nee) – In Italian it means “big bread.” It is light-textured, spiced yeast bread containing raisins and candied fruit. It was originally a specialty of Milan.

panforte (pahn-FOR-teh) – An Italian confection (a round, flat cake) that is a cross between fruitcake, candy, and honey cakes. It contains a tiny amount of flour (just enough to hold the fruits and nuts together). The name panforte, “strong bread”, is due to its strongly spicy flavor. In Italy it’s also called Siena cake. Originally a Christmas pastry, panforte is now enjoyed year round by Italian cuisine enthusiasts.

panzanella (pahn-zah-NEHL-lah) – Panzanella salad always includes bread and tomatoes plus vegetables from the garden. Vegetables can include peppers, cucumbers, and onions. Lots of garlic, capers, black olives, and anchovies are added to the salad.

History: An Italian salad that probably was an invention of necessity. Italian cooks waste nothing and this was a way to utilize stale bread and vegetables from the garden. The record of panzanella goes back centuries. In the 1500s, a poem by the famous artist, Bronzino, described the salad. Of course, the tomato was quite a few years from being introduced into the Italian kitchen, so the ingredients didn’t include tomatoes.

paprika (papp-re-kar) – This is the Hungarian word for pepper. The actual chile has a fleshy pod, a deep red coloring, and variable heat levels. The pod is quite broad and can be pointed, elongated, and heart-shaped or aubergine-shaped. It is related to the Spanish paprika pod called Pimento. Paprika is the ground, dried pod of a variety of capsicum. Its growth habits are similar to those of the bell pepper, to which it is closely related. It is native to Central America where it was found by the early Spanish and Portugus explorers. It is now grown in central and southern Europe, as well as in southern California. Heat level is 0-1.

parfait (pa-fay) – The parfait is French for “perfect.” Originally the word referred to an ice sweet which was flavored with coffee. Today it is a rich, frozen dessert made with egg whites, whipped cream, or gelatin to ace as a setting agent.

Parker House rolls – Parker House Rolls get their special shape by making an off-center crease in a round piece of dough and then folding in half.

History: The rolls were named for the Parker House Hotel in Boston where they were served during the late 1800s. The restaurant was proclaimed as the first American restaurant to have an a la carte menu available all hours of the day.

parmigiano or parmesan cheese (PAHR-muh-zahn) – Parmesan is the name that is commonly used outside of Italy (sometimes in Italy), for a group of very hard cheeses that have been made and known in Italy for centuries as grana cheese. It is a hard, dry chesse made from skimmed or partially skimmed cow’s milk and usually used for grating. It is one of the finest cheeses in the world. Can be eaten fresh but is best known as a hard grating cheese. Do not buy too much at a time to avoid spoilage (grate as you need it). It is made of cow’s milk and is very fruity to sharp flavor in taste.

History: This type of cheese was first made in the vicinity of Parma, in Emilia, hence the name.

pastie or pasty (PASS-tee) – They are basically individual pies filled with meats and vegetables that are cooked together. They should weigh about two pounds or more. The identifying feature of the Cornish pasty is really the pastry and it’s crimping. When pasties are being made, each member of the family has their initials marked at one corner. This way each person’s favorite tastes can be catered to, identifying each pasty.

The solid ridge of pastry, hand crimped along the top of the pasty, was so designed that the miner or traveler could grasp the pastie for eating and then throw the crust away. By doing this, he did not run the risk of germs and contamination from dirty hands. The true Cornish way to eat a pasty is to hold it in your hands, and begin to eat it from the top down to the opposite end of the initialed part. That way its rightful owner could consume any left over portion later.

History: Pasties are one of the most ancient methods of cooking and of carrying cooked food. It is said that the early Irish Catholic Priests created them in order to transport food as they walked about the countryside preaching and aiding the people. The dish is mentioned in Shakespeare’s “Merry Wives of Windsor (1598).”

Irish people that migrated to northern England took the art of pastie making with them. Soon every miner in northern England took pasties down into the mine for his noon lunch. Pasties were also called oggies by the miners of Cornwell, England. English sailors even took pastie making as far as the shores of Russia (known as piraski or piragies.

The Cornish people who immigrated to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in the U.S. in the middle of the 19th century to work in the mines made them. The miners reheated the pasties on shovels held over the candles worn on their hats. In Michigan, May 24th has been declared Michigan Pasty Day.

pate (pah-TAY) – (French) Refers to various elegant, well seasoned ground meat preparations (with a paste consistency). Technically only meat wrapped in pastry should be palled pate. Terrine, from the French root “terre” which means “earth,” means the loaf has been baked in a dish (classically one of earthenware). Pate is served cold, usually on toast. They are cooked one of two ways, either “pate en croute” (in crust) or “en terrine” (in a pork fat-lined container). They come in various spreadable textures and are excellent hot or cold as hors d’oeuvre or a first course.

Pavlova (pav-LOH-vuh)  - The Pavlov consists a base made of a meringue crust topped with whipped cream and fresh fruits such as kiwis, strawberries, etc.

Peach Melba – A dessert made up of poached peach halves, vanilla ice cream, and raspberry sauce.

History:  French Chef George Auguste Escoffier (1846–1935) created dish at the London Ritz Hotel in the early 1900s for an 1892 party honoring the singer, Nellie Melba, at the Savoy Hotel in London. He named it after the famous Australian Internationally renowned opera singer Helen Porter Mitchell (1861-1931); better know as Dame Nellie Melba. She took her last name from her native city of Melbourne, inspired others to honor her by naming things such as “soaps and sauces, ribbons and ruffles” after her. Neither Escoffier nor Melba agreed with this version of events. The pragmatic Nellie groused that she was missing out on royalties of “many millions of pounds” on the sales of these namesakes. Her solution was to trademark her name. Peach Melba is first recorded in English in 1905 (in the form Pêches à la Melba).

Melba Toast – Melba toast is a very thinly sliced crisp toast that is served warm.

History:  Also named after Dame Nellie Melba. Melba toast is said to be derived from the crisp toast that was part of Dame Melba’s diet during 1897 when she was strenuously dieting, living largely on toast. It is said that she so enjoyed a piece of toast a young waiter had burnt, while she was staying at the Savoy Hotel. It was bungled and was served to her in a thin dried-up state resembling parchment. Cesar Ritz beheld with horror his celebrated guest crunching this aborted toast, and hastened over to apologize. Before he could say a word supposedly Madame Melba burst out joyfully, “Cesar, how clever of Escoffier. I have never eaten such lovely toast.” The hotel proprietor Cesar Ritz supposedly named it in a conversation with chef Escoffier.

peanuts – Peanuts are widely grown throughout the southern United States and are in fact beans (legumes) not nuts. Peanuts have many names around the world, such as ground nut, earth nut, monkey nut, and goober.

History: They originally came from Brazil and Peru. Peanuts spread to other countries from South America by slave ships, reaching this country from Brazil by way of Africa in the early slave ships. The “nuts” come in tan-colored pods and have a strong flavor. Both oils and butter are made from peanuts.

pear -

History: An incredible taste for pears dates back to ancient times. The alluring fruit even captured the praise of the well-known Greek poet, Homer (in 8th century B.C.), who referred to pears as a “gift of the gods.” Evidently, the Romans agreed and proceeded to use grafting techniques to develop more than 50 varieties. They also introduced the cultivated pear to other parts of Europe. Since then, hundreds of varieties have been developed, and people have continued to benefit from the good taste of these early connoisseurs.

pearlash – Pearlash is a refined form of potash, and it produces carbon dioxide gas in dough. Baking powder was not developed commercially until 1857 (phosphate baking powder). Pearlash was made by soaking hardwood ashes in water to obtain a weak lye solution, which produced carbon dioxide when heated.

History:  In the 1790s, pearlash a concentrated form of potash, was used as a leavening agent in baking. It produced carbon dioxide gas in dough, used in the first quick breads.  Salt-rising breads (using potash or baking soda as its primary leavening agent) typically have longer baking times. These breads have a denser texture than modern, store-bought varieties, so even though self-rising flour is not in itself totally correct, it’s close and will give you a more authentic, dense-textured loaf. In 1792, America was exporting 8,000 tons to Europe. In 1796, American Cookery (the first American cook book) Amelia Simmons published recipes using pearlash.

pecan (pih-KAHN or pih-KAN) – A nut that is native to the southern U.S. and is a member of the hickory family. They have a distinctive sweet rich texture and flavor. Used in baking and sold roasted whole. Care must be taken when storing pecans because their high fat content invites rancidity.

pecan praline – A confection made from pecans and caramel. Considered one of the favorite sweets of the South, and particularly Texas and New Orleans.

History: Pralines were originally introduced by the French Louisianans and were originally considered as an aid to digestion at the end of a sumptuous dinner. Their name is derived from a French diplomat, Marechal du Praslin (1598-1675), whose butler is said to have advised a similar confection prepared with almonds and white sugar as an antidote to the effects of overeating. In the American adaptation, the almonds were exchanged for pecans and the white sugar for brown.

pecorino cheese – peh-kuh-REE-noh) – In Italy, cheese that is made from sheep’s milk is called pecorino. Pecorion cheese is and aged cheese that is hard, granular, and sharply flavored. The most well known of these is

peppercorns – Ground and whole peppercorns come in various colors, and all but the pink type are from the same perennial plant called “piper nigrum.” Peppercorns grow in warm, moist, and sunny climates (usually within about 15 degrees of the equator). The world’s best black pepper comes from the Malabar Coast of India where the long hot summers and drenching monsoons make it perfect for pepper.

pepperoncini, pepperoncino (pep-per-awn-CHEE-nee) – Also known as Tuscan peppers, sweet Italian peppers, and golden Greek peppers. The Italian varieties, grown in the Tuscany region of Italy, tend to be more bitter than their Greek counterparts. The more popular Greek varieties are sweeter and commonly found in pizzerias tossed in salads for a crunchy, salty taste. They have a bushy plant that grows to 30 inches tall and producing sweet green peppers that turn red when mature. Usually picked at 2 to 3 inches long, these bright red, wrinkled peppers taper to a blunt, lobed end and are very popular for pickling. These peppers are mild and sweet with a slight heat to them, and are commonly jarred for use in Greek salads and salad bars.

persimmon (puhr-SIHM-muhn) – Persimmons are often associated with the holidays as they are the most plentiful from late October to January. Once ripe, eat them immediately or refrigerate briefly. There are two types of persimmons:

Fuyu – It is the smaller of the two and has a shape similar to a tomato. The inside texture is that of a plum and it can be eaten as an apple. Skin on or peeled, they can be added to a salad, fruit compote, or eaten as a melon for breakfast. This variety is tannin-free and non-astringent.

Hachiya – It is the most widely available and is the largest. They can weigh as much as one pound and are shaped like a large acorn. When ripe, they are very spicy and sweet but very astringent if under ripe. When ready to eat, they will be very soft and feel like a water balloon. They are often pureed for sorbets, for use in quick breads, puddings, and dessert toppings. Superfine sugar and lime juice can be added to the puree, which can be frozen for future use.

pesto (PAY-stoh) – Pesto is Italian for a “pestle.” The dish pesto was so called because crushing the ingredients in a mortar with a pestle produced the paste made. It is an uncooked sauce used for pastas, grilled meats, and poultry. It is made of fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. Some versions will also add parsley and walnuts or pine nuts. The ingredients are ground into a paste and moistened with the olive oil. Pesto is also used to describe similar sauces that contain other herbs or nuts.

History: The dish originated in Genoa in the north of Italy.

petit four (PEH-tee fohr) – A small cookie or cake served on elaborate buffets or at the end of a multi-course meal.

Philadelphia Cheese Steak – A cheese steak sandwich is not really a steak at all – it is a sandwich made with chipped steak, steak that has been frozen and sliced really thin) and cooked on a grill top. Locals think in terms of steak sandwiches with or without cheese. Without cheese, the sandwich is referred to as a “steak.” With cheese, it is a “cheese steak.” According to Philadelphians, you simply cannot make an authentic Philadelphia Cheese Steak sandwich without an authentic Philadelphia roll. The rolls must be long and thin, not fluffy or soft, but also not too hard. They also say that if you are more than one hour from South Philly, you cannot make an authentic sandwich.

pickling – Pickling is the preserving of food in an acid (usually vinegar), and it is this acid environment that prevents undesirable bacteria growth. People the world over preserve food through pickling in salt or vinegar.

History:  This preservation process has a long history in East Asia, especially in China and on the Korean Peninsula. Pickling is one of the oldest forms of food preservation. It has been traced back to the dawn of civilization, 4500 years ago when people learned to preserve cucumbers by pickling them in a salty brine. Salt has been used for thousands of years not only as a condiment, but also to preserve foods. Salt pickling was a very popular way of preserving foods before the existence of refrigeration

One old record claims that the cucumber was introduced into China as recently as the second century B.C. At the beginning of the Christian Era cucumbers were grown in North Africa as well as in Italy, Greece, Asia Minor, and the countries to the east. And pickles are mentioned twice in the Bible. (Numbers 11:5 and Isaiah 1:8). Sushi is mentioned for the first time in a dictionary compiled in China at the end of the 2nd century A.D. It was salted fish meat in rice, and was eaten after it was allowed to ferment.

pilaf (pil-af) – The word is derived from the Persian (now Iranian) word “pilaw” meaning a “rice dish.” Pilaf are also called pilaff, pilau, pilav, and palov. It is a method or preparing rice which originated thousands of years ago in the Middle East.

pimiento (pih-MEN-toh) – Pimientos are simply a variety of a red bell pepper. Usually they are peeled and packed in brine. The are different from roasted peppers in that they have not been roasted at all. In cooking, pimientos are interchangeable with roasted peppers.

pine nut – Also known as the Indian nut, pinon, pignoli, pine kernel, and pignolia. Not actually a nut, but a seed from the cone of the Mediterranean stone pine. There are two main varieties of pine nuts, the Mediterranean and the Chinese. The Mediterranean pine nut is more delicately flavored than the Chinese pine nut, which has a stronger pine flavor. The nuts come from the inside of a pine cone, which generally must be heated for their removal. Toasting brings out their buttery flavor. An important ingredient in pesto, also good in salads

pinot gris (pee-noe gree) – A dry white wine.

pinot noir (pee-noe WAHR) – A classic red wine that is produced in California and Oregon.

piroshki (pih-ROSH-keel) – Pirozkhi are delicious stuffed pastries (turnovers) that are traditionally served with hearty soups in Russia. They are also made in smaller sizes and are served as hors d’ oeuvres.

pistachio nut (pih-STASH-ee-oh) – The small bright green nut has a yellowish-red skin and is enclosed in a smooth pale shell. They have a sweet, delicate flavor. Pistachios are available year-round shelled and unshelled. When buying unshelled pistachios make sure the shells are partially open (closed shells mean the nutmeat is immature).

History: Pistachios date back to the Holy Lands of the Middle East, where they grew wild in high desert regions. Legend has it that lovers met beneath the trees to hear the pistachios crack open on moonlit nights for the promise of good fortune. A rare delicacy, pistachios were a favorite of the Queen of Sheba, who hoarded the entire Assyrian supply for herself and her court. Pistachios are native to the Near East, but are now grown in California, Italy, Turkey, and Iran. American traders imported the pistachio nut in the 1880s, primarily for U.S. citizens of Middle Eastern origin.

pita (Pee-tah) – A round, flat bread that is slit open to form a pocket that may hold everything from chicken salad to cheese.

History: Its origins are in the Middle East where it has been used for hundreds of years in place of a plate, knife, or fork. It was baked and carried with the caravans when cooking was done over open fires. Meat was roasted on spits or skewers, and people took the spit in one hand and an open piece of pita in the other and slid the pieces of meat into the center. The bread then folded around the meat.

pithiviers (pee-tee-vyay) – A round, flat cake which had layers of light puff pastry. Traditionally, pithiviers are filled with almond cream.

History:  Pithiviers were first made in the small village called Pithiviers, which is located in the area of Loiret in Central France.

pizza (PEET-suh) – Pizza is the Italian word for “pie,” therefore English-speaking peoples who call it a “pizza pie” are being redundant. The root word in Latin is “picea,” which describes the blackening of the crust caused by the fire underneath.

History: Poor housewives of Italy had only flour, olive oil, lard, cheese, and herbs with which to feed their families, so combining them in a tasty and delicious manner became the goal. In the 16th century, Maria Carolina, the Queen of Naples convinced her husband, King Ferdinand IV to allow the peasant dish pizza to be made in their royal oven. In 1889, Raffaele Esposito, the most famous Pizzaiolo (pizza chef) created a pie for Queen Margherita with tomato, basil and cheese, (to resemble the Italian flag) which remains the basis for American pizza. The original pizzas were did not have tomatoes (they hadn’t made it to Europe yet) and didn’t have cheese until the late 1800s. Pizzas today are a crisp and chewy bread base topped with a variety of foods. In 1905, the first Pizzeria opened in New York City.

pizzelle (pit-sell) – Pizzelle’s come from Italy. Pizzelle are also known as Italian wafer cookies and there are various ways which to spell pizzelle such as “piazelle,” “piazella,” “pizzele” and “pizelle.” The name comes from the Italian word “pizze” for round and flat. Many different cultures have adapted this cookie and re-named it accordingly. In Scandinavia they are also known as Lukken and indeed the Krumcake is baked using a similar iron as the pizzelle.

pizza peel   – Also known as a pizza shovel. It is a long-handled, wide wooden or metal spatula-like implement that slides quickly and easily under the pizza, keeping hands safely out of the fiery oven. It is used for moving pizzas to and from an oven.

plantain (PLAN-tihn) – Plantains are a part of most Caribbean meals, much like potatoes, rice, or noodles in the U.S. The plantain is actually native to Southeast Asia, but it versatility has made it a staple in tropical climates all over the world. It is a member of the banana family and is picked green and ripened off the tree. When unripe, it has thick green skin and firm ivory-colored flesh with high starch content similar to that of a potato. As the fruit ripens and its starch converts to sugar, its flesh grows increasingly soft and sweet while the peel yellows and becomes more mottled by brownish-black spots, eventually turning completely black.

plum pudding – Plum pudding is a steamed or boiled pudding frequently served at holiday times. Plum pudding has never contained plums. Plum is a dried grape or raisin as used for puddings, cakes, etc. Dried plums, or prunes, were popular in pies in medieval times, but gradually in the sixteenth and seventeenth century they began to be replaced by raisins. The dishes made with them, however, retained the term plum.

Po’ Boy (poo-boy) – The generic name for the standard New Orleans sandwich made with French bread. They are considered a New Orleans institution. Also called poor boy. Always made with French bread, po’ boys can be filled with fried oysters, shrimp, fish, soft-shelled crabs, crawfish, roast beef and gravy, roast pork, meatballs, smoked sausage and more. They are served either “dressed” with a full range of condiments (usually mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomatoes) or “undressed” (plain). This sandwich is purely American in its variety of sauces and condiments. It is uniquely New Orleans because the oysters are local, as is the crisp and airy bread.

poblano chile (poh-BLAH-noh) – Also known as the Ancho (when dried) and in some parts of California as the Pasilla, this pepper is shiny and has a pointed tip and flattened appearance. It is mild in flavor with a good herbal aroma and it is great for stuffing and for adding lift to succotash, corn casseroles, fish, and egg dishes. The poblano can be roasted, frozen, or stored in the refrigerator for one week.

pocky – Pocky is one of the key players in the competitive world of Japanese snacks. Pocky Sticks are long, skinny wheat crackers dipped in various flavored toppings, including chocolate (a stick is pictured below), strawberry, milk/tea swirl, cinnamon, almond crunch, and others, including such exotic varieties as melon. It has also gone international, being one of the few Japanese chocolate snacks that you can easily track down in Europe, North America, and other places in Asia.

The first pockies came out in the 1960′s. The original name of Pocky was actually CHOCO-TEK. In the commercial for Choco-tek, the sound “pocky-pocky” was used as the sound of eating the snack. This sound (apparently) can be used for any long, breakable type of food. It’s one of the bizarre groups of onomatopoeic double words used in Japanese. So the name “Pocky” kind of caught on from there.

polenta (poh-LEHN-tah) – Polenta is the Italian word for “cornmeal.” This grainy yellow flour is a type of cornmeal made from ground maize, which is cooked into a kind of porridge with a wide variety of uses. Polenta is very versatile and can be used for any number of recipes, ranging from rustic to highly sophisticated. Combined with other ingredients to make a savory torte, polenta transcends its humble definition and becomes quite delectable.

History: In ancient Rome, the forerunner of polenta, called puls, was considered to be the staple food of the empire. Originally polenta (puls) once contained no cornmeal at all. It is thought that centuries ago the Etruscans may have made a grain cake of wheat, barley, or flour. The Venetians later adapted it to use cornmeal. It was not until the 18th century; in the northern provinces of Italy that corn became a popular food. President Thomas Jefferson was so taken with the polenta he was served in Florence that he taught his own cook how to prepare it and served it frequently at the White House in Washington D.C.

pollo (PO-yo) – The Italian and Spanish word for cooked chicken.

pomegranate (POM-uh-gran-uht) – Hidden beneath its hard, leathery skin are dozens of crunchy, translucent, scarlet seeds embedded in white membranes. Pomegranates are the size of a small grapefruit (about 4 to 6 inches in diameter). Choose fruit with a rich, red skin bearing no signs of shriveling (they should feel heavy). Use the seeds as you would use nuts to garnish fruit, vegetables, salads, pasta, etc. The juice is also used in cooking.

History: This ancient fruit has been a star of Middle Eastern menus since Biblical times. Although the Romans called it the “apple of many seeds,” it looks more like a petrified tomato.

pomelo/pummelo (PUHM-uh-low) – Also called Chinese grapefruit, shaddock, pumelo, pommelo, and pompelmous. The pummelo is an exotic large citrus fruit that is an ancient ancestor of the common grapefruit. Pummelo is the largest of the citrus fruits with a shape that can be fairly round or slightly pointed at one end (the fruit ranges from nearly round to oblate or pear-shaped). They range from cantaloupe-size to as large as a 25-pound watermelon and have very thick, soft rind. The skin is green to yellow and slightly bumpy; flesh color ranges from pink to rose. Pummelos are available mid-January through mid-February from California. It is sweeter than a grapefruit and can be eaten fresh, although membranes around the segments should be peeled. Be sure to refrigerate and use quickly. Use as you would grapefruit sections. They are also good for jams, jellies, marmalades and syrups.

popcorn – Most of the world’s popcorn is grown in the midwestern part of the United States – principally in Nebraska, Iowa, and Indiana where it can get mighty hot in the summer. Although popcorn has been with us since pioneer times, it was not until 1890 that popcorn became important enough to be raised as a crop for market. Before that time, individual families raised their own popcorn or bought it from their neighbors. Since that time, popcorn has brought enough income to its growers to earn the name “prairie gold.”

poppy seeds – The opium poppy, from which the seeds are cultivated, is among the oldest cultivated plants. Greeks grew the plant specifically for its seeds, which, among other uses, were mixed into cakes with honey and taken by Olympic athletes to provide an immediate burst of energy. Poppy seeds have none of the narcotic qualities of the opium drug.

porcini mushrooms (pohr-CHEE-nee) – In Italian cooking these mushrooms are considered the “king of mushrooms.” Their Italian name means “little piglets” which describes their bulbous stalks and rounded brown caps that can range from one to ten inches in diameter.

port – A strong, dark red wine that comes from Portugal and was traditionally drunk by gentlemen at the end of dinner when they withdrew from the ladies to smoke their cigars.

portbello (portbella) mushrooms – The name “portobollo” was what the mushroom was first called. It still is in most parts of the world. Somewhere along the line, somebody decided to make the name sound more Italian by spelling it “portabella.” This spelling is the one now used by most commercial growers and wholesalers, but the name “portobollo” remains on menus today. You will find both variations today. This wonderful mushroom is one of the most popular mushrooms today. It is a very large cremini (cremini is a brown or cream-colored version of the white button mushroom) and is the largest and hardiest of cultivated mushrooms, with flat caps and open veils, up to 6 inches in diameter. This large, impressive mushroom makes a great meat substitute. When grilled it tastes a lot like steak.

 

Potatoes Anna – They are also known in France as Pommes de Terre Anna. It is the classic French dish created by Chef Adolfe Duglere (1805-1884), chef of the fashionable Café Anglais restaurant in Paris. He dedicated the dish to Anna Deslions (also known as Annette with men she was intimate with), a famous French courtesan who preferred the Café Anglais restaurant for her “professional meetings.”  In 1865, Anna was deemed “as queen as Paris has ever known” by literary critic Charles-Augustin Sainte-Beuve

potato chips – The English think of “crisps” what Americans call potato chips.  They are very thin slices of raw potato that is deep-fried in oil and then salted.

History:  In 1853, Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877), industrialist, financier, was vacationing at the fashionable Moon Lake House Hotel in Saratoga Springs, New York. Note: Some historians say it was not Vanderbilt but another guest at the hotel. While dining, h e sent his French-fried potatoes (prepared the standard thick-cut style) back to the chef, complaining that they were too thick. The chef that evening was Native-American George Crum of the Huron Tribe, who was apparently miffed at Vanderbilt’s complaint, as a joke made a new batch of potatoes and sliced them paper thin and fried them to a crisp. Vanderbilt loved the “crunch potato slices,” as he called them. The restaurant immediately began featuring them on its menu as a new delicacy and called them “Saratoga Chips.” They became a fad with the resort’s socialite patrons, the recipe soon spread to other restaurants along the East Coast. Chef George Crum eventually opened his own restaurant across the lake featuring his chips. In 1895, William C. Tappenden began manufacturing and selling the “Saratoga Chips” by horse-drawn wagon in Cleveland, Ohio.

potjie (poi-key) – Potjie is a lided, almost spherical cast-iron pot (usually black) with three legs, which is made for use over an open fire.

History: It is thought that the ‘Potjie’ came from the Dutch ancestors of the South Africans, who brought with them heavy iron cooking pots that hung from hooks over the open hearth. The pot’s re-emergence in the late 1970’s with the escalation of meat prices.

potjiekos (poi-key-cos or poy-kee-kawse) – It means, “pot food” or “food prepared in a pot.” It is a food or stew that is cooked slowly in the potjie. In South Africa this means only one thing, food prepared outdoors in a cast iron, round, three legged pot using either wood coals or charcoal. Traditionally potjiekos is a stew, made either with lamb, beef, fish or poultry but always together with vegetables. The potjiekos is “built” in layers with the meat and hard vegetables at the bottom of the pot and the quicker cooking vegetables towards the top. It is always cooked over a “cool” fire (or low on the gas range) and should take at least 1 – 2 hours to completely heat up the pot and its contents. Potjie is never stirred while cooking – only just prior to serving, will you stir the potjie for the first time, blending all of the food and flavors together.

South Africans are crazy about their potjiekos. Potjiekos is an event or a gathering where good friends get together and while cooking, share the chores, pass too much advise on the potjie’s (the central theme) preparation and contents, lots of laughter and a harmonious atmosphere – potjiekos is a social & culinary event and invariably no potjiekos recipe ever tastes the same! Potjiekos cookoffs are popular in South Africa like chili cook offs are in the southwest of America.

History: Potjiekos has been part of the South African culture since the days of the first settlement at the Cape when food was cooked in a black cast-iron pot hanging from a chain over the kitchen fire. Early settlers in the Cape used this method of cooking for stewing tougher cuts of game, mutton and beef, and it later became very convenient for people on the move.

pot stickers – Small pan-fried Chinese dumplings (a Chinese dim sum treat) made of won ton skins or wrappers that are filled with ground meat, ground pork, or shellfish along with chopped water chestnuts, scallions and seasonings. The name comes from the fact that the crisp bottoms of the dumplings tend to stick to each other and to the frying pan, and thus you need to use a spatula to carefully remove them from the pan. The trick is to use the right length of time initially to fry them, the right amount of steaming liquid, and the right length of time to evaporate the liquid so that the dumplings stick to each other and to the pan but don’t end up burned or as a soggy mess.

History: According to historical legends, they are traditionally pan-fried almost to being burnt on the bottom, commemorating a legendary fortuitous mistake by a royal chef.

Pretzel -

Both stories ignore the fact that in German the word is “bretzel,” not pretzel. In medieval Old High German, it was even less like pretiola – it was brezitella. Linguists think brezitella probably came from the medieval Latin brachiatellum, meaning a little brachiatum, which would be a bread baked in the form of crossed arms. Not that anybody has found the word “brachiatellum” in any manuscript; the linguists only claim their explanation is less unlikely than the others.

In any case, the pretzel belongs to a German family of breads that are moistened before baking to give them a chewier texture. In a bakery, pretzels are sprayed with a solution of lye, and the resulting alkalinity encourages their familiar dark brown color (fortunately, the caustic lye combines with carbon dioxide during baking and becomes harmless). Bakery pretzels are then baked for about half an hour to make them absolutely dry and hard.

profiteroles – (French) Small (bite-size), hollow pastries made with “pate a choux” (cream puff pastry). The word is said to derive from the French word “profit,” meaning “small gift.” The dough is put into a pastry bag and small mounds are squeezed out onto a baking sheet and baked until brown. They are often stuffed with various sweet or savory stuffings.

History: They are probably French originally, or the name at least is. The word originated in French as diminutive form of “profit,” and so etymologically means “small gains” – and indeed it may to begin with have denoted “a little something extra” cooked along with the master’s main dish as part of the servants’ perks. Alexander Barclay, in his Eclogues (1515) writes, “to toast white shivers (slices of bread) and to make profiteroles, and after talking oft time to fill the bowl.”

prosciutto (proh-Shoo-toh) – The Italian word for “ham” and prosciutto cotto means “cooked ham.” Prosciutto is a term used to describe a ham that has been seasoned, salt-cured, and air-dried. It is very expensive per pound, but it’s so flavorful that only a little is needed, making it well worth the cost. The pigs for prosciutto are fed partly on the whey from the cheese-making process, which makes their flesh very mild and sweet. Because they are always reared and kept in a shed and never allowed to roam outdoors, they tend to be rather fatty. Parma hams are made from the pig’s hindquarters, which are lightly salted and air-dried for at least one year (and sometimes up to two years). The zone of production of these hams are restricted by Italian law to the area between the Taro and Baganza rivers.

History: It was in 100 B.C. that an author first mentioned the extraordinary flavor of the air-cured ham produced around the town of Parma in Italy. At first, producing prosciutto was literally a cottage industry, with hams hung in homes from attic to cellar. By the end of the 19th century, the local architecture became dominated by long, narrow, multistoried buildings where the hams are still cured.

provolone cheese – Provolone was first made in southern Italy, but it is now made in the United States, principally in Wisconsin and Michigan. It is a string-like cheese, light golden yellow to golden brown surface with a light ivory interior. Provolone is made in various shapes and sizes, each of which is identified by a more or less distinguishing name (pear, sausage, salami, and other shapes), and it is bound with a cord.

provolone burrino – There is a lump of butter buried in the center of this provolone cheese, so that when cut it resembles a hard-cooked egg yolk.

pumpernickel (pum-per-nick-el) – Pumpernickel is dark, coarsely ground rye flour that is used in making pumpernickel bread. Pumpernickel flour is made in much the same way as whole-wheat flour, which is milled from the entire rye grain including the bran.

History:  Pumpern was a German word for “devil-fart” and nickel was a form of the name Nicholas, an appellation commonly associated with a goblin or devil (e.g., “Old Nick” is a familiar name for Satan). Hence, pumpernickel is the “devil’s fart,” allegedly a reference to the bread’s indigestible qualities and hence the effect it produced on those who consumed it.

A German baker was said to have developed a hearty loaf (out of rye) with very little wheat flour during a famine sometime around 1450. According to a legend about Napoleon (or Napoleon’s groom, or an anonymous Frenchman), who, while on a military campaign in Germany, was given some pumpernickel bread to eat. The disdainful recipient of this loaf declared it unfit for human consumption, instead fed it to a horse named Nicol.

punnet – a small light basket or container for fruit or vegetables (approximately a pint).

puree (pu-ray) – A French term for “mashed.” Puree is obtained by pounding, mashing, and sieving a food.

puttanesca (poot-tah-NEHS-kah) – A piquant pasta sauce made of tomatoes, onions, black olives, capers, anchovies, and chile flakes. The hot pasta is tossed in this sauce prior to serving. Some recipes leave the ingredients raw, allowing the heat of the pasta to bring out the flavors. The name puttanesca is a derivation of the word “puttana,” which in Italian mean, “whore.”

History: In Italian history and even folklore, it originated in the region of Naples (Campania), more precisely on the island of Ischia. History has it that the recipe was invented by “ladies of questionable virtue,” hence the name puttanesca. They had little time to eat and invented this quick sauce with the ingredients they had on hand in their beautiful.

 

quadriller – To mark the surface of grilled or broiled food with a crisscross pattern of lines. The scorings are produced by contact with very hot single grill bars, which brown the surface of the food. Very hot skewers may also be used to mark the surface.

Quark cheese (qwark) – Quark cheese is a soft, unripened cheese with the texture and flavor of sour cream. Quark can be used as a sour cream substitute to top baked potatoes and as an ingredient in a variety of dishes including cheesecakes, dips, salads, and sauces. By the same token, sour cream can be used as a substitute if quark is unavailable.

quatre epices (KAH-tray-PEES) – In French it means “four spices.” It is a mixture of ground spices usually consisting of pepper, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Since there is no standard mixture for quatre epices, the mixture will vary with each chef.

quiche (keesh) – The word is from the German word Küchen, meaning cake. It is an open-faced pie or tart having an egg filling and a variety of other ingredients. Bread dough was traditionally used, but in modern times, pie pastry and occasionally puff pastry is commonly substituted. Today, one can find many varieties of quiche, from the original quiche Lorraine, to ones with broccoli, mushrooms, ham and/or seafood (primarily shellfish). Quiche can be served as an entrée, for lunch, breakfast or an evening snack.

History: Quiche originated in Germany, in the medieval kingdom of Lothringen, which was ruled by the Germans. The French later changed the name from Lothringen and to Lorraine. Quiche became popular in England after World War II, and in the United Sates during the 1950′s.

Quiche Lorraine – The most popular of all quiches in which bacon strips are arranged in the bottom of the pastry shell together with Gruyere cheese. The shell is then filled with the egg mixture and baked.

Quick bread – As the name implies, quick breads can be made quickly and easily. Because the leavening agent is either baking powder, baking soda, or steam, there is no rising time required. A baked quick bread will generally have a gently rounded top that is slightly bumpy.

History: Quick breads (chemically leavened) were not developed until the end of the 18th century. This took place in America, where pearlash was discovered. Pearlash is a refined form of potash, and it produces carbon dioxide gas in dough. Baking powder was not developed commercially until 1857 (phosphate baking powder).

Quinoa (kEEN-wah) – Quinoa was once the staple food of the Incas and was known as “the mother grain” in ancient times. It has just started to catch on in the U.S. It is a very small ivory-colored grain, which you can purchase in grain and flour forms. It cooks like rice, but cooks in half the time and expands to four times its size. The flavor is delicate and has been compared to couscous with a slightly bitter aftertaste. To remove the bitter taste, you need only to rinse the quinoa in a sieve before cooking. Many chefs are using it as an interesting side dish. Sometimes it is called a Super food because it’s a good source of iron, plant protein, potassium, magnesium and lysine. Given the basically bland taste of quinoa, rice and couscous are often very good substitutes.

 

Raclette – The traditional Swiss Raclette is lesser known than fondue in the United States, but much beloved in many countries. Raclette is a staple of wintertime in Switzerland. Slices of Raclette cheese are melted in the individual trays of a raclette machine, and then served over sliced little red potatoes, seasoned with ground pepper, and paprika. To round out this dish one serves Cornichons, mini corn and pearl onions with the Raclette.

History: – It is believed that Raclette began on the hillsides of the Valais region in Switzerland at the end of the 19th century, in the fall when the wine harvest was coming to an end. Grape gatherers took from their sacks a small loaf of brown bread, some cheese, and a bottle of wine. Legend has it that one of the men stabbed a piece of cheese with a large buck knife, and approached a crackling fire made from vine branches to warm himself while he ate. As the cheese made contact with the fire, it started to melt and run with a crisp, golden texture. As he slowly scraped the melting cheese, the others tasted this novelty. It was indeed excellent. And there begins “Raclette.” Raclette has a long tradition in both Switzerland and France.

Radicchio (rah-DEE-kee-oh) – A member of the chicory family with red and white leaves. The round Verona variety is the most common in the US. Radicchio is used most often in salads, but is quite suitable to cooked preparations. It is available year-round with a peak season from midwinter to early spring. Choose heads that have crisp, full-colored leaves with no sign of browning. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week. Besides being used in salads, radicchio may also be cooked by grilling, sautéing, or baking. They can range in taste from mild to extremely bitter.

It is quite an involved process where the plants are harvested in late fall, tied together in bunches, and kept in cold dark chambers, where they are sprayed continuously until it comes time to prepare them for market. At this point the temperature is raised to 68 degrees and the leaves of the plants take on the pronounced wine-red color that distinguishes them. At this point the farmer unties the bunches, strips away the outer leaves, and trims the root (the tender part that’s just below ground level is tasty), and sends the radicchio to the market.

History: Francesco Van Den Borre, a Belgian agronomist, who applied the techniques used to whiten Belgian endive to the plants grown around Treviso, developed the modern radicchio in the 1860s.

Ragout (ra-GOO) – This is a French word, which means stew, usually one made of meat or poultry and which is rather thick. In recent years, this word has become a rather clever restaurant menu marketing term because it describe just about any mixture that is somewhat soupy or stew like.

Ramen (rah-men) – Asian instant-style deep-fried noodles that are usually sold in cellophane packages. Ramen is Japanese, or at least a word born in Japan.

History: Although the true origin of the word is not yet identified, there are two theories: (1) Hokkaido, the northern most island of Japan, where Sapporo-Ramen speaks for itself of its fine “al dente” noodles and rich soup often enhanced with “miso,” fermented bean paste, and butter. (2) Another bunch of people insist that the word was born in Yokohama, a port city near Tokyo, where many Chinese people landed around the turn of the century and mostly engaged in port labor of shipping yards. The Chinese created the style of noodle to be cheap and nutritious enough to sustain the hard labor. Among countless types of noodles, or Mien, throughout China, the type of noodle was called “Lao-Mien” or “Liu-Mien” representing the noodles thin willow like appearance. It was adopted in Japanese society as “La-Men.”

Ramp – Ramps, also known as wild leeks, are wild onions, which resemble scallions with broader leaves. They can be found in specialty produce markets from March to June and grow from Canada to the Carolinas. Although the garlicky-onion flavor of ramps is a bit stronger than leek, scallion, or onion, it can often be used as a substitute for any of those three.

ratafias – The word, of uncertain origin, came to denote almost any alcoholic and aromatic ‘water’. Flavorings varied widely, from the original ratafia of morello cherry kernels to such herbs as angelica. Some ratafias were distilled, others were made by infusion of spices, herbs and fruits in brandy or eau de vie. There are actually several meanings for the term:

• A cordial or liqueur flavored with the kernels of peaches, apricots, or cherries. – liqueur.
• An almond-based drink similar to a cordial. The word indicates a flavor of almonds.
• Ratafia cakes and biscuits may be similarly flavored; or they may be so called because they are intended to be eaten with the liqueur. Trifle is a popular English cake that is soaked in some ratafias.

History: The legend is that a vine grower probably poured by error the grape must in a barrel containing brandy. By tasting it much later, it would have been astonished by quality by this beverage. Perpetuated by generations of vine growers, Ratafia became the typical aperitif. American homemakers have been making ratafias, cordials and liqueurs since colonial times.

Ravioli (rav-ee-OH-lee) – Small 3 inch squares (pillows) of pasta dough filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables to form little cushions. They are served with various sauces.

History: According to legend, sailors in Northern Italy invented ravioli. They did not want food to go to waste on the boat so they ground up their leftover dinner and stuffed them in pasta pockets.

Recipe – A recipe is a set of instruction used for preparing and producing a certain food, dish, or drink. The purpose of a recipe is to have a precise record of the ingredients used, the amounts needed, and the way they are combined.

Red Velvet Cake – Also known as Red Devil’s Cake, Waldorf Astoria Cake, and $100 Dollar Cake. A beautiful mild chocolate flavor cake that is startlingly red. The cake is traditionally complemented with a thick white frosting with different regions of the country using different types of frosting. The cake gets this bright red color from the large amount of red food dye used in the preparation. It is particularly popular in New Orleans.

rennet (ren-et) – A natural enzyme obtained from the stomach of young cows. It is used to curdle milk when making cheese. The need to coagulate milk has been well recognized since Roman times, and this can be achieved by the selective use of certain plants or by extracting the enzyme rennet (chymosin and pepsin) from the fourth stomach of the milk-fed calf.

History: Records for the making of rennet go back to the 16th century. The farmer or smallholder cheese maker would select and slaughter a milk-fed calf, remove and wash the fourth stomach carefully. He would then hang this out to air-dry in which case it would become known as a “vell.” There was a regular market for dried vells. It is difficult to ascertain how these vells were first used. However, it is most likely that dried pieces of vells were added directly to the milk, and at later times vell extracts in salt solution were used. Basically, sliced or mascerated vells were soaked in salty water to provide a solution of enzymes. Filtration may have been used for the purification of the final rennet solution. Storing the rennet in a salt solution keeps it in good condition and suppresses any bacteria that might cause deterioration in quality. Such rennets are known as “calf rennets.”

Residual Heat or “Carry-Over Cooking” – Have you ever noticed that the internal temperature of foods (such as meats, fish, vegetables, pasta, and eggs) continues to rise after removing it from your stove, grill, or oven?  This is called “Carry-Over Cooking.”

Your meats, fish, vegetables, pasta, and even eggs will continue to cook after being removed from the heat source. Understanding how this works and using it carefully can greatly improve the quality of your foods you cook.

When cooking meats and fish, use a thermometer to check your meat’s temperature, and remove it from the heat when it’s 5 to 10 degrees away from where you want it to be when you eat it. When cooking vegetables and eggs, remove from heat source just before you think it is about done.

Reuben Sandwich – A grilled sandwich made with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing on rye bread.

rhubarb (ROO-barb) – Also known as pie plant (this was to designate its major use). It is a perennial form of “buckwheat,” cultivated for its stalks. The roots and leaves of the edible rhubarb contain oxalic acid and are considered toxic or poisonous. The varieties include Canada red, crimson red, flare, MacDonald, valentine, and victoria.

History: By the late 1700s, this plant, known for over 200 years as only a gardener’s curiosity in England, first appeared in America. It is rumored that Benjamin Franklin, a scientist and America’s ambassador to France, sent the first rhubarb plants back to America for his relatives to cultivate. Rhubard officially became a fruit in 1947, when the U.S. Customs Court of New York, declared it so. Most scientists still consider it a vegetable.

rice – (1) To push cooked food through a perforated kitchen tool called a ricer. The resulting food looks like rice. (2) Rice, throughout history, has been one of man’s most important foods. Today, this unique grain helps sustain two-thirds of the world’s population. It would be hard to imagine Japanese cooking without rice. In fact, it would be downright impossible, for the two are linked even more tightly than Italian cooking and pasta. So vital is rice to the Japanese diet that the word for rice, “gohan,” also means “meal.” And that “meal” is not quite like the rice eaten in the West. For while Americans prefer long-grained rice, Japanese lean strongly towards short-grained, rather stubby rice, that emerges from the rice cooker in a slightly sticky state — the better for the making of sushi.

History: Archeological evidence suggests rice has been feeding mankind for more that 5,000 years. The first documented account is found in a decree on rice planting authored by a Chinese emperor about 2800 B.C. From China to ancient Greece, from Persia to the Nile Delta, rice migrated across the continents, eventually finding its way to the Western Hemisphere.

Enterprising colonists were the first to cultivate rice in America. It began quite by accident when a storm-battered ship sailing from Madagascar limped into the Charleston South Carolina harbor. The ship’s captain made a gift of a small quantity of “Golden Seed Rice” (named for its color) to a local planter. By 1700, rice was established as a major crop for the colonists. That year, 300 tons of American rice, referred to as “Carolina Gold Rice,” was shipped to England. Colonists were producing more rice than there were ships to carry it.

ricotta cheese – (ri-COT-tah) – It was first made in Italy and is classed as an Italian cheese. It is now made in all the countries of Europe and also in the United States. It is a soft, spoonable cheese that resembles cottage cheese with a very fine curd that should not be frozen. It is made from whey from other cheeses such as provolone, pecorino, and mozzarella. Widely used in Italian cooking, used as a filling for ravioli and many lasagna and cannelloni dishes as well as for sweet dishes.

riesling (REESE-ling) – A classic German white wine.

risotto (rih-SAW-toh) – Risotto is actually an Italian cooking technique used for native Italian rice, Arborio. This old world method involves stirring hot liquid little by little into the rice for about 20 minutes, which will create a dish unlike any other rice recipe you have tried. Risotto is prepared this way and served immediately to preserve the unique, gourmet texture of a very creamy sauce around al dente, pasta-like rice kernels. The center of rice cooking is in the Po Valley in the Northeastern corner of Italy. It is where the arborio rice is grown. It is considered the classic rice dish of Piedmont, Lombardy, and Veneto regions of Northern Italy.

History:

(1) It is not known where the first risotto was created. Because of its similarity to Near Eastern pilaf, some historians think that it originated near Venice, a city known as a crossroads for merchants and explorers.

(2) Other historians contend it was a Southern Italian invention dating back to the 11th century when the Saracens, Moslems from North Africa, ruled Sicily and much of Southern Italy. The short-grained variety of rice (arborio) used in making risotto today was brought to Italy from the Far East.

(3) The legend of the creation of the dish risotto dates back to 1574 in Milan when their great cathedral was under construction. It is said that the master glassworker on the job, who was known for using saffron to enhance his paint pigments, added saffron to a pot of rice at a wedding party. The response of the guests was “Risus optimus,” Latin for “excellent rice.” It was later shortened to risotto.

Romano cheese (ro-MAH-noh) – It is sometimes called incanestrato cheese and it is one of the most popular of the very hard Italian cheeses. It was first made from ewe’s milk in the grazing area of Latium, near Rome, but it is now also made from cow’s and goat’s milk. It is a creamy white cheese that is granular with a hard rind. Grated Romano browns quickly when heated. When made from ewe’s milk, it is called Pecorino Romano; from cow’s milk, Vacchino Romano; and from goat’s milk, Caprino Romano.

Roquefort cheese (ROHK-fuhrt) – Roquefort was mentioned in the ancient records of the monastery at Conques, France, in 1070. The Romans, Charlemagne, François the 1st, and even Louis XIV appreciated this cheese, which became “king of the cheeses”. It was born in Southern Aveyron in Roquefort village. It is said that a young shepherd, who was sheltering in a cave, left his snack, which was composed of gingerbread and ewe cheese in a cave crack to join his beloved shepherdess. Forty days after, when he came back, he saw that the bread and curd were covered with mold. He hesitated for a while but as he was very hungry, he had a bite. To his great astonishment, he found it delicious! The veins marbled with mold had transformed his curd into an aromatic and smooth cheese with a flavorsome taste.

rosti (RAW-stee, ROOSH-tee) – In Switzerland, the term rosti means “crisp and golden.” The term refers to foods (usually shredded potatoes) sautéed in butter and oil on both sides until crisp and browned. A lot like American hash browns.

Rosti, a staple dish in the area of Switzerland bordering Germany, consists of potatoes that are boiled, grated, fried, then baked or grilled into a golden hash, and topped with (of course) cheese. It is considered the national dish of German Switzerland.

roux (roo) – Classical cookbooks written as far back as the mid-1500s state that roux is derived from the French word “rouge” meaning “red” or “reddish” in color. Thus, the origin of the name. A roux describes a mixture of equal amounts of fat (butter, meat drippings, or fat) and flour, which are cooked together at the very start of the recipe before any liquid is added. It is used as a basis for thickening sauces. A roux is the basis for many Louisiana dishes, particularly gumbo, but also etouffees, sauce piquantes, and more. Preparation of a roux is dependent on cooking time; the longer you cook, the darker the roux. Roux must be stirred constantly to avoid burning (constantly means not stopping to answer the phone, let the cat in, and if you’ve got to go the bathroom … hold it in or hand off your whisk or roux paddle to someone else). If you see black specks in your roux, you’ve burned it; throw it out and start over.

Runza Sandwich – Also called Bierocks. They are a yeast dough (a bread pocket) with a filling of beef, cabbage or sauerkraut, onions, and seasonings. They are baked in various shapes like half-moon, rectangle, round, square, triangle, etc. The Official Nebraska Runza is always baked in a rectangular shape, and the Bierocks of Kansas are baked in the shape of a bun.

Russian dressing – Consists of the mixture of mayonnaise, pimientos, chives, ketchup, and spices.

History: The name comes from the earliest versions that included a distinctly Russian ingredient, caviar.

 

sabayon – The French word for a velvety Italian custard called zabaglione. See Zabaglione.

Mexican sabayon – Mexican sabayon differs from the classic Italian version in that it is not cooked. The egg whites are whipped until stiff and then carefully folded into the yolk mixture.

Sachertorte, Sacher Cake (SAH-kuhr-tohrt) – Sacher Torte is a famous Viennese cake, probably the most famous chocolate cake of all-time. It consists of chocolate sponge cake cut into three layers, between which apricot jam are thickly spread between the layers and on the top and sides of the cake. The whole cake is then iced with a velvet-like chocolate and served with a side dish of whipped cream.

Sachet d’ Epices – The term means “bag of spices” and consists of whole peppercorns, parsley stems, bay leaves, whole thyme leaves, and fresh garlic (wrapped in a bag of cheesecloth and suspended in the pot with butcher’s twine). The amounts vary according to the amount of stock.

safflower oil – Oil made from the seeds of the ssafflower and contains more polyunsaturates than other oils. Because of its high cooking temperature, it is good for deep frying. It is also good for salad dressing because it is almost flavorless and colorless and does not solidify when chilled.

saffron (SAF-ruhn) – Saffron, the yellow-orange stigmas from a small purple crocus, is the world’s most expensive spice. That’s because each flower provides only three red stigmas and it takes approximately 14,000 of these tiny threads for each ounce of saffron. One ounce of saffron equals the stigmas from approximately 5,000 crocuses. It takes an acre of flowers to produce a pound. It is imported from Spain.

History: Peter, one of Christ’s Apostles, used saffron in soups, porridges, and in gravies (the saffron he used was the gold colored pollen from wild flowers). Ancient Greeks and Romans scattered Saffron to perfume public baths. The 13th century Crusaders brought Saffron from Asia to Europe, where it was used as a dye and condiment. In Asia, Saffron was a symbol of hospitality. In India, people used Saffron to mark themselves as members of a wealthy caste.

sake (sah-kee) – It is an alcoholic beverage produced from rice in much the same way that beer is brewed from wheat and barley, but is termed a rice wine because its alcohol content is similar to strong wines. It is served either hot or cold.

History: Sake has been known since the dawn of civilization, and probably since rice was introduced to Japan from the Asian continent about 2000 years ago. Sake has had an honored role throughout the evolution of Japanese society. In early times, sake drinking was an integral part of celebrating the harvest and was offered to the gods when praying for peace and prosperity. The name was derived from “sakaeru.” which means, “to prosper or flourish,” In toasting, sake signifies “the water that will bring you prosperity.” Today’s sake has changed much from early times. It was centuries before they discovered yeast, which greatly increased its alcohol content. The Second World War also altered the recipe. Rice shortages forced brewers to develop new ways to increase their yields. By government decree, pure alcohol and glucose were added to small quantities of rice mash, increasing the yield by as much as four times. Ninety-five percent of today’s sake is made using this technique, though connoisseurs say that the best sake is still made with just rice (koji rice) and water only. As wine is used in French cooking, sake is often used in Japanese cooking. For cooking purposes, inexpensive sake of any brand will do just as well.

salad days – It refers to a time of youthful inexperience, a term coined by Shakespeare, whole Cleopatra characterizes her long-ago romance with Julius Caesar as one occurring in “my salad days, when I was green in judgment, cold in blood.”

Salisbury steak (SAWLZ-beh-ree) – A beef patty that is broiled or fried with onions and served with gravy.

History: Salisbury steak was named for Dr. James H. Salisbury (1823-1905), a 19^th century nutritionist, who thought that everyone would be healthier if they ate lots of beef, more specifically 3 pounds per day washed down with quarts of hot water. During World War II, when patriotic Americans objected to the German term “hamburger” (the hamburger sandwich was also called liberty sandwich, but that term didn’t catch on). Salisbury steak stuck because it was already in existence (first recorded in 1897), but the term “hamburger steak” was known in America at least a decade earlier than that. Salisbury steak was originally more of a fancier version of hamburger “used on menus in the sort of restaurants that would not own up to selling hamburgers.”

salsa (SAL-sa) – Mexicans define a salsa as a sauce, and all sauces as salsas. In Mexico sauces are a combination of fresh ingredients in which many are uncooked and served separately, to be added according to individual tastes. Salsas can be a mixture of raw or partially cooked vegetables and/or fruits, herbs, and, of course, chiles. Anything from vegetables, fruits, and nuts, to fish and meat can be used to make salsa, as long as the flavors blend well. The combined ingredients are not a puree, but are distinct pieces, and are often uncooked. This definition would also include chutneys and fruit or vegetable relishes. If the salsa is uncooked, as in “pico de gallo,” it is referred to as salsa cruda or salsa fresca. If cooked it is usually called picante.

Many countries have similar dishes that are used to accent meals in tropical areas of the world: sambals in Indonesia, chakalaka in South Africa, chutneys from India, the fruit and chile mixes from the West Indies, and piccalillis of the American South.

salt – Common salt is a rock, the only one we eat (an mineral composed of 40% sodium and 60% chloride, joined by one of the strongest chemical unions there is, an ionic bond). One of the four elemental components of taste, along with sweet, sours, and bitter. Salt sharpens and pulls together other tastes. It comes from two primary sources; mines on land and water from the sea. Salt is also essential to our health. Without it, our cells cannot function properly and if we do not get enough of it, we will crave it until our physical need is satisfied.

kosher salt -  It is pure refined rock salt, also known as coarse salt or pickling salt. It has larger crystals, which adheres better to food. Because it does not contain magnesium carbonate, it will not cloud items in which it is added. Kosher salt is required for “koshering“ foods that must meet Jewish dietary guidelines.

pickling or canning salt – It is a fine-grained additive-free salt used to make brines for pickles, sauerkraut, etc.

rock salt or halite – It is mined from natural deposits and varies in color from colorless when pure, to white, gray, or brown. It is not as refined as other salts and comes in chunky crystals. Rock salt is used predominately as a bed on which to serve baked oysters and clams and in combination with ice to make ice cream in crank-style ice cream makers.

sea salt – Sea salt generally comes from coastal marshes, basins, and other areas where seawater has been trapped and is allowed to evaporate naturally. It is grayish in color and contains traces of minerals.

table salt and iodized salt – It has additives added that prevent caking and may make the brine cloud. Iodized salt may also darken pickles.

History: Salt has always been among the world’s most important commodities and the human need for salt has shaped history. It was in general use long before recorded history. Civilizations rose in Africa, China, India, and the Middle East around rich salt deposits. About 2,700 B.C. (about 4,700 years ago) there was published in China the “Peng-Tzao-Kan-Mu,” the earliest know treatise on pharmacology. A major portion of this writing was devoted to a discussion of more than 40 kinds of salt.

Salt played a crucial role in religion. Homer called it divine and Plato described it as a “substance dear to the gods.” The Israelites were required to include salt with all offerings, and ancient Jewish temples included a salt chamber. For hundreds of years, Roman Catholic priests would place a pinch of salt on a baby’s tongue during baptism and say, “Receive the salt of wisdom.” There are more than 30 references to salt in the Bible. Jews and Christians, among others, shared the custom of rubbing newborn infants with salt (a symbol of long life). Arabs made peace and declared friendship with the phrase “There is salt between us,” and considered it treacherous to harm someone with whom they had shared salt. To ensure a long marriage, a Swiss groom would put bread in one pocket and salt in the other. A German bride would put salt in her shoe. Spilling salt, a superstition that brings bad luck, was immortalized in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting The Last Supper, where Judas has knocked over the saltcellar.

The appetite for salt pushed Phoenician trade ships into the Mediterranean and camel caravans into the deserts of Africa and across the Ruphrates Valley. The trade of salt for slaves in ancient Greece gave rise to the expressions, “not worth his salt.” Special salt rations given early Roman soldiers were known as “salarium argentum.” The forerunner of the English word “salary.”

When Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 B.C., he found the natives making salt by pouring brine over hot sticks and scraping off the leftover glaze (a practice that helped confirm them in his mind as barbarians). Caesar always traveled with “salinators” who were skilled at making salt for his troops.

Marco Polo discovered that Tibetans used salt cakes stamped with the imperial seal of the great Kublai Khan as money. The Erie Canal, which opened in 1825, was known as “the ditch that salt built.” This was because salt, a bulky product presented major transportation difficulties, originally was it principal cargo.

Salt had military significance. It is recorded that thousands of Napoleon’s troops died during his retreat from Moscow because their wounds would not heal as a result of a lack of salt. In 1777, the British Lord Howe was jubilant when he succeeded in capturing General Washington’s salt supply. During the Civil War, Northern generals targeted the South’s salt-production facilities, knowing that armies and civilians required salt to maintain health, preserve meat, and tan leather

salt-rising bread – Salt rising bread is a bread that originated in the 1830s and 1840s. This was before yeast leavening was readily available. It relies on the fermentation of warm milk or water, flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt to give it rising power. It has a very smooth texture with a tangy flavor and aroma.

 

sandwich – A sandwich is two or more slices of bread with a filling, such as meat, cheese, jam or various mixtures, placed between them.

sardines – Young herrings are frequently labeled and sold as sardines.

sashimi – (sah-shee-mee)  – It is Japanese for “raw fish in slices.” Sashimi consists of the freshest, top-quality fish. In Japan, it might be fillets of tuna, bonito, salmon, halibut or whatever is in season. It is sliced into bite-size portions and dressed into different shapes. Usually served with soy sauce and horseradish.

sauerbraten – German for “sour roast.” Describes a beef roast marinated for five days or more in a sweet-sour marinade and braised. It is best made from the bottom round.

History: Charlemagne who died in 814 A.D invented Sauerbraten. It was invented as a way of using up left over roasted meat. Later in the 13th century, Albert of Cologne used the recipe with fresh meat. The original sauerbraten never contained such things as tomatoes, gingersnaps, sour cream, bacon, or pork as many recipes do today.

sauce – It is a French word that means a relish to make our food more appetizing. Sauces are liquid or semi-liquid foods devised to make other foods look, smell, and taste better, and hence be more easily digested and more beneficial.

sauerkraut (SOW-uhr-krowt) – Sauerkraut, also known as sourcrout, is a chopped cabbage that is salted and then fermented in its own juice. Sauerkraut is made by placing salt between layers of finely shredded cabbage and then subjecting it to pressure, which bruises the cabbage and squeezes out its juices. It then ferments.

History: Chinese cooks were pickling cabbage in wine (as early as 200 B.C.) and using it as an accompaniment to meals. The slaves who built the Great Wall of China were fed on cheap rice and cabbage, but when winter came, rice wine was added to the cabbage.

Genghis Khan substituted salt for the wine and carried this “sauerkraut” (as it is now called) to the eastern edge of Europe. It was the Austrians, not the Germans, who made the most of it by shredding cabbage, allowing it to ferment in salt, and then flavoring it with caraway seeds and juniper berries.

The word, which in German means “sour cabbage,” is first mentioned in American English in 1776 and the dish, was long associated with German communities in the United States. Sauerkraut was also a Pennsylvania Dutch specialty. The Dutch explorers carried barrels of sauerkraut with them on their ship. The properties in sauerkraut helped fight disease.

sauté (saw-TAY) – A cooking technique which means to cook a food quickly in oil and/or butter over high heat. You can use a skillet or sauté pan, but make sure it is big enough to comfortably contain what you are cooking.

History:  The Chinese community introduced us to the improved method of cooking, which we call “sautéing” and the Chinese call “chowing.” Their Chinese cooks influenced the meals and diets of hundreds of California families. Although the Chinese cooks were seldom permitted to prepare Oriental meals, they held to their art of cooking and serving vegetables, a contribution that eliminated English overcooking of vegetables and contributed to the cuisine of the West Coast.

savories – Small dishes served as the last course of a meal. They are similar to appetizers.

 

 

savory (SAY-vuh-ree) – There are two types of savory  – summer and winter. Both of which are closely related to the mint family. It has an aroma and flavor reminiscent to a cross between mint and thyme. Summer savory is slightly milder, but both are strongly flavored so use this herb with discretion.

Savarin – It is a large, ring-shaped, spongy cake made from a rich yeast mixture, soaked in a rum-flavored syrup and filled with fruit and cream.

Sazerac A drink made with whiskey generally associated with the Sazerac Bar at the Fairmont Hotel. The bartender coats an Old Fashion glass with herbsaint, pours out the excess, pours in the Sazerac mix and tops off the drink with a twist of lemon.

History: This drink is reported to be the first cocktail ever invented (at least in America). The drink was developed in 1850 at an Exchange Alley bar. In the early days, the Sazerac Cocktail was made with cognac or brandy, but as American’s taste changed to whiskey, the liquor was changed to rye whiskey. In 1949, the bar was moved to the Roosevelt Hotel (now the Fairmont), which pays an annual fee to Sazerac Co. Inc. That company owns the rights to the formula and bottles the drink in a New Orleans suburb called Metairie.

scald – (1) to dip into boiling water. (2) To heat milk to just below the boiling point. (3) To dip fruits, vegetables, or nuts in boiling water to facilitate removing the skin or shell.

scale – To remove the scales from fish with a knife or a fish scaler.

scallion (SKAL-yuhn) – The name scallion applies to several members of the onion family including a distinct variety called scallion, immature onions (commonly called green onions), young leeks, and sometimes the tops of young shallots. In each case the vegetable has a white base that has not fully developed into a bulb and green leaves that are long and straight (both parts are edible). True scallions are generally identified by the fact that the sides of the base are straight, whereas the others are usually slightly curved, showing the beginnings of a bulb. All can be used interchangeably, but true scallions have a milder flavor than immature onions. Scallions are available year-round, but are at their peak during spring and summer. At their peak, scallions are crisp with bright green tops and a firm white base. Mid-sized scallions with long white stems are the best. Scallions can be cooked whole as a vegetable much as you would a leek. They can also be chopped and used in salads, soups, and a multitude of other dishes for flavor.

scallop (SKAHL-uhp) – Although hundreds of different species of scallops exist in our oceans worldwide, only a few of these species are harvested commercially on a large scale. The three you’re most likely to find at a fish market are Atlantic sea scallops, Atlantic bay scallops, and calicos.

scaloppini, scallopine or scallopini (skah-loh-PEE-nah) – An Italian term for a thin, pounded piece of meat. Usually prepared by dredging the meat in flour, then sautéing and serving with a wine, lemon, or tomato sauce. Also called piccata.

scant – Scant means lacking a small part of the whole; not quite up to full measure. In other words, one (1) scant teaspoon means not quite a whole teaspoon but a little less. Scant is a very bad term to use in writing a recipe. The recipe should give the exact amount or say “to taste.”

schnapps (shnahps) – Schnapps is a generic term for strong, colorless alcoholic beverage distilled from grains or potatoes and variously flavored. Peppermint schnapps is the most common, but other flavors include cinnamon, vanilla, root beer, blackberry, raspberry, peach, and mango.

schnitzel (SHNIHT-suhl) – In German the word means “slice” and usually refers to veal dishes. It is a cutlet of veal which is beaten out until it is thin.

scone (skon) – A Scottish quick bread that has a texture half way between cake and biscuits (harder than a cake but softer than a biscuit). Scones are best served warm from the oven and should be eaten on the same day they are made.

History: It is thought that the name comes from the Stone of Destiny (or Scone). Scottish kings have been crowned upon this stone for more than a thousand years. The present British Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on the Stone in 1953. The original version of scones was made with oats and griddle baked. Today they are flour-based and baked in the oven and come in various shapes (triangles, rounds, squares, and diamonds).

score – (1) To cut narrow gashes in fat to prevent the meat from curling when cooked. (2) To cut narrow crisscross lines on the fat of a ham or a roast. (3) To cut even shallow lines in cucumbers with a fork or scoring knife for decorations.

Scoville unit – Scoville unit is the thermometer of the chile pepper. Established by Wilbur Scoville, these are the units of heat of a chile pepper. Units rank from 0 to 300,000.

scrod – Scrod is not a type of fish. The term originated in the Boston area to describe the catch of the day. It is also used as a general label for small members of the cod family, including pollack, haddock, hake, and whiting. In most New England restaurants, scrod is loosely defined as “catch of the day,” which allows the restaurants to offer whatever fish is available and call it scrod on the menu.

History: Some historians think that scrod is a contraction of Sacred Cod, the name of the 4-foot-tall wooden sculpture that has been in the Massachusetts State House since 1748. Others think that Boston’s famous Parker House Restaurant coined the word as a generic term for their “fish of the day,” not knowing in advance what to print on their menus.

sea cucumber – It is cylindrical, cucumber or sausage-shaped, hence its name sea cucumber. It is found in all seas of the world, at all depths usually lying on the bottom on one flattened side, abounding on the British and European coasts, and from Nantucket northward to the rocky coasts of northern Massachusetts and Maine. It is definitely not a plant, but a marine animal – the same class as sea urchins, sea lilies, sea stars, brittle stars, or starfish. It can grow 3 to 4 inches thick, ranging in length from 1-inch to almost five feet, often brownish, but may range in color from black to bright yellow and red stripes. There are more than 500 species of sea cucumbers, and some of the larger species are considered delicacies in the Orient and are used in the preparation of soups and some other delicate specialty dishes. When cooked, it is soft, cartilaginous, almost transparent, absorbing all the flavors of the sauce and the other ingredients. Sea cucumbers are available frozen or dried.

searing – The browning (caramelizing) of a food surface at high heat. Little fat is used when searing. Searing brings out the flavor and creates a fond at the bottom of the pan which is used for making sauces.

season – (1) To add flavor to foods (such as adding herbs and spices). (2) To coat the cooking surface of a new pot or pan with vegetable oil and then heating in a 350 degree F. oven for about a hour. This smoothes out the surface of new pots and pans, particularly cast-iron, and prevents foods from sticking.

 

seaweed – Seaweed is also called sea wrack. It has been used, as food, for hundreds of years by people in northern Europe, especially in Japan. It is used to thicken soups and sauces, and in making sushi.

 

semifreddo – Semifreddi are chilled creams which are typical Italian desserts. They are also called spumone. They are prepared with an egg-based custard and whipped cream. No ice cream machine is needed to make semifreddo (the basic mixture can be poured directly into the mold and put in the freezer for a few hours). Chilled creams may be used as filling for casate and bombe, or can be prepared with fruits, syrups, chocolate. Etc.

 

semolina (she-muh-LEE-nuh) – A grainy, pale yellow flour that is coarsely ground from hard wheat (like durum). It has a very high protein content. Used primarily for pasta and polenta.

 

Serrano pepper – Meaning “from the mountains.” It is native to Mexico and southwest America, and is widely believed to be the hottest chile by many Americans who adore it in its red or green form. Serrano peppers are quite small (about 1 ½-inches long). A larger, double-sized species called largo is only found in Mexico.

 

sesame oil – (SEHS-uh-mee) – Sesame oil ha been used in cooking in Africa and the Far East for many centuries. The main advantage of sesame oil over other oils is that it does not turn rancid, even in hot weather. For this reason, it is very popular in tropical countries.

 

regular or light sesame oil – This light-colored oil is made from untoasted sesame seeds and is used in most Chinese cooking. It adds distinctive nutty flavor to foods. It is especially good for frying and it is also very good in salad dressing.

 

dark or Asian sesame oil – This amber-colored oil is pressed from toasted sesame seeds. It’s a strong-flavored, aromatic oil that is used in Oriental cooking. This oil is used as a seasoning and not used as a cooking oil, but is added at the last minute for flavor in hot cooked dishes or in marinades. The thicker it is, the better the flavor.

seviche (seh-VEE-chee) – See ceviche.

shallot (SHAL-uht) – Has a flavor more subtle than that of the onion and less pungent than that of garlic. The shallot is the most refined member of the onion family. They look more like garlic than onions.

shortening – A solid fat made from vegetable oils, such as soybean and cottonseed oil. Although made from oil, shortening has been chemically transformed into a sold state through hydrogenation. Vegetable shortening is virtually flavorless (has a bland, neutral flavor) and may be substituted for other fats (such as butter, margarine, or lard) in baking of pie pastry, cookies, and cakes. Shortening is ideal for pastry, since it blends well with the flour. It can be stored at room temperature for up to a year.

shred – To use a knife or a shredder (a cutting tool with round, smooth, sharp-edged holes) to cut food into long, thin strands.

shuck, shucking – Means to remove a natural outer covering from food, such as shells from oysters or husks from corn.

sifter – A flour sifter is a sieve that is especially adapted for use with flour. It is commonly built in the form of a metal cup with a screen bottom and contains a mechanism (wires that either revolve or rub against the screen being operated by a crank or a lever) to force the flour through the mesh.

simmer – To cook submerged in liquid just below a boil, a temperature of 180 degrees F. to just short of the boiling point. A simmering liquid has bubbles floating slowly from the bottom to the surface.

simple syrup – It is a solution of sugar and water that is boiled over high heat. Most simple syrups contain a ratio of one cup water to two cups of sugar. The longer you boil the mixture, the thicker it will become.

skillet – The term skillet once applied to any metal cooking vessel that had a handle, but the term has come to apply (in the U.S.) to the metal frying pan (cast-iron). Also called spider.

skim – (1) To remove floating matter from the surface of a liquid with a spoon or ladle which is usually perforated. (2) To remove a top surface of fat, cream, or scum from the top of liquid.

skirt steak – It is a boneless cut of beef from the lower part of the brisket. Cut from the beef flank, the skirt steak is the diaphragm muscle (which lies between the abdomen and the chest cavity). It’s a long, flat piece of meat that’s flavorful but rather tough. Properly cooked, skirt steak can be quite tender and delicious. It can either be quickly grilled, or stuffed, rolled and braise. Recently, skirt steak has become quite fashionable becaue of the delicious Southwestern fish called fajitas.

sliver – To cut food into long, thin pieces or thin strips.

slurry – A slurry is a mixture of a starch and cold water. You can use cornstarch (preferred for thickening milk or dairy sauces), arrowroot (great for defatted meat sauces or broths because it gives a wonderful glossy sheen), potato starch, rice flour, or regular flour. Proportion is one (1) part starch with two (2) parts cold liquid. Remove from the heat before you add the slurry, or you’ll end up with dumplings.

smoke – To expose fresh food to smoke from a wood fire for a prolonged period of time. Traditionally used for preservation purposes, smoking is now a means of giving flavor to food.

smoking point – The point when a fat such as butter or oil smokes and lets off an acrid odor. This is not good since this odor can get into what you are cooking and give it a bad flavor. Butter smokes at 350 degrees F., vegetable oil at 445 degrees F., lard at 365 to 400 degrees F., and olive oil at about 375 degrees F.

Smorgasbord – A Swedish buffet of many dishes served as hors d’oeuvres or a full meal. Similar buffets are served throughout Scandinavia, as well as the Soviet Union. Common elements of a smorgasbord are pickled herring, marinated vegetables, smoked and cured salmon and sturgeon, and a selection of canapés.

Snickerdoodles – Traditional snickerdoodles cookies are coated with cinnamon sugar before being baked.

sno-ball – This is a New Orleans creation. A machine that turns blocks of ice into sno-balls makes it. Most “sno-cones” are made of crushed ice; this machine shaves a block of ice, giving it an extremely fine texture. “Shaved ice” in Hawaii is the closest thing to the sno-ball. A sno-ball isn’t an Italian ice, nor is it a crushed ice abomination. Once the ice is shaved, it’s collected into a cup, paper cone, bowl, plate, or even a container akin to the things that you get at a Chinese take-out place. Then syrup is poured over the ice. Some people continue the process, adding cherries, ice cream, ice milk, condensed milk, or other toppings. Most sno-ball stands have anywhere from 30 to 70 flavors available from which to choose. Sno-balls are a summer creature.

soda bread – This is traditional Irish bread that is made with whole-wheat flour or white flour or oatmeal (sometimes raisins are included). It is round loaf with a cross cut in the top and it has a velvety texture and unusual smoothness quite unlike yeast bread. It is sliced paper-thin and buttered. Traditionally, soda bread was baked over a peat fire in a three-legged iron pot that can be raised or lowered over the fire. Glowing peat sods put on top of the pot gave an even heat for baking.

soffrito – (1) The Italian soffrito normally consists of a little handful of fragrant herbs (parsley, dill, thyme, savory, and rosemary), and aromatic vegetables (onion, leek, garlic, and carrot) very finely chopped, simmered in oil before the meat, beans, fish or vegetables is added. It is used as a base in soups, sauces, casseroles, omelet’s and so on, and it imparts a lovely color and wonderful taste to the finished dish. This blend is a fundamental of Italian cooking. Also called “battuto.” (2) Soffrito is also what the sautéed onions are called to which you add to arborio rice when making risotto.

sofrito, sofritto – A Spanish term for a blend of seasonings and vegetables used to flavor many Puerto Rican and Cuban recipes. The vegetables are usually cooked in olive oil to release the flavor before being added to a dish. This blend is considered the foundation of a dish. Sofrito is not only a common seasoning in many Puerto Rican dishes, but it is also frequently served at the table as a condiment.

sole – Sole is a member of the flatfish species that consists of sole, flounder, and halibut. It is significantly superior in flavor and texture to the flounder. This is why the fish markets and restaurants deceptively call much of the flounder sold in America “sole”. Gray sole, lemon sole, rex sole, and the Dover sole of the Pacific are all flounders. Genuine sole are the true Dover sole, English sole, and turbot.

solferino vegetables – A blend of tomatoes and potatoes that commemorates the red on white motif of the Red Cross. The garnish (sometimes accompanying other dishes) of carrot, potato, and other vegetables scooped out with a parisienne baller represent the cannon balls from the battle.

History: – Solferino, a town in Lombardia, Italy, famous for the battle in 1859 that was fought there and more specifically since this was where Henri Dunant founded the International Red Cross.

sonker – A sonker is a deep-dish pie or cobbler served in many flavors including strawberry, peach, sweet potato, and cherry. I’ve also read this same dish is called zonker (or sonker) in Surry County, North Carolina.   It seems to be a dish unique to North Carolina.  The community of Lowgap at the Edwards-Franklin House, hold an annual Sonker Festival.

soppressata – An Italian compressed cured pork (all-pork dry salami). It is a salame (salami) made from pork meat and fat, usually from the head of the hog. The mixture is then mixed and spiced with red pepper for the spicy version, and with black pepper for the sweet version. The gentle entrails is covered by a layer of fat, hence a longer maturity is requested. This also gives to the product a particular softness. After seasoning and ripening (5 months) it can be kept, covered with pork fat, in glass jars.

sorbet (sor-BAY) – Sorbet is the French word for sherbets.

History:  Sorbets were introduced (along with ice cream) to Europeans by the Arabs, who learned to make them from the Chinese. Originally sorbets were a cooling drink with a base of fresh fruit that was sweetened, diluted, and chilled (possibly with snow). The ideas were copied later on throughout Europe with sherbet powders, which were used to make drinks. A sorbet is a light, frozen mixture of diluted pureed fruit, fruit juices, sugar, water, and egg white. In France, they are usually served in the middle of the meal as a “palate cleanser.”

sorghum – It is different from molasses, although many people use the terms interchangeably. Sorghum is made from the juice of the sweet-sorghum cane stalk, sorgos, and has no sugar removed and thus is significantly sweeter than molasses. Sorgos, a tall cereal grass resembling corn is sometimes called “brown corn,” and can be used as fodder. It can be used interchangeably with sugarcane molasses.

souffle (soo-FLAY) – Souffle is taken from the French word “souffler” meaning to “blow or puff up.” It is a light, foamy concoction made from egg whites, which are folded into a sauce of egg yolks, milk, and sometimes flour. The air beaten into the egg whites expands in the heat of the oven, making the soufflé light and puffy. They are either baked or steamed. It is usually a dessert, although there are also fish, meat, poultry, and vegetable soufflés.

soup – The word “soup” was originally “sop” and it literally meant dipping a slice of bread into a broth. “Potage” was a word for the contents of the soup. Today the word “soup” describes both broth and contents as it means any combination of meat, fish or vegetables, cooked in water or in any other liquid, and intended to be eaten.  It may be thin (like consommé), thick (like gumbo), smooth (like bisque), or chunky (like chowder or bouillabaisse).  Most soups are served hot, but some (like vichyssoise and fruit soups) are served cold.

sourdough – Bread that has been leavened with a fermented starter.

History: The ancient Egyptians made sourdough bread, having discovered that fermented dough would rise in the oven. Thousands of years later (in our frontier days), a sourdough starter was the most important personal possession, something to be guarded at the expense of everything else.

The American pioneers jealously guarded their starters, as freshly baked bread, biscuits, and pancakes often provided the only variety in the wilderness diet. They usually carried their starters in wooden pails, which became permeated with the culture and which would retain the life of the yeast even if the starter spilled.

The prospectors of the Yukon during the Alaskan Gold Rush of the 1890s were nicknamed “sourdoughs” because of the sourdough starters that they usually had hidden under their jackets to keep warm. In addition, there was the alcoholic by-product called “hooch,” the clear liquid that rises to the top of the starter and had its own uses.

soy flour – It is made up of ground roasted soybeans processed into flour to use in baking. By itself, it makes a heavy bread, so it is usually combined with other flours. It can also be used to thicken gravies and sauces.

 

soy milk – Soy milk is rich and creamy and has a taste distinctive from cow’s milk. Most often it is sold in aseptic (non-refrigerated) packages that can be stored at room temperature for several months. Once opened, it must be refrigerated and will stay fresh for about five days. Soy milk can be used the same as cow’s milk in recipes.

soy sauce – Soy sauce is a staple condiment and ingredient throughout all of Asia. It is a salty, brown liquid that is made from fermented soybeans mixed with a roasted grain (wheat, barley, or rice are common), injected with a special yeast mold, and liberally flavored with salt. After being left to age for several months, the mixture is strained and bottled. The sauce’s consistency can range from very thin to very thick.

Japanese soy sauce – Japanese-style soy sauce, such as Kikkoman, is suitable for most uses.

Chinese soy sauce – The Chinese use both light (thin) and dark (heavy) soy sauces. Dark soy sauces are fermented longer with molasses added during the process. They go best with spicy dishes and red meats. The light soy sauces are used in dipping sauces or vegetable and seafood dishes.

Tamari – A dark soy sauce brewed with wheat. In the United States, tamari refers to a Japanese-style light soy sauce with a slightly smoky flavor.

History: Soy sauce was developed over a thousand years ago in China as a way of preserving food.

spaetzle (SHPEHT-sluh; SHPEHT-sehl; SHPEHT-slee) – Literally translated from German as “little sparrow,” spaetzle is a dish of tiny noodles or dumplings made with flour, eggs, water or milk, salt, and sometimes nutmeg. The spaetzle dough can be firm enough to be rolled and cut into slivers or soft enough to be forced through a sieve, colander, or spaetzle-maker with large holes. The small pieces of dough are usually boiled (poached) before being tossed with butter or added to soups or other dishes. In Germany, spaetzle is served as a side dish much like potatoes or rice, and is often accompanied by a sauce or gravy. The cooked spaetzle can also be pan fried with a little butter and onions (usually a good left-over idea).

Spam – It is considered a food that changed the course of history. It is a canned ground pork and ham product that does not need to be refrigerated until opened. Originally sold in 12-ounce cans and since 1960, it was been available in 7-ounce cans and even smaller varieties.

History: It was the Hormel Company that developed Spam, a canned meat product that did not need to be refrigerated, in about 1936. It was originally named and marketed it under the name Spiced Ham. As this was a rather uninspiring name, Hormel would decide to give the product a new name. They had a contest and offered $100 dollars (this was a lot of money in those days) to come up with a suitable name. The winning name was the name it goes by today and that is the world famous “Spam.”

Hormel mounted a large advertising campaign in 1937 and called their product the miracle meat and promoted it for use at anytime of the day. The first singing commercial was done to the tune of “My bonny Lies Over The Ocean.” It was advertised as the meat in a can that saved time and tastes fine.

During World War II, sales skyrocketed. Not only was Spam great for the military, as it required no refrigeration, it wasn’t rationed as beef was, so it became a prime staple in American meals. Even the Russians gave Spam the credit for the survival of the Russian Army during World War II.

spatchcocking (spatch-kok-king) – It’s a French technique of butter-flying a whole chicken by removing the backbone so you can open it up flat, like a book, and cook it using direct heat. Because the spatchcocked chicken cooks over fiery hot coals, the process cuts the grilling time almost in half and helps keep the meat moist.

spelt – Spelt is an ancient cereal grain that is native to southern Europe. It was widely grown until the beginning of the 20th century, but can be difficult to find now. After threshing, spelt is cooked like rice and can be found as an ingredient in certain country soups, especially in Provence. Spelt has a mellow nutty flavor, and spelt flour can be substituted for wheat flour in baked goods.

spider – A spider is a cast-iron skillet or frying pan. At one time, this cooking vessel had three long metal legs (enabling it to be set directly over the coals of a hearth fire). It was from these legs (since discarded) that the utensil received its name. Thought the legs were discarded with the coming of the range, the name has remained in many locations, referring to the cast-iron vessel only.

 

Spiedie Sandwich (SPEE-dee) – The name comes from the Italian spiedo meaning “kitchen cooking spit.” Originally made from lamb, they are now made with virtually any meat. It is chunks of lamb, pork, chicken, beef, or venison that has been marinated for days in a tart sauce and then grilled on a metal skewer, usually over charcoal or gas. The traditional way of serving is between sliced Italian bread with extra sauce poured on top. The Spiedie, skewer and all, is then inserted in sliced Italian bread. The bread is used as a sort of mitt, wrapping around the meat. Pull out the skew and you then have a wonderful and delicious hot sandwich. Spiedies are a specialty of Broome County, New York. People who live in the area eat them at restaurants, from street vendors, buy from supermarkets, and even make their own at backyard cookouts. They even hold an annual Spiedie Cook-Off with a recipe contest.

History:  They originated with Binghamton’s Italian immigrant population in the 1920s. Augustine Iacovelli from Endicott, New York is believed to have popularized the Spiedie by introducing them in his restaurant in the 1940s.

sponge cake – They are similar to angel cakes in that they use many eggs and no shortening or leavening. Sponge cakes use the whole eggs, while angel cakes use only the whites.

springform pan – A springform pan not only has sides that can be removed but the bottom comes out tool Used mostly in baking, this unusual pan has a fastener on the side that can be opened to remove the rim after the cake is cool. They are available in a number of sizes, 9- and 10-inch being the most common. Cheesecakes and tortes are usually baked in this type of pan.

springerle (SPRING-uhr-lee) – These have been and still are traditional Christmas cookies in Bavaria and Austria for centuries. Springerle cookie molds and rolling pins are carved to create a series of small cookies, each with a different design. Although there are lots of variations, springerle cookies typically are light-colored and anise-flavored. Hartshorn is the traditional leavening (it is an ammonia compound).

sprouts – A sprout is produced when a seed starts growing into a vegetable. Sprouts can grow from the seeds of vegetables and the seeds of grains (such as alfalfa and buckwheat, and from beans). Sprouts vary in texture and taste. Some are spicy (radish and onion sprouts), some are hardy and are often used in oriental food (mung bean), and others are more delicate (alfalfa) and are used in salads and sandwiches to add texture and moistness.

History: While most Americans believe “sprouting” (growing sprouts) began with the Hippies, the Bible actually mentions it in the Book of Daniel. It is believed that Chinese physicians prescribed sprouts for curing many disorders more than 5,000 years ago. The ancient Chinese used sprouts both nutritionally and medicinally—for year round food in colder regions of the country and for curing many disorders. In the 1700s, Capt. James Cook had his sailors eat limes, lemons and varieties of sprouts (all abundant providers of vitamin C) to help prevent scurvy on long voyages. Sprouts first grabbed attention in America during World War II, when Dr. Clive M. McKay, Professor of Nutrition at Cornell University wrote an article praising sprouts as quick and easy to grow in nearly any climate (and without soil or sunshine!) and of significant nutritional value.

Spudniks or Sputniks – An American nickname for potatoes. This term was popular after the Russian space satellites of the late 50′s and early 60′s. Sputnik ushered in a new era of space exploration.  This term is not used much anymore.

Squab – Doves and pigeons belong to the same family of birds, the Columbidae. Squab is just a fancy name for pigeon. It is a fattened pigeon that is not allowed to fly (so it’s tender rather than sinewy) and are processed at four weeks old and at about 1 pound. The meat of Squab is distinctly different from that of any other domestic poultry, while being milder than that traditionally associated with game meats. Squab is probably the gamiest of the domestic birds. It has a full rich flavor like black berries.

History:  Pigeons have been bred for food for centuries dating back to early Asian, Arabic, and European traditions. The history of the squab is lengthier than even the current domesticated chickens and turkeys. It was a popular special-occasion dish in Victorian England.

St. Louis style ribs – Style of ribs that got its name from the city of St. Louis. A meatier rib than baby back ribs; trimmed evenly and squared off.

star anise – Named (both in English and in Chinese) for its distinctive shape. Its Mandarine name, bah-jyao, means “eight points.” Star anise is the dried fruit of an evergreen tree that is a member of the magnolia family and grows wild in southern China, reaching a height of about 25 feet. The tree starts to bear fruit at about six years of age and can continue to produce over the next one hundred years. In spring, the tree blooms with yellow flowers, from them emerges the brown fruit that assumes a star shape as it ripens. In cooking, the dried star and seeds can be ground up as seasoning or simmered whole in liquid mixtures to enhance broths and syrups. It is a key ingredient in Chinese five-spice powder.

star fruit – Other names for the star fruit are carambola (Indian name for it), five-angled fruit, and Chinese star fruit. Look for a star fruit that is from 2 to 5 inches long with juicy-looking ribs. Avoid fruit with browned, shriveled ribs. They can be purchased green, and then allowed to yellow at room temperature before eating. There are a few varieties of star fruit. One variety is sour/tart in flavor and has narrow ribs, the sweet variety has thick fleshy ribs, and there are two varieties of white star fruit marketed that are both considered sweet. Use sour/tart variety in place of lemon or lime slices with fish, poultry, and mixed drinks. In the east they are pickled. Sweeter varieties are ideal for fruit salads and purees (alone or with other fruits). You do not have to be peeling them. You can simply rinse, slice, or eat them whole. Appearance can be improved by shaving off darker skin with a vegetable peeler.

Steak Diane

- Thin tenderloin steak sautéed with shallots, thyme, mustard, mushrooms and cream. Normally it would be prepared tableside by a Captain in a grand hotel dining room.

History:  Supposedly named after the Roman goddess, Diana or Diane. Diana was the Goddess of the Hunt and also Goddess of the Moon. Steak Diane was originally a way of serving venison.

steam – To cook with steam, usually in a steamer or on a rack over boiling water. Steaming retains flavor, shape, texture, and nutrients better than boiling or poaching. In this method, steam is the heat conductor. If it is under pressure, as it is in a pressure steamer, the temperature is hotter than a water-based liquid can ever be.

Steelhead -They are Rainbow Trout that has returned from the sea. Steelhead closely resemble rainbow trout with a life cycle similar to that of a salmon. They are an anadromous species: born and reared in freshwater streams, as juveniles they migrate to estuaries, adjust to saltwater and then migrate to the ocean to mature into adults. As they begin to sexually mature they return to the streams of their birth to spawn and then attempt to return to the ocean to repeat the cycle. Unlike juvenile salmon that typically migrate to the ocean after just a few months of freshwater rearing, juvenile Steelhead resides in our rivers from 1 to 3 years. As such, they require cool, clean water year round to sustain themselves.

steep – To soak herbs, spices, raisins, etc. in a hot liquid to extract or intensify the flavors and also the color.

Stevia – Stevia is used as a dietary supplement and sugar substitute. It has no calories, no carbohydrates, and a zero glycemic index which makes it a great natural alternative to sugar and chemical sweeteners. Stevia is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar.

stew – It is the name of any dish which results from the action of stewing. Stewing is the method of cooking which tenderizes tough pieces of meat. It is a method by which meat and (usually although not always) vegetables are slowly simmered ion liquid for a substantial period of time so that the meat not only becomes tender enough to chew but all the ingredients blend into a delicious mix.

sticky rice – The defining element of sushi is not raw fish as many thin, but the rice. Sushi to the Japanese is synonymous with seasoned sticky rice. In Japan, the correct preparation of the rice is so important, that in their finest restaurants there are chefs whose sole responsibility is to cook the rice. The proportions of vinegar and sugar can very by season, chef, or even by the type of sushi you are preparing.

Stilton cheese – Stilton is a fine English blue cheese made from whole cow’s milk. It is considered by many people to be one of the world’s best cheeses. Stilton acquired its name in the 18th century because it was first sold in the small English village of Stilton in Hungtingdonshire. Today it is made in parts of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire. Stilton is farm-made cheese and is at its best from autumn to spring. It is allowed to ripen for 4 to 6 months, during which time it is skewered numerous times to encourage the growth of penicillium Roquefort mold (also present in Roquefort cheese). Stilton cheese is best eaten by itself with a glass of port or a full-bodied dry red wine.

White Stilton – In addition to the better-known mature version, there is also young white Stilton that is marketed before the colored veins develop. The white Stilton has a mild, slightly sour flavor.

stir-frying – It is a cooking technique that requires brisk cooking of small cuts of ingredients in hot oil over intense heat. Three elements are crucial to stir-frying: (1) Proper preparation, wherein the ingredients are conditioned through small cutting, marinating and partial precooking to respond to the fast cooking; (2) thorough organizing, in the sense that everything needed is measured out and within reach so no interruption will disturb the cooking once it starts; and (3) Vigilance from the cook – you must be ready to adjust timing and volume of heat instantly, not just by following recipe guidelines, but intuitively by the smell, look, and feel of the food and the sound of the cooking.

strawberry – Sixteenth-century author William Butler wrote, “Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did.” Juicy and red, the strawberry is a member of the rose family and has grown wild for centuries in Europe and America. The cultivation of strawberries goes back to the 1600s when early settlers enjoyed strawberries grown by local Native Americans. Todays strawberries are a cross breeding of the Virginia strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), the native wild strawberry of the eastern seaboard (which was introduced into Europe around 1610), and the Chilean strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) which made the voyage a century later. Today, about 70 percent of America’s fresh strawberries are grown in California. Strawberries vary in size, shape and color and, in general, there is no direct relationship between size and flavor. Fresh strawberries are available year-round with the peak season from April to June. Choose brightly colored, plump berries that still have their green caps attached and are uniform in size.

strudel (STROO-dal) – It is a dessert with a delicate casing made of paper-thin layers of filo pastry, each of which is brushed with butter. The Austrians say the pastry is so thin that you can read a love letter through it. The strudel usually has a filling consisting of cooked and diced fruit, chopped almonds, a little cinnamon, and sometimes a little brandy.

History: the invading Turks first brought a dessert that is famous in Austria, to central Europe in the 16th century.

Submarine Sandwich – Also know as a Hero Sandwich. It is a king-sized sandwich on an Italian loaf of bread approximately 12 inches long an 3 inches wide, filled with boiled ham, hard salami, cheeses, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and sometimes flavored with garlic and oregano. This sandwich is simply a takeoff on the famous Po Boy Sandwich invented in New Orleans.

suet (SOO-iht) – Suet is the white fatty casing that surrounds the kidneys and the loins in beef, sheep, and other animals. Suet has a higher melting point than butter and when it does melt it leaves small holes in the dough, giving it a loose soft texture. Many British recipes call for it to lend richness to pastries, puddings, stuffings, and mincemeats.
shredded suet – It is suet that has been shaved, grated, or cut into long narrow pieces.

sugar – Sugar or sucrose, is a carbohydrate that occurs naturally in every fruit and vegetable in the plant kingdom. It is the major product of photosynthesis, the process by which plants transform the sugar energy into food. Sugar occurs in greatest quantities in sugar cane and sugar beets from which it is separated for commercial use.

Barbados sugar – See raw sugar and muscovado sugar.

brown sugar – It is made up of sugar crystals coated with varying amounts of molasses to obtain dark or light brown sugar. This lends a slightly grainy, moist texture.

castor/caster sugar – The spelling, castor sugar, used to be the prevailing one, but caster sugar seems to be more usual now, perhaps because it is used by some sugar manufacturers on their packaging. See superfine sugar.

coarse sugar – Also known as pearl or decorating sugar. It is shaped into small pearl-like balls that are several times as big as granulated sugar crystals.

confectioners’ sugar – See powdered sugar.

date sugar – Date sugar is more a food than a sweetener. It is ground up from dehydrated dates, is high in fiber. Its use is limited by price and the fact it does not dissolve when added to liquids.

demerara sugar – See raw sugar.

granulated sugar – Also called table sugar or white sugar. It is the most common form of sugar and the type most frequently called for in recipes. Its main distinguishing characteristics are a paper-white color and fine crystals.

sugar cubes – They are made from moist granulated sugar that is pressed into molds and then dried.

Muscovado sugar – Also called Barbados sugar or moist sugar. Muscovado sugar, a British specialty brown sugar, is very dark brown and has a particularly strong molasses flavor. The crystals are slightly coarser and stickier in texture than regular brown sugar. Light and dark brown muscovado sugars contain molasses; the darker the color is, the more molasses and therefore the stronger the flavor.

powdered sugar – Also called confectioners’ sugar. In Britain it is called icing sugar and in France sucre glace. It is granulated sugar ground to a powder, sifted, and a small amount (3%) cornstarch has been added to prevent caking. The fineness to which the granulated sugar is ground determines the family “X: factor: The “X: designations are derived from the mesh sizes of the screens used to separate powdered sugar into various sizes. Thus, 4X would have a larger particle size, whereas 10X would have a smaller particle size.14 X is finer than 12X, and so on down through 10X, 8X, 6X, and 4X (the coarsest powdered sugar). Confectioners or powdered sugar, available at supermarkets, is usually 10X. Always sift it before using.

raw sugar – It is essentially the product at the point before the molasses is removed (what’s left after sugarcane has been processed and refined). Popular types of raw sugar include demerara sugar from Guyana and Barbados sugar, a moist, fine textured sugar. Turbinado sugar is raw sugar that has been steam cleaned to remove contaminates., leaving a llight molasses flavored, tan colored sugar.

superfine sugar – Sometimes called bar sugar and known as castor or caster sugar in Britain, and berry sugar in British Columbia.. It is similar to granulated sugar except that it has very tiny crystals. Since it dissolves quickly and completely, leaving no grainy texture, it’s the perfect choice for caramel, meringues, drinks, and fine-textured cakes.

Turbinado sugar – See raw sugar.

sukiyaki (soo-kee-yah-kee) – Known in Japan as the “friendship dish” because its appeal to foreigners.

History: Nobody really seems to know the origins of sukiyaki. One theory is that in the old days, farmers slipped a little meat into the vegetarian diet imposed by Buddhist.

It is thought that the Dutch introduced their version of this dish to the Japanese in the early 17th century. Because the dish was a beef preparation, the Japanese would serve it only to foreigners. In 1873, Emperor Meiji declared that beef was acceptable for consumption, and from that time on it became part of the Japanese diet, although traditional dishes continue to use small quantities of meat.

sulfrino vegetables – A corruption of the correct term “solferino.” Sometimes used on menus to describe the vegetable dish. See solferino.

sunflower oil – This oil is made from sunflower seeds. It is pale yellow and has a bland flavor. It is a good all-purpose flour that is low in saturated fat and high in polyunsaturated fat.

supreme – (1) To remove the flesh sections of citrus fruit from the membranes. (2) The wing and breast of the chicken or game bird. (3) A fillet of sole or fish.

sushi (soo-shee) – It is a Japanese word, which originally meant “sour” or “vinegary” and later came to mean “pickled fish.” Sushi is sometimes called “the Japanese sandwich.” Contrary to popular American belief, sushi does not mean “raw fish,” but actually means “with rice.” Sushi is small cakes (shaped into various bite-size forms) of cold cooked rice (sticky rice), flavored with sweet rice vinegar, and typically garnished with strips of raw or cooked fish, seafood, cooked egg, vegetables, etc. They are then wrapped in seaweed to make a shaped package. It is usually served with a green horseradish (wasabi) and soy sauce. The “proper” way to eat sushi is in a single bite.

History: Japanese sushi has a history and tradition of over a thousand years, beginning as a way of preserving fish. It was not until 1824, when Hanaya Yohel of Japan conceived the idea of sliced, raw seafood at its freshest to be served on small fingers of vinegared rice.

sweat – To cook vegetables in fat over gentle heat so they become soft but not brown and their juices are concentrated in the cooking fat. If the pan is covered during cooking, the ingredients will keep a certain amount of their natural moisture. If the pan is not coverer, the ingredients will remain relatively dry.

sweetbreads – Sweetbreads are the thymus and pancreas glands of animals. They are light meat that is firmer in texture than brains. The sweetbreads of veal are considered the best. Beef sweetbreads are rather fatty and coarse, but if well prepared, they will taste almost the same as veal. No on bothers with pork sweetbreads. Such foods, along with other internal organs are called “Offal,” meaning, literally, the “off-fall” or off-cuts from the carcass; many call these items “variety meats.”

Now days, these foods are considered a delicacy by the people who enjoy them. They are highly prized by chefs and connoisseurs for their mild flavor and velvety texture. They are the most versatile of offal meats and can be prepared using virtually any cooking method. They can be sautéed, braised, poached, grilled, fried, and even roasted.

History: Up until the time that America starting enjoying the luxury of large supermarkets (mid-1940s), people would butcher their own cattle for consumption. As times were hard and money was scarce, nothing was wasted. This included all parts of the animal butchered. Everything was used and eaten by the family.

Swiss cheese – It is also called Emmentaler cheese. Switzerland is famous for this cheese and a large part of the milk produced there is used in its production. It was first made around the middle of the 15th century in the Canton of Bern in the Emmental Valley (which accounts for its native name of Emmentaler). It is a large, hard, pressed-cured cheese with an elastic body and a nut-like flavor. It is best known because of the holes (eyes) that develop in the curd as the cheese ripens. The eyes are often 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter and from 2 to 3 inches apart. It is considered one of the most difficult kinds of cheese to make.

syllabubs – (SIHL-uh-buhb) – Syllabub is softly whipped cream that is flavored with wine, sweetened cider, and sometimes brandy. The froth is skimmed off and served in glasses. It is a very light and fragile dessert. It is closely related to eggnog, but less potent because no strong spirits are used. Syllabubs comes from the early English word “silly” meaning “happy” plus a dialect word “bub,” meaning liquor.

History: Originally an English recipe from the 17th century, the first syllabubs were made by diary maids who would direct the warm milk straight from the cow to a pal containing sherry or cider. In their heyday, they were as popular as ice cream is today. These are known as the oldest of all English desserts. They have been especially popular in Maryland, Virginia, and other parts of the South since the first American colonies were established.

Szechuan peppercorns – Also called Szechwan pepper, Nepali pepper, or Timur pepper. Timur pepper/Szechwan pepper (pimpinella anisum) is native to the Szechwan province of China. Though it bears some similarity to black peppercorns, they are not actually of the pepper family, rather the dried berry of a tree in the prickly ash family. The Szechwan pepper is one of the few spices important for Tibetan and Bhutani cookery in the Himalayas, since very few spices can be grown there.

Fruits are globose and are encapsulated in a grayish, pimpled purse-like jacket when young but splits into two halves upon maturation of the seed. A mature seed is oval and jet black in color with a highly wrinkled surface, hence often mistaken for a pepper as the English name indicates.

The rural people apply the powder of its seeds on their legs to get rid of leech infestation while crossing a forest in the rainy season. The seed emits a characteristic pungent odor so strong that even the stickly leech loses its foothold! It can be verified by a locally popular maxim, which goes – “Timur in the mouth of a leech is like a hammer on the head of a nail.” It also possesses formidable disinfectant properties and is used largely as a safety measure as well as a flavoring essence during wild mushroom cooking.

The seeds possess several medicinal properties like curing stomach aches and toothaches; but in heavy dosage it may prove toxic. People make tasty curries just by mixing it with a pinch of salt and piece of green chile.

Tabasco Sauce (tuh-BAS-koh) – It is a commercially made hot sauce that is considered the “King of All Pepper Sauces.” Available worldwide, and made in Avery Island, Louisiana by the McIlhenny family since the 1880s. Used as a table sauce and as a cooking ingredient.

taco (tah-KOH) – Taco in Spanish means a sandwich made with a tortilla. Like a sandwich, it can be made with almost any thing and prepared in many different ways. The taco can be eaten as an entree or snack. They are made with soft corn tortillas or fried corn tortillas folded over.

taco pastor The most popular taco in Mexico. This is marinated pork that is sprinkled with fresh onions and other spices

tahini – Tahini is the equivalent of peanut butter; only it is made from 100% crushed sesame seeds. It can be used as a sandwich spread, or mixed with a variety of other seasonings such as garlic and onion or cayenne pepper for a tasty dip or salad dressing. Tahini is a key ingredient in hummus, the traditional Middle Eastern chickpea spread.

tamale (tuh-MAL-ee) – Tamales are a Mexican dish consisting of seasoned chopped meats or vegetables enclosed in corn masa (dough) and wrapped in a softened cornhusk. The savory packages are steamed and the cornhusks are peeled away before eating. In Mexico, tamales are often served for special occasions, and the tradition of cooking tamales is passed from generation to generation. For the preparation of tamales, everyone in the family has a single task, from the oldest, who will probably be the one who prepares the cornmeal dough, up to the youngest that will cut the rope to wrap them.

History:  The origin of the tamale is unknown. The journalist Marjorie Ross, author of the book Al calor del Fogón (“Near the Woodstove”), mentions that the origin of the “tamalli”, the original name of the tamale, was a typical food of the indigenous people in the Pre-Columbian era. Many writings of Fray Benardino de Sahagún refer to the variety of tamales found in the Aztec market places, as well as those eaten in Montezuma’s feasts.

tamarind (TAM-uh-rihnd) – Tamarind takes its English name from the Arabic, tamarhindi, meaning “Indian Date.” It is the fruit (pods or seeds) of a tall shade tree native to Asia and northern Africa and widely grown in India. It is typically used in equatorial cuisines such as Indian, Mexican, and Thai. It is used to season foods such as chutneys, curries, and pickled fish. It is also an integral ingredient in Worcestershire sauce.

tapa (TAH-pah) – Any type of food can be a tapa – anything that is easy to eat so that the natural flow of conversation is not interrupted. It is Spanish food served in small appetizer-sized portions. The word translates as “cover.” In Spain, tapas are served between meals, or maybe before that late dinner that begins at 10:00 p.m., in tapas bars. Lunch in Spain is traditionally served at 2:00 p.m. and dinner no earlier than 10:00 p.m. Tapas can be as simple as a bowl of olives or something more hearty such as stuffed potatoes. In many Spanish restaurants, tapas are served free with a drink, the purpose being to keep you sober, and keep you going. After all, when you went back to sip your drink you weren’t going to throw what covered the glass away. Just eat it! And get another tapa in the process.

History: The history of the tapa is not really truly documented:

(1) Some authors assure that tapas were born when, and due to an illness, the Spanish King Alfonso X (1226-1285) had to take small bites of food with some wine between meals. Once recovered from the disease, the king ordered that in all inns of Castile’s land, wine was not to be served without something to eat.

(2) Tapas originated in Andalucia, a Southern Province of Spain because of the need of farmers and workers to take a small amount of food during their working time to allow them to continue their job until the main meal time came.

(3) Another story that makes sense has to do with the Spanish character. In the south of Spain, when someone ordered a glass of sherry or wine in the company of friends, it became custom to top the glass “tapar” with a slice of bread or sausage to keep insects and such out of the glass during the inevitable and interminable conversation that took place. This custom developed and what was served was popularly called the “tapa”. Tapas traditionally may have been a complimentary piece of ham served on top of a glass of sherry (hence the word cover).

tapioca – (tap-eee-OH-kuh) – Tapioca in its fresh form is called “Yuca,” but Yuca is another name for what is the root of the cassava plant. To confuse things further, this root is also known as “manioc,” “mandioca,” and in some instance “tapioca”. Raw it has a bland and sticky quality and is used in cooking the way you would a potato (it can be boiled, mashed, fried, etc.). Cassava is a bushy plant producing tubers, the starchy underground stem of the plant, that have fed the indigenous people of the Americas for millennia and much of Africa since the 17th century. Cassava ranks sixth among crops in global production. Cassava was introduced to Africa by the Portuguese more than 300 years ago and today is the primary carbohydrate source in sub-Saharan Africa.

The tapioca most people are familiar with is either tapioca flour or pearl tapioca, which is made from dried cassava.

tapioca flour – It is used as a thickening agent in the same way as you would use cornstarch.

pearl tapioca – It comes in several sizes and is available either “regular” or “instant” and it used to thicken custards, pie fillings, and puddings.

instant pearl tapioca – It is what is mostly available in supermarkets, whereas other forms of tapioca can be obtained in health food stores, Asian, or Hispanic markets.

tapioca pudding –  History:  According to the MINUTE® Tapioca Company, tapioca pudding originated in 1894 by Susan Stavers, a Boston housewife, who took in boarders. Among them was an ailing sailor who had brought some cassava roots from his journeys. Hoping to soothe the sailor, she made a sweet and delicious tapioca pudding from the roots. To create a smoother consistency, Stavers took the sailor’s suggestion of putting the tapioca through the coffee grinder. The pudding turned out smooth, and Susan received rave reviews from her boarders. Soon news of her dessert spread, and Stavers was regularly grinding tapioca, packing it in paper bags and selling it to the neighbors.

John Whitman, a newspaper publisher heard of this wonderful recipe, bought the rights to Susan’s process and the MINUTE® Tapioca Company was born. It became part of the General Foods family in 1926 and part of Kraft Foods, Inc. in 1989.

tartar, tartare (tar-ter) -

(1) Tartar sauce – refers to the sauce made of mayonnaise dressing with chopped pickles that is commonly served with seafood. Also called “sauce tartare” in other countries. In French, it is loosely translated as ‘rough,’ as the Tartars were considered rough, violent, and savage.

(2) Steak Tartare – When tartare follows the word steak, this dish typically consists of raw ground beef or beef chopped finely and mixed with spices and topped with a raw egg and bits of raw onion.

History: Both tartar sauce and steak tartare came into English from French, but both terms originate with the Tartars associated with the Mongol invaders in medieval times. We don’t know if those rough and ready folks were once reputed to eat raw meat or to relish a piquant dressing, but we do know that the tartar in both terms recognizes the Turkic peoples.

tarte tatin (tart tah-TAN) – A famous French upside-down apple tart made by covering the bottom of a shallow baking dish with butter and sugar, then apples and finally a pastry crust. While baking the sugar and butter create a delicious caramel that becomes the topping when the tart is inverted onto a serving plate. There is one rule for eating Tarte Tatin, which is scrupulously observed. It must be served warm, so the cream melts on contact. To the French, a room temperature Tarte Tatin isn’t worth the pan it was baked in.

History: two French sisters, Carolina and Stephine Tatin, created the tart. The sisters lived in Lamotte-Beuvron, a small rural town in the Loire Valley, owned and ran the hotel called “l’Hotel TATIN” in the late 1800s. The elder sister, Stéphanie, dealt with the kitchen. She was a particularly fine cook but was not the brightest of people. Her specialty was an apple tart, served perfectly crusty, caramelized and which melted in the mouth. One day during the hunting season, during the midday scramble, Stephanie placed her tart in the oven the wrong way round. The pastry and apples were upside-down but, nevertheless, she served this strange dessert without giving it time to cool. The French call this dessert “tarte des demoiselles Tatin – the tart of two unmarried women named Tatin.”

tasso (TAH-soh) – Tasso is yet another example of the Cajun and Creole desire for unique flavor in a recipe. Tasso is a dried smoked product that is seasoned with cayenne pepper, garlic and salt and heavily smoked. The word tasso is believed to have come from the Spanish work “tasajo” which is dried, cured beef. Although this delicacy is often thinly sliced and eaten alone, it is primarily used as a pungent seasoning for vegetables, gumbos, and soups. Today in South Louisiana, tasso is becoming a popular seasoning for new and creative dishes. It has also gained wide acclaim as a hors d’oeuvre served with dipping sauces or fruit glazes.

tea (tee) – True tea, also known as traditional or China tea, comes from one plant, a camellia-like bush native to Asia. Listed below are some of the more common teas:

Black tea – The most common form of tea worldwide. It is prepared from green tea leaves which have been allowed to oxidize or ferment in order to form a reddish brew.

Darjeeling tea – Tea grown in the Darjeeling region, a mountainous area around the Himalayas of India. These (generally black) teas are well known for their crisp astringency.

Earl Grey tea – Unfermented, dried tea, more commonly found in China and Japan.

Jasmine tea – Black tea scented with jasmine flowers. It is typically made with green Pouchong teas as the base.

Oolong tea – A form of tea characterized by lighter brews and larger leaf styles. This tea is typically understood as a lightly fermented tea, between green and black tea.

Orange pekoe tea – Referring to the size of leaf, not quality of flavor, this term indicates a larger-size grade of whole leaf teas.

tempeh (tehm-pay) – Another product of soybean fermentation, tempeh is usually sold frozen or refrigerated and needs to be cooked before eating. Steam or simmer it in water for about twenty minutes before using in recipes. You can skip this step if you add tempeh to long-cooking stews or soups. Tempeh has a firm texture and a flavor similar to mushrooms. It can be sliced or cubed and used in sandwiches, on kabobs, in stews and chilis, or added to stir-frys, and casseroles.

temper – (1) To slowly bring up the temperature of a cold or room temperature ingredient by adding small amounts of a hot or boiling liquid. Adding the hot liquid gradually prevents the cool ingredient (such as eggs) from cooking or setting. The tempered mixture can then be added back to hot liquid for further cooking. This process is used most in making pastry cream and the like.

(2) To bring chocolate to a state in which it has snap, shine, and no streaks. Commercially available chocolate is already tempered but this condition changes when it is melted. Tempering is often done when the chocolate will be used for candy making or decorations. Chocolate must be tempered because it contains cocoa butter, a fat that forms crystals after chocolate is melted and cooled. Dull gray streaks form and are called “bloom.” The classic tempering method is to melt chocolate until it is totally without lumps. One third of the chocolate is then poured onto a marble slab, and then spread and worked back and forth with a metal spatula until it becomes thick and reaches a temperature of about 80 degrees F. The thickened chocolate is then added back to the remaining 2/3 melted chocolate and stirred. The process is repeated until the entire mixture reaches 88 to 92 degrees F. for semisweet chocolate, 84 to 87 degrees F. for milk or white chocolate.

tempura (tem-pura) – A Japanese method of preparing deep-fried foods. To prepare tempura, raw foods (seafood or fresh vegetables) are all cut up and then dipped in a batter made of egg yolks, flour, oil and water. They are then dropped into boiling oil until brown.

History: It is thought that Saint Francis Xavier introduced this style of cooking to the Orient in the 16th century. He and his retinue of monks subsisted on these fritters while observing the Church’s fast days when eating meat was strictly forbidden.

Teppanyaki – Teppanyaki is a Japanese term for grilling meats and poultry. Grilled meats are very popular in Japan, and are found at many street vendors and restaurants. This style is familiar to United States diners (typified by the Benihana restaurant chain) that was invented to take advantage of the tourist trade in Japan. It combined traditional grilling with western beef cuts to create “Japanese steak house.” Diners sit around a large metal griddle to watch an entertaining chef chop, flip, and cook beef, chicken, shrimp, and vegetables served with a soy sauce-citrus juice sauce (ponzu).

Karibayaki – Where a waitress cooks the meat on a slotted metal griddle.

Ishiyaki – Where a hot stone is used instead of a griddle and charcoal barbecuing technique. The meats are sometimes dipped in butter first, which is known as batayaki.

Okonomiyaki – Where each diner gets his or h er own small hibachi to individually prepared the meat as preferred.

Tex-Mex – The cultural blending of Southern Texas and Northern Mexico cuisine.

Texas Toast – Texas toast, as it is most often called, is toast served with lunch or dinner and usually larger in size and density then regular toast.  Of course this is served in Texas!

Thousand Island Dressing – It is made from bits of green olives, peppers, pickles, onions, hard-boiled eggs and other finely chopped ingredients.

thyme (TIME) – Thyme is considered by many herbalists as the very nearly perfect useful herb. There is believed to be about 100 species of thyme. All thymes are wonderfully aromatic. The Persians once nibbled fresh thyme as an appetizer. Some ancients Greeks thought thyme gave person courage.

tian (TYAHN) – A French word describing a shallow, earthenware casserole, as well as the food that it contains. A tian can be any of various dishes, but originally referred to a Provencal dish of gratined mixed vegetables.

timbale (TIHM-bubl) – A high-sided, drum-shaped mold that can taper toward the bottom. The food baked in the mold is usually a custard-based dish. It is un-molded before serving.

tiramisu (teara-mi-SUE) – In Italian, tiramisu means, “pick me up.” It is a popular Italian dessert, which combines layers of rum-soaked lady fingers (delicate cookies), zabaglione, (Italian custard), mascarpone cheese, and chocolate. It is also known as Tuscan Trifle. This is a simple dessert that is easy to make and doesn’t need to be cooked.

tisane (tih-ZAN) – Means a herbal tea in Europe. It has come to mean any drink made by infusing parts of an herb or a plant with boiling water. For thousands of years, herbs have been appreciated for their curative powers as an elixir and tonic. Mint, chamomile, ginseng, and rose hips are some of the more familiar plants used in making herbal teas in Europe.

toad-in-the-hole – A British dish consisting of a Yorkshire Pudding batter and cooked link sausages. When baked, the batter puffs up around the sausage. The best English sausages to use for this dish are Lincoln or Cumberland sausages.

History: The dish probably dates back to the 18th century. Batter puddings first appeared on the scene in the early 18th century as ovens became more prevalent (as opposed to simply cooking over an open fire). The best known today is Yorkshire pudding, but there are many variations on the theme. The first reference to sausages cooked in a baking tin with batter poured around them appears in The Diary of Joseph Turner (1754-1765). It was basically poor people’s food that depended on the quality of the sausages.

toast – (1) Bread that has been browned by a dry heat source. It is a French term, ultimately from a Latin words meant “to parch.”

(2) The drinking toast was first found around 1700, and the custom was said by writers at the time to be a recent one. It is “a person or thing in honor of whom people drink.” This term was originally used for a lady who was considered highly regarded. It was a figurative use of the “heat-browned bread” – so called because a woman so honored was said to give flavor to the drink comparable to that given to the toast.

toast points – Toasted bread slices, with crust cut off, cut into four diagonal (triangle) pieces.

toffee, toffy – A hard, chewy candy made by cooking sugar (brown sugar or molasses), water, and butter together. It is then pulled so that it becomes glossy, and then spread out on a well-buttered pan to thicken. It is then cut into portions. Toffee or toffy is the modern British name for the candy called taffy in the United States.  The British version is cooked longer and is harder than America’s version

History:  Perhaps the word is a corruption of the word “tafia” which is a West Indies rum distilled from molasses. Tafia is a cheaper version of rum. Using this theory, the candy would have been made from the syrup skimmed off the liquor during distillation.

In America, Taffy making is a social event and shouldn’t be made alone unless you’re a professional. Taffy brings two people together (husband and wife’s, parents and kids, friends, etc.) in a way no other candy can. It would be a tragedy to make taffy solo.

tofu (TOH-foo) – Made from soybean curd, tofu is rich in high-grade protein. It is a cheese-like food made by curdling fresh soymilk. The curds are pressed into cakes and textures vary from soft to firm depending on how much water is extracted during processing. It also has no cholesterol and is easily digestible. Tofu varieties include “cotton” and “silk,” firm and soft, respectively. Tofu is stored in water and should be thoroughly drained just before cooking. Changing the water daily will keep it fresh longer. In addition to being served chilled, tofu appears in soups, nabe (refers to a variety of communal one-pot meals), and simmered, and deep-fried dishes. Tofu was first made in China approximately 2000 years ago. Tofu can be used in place of sour cream, yogurt, or mayonnaise in dips, spreads, and salad dressings. It can also be used as a meat extender by mixing it with ground meat before shaping into loaves or patties.

tomatillo (TOM-a-tea-yo) – They are also called tomate verde in Mexico, which means, “green tomato” and they are considered a staple in Mexican cooking. It now grows everywhere in the Western Hemisphere and is common in Texas gardens. This compact fruit, about the size of a cherry tomato, grows to maturity inside of a husk. They can range in size from about an inch in diameter to the size of apricots. They are covered by a papery husk, which may range from the pale green color of the fruit itself to a light grocery-bag brown. The husks are inedible and should be removed before use.

tomato (tuh-MAY-toh; tuh-MAH-toh) – One of the best things about summer is biting into a sweet, vine-ripened tomato. It is believed that tomatoes were introduced from South America to Europe in the 1500s. The Aztecs, according to a contemporary account, mixed tomatoes with chilies and ground squash seeds, a combination that sounds a lot like the world’s first recipe for salsa. Tomatoes arrived in Europe from central and northern America. Pietro Andrea Mattioli who gives an accurate description and calls them pomi d’oro dates the first mention of tomatoes in Italy 1544.

At the beginning, the tomato plant was not accepted so readily, as it was believed to be poisonous-so much so that in 1820 the state of New York passed a law banning the consumption of tomatoes. This belief was proven to be false by Mr. Robert Gibbon Johnson who took a bagful of tomatoes in a courtroom in Salem, New Jersey and ate the entire bagful before an incredulous public. Some people, believing tomatoes to be poisonous, fully expected him to flop over dead and it is reported some older ladies became incontinent and young women fainted from the tension.

Debate has centered over whether the tomato is a vegetable or a fruit. In 1887, the question went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in Nix vs. Hedden. The real issue was money and protection for American growers; if tomatoes were vegetables, they could be taxed when imported under the Tariff Act of 1883. It was decided that tomatoes are fruits, but the courts ruled on the side of American farmers. Botanically speaking, tomatoes are the fruit of a vine, like cucumbers, squashes, beans, and peas. But in the common language of the people, all these are vegetables, which are grown in backyard gardens and are usually served with dinner and not, like fruits, as dessert.

torte (tohrt) – Torte is the German word for “cake.” It is a cake that uses groundnuts as the predominant dry ingredient in place of most or sometimes all of the flour. Although they may be single layered, tortes are often sliced into several layers and filled with whipped cream, jam, or butter cream. Tortes make a great dessert for the Jewish holiday of Passover, when flour can’t be used.

tortellini (tohr-tl-Eennee) – A filled pasta that has been twisted to form a ring usually two inches in diameter. They are stuffed with meat, vegetables, or most commonly, cheese.

tortilla (tore-TEE-yu) – (1) In Spain it is an omelet; (2) In Tex-Mex cooking, it is a round, unleavened thin bread made of either corn flour or wheat flour. Tortillas in Mexico almost always mean corn tortillas.

tournedos (TOOR-nih-doh) – It is a beef steak cut from the tenderloin, measuring ¾- to 1-inch thick and 2- to 2 ½-inches in diameter. Because they tend to be very lean, tournedos are often wrapped in pork fat or bacon prior to grilling or broiling. The classic way to serve them is on fried bread rounds and topped with a mushroom sauce.

Trattoria – Traditionally, a trattoria in Italy, is considered one notch below a “ristorante” in price and fanciness of surroundings. An informal atmosphere. Sometimes are considered “holes-in-the-walls.”

Treacle (TREE-kuhl) – A term used in Great Britian for the syrupy by-product created during sugar refining. Treacle is the sticky fluid remaining after sugar cane has been processed. In many recipes molasses can be substituted if treacle is unavailable.

Black treacle – It is a very dark-hues residue created during the process of sugar refining. This is a British product that is similar but somewhat more bitter tasting than molasses.

Light treacle – It contains fewer imputities than the dark variety and has a lighter flavor. It is also called golden syrup.

Tres Leches Cake – Also called Three-Milk Cake. A dense, moist cake topped with a cloud of vanilla whipped cream. What makes it unusual is that after baked, it is soaked in a mixture of three different milk products: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk or heavy cream, hence the name Tres Leches. The three milks, when combined, create just the right sweetness, density and “mouth feel” for a rich cake, making it moist but not mushy.

trifle (TRI-fuhl) – It is a cake well soaked with sherry and served with boiled custard poured over it. The English call this cake a Tipsy Cake or Pudding and Tipsy Hedgehog. The word “trifle” comes from the Old French “trufle,” and literally means something whimsical or of little consequence.

trinity – Trinity is a Louisiana Cajon/Creole seasoning trio which is an equal combination of onion, bell pepper, and celery.

tripe – Tripe refers to the lining of an animal’s stomach.

Tri-tip roast – It is a Californian term. The meat for this cut is taken from the middle meat across the back, just ahead of the hindquarters. Tri-tip roasts will vary from 1 1/2 to 2 pounds and are about two inches thick. While tri-tip is pretty much unknown east of California, asking for the “bottom sirloin butt” would tell a butcher what you were looking for, even if he couldn’t deliver it. It also is called “triangular” roast because of its shape.

History: Tri-tip became popular in the 1950s in Santa Maria, California, when it was known as “Santa Maria tri-tip,” appropriate because of its triangular shape, not to mention the site of its discovery. Apparently that is any number of claimants in Santa Maria for the title of Discoverer of Tri-tip.

Trattoria – Traditionally, a trattoria in Italy, is considered one notch below a “ristorante” in price and fanciness of surroundings (an informal atmosphere). A trattoria is sometimes considered “holes-in-the wall.”

Truffle (TRUHF-uhl) –

(1) A chocolate truffle is a confection made with chocolate, butter or cream, and other flavorings, such as liquers or coffe, rolled into a ball and often coated with cocoa, nuts, or more chocolate. They were named “truffles” because the finished candy somewhat resembled the famous fungus.

(2) The truffle is a fungus that grows from 3 to 12 inches underground near the roots of trees (usually oak, but also chestnut, hazel, and beech), never beyond the range of the branches. It is a tuber of unusual flavor and aroma, and is mainly round in shape, arrive in various sizes and are black, brown, white, and sometimes gray in color. There are 70 varieties of truffles, 32 of which are found in Europe. It is savored in Italian and French cookery, and due to its scarcity, draws a very high price. They are highly prized for their exceptional flavors.

The high price of truffles, is due to the methodically slow and labor intensive harvesting process which involves the use of specially trained animals to root out the hard to find fungus. As truffles grow under the earth, they are located using the sensitive noses of specially trained dogs, which carefully dig them up with their paws. These dogs are referred as “tabui”, which strangely enough means “bastards”.

History: A Piemontese chef by the name of Giacomo Morra is credited with having been first to put truffles on the table.

Black truffle – These are the truffles of Perigord, often called black diamonds. They are the black diamonds” of French cuisine. They are the most revered truffle and have a black flesh with a network of white veins inside. The black truffle requires cooking to allow the flavors to be fully achieved. They are in season from January to March.

White truffle – These are the truffles of Piedmont, often called autumn truffles or fruit of the woods. The white truffle is best when shaved directly on the dish before eating. Their season is from October to December.

Truffle oil – Truffle oil is extra-virgin olive oil that is infused with the essence of gourmet mushrooms. It is the most economical way to enjoy the flavor of truffles; a drop or two of this oil will enhance sauces, pastas, and salads.

truss – To secure food (usually poultry or game) with string, pins, or skewers so that it maintains a compact shape during cooking. Trussing allows for easier basting during cooking.

tube pan – It is a round pan with deep sides and a hollow center tube. Used for baking cakes, especially angel food cake and sponge cake. The tube promotes even baking for the center of the cake.

tuile (TWEEl) – French for “tile.”  A tuile is a thin, crisp cookie that is placed over a rounded object (like a rolling pin or a mold) while still hot from the oven. Once cooled and stiff, the cookie resembles a curved roof tile. The classic tuile is made with crushed almonds but the cookie can also be flavored with orange, lemon, vanilla or other nuts. Tuiles belong to a category of small fancy cookies, pastries, or confections called “petits fours.”

tuna - (1) Tuna is a member of the mackerel family and can reach a length of 5 to 6 feet and weight anywhere from 20 to as high as 1,500 pounds. They travel in schools and spend the winter at the bottom of the ocean. When spring comes, they rise to the surface (near the shore where there is warmer water to spawn). The four varieties of tuna used for canning are the albacore tuna, the yellow fin, the blue fin, and the striped tuna. They vary in color, and the flesh may be white, pink, or darkish tan.

(2) Refers to a refreshing fruit, which grows on Nopal Cactus (Opuntia). In some parts of the world, they are called prickly pear fruit or cactus pears. They are about the size of a large kiwi fruit and are usually pale green or crimson red in color. The large number of seeds inside is edible. You see them in parts of the United States, Greece, India and Australia.

turbinado sugar – Turbinado sugar is a form of raw sugar which has been steamed-cleaned. It has larger grains than granulated sugar. It has a molasses flavor and the color is lighter than brown sugar.

Turducken  - It is a 15-16 pound de-boned turkey (except for wing bones and drumsticks), a fully hand de-boned duck, and a fully hand de-boned chicken, all rolled into one and stuffed with lots of delicious stuffing (Three kinds of stuffing are layered between the three kinds of meat). This regional delight has become one of the latest food fads. From the outside it looks like a turkey, but when you cut through it, you see a series of rings making up the three birds and stuffing.

Uniq Fruit – This citrus fruit has various, odd shapes and its skin is pot-marked. It is a cross between a mandarin orange and a Pomelo (the original grapefruit). The crop isn’t large and its limited supply makes it expensive. The only problem is that by the time you learn to enjoy them, they are gone from the markets. They have a very short season and are available from December to April.

Umami  (oo-MOM-mee) – Sweet, bitter, salty and sour are what we all learned as the four basic tastes.  Now a fifth element of taste has been identified called umami. Umami is the Japanese word for “delicious” or “savory” but is regarded as broth-like or meaty tasting in Western cultures. The umami taste is most common in Asian foods, soups and stews, mushrooms, tomatoes and aged meats and cheeses. The most direct way most Americans have experienced this taste is in sautéed mushrooms as glutamate is abundant in all mushrooms. Other glutamate-rich foods include tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, soy sauce, bonito flakes, and kelp.

The umami taste is conveyed by several substances naturally occurring in foods, including glutamate, better known in the west as monosodium glutamate (MSG). The artful use of umami can make mediocre fare taste better and good food taste great. It’s sometimes associated with a feeling of perfect quality in a taste, or of some special emotional circumstance in which a taste is experienced. It is also said to involve all the senses, not just that of taste.

History:  Umami was first identified by Oriental cooks over 1200 years ago. It wasn’t until the turn of 20^th century that scientist’s isolated glutamate and other substances, which convey this distinctive flavor. In 1908, Kikunae Ikeda of the Tokyo Imperial University identified it. Professor Ikeda found that glutamate had a distinctive taste, different from sweet, sour, bitter and salty, and he named it “umami”.

unleavened (uhn-LEHV-uhnd) – The word which describes any baked good that has no leavener, such as yeast, baking powder, or baking soda.

vanilla – Vanilla comes from the fruit of a thick tropical vine that is a member of the orchid family. It is often called “the orchid or commerce” because it is one of the two products of this enormous species with any significant commercial value. Interestingly, not only is the vanilla orchid devoid of scent, so is the vanilla pod or bean, which must be fermented or cured to develop the vanilla. Vanilla vines are indigenous to southeastern Mexico, the West Indies, Central America, and northern South America. Tiny humming birds and a bee called Melipona pollinates vanilla. When it was transplanted to other parts of the world it did not produce beans until it was discovered that the small orchid blooms could be pollinated by hand. The vines grow around trees and when the flowers fall, the bean stops growing, thus it is very important to keep the flower from falling. That is why in Mexico, it was grown under the jungle canopy to protect it from high winds and hurricanes common to the tropics. It is important not to over pollinate the vine because this will dry it out and kill it.

pure vanilla extract – Amber-colored liquid made from vanilla beans, alcohol, and water. May contain sugar. Must contain at least 35% alcohol, and is the extractive of 13.35 ounce of vanilla beans.

vanilla flavor – A mix of pure vanilla extract and other natural substances extracted from natural sources other than the vanilla bean.

imitation vanilla – A mixture made from synthetic substances, which imitate the pure vanilla extract smell and flavor.

cookie vanilla – A pure vanilla extract made from a blend of Tahitian and Madagascar vanilla beans, which the Cook Flavoring Company says, is ideal for making cookies.

History: It is not known with any certainty just how the vanilla bean was discovered as a flavor or how the techniques for processing vanilla were developed. But several tribes living the southeastern Mexico may have discovered vanilla at least 1,000 years ago. The Spanish conquistadors recorded its use by the Aztecs. Correll (1953) states the “Bernal Diaz, a Spanish officer under Hernando Cortes, was perhaps the first white man to take note of this spice when he observed Montezuma, the intrepid Aztec emperor, drink “chocolatl”, a beverage prepared from pulverized seeds of the cacao tree, flavored with ground vanilla beans which the Aztecs call “tlilxochitl”, derived from “tlilli”, meaning “black”, and from “xochitl” interpreted here as meaning “pod”. Vanilla beans were considered to be among the rarer tributes paid to the Aztec emperor by his subject tribes. Legend has it that Cortes in 1520 was given chocolate flavored with vanilla by Montezuma, served in golden goblets.

Bernardino de Sehagun, a Franciscan friar, who arrived in Mexico in 1529, wrote about vanilla, saying the Aztecs used it in cocoa, sweetened with honey, and sold the spice in their markets, but his work, originally written in the Aztec language, was not published until 1829-1830. The Spaniards early imported vanilla beans into Spain, where factories were established in the second half of the sixteenth century for the manufacture of chocolate flavored with vanilla.

Francicso Hernandez, who was sent to Mexico by Philip II of Spain, gave an illustrated account of vanilla in his Rerum Medicarum Novae Hispaniae Thesaurus, which was first published in Rome in 1651. In it he translated “tlilxochitl” as “black flowers’, a fallacy which Correll (1953) say remained in the literature for many years, although the flowers are greenish yellow in color.

Hugh Morgan, apothecary to Queen Elizabeth I of England, suggested vanilla as a flavoring in its own right. He gave some cured beans to the Flemish botanist, Carolas Clusius, in 1602 and the latter describes them in his Exoticorum Libri Decem of 1605. William Dampier observed vanilla growing in 1626 in the Bay of Campeche in southern Mexico and in 1681 at Boco-Toro in Costa Rica. Formerly, vanilla was used in medicine, as a nerve stimulant, and along with other spices had a reputation as an aphrodisiac. It was also used for scenting tobacco.

The plant appears to have been taken to England prior to 1733 and was then lost (Purseglove, 1972). It was re-introduced by the Marquis of Blandford at the beginning of the nineteenth century and flowered in Charles Greville’s collection at Paddington in 1807; Greville supplied cuttings to the botanic gardens in Paris and Antwerp. Two plants were sent from Antwerp to Buitenzorg (Bogor), Java, in 1819, only one of which survived the journey. It flowered in 1825, but did not fruit. Plants were taken to Reunion and from there to Mauritius in 1827. Vanilla was taken to the Malagasy Republic about 1840.

Although the plants grew well in the Old World tropics, fruits were not produced because of the absence of natural pollinators. It was not until Professor Charles Morren of Liege discovered the artificial means of pollination for the production of capsules in 1836 and Edmond Albius, a former slave in Reunion, developed a practical method of artificial pollination in 1841, and which is still used, that commercial production was possible in the eastern hemisphere away from the center of origin.

Thomas Jefferson discovered vanilla during his stay in France. When he found that there wasn’t any vanilla in Philadelphia (the capital at that time), he wrote to William Short (the American charge d’affaires in Paris) to send him 50 pods wrapped in the middle of a packet of newspapers. After they arrived, Philadelphia had the reputation for the finest vanilla ice cream in the world.

Veal Oscar – A classic Swedish dish. Traditional preparation for Veal Oscar has veal medallions topped with crabmeat and asparagus and a little béarnaise sauce.

History:  Historians agree that Veal Oscar was named in honor of King Oscar II (1829-1907), king of Sweden and Norway who liked to have veal prepared in a similar way.

Vegemite – Vegemite is considered as much a part of Australia’s heritage as kangaroos and the Holden cars. It is actually an Australian obsession that has become a unique and loved symbol of the Australian nation. A Vegemite sandwich to an Australian kid is the equivalent of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to an American kid – but the taste is QUITE different! Australian children are brought up on Vegemite from the time they’re babies. It is said that Australians are known to travel all over the world with at least one small jar of Vegemite in their luggage, for fear that they will not be able to find it.

Vegemite is one of several yeast extract spreads sold in Australia. It is made from leftover brewers’ yeast extract (a by-product of beer manufacture) and various vegetable and spice additives. It is very dark reddish-brown, almost black, in color. It’s thick like peanut butter, it’s very salty, and it tastes like – well let’s just say that it is an acquired taste!

vegetable oil – This is an expensive and an all-purpose blend of oils made from plant sources such as vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Most vegetable oils are made from soybeans and are high in polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat but low in saturated fat.

vegetable shortening – Vegetable oil (soybean or cottonseed) that is hydrogenated so it will be a solid fat. It is 100 percent fat with no water, milk fat, or other solids added. It is nearly flavorless and is used for imparting flakiness and tenderness.

veloute sauce (veh-loo-TAY) – Also called sauce blanche grasse or fat white sauce, rich white sauce. One of the five “mother sauces.” It is a stock-based white sauce that can be made from chicken, veal, or fish stock thickened with white roux. See Mother Sauces for more information.

allemande sauce – Veal veloute with egg yolk and cream liaison.

supreme sauce – Chicken veloute reduced with heavy cream.

vin blanc sauce – Fish veloute with shallots, butter, and fines herbs.

verjus, verjuice (vair-ZHOO) – Verjus is a French term that when translated into English mean “green juice.” It is a medieval condiment that was once a staple of French provincial cooking and is now enjoying a worldwide revival. Verjus is made from semi-ripe and unfermented wine grapes. The grapes are hand-picked from the vine during a period called veraison, when the grapes change in color and the berries begin to soften enough to press. Sugars at this harvest can range between 13 and 15 brix. Because verjus is made from wine grapes and shares the same acid-base as wine, it is an elegant and delicate alternative to vinegar and lemon juice as it is  “wine friendly” and will not distort the essence of the wine you serve.

vermouth (ver-MOOTH) – All vermouths, both white and red, are made from white wine that is flavored with aromatic herbal extracts and spices. Dry vermouth is white and contains less sugar than red vermouth. It can be served as an aperitif. White vermouth can be substituted for dry white wine in cooking.

vinaigrette (vihn-uh-GREHT) – A sauce made with vinegar or a combination of vinegar, oil, and seasonings.

vinegar (VIN-ih-ger) – Vinegar is a natural product. It’s simply fermented fruit juice that’s become acidic. Vinegar is one of the oldest fermented food products known to man (predated only by wine and possibly by certain fermented foods made from milk). The word “vinegar” is derived from the French word “vin” (meaning wine) and “aigre” (means “sour”), indicating that it first occurred naturally from the spoilage of wine. It was the soldiers of Caesar’s army who filled the hills of Dijon France with mustard seeds and who helped name vinegar. It is said that the conquered French called Roman wine that had fermented “vinaigre,” meaning, “sour wine.” The Babylonians in 5,000 B.C. made vinegar as an end produce of a wine from the date palm. The Chinese also made vinegar from rice wine, 3,000 years ago. Since that time, vinegar has been used as a condiment, a food preservative, a medicinal agent, a primitive antibiotic, and even as a household cleaning agent. Vinegars are made from a variety of ingredients, including wine, beer, hard cider, and grain alcohol. All vinegars are made be the same process – fermentation. Under the right conditions, specific bacteria convert the alcohol in wine, beer, or other alcoholic liquid into acetic acid. The best vinegars ferment naturally and are then aged in wooden casks to develop complex and intense flavors. Some producers bypass the slow fermentation process with heat and chemicals.

distilled white vinegar – Made from a grain-alcohol mixture, it is commercially processed from grain alcohol. This vinegar is used widely in processed foods and preserves.

wine vinegars – These are made from red, white or champagne wines.

fruit and herb vinegars – These are wine vinegars that have been infused with other ingredients.

sherry vinegar – Made from sherry wine and is aged for a minimum of 6 years in a network of oak barrels.

authentic balsamic vinegar – See balsamic vinegar.

commercial balsamic vinegar – Is actually red-wine vinegar fortified with concentrated grape juice and sometimes caramelized sugar.

white balsamic vinegar – Cooked down grape juice is added to ordinary white wine vinegar to give it an amber color and slightly sweet flavor.

cider vinegar – It is milder and sweeter than most wine vinegars. Good cider vinegar is slightly cloudy, like fresh cider, and has a fruity, apple flavor.

rice vinegar – It is also called rice-wine vinegar. It is made from grain and not grapes. Japanese rice vinegar is milder and sweeter than the Chinese that tends to be more acidic and sharp. Look for “pure” rice vinegar to avoid those that are seasoned or sweetened.

Malt vinegar – It is traditionally made from beer and is sometimes colored with caramel and infused with wood shavings.

vol-au-vent (vawl-oh-ven) - A French term that means “flying in the wind,” which refers to the pastry’s lightness. It is a classic French puff pastry shell or cup with a lid that can be filled with a cream-sauce mixture with meat or vegetables. Also filled with fruit/custard mixture as a dessert. The shells can range in size from small individual ones to eight-inch ones. Can be served as an appetizer or an entree.

 History:  Said to have been created by French chef, Marie Antoine Carême (1784–1833). Careme, who considered the normal pastry used in the making of pie too ordinary and not fancy enough to be presented at the luxurious banquets of the time, created this light and airy pastry that “flew with the Wind when if left the oven.

Waffle (WAHF-fuhl) – A crisp, pancake-like batter product that is cooked in a specialized iron that gives the finished product a textured pattern, usually a grid. Also a special vegetable cut which produces a grid or basket weave pattern.

Waldorf salad – Also called Waldorf Astoria Salad. A classic American fruit salad that usually consists of apples, lemon juice, celery, walnuts, and mayonnaise.

History:  To learn about the history of the Waldorf Salad, check out History of Salads and Salad Dressings.

Walnut – One of the most valuable of nuts. The two most popular varieties of walnut are the English and the Black Walnut. English walnuts are the most widely available and are available year-round. Walnuts also make fragrant, flavorful oil.

History: Walnuts have been recognized as one of the oldest tree foods known to man, dating back to about 7000 B.C. Considered food for the gods in the early days of Rome, walnuts were named “Juglans regia” in honor of Jupiter. Today, they are commonly called “English” walnuts, in reference to the English merchant marines whose ships once transported the product for trade to ports around the world. Historians prefer the name “Persian” walnuts, referring to Persia, the birthplace of walnuts. The Franciscan Fathers are credited with bringing walnuts to California from Spain or Mexico. The first commercial planting began in 1867 when Joseph Sexton, an orchardist and nurseryman in the Santa Barbara County town of Goleta, planted English walnuts.

Walnut oil – An expensive and strongly flavored (nutty) oil, which is popular in Middle Eastern cooking, sauces, main dishes, and baked goods. It is often blended with more mildly flavored oils. To prevent rancidity, refrigeration is best.

Wasabi, wasabe (wah-sah-bee) – A member of the same family as horseradish and is very similar in flavor (less harsh and more aromatic). Wasabi is mainly used with sushi and sashimi in Japanese cooking. The root is usually grown on a small scale and is an expensive luxury. What is usually served in Japanese restaurants as wasabi, is really a paste made from wasabi powder. Wasabi is now being grown outside of Japan in Oregon, Taiwan, and New Zealand. Your better or high-end Japanese restaurants are using the “real thing.” Wasabi is a highly valued plant in Japanese cuisine, used primarily as a condiment for seafood dishes. More recently it has found widespread appeal in western cuisine due to its unique flavor. Used as an ingredient in dressings, dips, sauces, and marinades, wasabi is a versatile spice and is rapidly becoming one of the most popular new flavors. Wasabi, if used as a fresh spice, has a heat component that unlike chili peppers is not long lived on the palette and subsides into an extremely pleasant, mild vegetable that even people normally adverse to hot food enjoy. It is also called Japanese horseradish.

Wasabi powder – This is not real wasabi. The customary ingredients in the powdered version are horseradish powder (dried and ground regular horseradish), mustard powder, cornstarch, and artificial color (blue and yellow). It’s convenient and inexpensive but tastes nothing like real wasabi.

Wassail – Wassail is an ancient beverage and toast coming from the time in England when the Saxon lords and ladies cried out “waes hael,” meaning “Be of good health.” Originally, wassail was a beverage made of mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, nuts, eggs, and spices. In some parts of Britain it is still customary to perform the tradition, though the type of ceremony performed varies from one region to the next. As a result, no one knows exactly how many types of wassailing ceremonies exist; however, three of the most popular are wassail in the hall, wassail door to door and wassail in the orchards.

History: The custom of wassail originated as a pagan agricultural festival to help increase the yield of apple orchards. During the Christmas season, a procession of people would visit selected trees from the various orchards and either sprinkle the wassail mixture or break a bottle of it against the trunk. From this came the custom in England to drink a toast of “wassail” or “health” from a great punch bowl filled with hot ale spiced with nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Traditionally it was served in wooden bowls and loving cups or poured from “Susans.” Over the centuries, a great deal of ceremony had developed around the custom of drinking wassail. The bowl is carried into a room with great fanfare, a traditional carol about the drink is sung, and finally, the steaming hot beverage is served.

It became popular for carolers to go from house to house singing. At each stop they were treated to a cup of wassail (some historians think that the carolers brought the wassai with them). Some framers began bringing wassail bowls into the barnyard to toast the health of their cattle, fruit trees, and fields.

Water chestnuts – A walnut-sized bulb covered by a tough russet-colored skin. In China they are eaten raw, boiled plain in their jackets, peeled and simmered with rock sugar, or candied. Except in the southern China, they are never used in cooking. In the U.S., water chestnuts are popular as an ingredient in cooked dishes. They re available fresh or in cans, either whole or sliced.

Watermelon – Watermelon has been popular throughout the world, beginning with the Egyptians more than 5,000 years ago. It is said that explorer David Livingstone found watermelon vines in the Kalahari Desert in the 1850s. Many historians theorize that watermelons could also have originated in the U.S., since French explorers found Native Americans growing watermelons in the Mississippi Valley. According to a number of sources, watermelon ripeness is primarily determined by three things: the fruit feels heavy for its size, its skin has a healthy sheen, and the underside of the fruit (where it sat on the ground) has turned a pale, buttery yellow. Look for watermelons that are symmetrical and free of bruises, cuts, and dents.

Waxy-rice flour – Also called sweet-flour, this flour is ground from waxy-rice and is used extensively in frozen foods. Waxy-rice flour is able to withstand syneresis during freezing and thawing. This resistance to liquid separation is attributed to its high amyl pectin content.

Wheat berries – They are the hulled whole kernels of wheat from which flour is milled.

Wheat germ – It is the inner part of the wheat kernel. It is a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, and protein. It adds a nutty flavor to baked goods and can be sprinkled over breakfast cereals, yogurt, or fruit.

Whitebait fish – There are nearly 100 species of whitebait around the world. In England the term often refers to sprats, in America silverside, and in Japan young sea perch. Whitebait are minute-size, thread-like, almost transparent, and very tender fish, which owing to their size you eat whole. Always wash and drain prior to cooking.

White confectionery coating – The technical name for white chocolate. According to the FDA, “white chocolate” cannot legally be called chocolate because it contains no cocoa powder, a component of chocolate. True chocolate contains pulverized roasted cocoa bean, consisting of cocoa butter and cocoa solids. White chocolate contains no cocoa solids and thus technically is “white confectionery coating.” Beware–some white confectionery coatings don’t even contain cocoa butter. Even in “real” white chocolate the chocolate flavor is subtle at best, being to real chocolate what white soul is to soul.

Wild rice – Wild rice is an annual aquatic grass, which produces an edible seed. It grows in the shallows of lakes and rivers throughout eastern and north central North America. Native North Americans have harvested and eaten wild rice for centuries. Since they first presented wild rice to the early North American explorers and fur traders, this unusual cereal grain (the only one native to North America) has been prized for its distinctive natural flavor and texture. Natural stands of wild rice grow in the clear lakes of northern Manitoba. Preserved wild rice grains have been found at North American archeological sites. These findings seem to indicate that wild rice has been an important North American native food for at least 1,000 years.

Wonton, won ton (WAHN-tahn) – Wonton literally means, “swallowing a cloud” in Chinese. They are a very popular Chinese delicacy. They are small shapes of very thinly rolled dough, filled with sweet or savory mixtures. The size and shape of wontons, and the type of filling used, vary according to the different culinary traditions in each region of China. They may be boiled, steamed, or deep-fried and served as an appetizer, snack, or side dish (usually with several sauces).

Worcestershire sauce (WOOS-tuhr-shuhr) – A condiment that was developed in India by the British. This thin, dark, spicy sauce got its name from the city where it was first bottled, Worcester, England. It is used to season meats, gravies, and soups. The formula usually includes soy sauce, onions, molasses, lime, anchovies, vinegar, garlic, tamarind, as well as other spices. The exact proportions of the ingredients remain the manufacturer’s secret.

XXX, XXXX, 10X – An indicator on a box of confectioners’ sugar of how many times it has been ground. The higher the number of X’s the finer the grind.

Yeast (yeest) – Yeast is alive! It is a microscopic, single-cell organism that, as it grows and ferments, produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide bubbles get trapped in the gluten strands of bread, causing it to rise. The most commonly available form is active dry yeast; the tiny organisms are dehydrated, and therefore dormant due to the lack of moisture. Yeast should be “proofed” (or “activated”) in water heated to approximately 110 degrees F.

Active dry yeast – A granular powder used to leaven bread. Available in 1/4 oz. pkg. or jars. Store in a cool, dry place and use before the expiration date. Store jars of yeast in the refrigerator after opening.

Compressed yeast – Also known as “cake” or “fresh” yeast. Available in 2 oz. cakes in the Dairy Department. Store in the refrigerator.

Quick rise yeast – Also called rapid rise yeast. Quick rising yeast can replace active dry yeast in practically any bread recipe, except sourdough starter, pastry, and croissants. Quick rise yeast makes dough rise approximately in a third less time than active dry yeast.

yogurt, yoghurt (YOH-gert) – The word is Turkish. It is a dairy product made from milk curdled with bacteria. Recipes that most often call for yogurt are East Indian, Balkan, Russian, and Middle Eastern in origin. Cooks in those areas use yogurt in marinades and sauces. Because of its acidity, yogurt can be used to marinate and tenderize meats (as it often is used in India and the Middle East). Yogurt can also be used to bind ingredients loosely together, as in a sauce or salad dressing. Yogurts made in the U.S. are made of cow’s milk. Those of India and the Middle East are more likely to be of the richer goat, sheep, or yak milk.

Yorkshire Pudding (YORK-sheer) – First cousin to the popover, this is a traditional English accompaniment to roast beef. The batter for Yorkshire Pudding is exactly the same as a popover batter, but it is baked in roast beef drippings and becomes a main course “pudding.” It may be cooked in one large dish or in muffin tins as small individual puddings. It takes its name from England’s northern county of Yorkshire.

Zabaglione (zah-bahl-YOH-nay) – In Italian it means “egg punch.” It is a light, fluffy Italian dessert made from whisked egg yolks, sugar, a touch of salt, and wine (traditionally Marsala). The mixture is beaten over simmering water so that the egg yolks cook as they thicken. Traditional zabaglione must be made just before serving. There is also a frozen version. In France it is called sabayon.

zest – Grated zest is simply the grated rind (outer colored portion) from citrus fruits. It is used in cooking because the rind holds the precious oils where the entire flavor resides. To grate zest or rind, take a box grater and rub the fruit against the grater. Don’t rub the fruit down to the white inner skin, known as the pith, because the pith is bitter. When removing the skin from oranges or other citrus fruit, be sure to take only the thin outer zest or colored portion. The white pith will give your dish a bitter undertaste.

Zinfandel wine (ZIHN-fuhn-dehl) – A red wine grape that seemed to be indigenous to California for many years. It is now thought to have originated in Italy. The best Zinfandels are from Northern California and were grown for decades by Italian immigrants.

Zwieback (ZWI-bak) – The word is German for “twice baked.” They are dry toasted bread slices, long popular for their digestibility and often served to young children.