[continued from previous message]

GRAVLAX - Also called gravad lax. Scandinavian cured salmon. 'Gravad' literally means 'buried'. Originally, salmon and other fish was
'buried' in the ground, or under snow and ice, to preserve it and to
keep it cool. Now, the salmon is cured in salt-sugar-pepper-dill mixture
while under refrigeration.

GREEN ONIONS - see Scallions

GREEN SHALLOTS - an inaccurate but occasionally used name for Scallions.

GRILL - In the UK, the same as US broiler; in the US, a device for
cooking food over a charcoal or gas fire, outdoors. Also see Broiling.

GRITS - Usually a breakfast item in the US Southern region. Made from
the kernel of corn. When corn has been soaked in lye and the casing has
been removed it becomes Hominy. The lye is rinsed out very well and the
corn is left to harden. Then the swollen hominy is ground up to the
texture of tiny pellets. Grits are cooked very much like rice, i.e.
boiled in water, usually with some salt (except you must stir grits).
Butter is most commonly added after cooking. It's used as a side dish
for a good old fashioned Southern breakfast. Eggs are frequently mixed
in with the grits (after having been served separately). Sometimes they
are made with cheese and garlic for a casserole. They are also served
with gravy, shrimps, etc.

HABANERO PEPPER - A type of hot chili. The Scotch Bonnet Pepper is
similar.

HALF AND HALF - a mixture of half cream and half whole milk

HARD ROLLS - A sandwich type of roll that is a little crusty on the
outside and soft on the inside. Can be made with poppy seeds or sesame
seeds or plain. Often called a Kaiser roll.

HARICOT - bean, in French. Haricot blanc: white bean, usually dried.
H. gris: green string bean mottled with purplish black; also called
pélandron. H. rouge: red kidney bean. H. vert: green bean, usually
fresh, also called French bean.

HARISSA - Harissa is a paste of chilis and garlic used to enhance North
African food (and is fairly popular in other parts of the Mideast,
though it is probably of Berber origin). It is fairly similar to the Indonesian sambal olek.

HAZELNUTS - A small nut with a hard, glossy shell. Also known as
filberts.

HEAVY CREAM - see section 1.3

HERBES DE PROVENCE - A mixture of dried herbs widely used in (French)
cooking. Consists of thyme, oregano, summer savory and marjoram.
Bayleaf is often included, too. Depending on the dish, some or more of
the following can also be included: fennel, rosemary, basil, tarragon,
sage, lavender.

HIJIKI (HEE-JEE-KEE) - A type of dried black seaweed with an anise-type
flavour that's reconstituted in water and used as a vegetable in soups
and other dishes.

HING - Also known as asafoetida, and devil's dung. A light brown resin sometimes used as a substitute for garlic and onions, or in its own
right and not as a substitute for anything, it can be found in Indian groceries. Claimed properties : laxative, aphrodisiac, colic cure. A
required ingredient in the Indian Tadkaa - the small amount of oil used
to roast mustard seeds and similar other ingredients before adding them
to the main dish.

HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS - Also known as sprinkles or as nonpareils:
small round balls of multicoloured sugar used as toppings on cakes and desserts.

ICING SUGAR - US confectioner's sugar.

JICAMA (HEE-KAH-MAH) - Often referred to as the Mexican potato, it's a
large root vegetable with a thick brown skin and white crunchy flesh
with a slightly sweet flavour. It should be peeled before eating raw or boiling to cook. Raw, it often appears in Mexican-style recipes for
salads.

KAFFIR LIME LEAVES - These leaves have a mysterious flora-citrus aroma.
They are used to liven up many Asian dishes, like soups.

KALAMATA OLIVES (kahl-uh-MAH-tuh) - An almond-shaped Greek olive that
has a rich fruity flavour; not at all like the commonly found tangy,
salty Spanish olives.

KASHA - A Russian word meaning porridge or gruel made from any kind
of cereal, the grain being either whole or variously split or cracked.
There are millet, semolina, oat, buckwheat, rice, etc., kashas. In the US-English, kasha, for some reason, came to mean buckwheat groats.

KETCHUP - Also called catsup. Today, ketchup is mostly tomato-based
condiment or sauce, but numerous other versions, such as mushroom or fruit-based ketchups, exist, too. Vinegar, spices and sugar are often
present in the ingredient lists. According to the OED, both ketchup and
catsup are English variant spellings of the Chinese (Amoy dialect)
'keochiap' or 'ke-tsiap', 'brine of pickled fish or shellfish'.

KEY LIMES - Citrus fruit, about the size of golf balls, and round. The
fruits are pale yellow-green, the juice is yellow and very tart, more so
than standard limes. Grow in Florida, the Keys and other tropical
places in the Caribbean. Used in Key Lime Pie, with egg yolks and
condensed milk and in a Sunset Key with amaretto.

KIWANO (KEE-WAH-NOH) - This oval fruit has a bright yellow skin studded
with stubby "horns," which is why it's also called a horned melon. The
pulp is pale yellow-green with a jelly-like texture that tastes like a
tart combination of banana and cucumbers. Mostly eaten as a fresh
fruit.

LADYFINGERS - little, fairly dry, finger-shaped sponge cakes. "Ladies' fingers" is another name for okra.

LEMONADE - in the US, a drink made of lemon juice, sugar and water; in
the UK, a carbonated drink that doesn't necessarily contain anything
closer to a lemon than a bit of citric acid. Sprite (TM) and 7-Up (TM)
are examples of what would be called lemonade in many countries. I am
informed that in France and Belgium "limonade" is used as a general term
for soft drinks (Coke/Sprite/Fanta/etc.), although when I was in France
(1998) requesting du limonade always brought me something Sprite-like
(but usually much nicer). Perhaps it is regional, or people know that
when customers with shocking accents request "limonade" they definitely
mean lemonade.

LIMA BEAN - also called butter bean, Madagascar bean.

LOX - Brine-cured salmon, which may or may not be also cold-smoked.

MALANGA - the word used in the Spanish-speaking parts of the Caribbean
for Taro root (or a close relative of Taro). It is prepared by either
boiling and mashing like potatoes, or slicing and frying into chips. It
is also used in soups as a thickening agent.

MARROW - US summer squash. Also 'vegetable marrow'.

MASA HARINA - Masa is a paste made by soaking maize in lime (similar to
the method for preparing hominy) and then grinding it up. Masa harina
is the flour made by drying and powdering masa. It is used in Mexican
cooking for items such as corn tortillas. The literal meaning is "dough flour".

MASCARPONE - A soft Italian cheese (similar to cream cheese) with around
50% butterfat. An important ingredient in Tiramisu.

MELON - a family of fruits. All have a thick, hard, inedible rind,
sweet meat, and lots of seeds. Common examples: watermelon, cantaloupe
(aka rock melon).

MESCLUN (MEHS-KLUHN) - Also called salad mix and gourmet salad mix, it's
simply a potpourri of young, small salad greens.

MIRIN - sweetened sake (Japanese rice wine)

MIXED SPICE - A classic mixture generally containing caraway, allspice, coriander, cumin, nutmeg & ginger, although cinnamon & other spices can
be added. It is used with fruit & in cakes. (In America 'Pumpkin Pie
Spice' is very similar).

MOLASSES - see section 1.5

MUSTARD OIL - This spicy oil is extensively used in Bengali and some
other Indian cuisines. It is said that it is very hard, if not
impossible, to find good quality mustard oil outside of India. In the 'Western' countries, mustard oil is required to be sold with a "for
external use only" warning, since it contains allyl isothiocyanate and
erucic acid, both of which have been implicated in some health problems.
(This entry is based on Shankar Bhattacharyya's postings)

NAM PLA (NAHM-PLAH) - Popular in Thailand, this is a salty, fermented
fish sauce, made with anchovies, with an extremely strong odour. Also
known as nuoc nam in Vietnam and shottsuru in Japan, it is used as a
condiment.

NAVY BEAN - also called Boston bean, Great Northern bean, pea bean,
pearl haricot.

NOPALES (NOH-PAH-LAYS) - Long popular in Mexico, these fleshy oval
leaves are from the prickly pear cactus. They range in colour from pale
to dark green and have a delicate, slightly tart green-bean flavour.
Before use, the thorns must be removed with a vegetable peeler. The
flesh is cut into small pieces or strips, simmered in water until tender
and used in a variety of dishes, from scrambled eggs to salads.

NORI (NOH-REE) - These paper-thin sheets of dried seaweed can range in
colour from dark green to dark purple to black. They have a sweet ocean
taste and are popular at Japanese meals or are used to make sushi.

NUTELLA - A thick smooth paste made from chocolate and hazelnuts, made
by the Ferrero company of Italy. Doesn't seem to be particularly
easy/cheap to come by in much of the US, but in many countries it is inexpensive and common. Can be spread on plain biscuits (cookies),
bread, toast, pancakes, or just eaten from the jar. There are other
brands that produce a similar product, but Nutella seems to the best
known.

OKRA - a fruit of a plant of the cotton family, native to Africa.
Appears as "bindi" or "bhindi" in Indian cooking, and as "bamiya" or
similar in the Middle East. Also widely used in the south of the USA,
in such dishes as gumbo. Also called "ladies' fingers".

ORZO (OHR-ZOH) - In Italian this means "barley," but it's actually a
tiny, rice-shaped pasta, slightly smaller than a pine nut.

PANKO (PAHN-KOH) - Bread crumbs used in Japanese cooking for coating
fried foods. They're coarser than those normally used in the United
States and create a deliciously crunchy crust on foods.

PAVLOVA - A dessert (invented in NZ, not Australia :-) The main
ingredients are sugar and egg white. A pavlova has crisp meringue
outside and soft marshmallow inside, and has approximately the
dimensions of a deep dessert cake. Commonly pavlovas are topped with
whipped cream and fresh fruit, especially kiwi fruit, passion fruit or strawberries.

PAWPAW - Also called 'papaw'. Papaya, also persimmons in some places,
or even a third fruit, Asimina triloba. It's best to check with the
recipe author. The papaya is a tropical fruit; the persimmon is from
warm temperate areas; and Asimina triloba from cooler temperate areas.

PERIWINKLES - These small relatives of the whelk are "Littorina
littorea". Popular in Europe but not in US. Northern (New England)
"winkles" are a different species from those found in the Gulf of
Mexico.

POLENTA - same as cornmeal, also, a thick porridge made from cornmeal
(also known as 'cornmeal mush', 'mamaliga')

PORTOBELLO - see Cremini

POSOLE (POH-SOH-LEH) - The dried hominy that is used to make a thick,
hearty soup consisting of pork, garlic and dried chilies. The stew is
named for the dried hominy.

POUTINE - French fries with cheese curds and gravy.

POWDERED SUGAR - see section 1.5

PRIME RIB - In the USA, a popular term referring to a standing rib roast
of beef. "Prime" in the term refers to one of the primal cuts of beef
and not, as is often incorrectly assumed, to the USDA grade of beef.
This usage precedes the establishment of the US beef grading standards,
which explains the confusion. This is explicitly acknowledged by the
USDA in its publications. The USDA technical name for the cut is "beef
rib roast."

RADICCHIO (rah-DEE-kee-oh) - This red-leafed Italian chicory is most
often used in salads.

RAPESEED OIL - Neutral-tasting oil made from seeds of Brassica napus.
Also called rape oil and canola oil.

RHUBARB - Rhubarb should be cooked because cooking inhibits or destroys
the oxalic acid it contains. The oxalic acid in raw rhubarb or in
rhubarb leaves is toxic.

RISO (REE-SOH) - In Italian this means "rice", but also rice-shaped
pasta similar to orzo.

ROCK MELON - see Melon

ROCKY MOUNTAIN OYSTERS - Lamb or cattle testicles, breaded and deep
fried (like oysters, I guess).

SAMBAL ULEK (SAMBAL OELEK) - A paste made by crushing red chillies with
a little salt. Can be made by crushing chopped de-seeded chillies in a
mortar with salt, or purchased at some delicatessens or Asian food
stores.

SANTEN/COCONUT MILK - Can be bought in cans or in powdered form, or made
as follows: To 2.5 cups boiling water add the grated flesh of one
coconut (or 4 cups desiccated coconut). Leave to stand 30 minutes,
squeeze coconut and strain. Use within 24 hours. Known as narial ka
dooth in India, santen in Indonesia and Malaysia.

SCALLION - Variety of onion with small bulbs, long stiff green leaves.
Usually eaten raw. Also called spring onion, green onion.

SCOTCH BONNET PEPPER - Capsicum tetragonum. Similar to Habañero
Pepper.

SCRAPPLE - Scrapple is boiled, ground leftover pieces of pig, together
with cornmeal and spices. Good scrapple, particularly served with a
spicy tomato catsup, is food for the gods. Bad scrapple, especially
with too little cornmeal, with too much grease, or undercooked, is an abomination in the eyes of the horde.

SCUNGILLI - Also a Mollusc Gastropod - "Buccinidae" - found in more
temperate waters than conch, with a darker meat and stronger flavour,
perhaps less "sweet". This is more properly known as "whelk". These
are generally removed from their shell and sold already steamed and
ready to eat. The meat is kind of a circular meat, about 1 to 2 inches
in diameter, perhaps 10 to 20 of these in a pound.

SELTZER - Plain soda water (from Selters water, the naturally effervescent mineral water of Germany).

SHALLOTS - Small pointed members of the onion family that grow in
clusters something like garlic and have a mild, onion-y taste. Not the
same as green/spring onion.

SHIRO GOMA (shee-roh GOH-mah) - Japanese for "sesame seed." This
version is the hulled white sesame seed used in many Asian recipes, like stir-fry.

SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS (SHEE-TAH-KAY) - Also called Chinese black mushrooms
and forest mushrooms, they have a meaty flesh with a full-bodied woodsy flavour.

SINGLE CREAM - see section 1.3

SPANISH ONION - see Bermuda Onion

SPRING ONION - see Scallion

SQUASH - a family of vegetables. All but two have a thick, hard,
usually inedible rind, rich-tasting meat, and lots of seeds. There are
also things called summer squashes, which have edible rinds, milder
meats, and usually fewer seeds. An example of this type is the
Zucchini.

SWEDE - US rutabaga

SWEETBREADS - According to the OED, sweetbread is "the pancreas or
the thymus gland, of an animal, esp. as used for food (distinguished respectively as _heart_, _stomach_, or _belly_ sweetbread and _throat_, _gullet_, or _neck_ sweetbread): esteemed a delicacy." Sweetbreads
generally come from young animals, usually calves or lambs, although
pigs' can also be used. Older animals' thymus and pancreas are
significantly smaller and tend to be much stronger in flavour.

SWEETMEATS - A sweetmeat, according to the OED, is a "small shaped
piece of confectionary usu. consisting chiefly of sugar or chocolate
with flavouring or filling, or of fruit preserved in sugar."

TAHINI (TAH-HEE-NEE) - Used in Middle Eastern cooking, it is a thick
paste made of ground sesame seed that concentrates the sesame seed
flavour.

TAMARI - Tamari is a type of soy sauce, usually used in Japanese food.
You can easily substitute with Chinese Light Soy or regular Japanese soy
sauce.

TANGELO - Citrus fruit cross of a tangerine and a pomelo. Larger than a mandarin and a little smaller than an average-size orange. Skin colour
is a bright tangerine and they mature during the late mandarin season. Mandarins, Tangerines or Oranges may be used instead.

TERASI - A kind of pungent shrimp paste, used in very small quantities.
May be crushed with spices, grilled or fried before adding to other ingredients. Also known as balachan/blacan (Malaysia), kapi (Thailand)
and ngapi (Burma).

TOMATO SAUCE - in UK/NZ/Australia, a homogeneous dark red sauce
containing (typically) tomatoes, sugar, salt, acid, spices, sometimes
(blech) apple - much the same thing as US tomato ketchup. In the US,
France, Belgium a more heterogeneous concoction, served in and on foods
such as pasta.

TRADITIONAL BALSAMIC VINEGAR (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale) - see also
Balsamic Vinegar.
Made in Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy) from white Trebbiano must that
is cooked for several hours over a direct flame in an open vessel
until it reaches a concentration averaging at around 50%. It is then
aged in barrels until it is dark in colour and pungently sweet. The
barrels need to be from at least 3 different woods including cherry,
oak, chestnut tree, ash tree and mulberry tree. Minimum ageing is 12
years. Frequently used in salad dressings or marinades. "Aceto
balsamico tradizionale" from both Modena and Reggio Emilia are
DOP (Protected Origin Denomination) products under Italian and European
laws. Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale can be sold only in the particular 0.1-liter flasks labelled by the respective Consortium (Modena or Reggio Emilia), and the prices vary from about 30 euros for the lower quality
to over 100 euros for the higher quality.

TWIGLETS - A stick-shaped cracker-textured snack. Taste mostly of yeast extract, but also contain cheese as an ingredient. Have 4 calories each
and 11.4 g fat per 100 g.

UDON (OO-DOHN) - A thick Japanese noodle similar to spaghetti and used
in soups, salads and Asian noodle recipes.

UNSALTED BUTTER - What it says, butter without the 1.5 - 2% added salt
that 'normal' butter has. Often recommended for cooking. Many people
prefer the taste of unsalted butter. In areas with high quality dairy
products the use of unsalted butter where it is called for may not be so important, since the salt is not so likely to be covering the taste of a low-quality product. In many stores it may be kept in the freezer
section rather than refrigerator.

VEGEMITE/MARMITE - Not the same thing, but similar enough to not deserve separate entries. A thick brown paste made mostly from yeast extract,
most commonly spread thinly on toast or sandwiches. The taste is mostly
salt plus yeast. Despite the occasional rumour, neither contains any
meat.

Wasabi (WAH-SAH-BEE) - The Japanese version of horseradish comes from
the root of an Asian plant especially used as a condiment with sushi.
Can be purchased in powder form (reconstitute with water) or in tube (in
paste form).

WAX BEAN - a yellow variety of the green bean. Also called snap bean or
string bean.

WHIPPING CREAM - in US, cream with at least 30% butterfat

ZUCCHINI - A long, green squash that looks something like a cucumber.
Also known as vegetable marrow, courgette.

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4 Cooking Methods

If you would like to contribute a paragraph for one of these methods, or
add another method, please send it to me.

baking
barbecuing
basting
boiling
coddling
grilling
simmering

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4.1 Poaching (thank you to Rodger Whitlock)

Poaching is cooking by simmering in water. It is distinguished from
"boiling" in that the water temperature is kept slightly below the
boiling point. It is distinguished from "simmering" in that poaching
applies to solid items poached in water later discarded, whereas
simmering applies to the cooking of watery foods such as sauces,
puddings, soups, and stews. The most common poached foodstuff is the
egg. However, other items, for example boneless chicken breasts and
some fish, can be poached.

There are great differences of opinion about the proper method of
poaching an egg, in particular how to avoid the formation of long
streamers of egg white. This writer knows of three major variants:

1. using a special egg poaching pan
2. the "whirlpool" method
3. the "acidulation" method

This writer uses the "acidulation" method: a large shallow pan is filled
with water and brought to boiling. It is removed from the heat, and a
small amount (5-10 ml) of apple cider vinegar is added to the water.
When the water is absolutely still, Each egg is cracked into a cup and
very slowly and gently poured into the hot water. The heat is turned
down to a low simmer setting, the pan returned to the stove and covered,
and the eggs allowed to slowly cook until done to taste. This writer
prefers poached eggs to have a completely set white and yolks set on the outside but still liquid at the centre.

Eggs poached this way do not taste vinegary. Apple cider vinegar gives
the poached eggs a very delicate hint of sweetness.

----------------------------------------
4.2 Frying

Frying is plunging a food into a bath of hot fat or oil. It involves
'sealing and browning'. It is important to use fat or oil heated to a temperature that is high, but not so high that the fat begins to break
up or decompose. Generally, the temperature should not exceed about 180°C/360°F. A good rule of thumb is to wait until the fat begins to
smoke. One should only use pieces of food small enough for the heat to penetrate to the centre fairly rapidly. Another rule to remember is to
use food that has been carefully dried. If one uses food that is
difficult to get dry well enough, one should dip it into flour, or
breadcrumbs, or fritter batter, or pastry.

A very popular foodstuff to deep-fry is the potato. For potato chips (French-fried potatoes), heat the fat to about 180-190°C/360-380°F.
Potato chips are washed in cold water and carefully dried in a cloth and
then plunged into the hot fat for 5-6 minutes. The potatoes are then
lifted from the fat and tested for consistency. They should be soft
enough to squash between one's fingers. The fat should be allowed to
get back to 180-190°C/360-380°F and the potatoes put back into the fat
again, for a couple of minutes. They will become crisp and golden brown.

For safety reasons, it is recommended to use a deep pan, to fill it to
no more than 1/3 and to avoid crowding it. If a fire occurs, dump in
baking soda and cover the pan with a lid.

----------------------------------------
4.3 Sautéing (and deglazing)

'Sauté' is the past participle of the French verb sauter (to jump, hence
to fry in shallow fat, while tossing, i.e. making to jump). Sautéing is
thus a method of briefly cooking food in a shallow pan or skillet in a
small amount of hot fat or liquid over direct heat. One of the primary
cooking techniques, it is similar to grilling and roasting in that it
consists of the quick sealing and browning of small pieces of food.
This method is most often used for making dishes in savoury sauces,
sautéing being just a stage in the preparation of the dish, but also as
an end in itself, as in sautéed potatoes or mushrooms. To be
successful, sautéing should be done at the last minute. The size of the
sauté pan should correspond with the quantity of food to be cooked. The
pan should be large enough to accommodate food without crowding,
otherwise the food steams. It shouldn't be *too* large, though,
because, if the base of the pan is not entirely covered with the food to
be sautéed, the fat will start to burn in the empty spaces between the
food pieces, and give a bitter taste to the sauce (if such is going to
be made).

If the food is going to be served with a sauce made with the food's own
juices, sautéing would be followed by the next step - deglazing the pan
and making a sauce. After the food is seasoned and cooked to the
desired degree, the pieces are taken out of the pan and kept warm. The
pan can now be deglazed, using some sort of liquid specified in the
recipe, typically wine, brandy or vinegar. The liquid is brought to the
boil to loosen and dissolve the caramelised juices stuck to the bottom
of the pan. Some sort of hot stock can now be added and reduced by
half or so. The pan is then taken from the heat, and butter or cream
may be added and blended into the sauce. The sauce is then added to the
food, which should never be cooked in the deglazing liquid (it would
turn it into a ragoût).

----------------------------------------
4.4 Broiling

In British English, 'broiling' is the same thing as 'grilling'. In the
USA, 'broiling' refers to grilling something *under* a direct heat
source (as provided as an option in a typical electric oven, for
example), as distinct from cooking it above such a source in grilling
proper, especially if it happens outdoors on a suitable contraption.

----------------------------------------
4.5 Caramelising (of onions)

Caramelising is browning of sugars. Heating food containing sugars
beyond a certain temperature (about 150°C (300°F) breaks sugars down in
a large number of compounds which give caramelised food its complexity
of flavour. To start caramelising, the water in the food has to
evaporate, to enable the food to be able reach the requisite temperature
for the sugars to start browning.

Caramelising onions is an example. Heat a pan over medium-low heat, and
add about 3 tablespoons of fat (say, a mixture of vegetable oil and
butter). When the fat has melted, add 1 1/2 pounds of sliced onions
(sliced about 1/4 inch thick or less) and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook over
the low heat, covered, for 10 minutes (the onions are "sweating" at this
point, which means they are giving off moisture). Then uncover and
raise heat to medium high. Cook for 20 or 25 minutes more, stirring
every now and then. At this point, you are reducing the moisture in the
onions and the natural sugar in them is going to brown them. The onions
will be dark brown and will have caramelised in the pan (meaning they
will be sweet to the taste).

----------------------------------------
4.6 Braising

Braising is cooking 'by exchange', i.e. food (typically meat, but also
fish or vegetables) is first browned all over in a little fat (except
fish... see below), in a tightly sealed pot, immersed to half its depth
in liquid and cooked on top of the stove or in the oven, long, slowly,
and evenly, tenderizing it and, with the help of the juices that run
out, adding flavour to the resulting sauce.

Fish is typically braised differently, namely by laying in a buttered
dish, covered over with chopped shallots or onions, immersed to half its
depth in a mixture of wine and fish stock, and then cooked in the oven,
covered with aluminium foil or greaseproof paper.

----------------------------------------
4.7 Cooking with alcohol

A 1990 study by E. Augustin et al. found evidence that alcoholic
beverages retain from 5 percent to as much as 85 percent of alcohol
after cooking. This study has been used in the following table
published by USDA (edited for readability).


COOKING METHOD ALCOHOL RETAINED (%)

No heat, stored overnight 70
Stirred into hot liquid 85
Flamed 75
Stirred in, then baked or simmered for:
15 min 40
30 min 35
1 hr 25
1.5 hr 20
2 hr 10
2.5 hr 5
Not stirred in, baked for: 25 min 45

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4.8 Roasting

Roasting is cooking food by exposing it to dry heat. In this, it is
similar to baking and grilling/broiling. It differs from the former in
that, first, roasting can take place not just in the oven, but also in
the open, i.e. directly over the fire or smouldering coals; and, second,
in that the term 'roasting' is much more often applied to meat and
poultry than to other food, though fish and even vegetables can be
roasted, too. It differs from the latter in that roasting is a method
much better suited for thicker cuts of meat or other food, whereas the
initial searing is followed by cooking at, sometimes, slightly lower temperatures and, more importantly, by frequent basting, typically with
the drippings from the roast.

Like some other methods, roasting is a way of cooking by 'sealing and browning'. The food is lightly coated or painted with fat, such as
butter, oil, or a mixture of the two, and exposed to a very high heat,
thus searing the surface, coagulating and caramelising it. When
grilling a relatively small piece of food, this would be almost the end
of the cooking process, but with a thicker roasting piece, the inside
would still be raw at this stage. So, one lowers the heat a bit and
continues to cook, basting the roast frequently and turning it
occasionally, or even rotating it continuously if the food happens to be roasted on a spit over an open fire.

Since it is dry heat which is employed in roasting, it is important to
never put the lid on, or cover the roasting food, as otherwise the food
will be steaming, not roasting. Occasionally, though, it may become
necessary to shield certain parts of the roast with foil to prevent overcooking, or to cover (bard) certain drier meats or game with strips
of bacon or other fat, which is removed towards the end of cooking to
allow the meat to brown.

For rare meat, a rule of thumb is to roast it about 30 minutes for the
first pound and 13 to 15 minutes for each additional pound.

If a roasting pan has been used, cooking juices will have collected in
the bottom. They can be deglazed with a little liquid, such as wine or
water, to form a delicious gravy which can be poured over the roast or
served separately, or used to prepare a more elaborate sauce.

----------------------------------------
5 Distilled Wisdom on Equipment

This section is designed to contain small articles people have put
together on various topics pertaining to cooking equipment.

----------------------------------------
5.1 Woks (thank you to Steve Hammond (and for a small correction to
Bill Boylan))

First of all, the best wok is one made of cold-rolled steel. Most of
them are round-bottomed and come with a ring to support it over the
burner. The support ring with the narrower diameter side up is used for
gas stoves and the larger diameter side up is used on electric stoves.
This seems to keep it the right distance from the burner.

Electric woks can be used for table-side cooking but they do not seem
practical for real cooking. With their thermostat, they go on and off,
on and off... the idea is to get the wok hot and keep it hot. Electric
woks never seem to get hot enough and stay hot for most uses.

A wok right out of the box will have a coating of machine oil to prevent
it from rusting. Wash the wok in hot water with soap. This is the LAST
time you should ever use soap in your wok. Next, it's a good idea to
boil some water in your new wok for 15-20 minutes to get it really
clean.

Seasoning a brand new wok involves heating the wok with some oil in it,
letting it cool, and repeating the procedure, say, three times. Heat
the wok over high heat, then add a couple tablespoons of peanut oil and
spread it around with a paper towel, being careful not to burn yourself.
Stop when the oil begins to smoke, and let it cool. Add more oil if
needed, and repeat a couple of times.

For actual cooking, put your wok over the burner on high for a few
minutes before cooking. To see if it is ready to cook in, put a few
drops of water into the wok and they should dance around and evaporate
almost immediately. Have *all* the food you need to cook, chopped and
ready. Next, add some peanut oil and swirl around to coat the bottom.
The oil will start to smoke a little. Immediately start adding the
ingredients for the meal you are cooking.


[continued in next message]

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

[continued from previous message]

GRAVLAX - Also called gravad lax. Scandinavian cured salmon. 'Gravad' literally means 'buried'. Originally, salmon and other fish was
'buried' in the ground, or under snow and ice, to preserve it and to
keep it cool. Now, the salmon is cured in salt-sugar-pepper-dill mixture
while under refrigeration.

GREEN ONIONS - see Scallions

GREEN SHALLOTS - an inaccurate but occasionally used name for Scallions.

GRILL - In the UK, the same as US broiler; in the US, a device for
cooking food over a charcoal or gas fire, outdoors. Also see Broiling.

GRITS - Usually a breakfast item in the US Southern region. Made from
the kernel of corn. When corn has been soaked in lye and the casing has
been removed it becomes Hominy. The lye is rinsed out very well and the
corn is left to harden. Then the swollen hominy is ground up to the
texture of tiny pellets. Grits are cooked very much like rice, i.e.
boiled in water, usually with some salt (except you must stir grits).
Butter is most commonly added after cooking. It's used as a side dish
for a good old fashioned Southern breakfast. Eggs are frequently mixed
in with the grits (after having been served separately). Sometimes they
are made with cheese and garlic for a casserole. They are also served
with gravy, shrimps, etc.

HABANERO PEPPER - A type of hot chili. The Scotch Bonnet Pepper is
similar.

HALF AND HALF - a mixture of half cream and half whole milk

HARD ROLLS - A sandwich type of roll that is a little crusty on the
outside and soft on the inside. Can be made with poppy seeds or sesame
seeds or plain. Often called a Kaiser roll.

HARICOT - bean, in French. Haricot blanc: white bean, usually dried.
H. gris: green string bean mottled with purplish black; also called
pélandron. H. rouge: red kidney bean. H. vert: green bean, usually
fresh, also called French bean.

HARISSA - Harissa is a paste of chilis and garlic used to enhance North
African food (and is fairly popular in other parts of the Mideast,
though it is probably of Berber origin). It is fairly similar to the Indonesian sambal olek.

HAZELNUTS - A small nut with a hard, glossy shell. Also known as
filberts.

HEAVY CREAM - see section 1.3

HERBES DE PROVENCE - A mixture of dried herbs widely used in (French)
cooking. Consists of thyme, oregano, summer savory and marjoram.
Bayleaf is often included, too. Depending on the dish, some or more of
the following can also be included: fennel, rosemary, basil, tarragon,
sage, lavender.

HIJIKI (HEE-JEE-KEE) - A type of dried black seaweed with an anise-type
flavour that's reconstituted in water and used as a vegetable in soups
and other dishes.

HING - Also known as asafoetida, and devil's dung. A light brown resin sometimes used as a substitute for garlic and onions, or in its own
right and not as a substitute for anything, it can be found in Indian groceries. Claimed properties : laxative, aphrodisiac, colic cure. A
required ingredient in the Indian Tadkaa - the small amount of oil used
to roast mustard seeds and similar other ingredients before adding them
to the main dish.

HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS - Also known as sprinkles or as nonpareils:
small round balls of multicoloured sugar used as toppings on cakes and desserts.

ICING SUGAR - US confectioner's sugar.

JICAMA (HEE-KAH-MAH) - Often referred to as the Mexican potato, it's a
large root vegetable with a thick brown skin and white crunchy flesh
with a slightly sweet flavour. It should be peeled before eating raw or boiling to cook. Raw, it often appears in Mexican-style recipes for
salads.

KAFFIR LIME LEAVES - These leaves have a mysterious flora-citrus aroma.
They are used to liven up many Asian dishes, like soups.

KALAMATA OLIVES (kahl-uh-MAH-tuh) - An almond-shaped Greek olive that
has a rich fruity flavour; not at all like the commonly found tangy,
salty Spanish olives.

KASHA - A Russian word meaning porridge or gruel made from any kind
of cereal, the grain being either whole or variously split or cracked.
There are millet, semolina, oat, buckwheat, rice, etc., kashas. In the US-English, kasha, for some reason, came to mean buckwheat groats.

KETCHUP - Also called catsup. Today, ketchup is mostly tomato-based
condiment or sauce, but numerous other versions, such as mushroom or fruit-based ketchups, exist, too. Vinegar, spices and sugar are often
present in the ingredient lists. According to the OED, both ketchup and
catsup are English variant spellings of the Chinese (Amoy dialect)
'keochiap' or 'ke-tsiap', 'brine of pickled fish or shellfish'.

KEY LIMES - Citrus fruit, about the size of golf balls, and round. The
fruits are pale yellow-green, the juice is yellow and very tart, more so
than standard limes. Grow in Florida, the Keys and other tropical
places in the Caribbean. Used in Key Lime Pie, with egg yolks and
condensed milk and in a Sunset Key with amaretto.

KIWANO (KEE-WAH-NOH) - This oval fruit has a bright yellow skin studded
with stubby "horns," which is why it's also called a horned melon. The
pulp is pale yellow-green with a jelly-like texture that tastes like a
tart combination of banana and cucumbers. Mostly eaten as a fresh
fruit.

LADYFINGERS - little, fairly dry, finger-shaped sponge cakes. "Ladies' fingers" is another name for okra.

LEMONADE - in the US, a drink made of lemon juice, sugar and water; in
the UK, a carbonated drink that doesn't necessarily contain anything
closer to a lemon than a bit of citric acid. Sprite (TM) and 7-Up (TM)
are examples of what would be called lemonade in many countries. I am
informed that in France and Belgium "limonade" is used as a general term
for soft drinks (Coke/Sprite/Fanta/etc.), although when I was in France
(1998) requesting du limonade always brought me something Sprite-like
(but usually much nicer). Perhaps it is regional, or people know that
when customers with shocking accents request "limonade" they definitely
mean lemonade.

LIMA BEAN - also called butter bean, Madagascar bean.

LOX - Brine-cured salmon, which may or may not be also cold-smoked.

MALANGA - the word used in the Spanish-speaking parts of the Caribbean
for Taro root (or a close relative of Taro). It is prepared by either
boiling and mashing like potatoes, or slicing and frying into chips. It
is also used in soups as a thickening agent.

MARROW - US summer squash. Also 'vegetable marrow'.

MASA HARINA - Masa is a paste made by soaking maize in lime (similar to
the method for preparing hominy) and then grinding it up. Masa harina
is the flour made by drying and powdering masa. It is used in Mexican
cooking for items such as corn tortillas. The literal meaning is "dough flour".

MASCARPONE - A soft Italian cheese (similar to cream cheese) with around
50% butterfat. An important ingredient in Tiramisu.

MELON - a family of fruits. All have a thick, hard, inedible rind,
sweet meat, and lots of seeds. Common examples: watermelon, cantaloupe
(aka rock melon).

MESCLUN (MEHS-KLUHN) - Also called salad mix and gourmet salad mix, it's
simply a potpourri of young, small salad greens.

MIRIN - sweetened sake (Japanese rice wine)

MIXED SPICE - A classic mixture generally containing caraway, allspice, coriander, cumin, nutmeg & ginger, although cinnamon & other spices can
be added. It is used with fruit & in cakes. (In America 'Pumpkin Pie
Spice' is very similar).

MOLASSES - see section 1.5

MUSTARD OIL - This spicy oil is extensively used in Bengali and some
other Indian cuisines. It is said that it is very hard, if not
impossible, to find good quality mustard oil outside of India. In the 'Western' countries, mustard oil is required to be sold with a "for
external use only" warning, since it contains allyl isothiocyanate and
erucic acid, both of which have been implicated in some health problems.
(This entry is based on Shankar Bhattacharyya's postings)

NAM PLA (NAHM-PLAH) - Popular in Thailand, this is a salty, fermented
fish sauce, made with anchovies, with an extremely strong odour. Also
known as nuoc nam in Vietnam and shottsuru in Japan, it is used as a
condiment.

NAVY BEAN - also called Boston bean, Great Northern bean, pea bean,
pearl haricot.

NOPALES (NOH-PAH-LAYS) - Long popular in Mexico, these fleshy oval
leaves are from the prickly pear cactus. They range in colour from pale
to dark green and have a delicate, slightly tart green-bean flavour.
Before use, the thorns must be removed with a vegetable peeler. The
flesh is cut into small pieces or strips, simmered in water until tender
and used in a variety of dishes, from scrambled eggs to salads.

NORI (NOH-REE) - These paper-thin sheets of dried seaweed can range in
colour from dark green to dark purple to black. They have a sweet ocean
taste and are popular at Japanese meals or are used to make sushi.

NUTELLA - A thick smooth paste made from chocolate and hazelnuts, made
by the Ferrero company of Italy. Doesn't seem to be particularly
easy/cheap to come by in much of the US, but in many countries it is inexpensive and common. Can be spread on plain biscuits (cookies),
bread, toast, pancakes, or just eaten from the jar. There are other
brands that produce a similar product, but Nutella seems to the best
known.

OKRA - a fruit of a plant of the cotton family, native to Africa.
Appears as "bindi" or "bhindi" in Indian cooking, and as "bamiya" or
similar in the Middle East. Also widely used in the south of the USA,
in such dishes as gumbo. Also called "ladies' fingers".

ORZO (OHR-ZOH) - In Italian this means "barley," but it's actually a
tiny, rice-shaped pasta, slightly smaller than a pine nut.

PANKO (PAHN-KOH) - Bread crumbs used in Japanese cooking for coating
fried foods. They're coarser than those normally used in the United
States and create a deliciously crunchy crust on foods.

PAVLOVA - A dessert (invented in NZ, not Australia :-) The main
ingredients are sugar and egg white. A pavlova has crisp meringue
outside and soft marshmallow inside, and has approximately the
dimensions of a deep dessert cake. Commonly pavlovas are topped with
whipped cream and fresh fruit, especially kiwi fruit, passion fruit or strawberries.

PAWPAW - Also called 'papaw'. Papaya, also persimmons in some places,
or even a third fruit, Asimina triloba. It's best to check with the
recipe author. The papaya is a tropical fruit; the persimmon is from
warm temperate areas; and Asimina triloba from cooler temperate areas.

PERIWINKLES - These small relatives of the whelk are "Littorina
littorea". Popular in Europe but not in US. Northern (New England)
"winkles" are a different species from those found in the Gulf of
Mexico.

POLENTA - same as cornmeal, also, a thick porridge made from cornmeal
(also known as 'cornmeal mush', 'mamaliga')

PORTOBELLO - see Cremini

POSOLE (POH-SOH-LEH) - The dried hominy that is used to make a thick,
hearty soup consisting of pork, garlic and dried chilies. The stew is
named for the dried hominy.

POUTINE - French fries with cheese curds and gravy.

POWDERED SUGAR - see section 1.5

PRIME RIB - In the USA, a popular term referring to a standing rib roast
of beef. "Prime" in the term refers to one of the primal cuts of beef
and not, as is often incorrectly assumed, to the USDA grade of beef.
This usage precedes the establishment of the US beef grading standards,
which explains the confusion. This is explicitly acknowledged by the
USDA in its publications. The USDA technical name for the cut is "beef
rib roast."

RADICCHIO (rah-DEE-kee-oh) - This red-leafed Italian chicory is most
often used in salads.

RAPESEED OIL - Neutral-tasting oil made from seeds of Brassica napus.
Also called rape oil and canola oil.

RHUBARB - Rhubarb should be cooked because cooking inhibits or destroys
the oxalic acid it contains. The oxalic acid in raw rhubarb or in
rhubarb leaves is toxic.

RISO (REE-SOH) - In Italian this means "rice", but also rice-shaped
pasta similar to orzo.

ROCK MELON - see Melon

ROCKY MOUNTAIN OYSTERS - Lamb or cattle testicles, breaded and deep
fried (like oysters, I guess).

SAMBAL ULEK (SAMBAL OELEK) - A paste made by crushing red chillies with
a little salt. Can be made by crushing chopped de-seeded chillies in a
mortar with salt, or purchased at some delicatessens or Asian food
stores.

SANTEN/COCONUT MILK - Can be bought in cans or in powdered form, or made
as follows: To 2.5 cups boiling water add the grated flesh of one
coconut (or 4 cups desiccated coconut). Leave to stand 30 minutes,
squeeze coconut and strain. Use within 24 hours. Known as narial ka
dooth in India, santen in Indonesia and Malaysia.

SCALLION - Variety of onion with small bulbs, long stiff green leaves.
Usually eaten raw. Also called spring onion, green onion.

SCOTCH BONNET PEPPER - Capsicum tetragonum. Similar to Habañero
Pepper.

SCRAPPLE - Scrapple is boiled, ground leftover pieces of pig, together
with cornmeal and spices. Good scrapple, particularly served with a
spicy tomato catsup, is food for the gods. Bad scrapple, especially
with too little cornmeal, with too much grease, or undercooked, is an abomination in the eyes of the horde.

SCUNGILLI - Also a Mollusc Gastropod - "Buccinidae" - found in more
temperate waters than conch, with a darker meat and stronger flavour,
perhaps less "sweet". This is more properly known as "whelk". These
are generally removed from their shell and sold already steamed and
ready to eat. The meat is kind of a circular meat, about 1 to 2 inches
in diameter, perhaps 10 to 20 of these in a pound.

SELTZER - Plain soda water (from Selters water, the naturally effervescent mineral water of Germany).

SHALLOTS - Small pointed members of the onion family that grow in
clusters something like garlic and have a mild, onion-y taste. Not the
same as green/spring onion.

SHIRO GOMA (shee-roh GOH-mah) - Japanese for "sesame seed." This
version is the hulled white sesame seed used in many Asian recipes, like stir-fry.

SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS (SHEE-TAH-KAY) - Also called Chinese black mushrooms
and forest mushrooms, they have a meaty flesh with a full-bodied woodsy flavour.

SINGLE CREAM - see section 1.3

SPANISH ONION - see Bermuda Onion

SPRING ONION - see Scallion

SQUASH - a family of vegetables. All but two have a thick, hard,
usually inedible rind, rich-tasting meat, and lots of seeds. There are
also things called summer squashes, which have edible rinds, milder
meats, and usually fewer seeds. An example of this type is the
Zucchini.

SWEDE - US rutabaga

SWEETBREADS - According to the OED, sweetbread is "the pancreas or
the thymus gland, of an animal, esp. as used for food (distinguished respectively as _heart_, _stomach_, or _belly_ sweetbread and _throat_, _gullet_, or _neck_ sweetbread): esteemed a delicacy." Sweetbreads
generally come from young animals, usually calves or lambs, although
pigs' can also be used. Older animals' thymus and pancreas are
significantly smaller and tend to be much stronger in flavour.

SWEETMEATS - A sweetmeat, according to the OED, is a "small shaped
piece of confectionary usu. consisting chiefly of sugar or chocolate
with flavouring or filling, or of fruit preserved in sugar."

TAHINI (TAH-HEE-NEE) - Used in Middle Eastern cooking, it is a thick
paste made of ground sesame seed that concentrates the sesame seed
flavour.

TAMARI - Tamari is a type of soy sauce, usually used in Japanese food.
You can easily substitute with Chinese Light Soy or regular Japanese soy
sauce.

TANGELO - Citrus fruit cross of a tangerine and a pomelo. Larger than a mandarin and a little smaller than an average-size orange. Skin colour
is a bright tangerine and they mature during the late mandarin season. Mandarins, Tangerines or Oranges may be used instead.

TERASI - A kind of pungent shrimp paste, used in very small quantities.
May be crushed with spices, grilled or fried before adding to other ingredients. Also known as balachan/blacan (Malaysia), kapi (Thailand)
and ngapi (Burma).

TOMATO SAUCE - in UK/NZ/Australia, a homogeneous dark red sauce
containing (typically) tomatoes, sugar, salt, acid, spices, sometimes
(blech) apple - much the same thing as US tomato ketchup. In the US,
France, Belgium a more heterogeneous concoction, served in and on foods
such as pasta.

TRADITIONAL BALSAMIC VINEGAR (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale) - see also
Balsamic Vinegar.
Made in Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy) from white Trebbiano must that
is cooked for several hours over a direct flame in an open vessel
until it reaches a concentration averaging at around 50%. It is then
aged in barrels until it is dark in colour and pungently sweet. The
barrels need to be from at least 3 different woods including cherry,
oak, chestnut tree, ash tree and mulberry tree. Minimum ageing is 12
years. Frequently used in salad dressings or marinades. "Aceto
balsamico tradizionale" from both Modena and Reggio Emilia are
DOP (Protected Origin Denomination) products under Italian and European
laws. Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale can be sold only in the particular 0.1-liter flasks labelled by the respective Consortium (Modena or Reggio Emilia), and the prices vary from about 30 euros for the lower quality
to over 100 euros for the higher quality.

TWIGLETS - A stick-shaped cracker-textured snack. Taste mostly of yeast extract, but also contain cheese as an ingredient. Have 4 calories each
and 11.4 g fat per 100 g.

UDON (OO-DOHN) - A thick Japanese noodle similar to spaghetti and used
in soups, salads and Asian noodle recipes.

UNSALTED BUTTER - What it says, butter without the 1.5 - 2% added salt
that 'normal' butter has. Often recommended for cooking. Many people
prefer the taste of unsalted butter. In areas with high quality dairy
products the use of unsalted butter where it is called for may not be so important, since the salt is not so likely to be covering the taste of a low-quality product. In many stores it may be kept in the freezer
section rather than refrigerator.

VEGEMITE/MARMITE - Not the same thing, but similar enough to not deserve separate entries. A thick brown paste made mostly from yeast extract,
most commonly spread thinly on toast or sandwiches. The taste is mostly
salt plus yeast. Despite the occasional rumour, neither contains any
meat.

Wasabi (WAH-SAH-BEE) - The Japanese version of horseradish comes from
the root of an Asian plant especially used as a condiment with sushi.
Can be purchased in powder form (reconstitute with water) or in tube (in
paste form).

WAX BEAN - a yellow variety of the green bean. Also called snap bean or
string bean.

WHIPPING CREAM - in US, cream with at least 30% butterfat

ZUCCHINI - A long, green squash that looks something like a cucumber.
Also known as vegetable marrow, courgette.

----------------------------------------
4 Cooking Methods

If you would like to contribute a paragraph for one of these methods, or
add another method, please send it to me.

baking
barbecuing
basting
boiling
coddling
grilling
simmering

----------------------------------------
4.1 Poaching (thank you to Rodger Whitlock)

Poaching is cooking by simmering in water. It is distinguished from
"boiling" in that the water temperature is kept slightly below the
boiling point. It is distinguished from "simmering" in that poaching
applies to solid items poached in water later discarded, whereas
simmering applies to the cooking of watery foods such as sauces,
puddings, soups, and stews. The most common poached foodstuff is the
egg. However, other items, for example boneless chicken breasts and
some fish, can be poached.

There are great differences of opinion about the proper method of
poaching an egg, in particular how to avoid the formation of long
streamers of egg white. This writer knows of three major variants:

1. using a special egg poaching pan
2. the "whirlpool" method
3. the "acidulation" method

This writer uses the "acidulation" method: a large shallow pan is filled
with water and brought to boiling. It is removed from the heat, and a
small amount (5-10 ml) of apple cider vinegar is added to the water.
When the water is absolutely still, Each egg is cracked into a cup and
very slowly and gently poured into the hot water. The heat is turned
down to a low simmer setting, the pan returned to the stove and covered,
and the eggs allowed to slowly cook until done to taste. This writer
prefers poached eggs to have a completely set white and yolks set on the outside but still liquid at the centre.

Eggs poached this way do not taste vinegary. Apple cider vinegar gives
the poached eggs a very delicate hint of sweetness.

----------------------------------------
4.2 Frying

Frying is plunging a food into a bath of hot fat or oil. It involves
'sealing and browning'. It is important to use fat or oil heated to a temperature that is high, but not so high that the fat begins to break
up or decompose. Generally, the temperature should not exceed about 180°C/360°F. A good rule of thumb is to wait until the fat begins to
smoke. One should only use pieces of food small enough for the heat to penetrate to the centre fairly rapidly. Another rule to remember is to
use food that has been carefully dried. If one uses food that is
difficult to get dry well enough, one should dip it into flour, or
breadcrumbs, or fritter batter, or pastry.

A very popular foodstuff to deep-fry is the potato. For potato chips (French-fried potatoes), heat the fat to about 180-190°C/360-380°F.
Potato chips are washed in cold water and carefully dried in a cloth and
then plunged into the hot fat for 5-6 minutes. The potatoes are then
lifted from the fat and tested for consistency. They should be soft
enough to squash between one's fingers. The fat should be allowed to
get back to 180-190°C/360-380°F and the potatoes put back into the fat
again, for a couple of minutes. They will become crisp and golden brown.

For safety reasons, it is recommended to use a deep pan, to fill it to
no more than 1/3 and to avoid crowding it. If a fire occurs, dump in
baking soda and cover the pan with a lid.

----------------------------------------
4.3 Sautéing (and deglazing)

'Sauté' is the past participle of the French verb sauter (to jump, hence
to fry in shallow fat, while tossing, i.e. making to jump). Sautéing is
thus a method of briefly cooking food in a shallow pan or skillet in a
small amount of hot fat or liquid over direct heat. One of the primary
cooking techniques, it is similar to grilling and roasting in that it
consists of the quick sealing and browning of small pieces of food.
This method is most often used for making dishes in savoury sauces,
sautéing being just a stage in the preparation of the dish, but also as
an end in itself, as in sautéed potatoes or mushrooms. To be
successful, sautéing should be done at the last minute. The size of the
sauté pan should correspond with the quantity of food to be cooked. The
pan should be large enough to accommodate food without crowding,
otherwise the food steams. It shouldn't be *too* large, though,
because, if the base of the pan is not entirely covered with the food to
be sautéed, the fat will start to burn in the empty spaces between the
food pieces, and give a bitter taste to the sauce (if such is going to
be made).

If the food is going to be served with a sauce made with the food's own
juices, sautéing would be followed by the next step - deglazing the pan
and making a sauce. After the food is seasoned and cooked to the
desired degree, the pieces are taken out of the pan and kept warm. The
pan can now be deglazed, using some sort of liquid specified in the
recipe, typically wine, brandy or vinegar. The liquid is brought to the
boil to loosen and dissolve the caramelised juices stuck to the bottom
of the pan. Some sort of hot stock can now be added and reduced by
half or so. The pan is then taken from the heat, and butter or cream
may be added and blended into the sauce. The sauce is then added to the
food, which should never be cooked in the deglazing liquid (it would
turn it into a ragoût).

----------------------------------------
4.4 Broiling

In British English, 'broiling' is the same thing as 'grilling'. In the
USA, 'broiling' refers to grilling something *under* a direct heat
source (as provided as an option in a typical electric oven, for
example), as distinct from cooking it above such a source in grilling
proper, especially if it happens outdoors on a suitable contraption.

----------------------------------------
4.5 Caramelising (of onions)

Caramelising is browning of sugars. Heating food containing sugars
beyond a certain temperature (about 150°C (300°F) breaks sugars down in
a large number of compounds which give caramelised food its complexity
of flavour. To start caramelising, the water in the food has to
evaporate, to enable the food to be able reach the requisite temperature
for the sugars to start browning.

Caramelising onions is an example. Heat a pan over medium-low heat, and
add about 3 tablespoons of fat (say, a mixture of vegetable oil and
butter). When the fat has melted, add 1 1/2 pounds of sliced onions
(sliced about 1/4 inch thick or less) and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook over
the low heat, covered, for 10 minutes (the onions are "sweating" at this
point, which means they are giving off moisture). Then uncover and
raise heat to medium high. Cook for 20 or 25 minutes more, stirring
every now and then. At this point, you are reducing the moisture in the
onions and the natural sugar in them is going to brown them. The onions
will be dark brown and will have caramelised in the pan (meaning they
will be sweet to the taste).

----------------------------------------
4.6 Braising

Braising is cooking 'by exchange', i.e. food (typically meat, but also
fish or vegetables) is first browned all over in a little fat (except
fish... see below), in a tightly sealed pot, immersed to half its depth
in liquid and cooked on top of the stove or in the oven, long, slowly,
and evenly, tenderizing it and, with the help of the juices that run
out, adding flavour to the resulting sauce.

Fish is typically braised differently, namely by laying in a buttered
dish, covered over with chopped shallots or onions, immersed to half its
depth in a mixture of wine and fish stock, and then cooked in the oven,
covered with aluminium foil or greaseproof paper.

----------------------------------------
4.7 Cooking with alcohol

A 1990 study by E. Augustin et al. found evidence that alcoholic
beverages retain from 5 percent to as much as 85 percent of alcohol
after cooking. This study has been used in the following table
published by USDA (edited for readability).


COOKING METHOD ALCOHOL RETAINED (%)

No heat, stored overnight 70
Stirred into hot liquid 85
Flamed 75
Stirred in, then baked or simmered for:
15 min 40
30 min 35
1 hr 25
1.5 hr 20
2 hr 10
2.5 hr 5
Not stirred in, baked for: 25 min 45

----------------------------------------
4.8 Roasting

Roasting is cooking food by exposing it to dry heat. In this, it is
similar to baking and grilling/broiling. It differs from the former in
that, first, roasting can take place not just in the oven, but also in
the open, i.e. directly over the fire or smouldering coals; and, second,
in that the term 'roasting' is much more often applied to meat and
poultry than to other food, though fish and even vegetables can be
roasted, too. It differs from the latter in that roasting is a method
much better suited for thicker cuts of meat or other food, whereas the
initial searing is followed by cooking at, sometimes, slightly lower temperatures and, more importantly, by frequent basting, typically with
the drippings from the roast.

Like some other methods, roasting is a way of cooking by 'sealing and browning'. The food is lightly coated or painted with fat, such as
butter, oil, or a mixture of the two, and exposed to a very high heat,
thus searing the surface, coagulating and caramelising it. When
grilling a relatively small piece of food, this would be almost the end
of the cooking process, but with a thicker roasting piece, the inside
would still be raw at this stage. So, one lowers the heat a bit and
continues to cook, basting the roast frequently and turning it
occasionally, or even rotating it continuously if the food happens to be roasted on a spit over an open fire.

Since it is dry heat which is employed in roasting, it is important to
never put the lid on, or cover the roasting food, as otherwise the food
will be steaming, not roasting. Occasionally, though, it may become
necessary to shield certain parts of the roast with foil to prevent overcooking, or to cover (bard) certain drier meats or game with strips
of bacon or other fat, which is removed towards the end of cooking to
allow the meat to brown.

For rare meat, a rule of thumb is to roast it about 30 minutes for the
first pound and 13 to 15 minutes for each additional pound.

If a roasting pan has been used, cooking juices will have collected in
the bottom. They can be deglazed with a little liquid, such as wine or
water, to form a delicious gravy which can be poured over the roast or
served separately, or used to prepare a more elaborate sauce.

----------------------------------------
5 Distilled Wisdom on Equipment

This section is designed to contain small articles people have put
together on various topics pertaining to cooking equipment.

----------------------------------------
5.1 Woks (thank you to Steve Hammond (and for a small correction to
Bill Boylan))

First of all, the best wok is one made of cold-rolled steel. Most of
them are round-bottomed and come with a ring to support it over the
burner. The support ring with the narrower diameter side up is used for
gas stoves and the larger diameter side up is used on electric stoves.
This seems to keep it the right distance from the burner.

Electric woks can be used for table-side cooking but they do not seem
practical for real cooking. With their thermostat, they go on and off,
on and off... the idea is to get the wok hot and keep it hot. Electric
woks never seem to get hot enough and stay hot for most uses.

A wok right out of the box will have a coating of machine oil to prevent
it from rusting. Wash the wok in hot water with soap. This is the LAST
time you should ever use soap in your wok. Next, it's a good idea to
boil some water in your new wok for 15-20 minutes to get it really
clean.

Seasoning a brand new wok involves heating the wok with some oil in it,
letting it cool, and repeating the procedure, say, three times. Heat
the wok over high heat, then add a couple tablespoons of peanut oil and
spread it around with a paper towel, being careful not to burn yourself.
Stop when the oil begins to smoke, and let it cool. Add more oil if
needed, and repeat a couple of times.

For actual cooking, put your wok over the burner on high for a few
minutes before cooking. To see if it is ready to cook in, put a few
drops of water into the wok and they should dance around and evaporate
almost immediately. Have *all* the food you need to cook, chopped and
ready. Next, add some peanut oil and swirl around to coat the bottom.
The oil will start to smoke a little. Immediately start adding the
ingredients for the meal you are cooking.


[continued in next message]

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

[continued from previous message]

GRAVLAX - Also called gravad lax. Scandinavian cured salmon. 'Gravad' literally means 'buried'. Originally, salmon and other fish was
'buried' in the ground, or under snow and ice, to preserve it and to
keep it cool. Now, the salmon is cured in salt-sugar-pepper-dill mixture
while under refrigeration.

GREEN ONIONS - see Scallions

GREEN SHALLOTS - an inaccurate but occasionally used name for Scallions.

GRILL - In the UK, the same as US broiler; in the US, a device for
cooking food over a charcoal or gas fire, outdoors. Also see Broiling.

GRITS - Usually a breakfast item in the US Southern region. Made from
the kernel of corn. When corn has been soaked in lye and the casing has
been removed it becomes Hominy. The lye is rinsed out very well and the
corn is left to harden. Then the swollen hominy is ground up to the
texture of tiny pellets. Grits are cooked very much like rice, i.e.
boiled in water, usually with some salt (except you must stir grits).
Butter is most commonly added after cooking. It's used as a side dish
for a good old fashioned Southern breakfast. Eggs are frequently mixed
in with the grits (after having been served separately). Sometimes they
are made with cheese and garlic for a casserole. They are also served
with gravy, shrimps, etc.

HABANERO PEPPER - A type of hot chili. The Scotch Bonnet Pepper is
similar.

HALF AND HALF - a mixture of half cream and half whole milk

HARD ROLLS - A sandwich type of roll that is a little crusty on the
outside and soft on the inside. Can be made with poppy seeds or sesame
seeds or plain. Often called a Kaiser roll.

HARICOT - bean, in French. Haricot blanc: white bean, usually dried.
H. gris: green string bean mottled with purplish black; also called
pélandron. H. rouge: red kidney bean. H. vert: green bean, usually
fresh, also called French bean.

HARISSA - Harissa is a paste of chilis and garlic used to enhance North
African food (and is fairly popular in other parts of the Mideast,
though it is probably of Berber origin). It is fairly similar to the Indonesian sambal olek.

HAZELNUTS - A small nut with a hard, glossy shell. Also known as
filberts.

HEAVY CREAM - see section 1.3

HERBES DE PROVENCE - A mixture of dried herbs widely used in (French)
cooking. Consists of thyme, oregano, summer savory and marjoram.
Bayleaf is often included, too. Depending on the dish, some or more of
the following can also be included: fennel, rosemary, basil, tarragon,
sage, lavender.

HIJIKI (HEE-JEE-KEE) - A type of dried black seaweed with an anise-type
flavour that's reconstituted in water and used as a vegetable in soups
and other dishes.

HING - Also known as asafoetida, and devil's dung. A light brown resin sometimes used as a substitute for garlic and onions, or in its own
right and not as a substitute for anything, it can be found in Indian groceries. Claimed properties : laxative, aphrodisiac, colic cure. A
required ingredient in the Indian Tadkaa - the small amount of oil used
to roast mustard seeds and similar other ingredients before adding them
to the main dish.

HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS - Also known as sprinkles or as nonpareils:
small round balls of multicoloured sugar used as toppings on cakes and desserts.

ICING SUGAR - US confectioner's sugar.

JICAMA (HEE-KAH-MAH) - Often referred to as the Mexican potato, it's a
large root vegetable with a thick brown skin and white crunchy flesh
with a slightly sweet flavour. It should be peeled before eating raw or boiling to cook. Raw, it often appears in Mexican-style recipes for
salads.

KAFFIR LIME LEAVES - These leaves have a mysterious flora-citrus aroma.
They are used to liven up many Asian dishes, like soups.

KALAMATA OLIVES (kahl-uh-MAH-tuh) - An almond-shaped Greek olive that
has a rich fruity flavour; not at all like the commonly found tangy,
salty Spanish olives.

KASHA - A Russian word meaning porridge or gruel made from any kind
of cereal, the grain being either whole or variously split or cracked.
There are millet, semolina, oat, buckwheat, rice, etc., kashas. In the US-English, kasha, for some reason, came to mean buckwheat groats.

KETCHUP - Also called catsup. Today, ketchup is mostly tomato-based
condiment or sauce, but numerous other versions, such as mushroom or fruit-based ketchups, exist, too. Vinegar, spices and sugar are often
present in the ingredient lists. According to the OED, both ketchup and
catsup are English variant spellings of the Chinese (Amoy dialect)
'keochiap' or 'ke-tsiap', 'brine of pickled fish or shellfish'.

KEY LIMES - Citrus fruit, about the size of golf balls, and round. The
fruits are pale yellow-green, the juice is yellow and very tart, more so
than standard limes. Grow in Florida, the Keys and other tropical
places in the Caribbean. Used in Key Lime Pie, with egg yolks and
condensed milk and in a Sunset Key with amaretto.

KIWANO (KEE-WAH-NOH) - This oval fruit has a bright yellow skin studded
with stubby "horns," which is why it's also called a horned melon. The
pulp is pale yellow-green with a jelly-like texture that tastes like a
tart combination of banana and cucumbers. Mostly eaten as a fresh
fruit.

LADYFINGERS - little, fairly dry, finger-shaped sponge cakes. "Ladies' fingers" is another name for okra.

LEMONADE - in the US, a drink made of lemon juice, sugar and water; in
the UK, a carbonated drink that doesn't necessarily contain anything
closer to a lemon than a bit of citric acid. Sprite (TM) and 7-Up (TM)
are examples of what would be called lemonade in many countries. I am
informed that in France and Belgium "limonade" is used as a general term
for soft drinks (Coke/Sprite/Fanta/etc.), although when I was in France
(1998) requesting du limonade always brought me something Sprite-like
(but usually much nicer). Perhaps it is regional, or people know that
when customers with shocking accents request "limonade" they definitely
mean lemonade.

LIMA BEAN - also called butter bean, Madagascar bean.

LOX - Brine-cured salmon, which may or may not be also cold-smoked.

MALANGA - the word used in the Spanish-speaking parts of the Caribbean
for Taro root (or a close relative of Taro). It is prepared by either
boiling and mashing like potatoes, or slicing and frying into chips. It
is also used in soups as a thickening agent.

MARROW - US summer squash. Also 'vegetable marrow'.

MASA HARINA - Masa is a paste made by soaking maize in lime (similar to
the method for preparing hominy) and then grinding it up. Masa harina
is the flour made by drying and powdering masa. It is used in Mexican
cooking for items such as corn tortillas. The literal meaning is "dough flour".

MASCARPONE - A soft Italian cheese (similar to cream cheese) with around
50% butterfat. An important ingredient in Tiramisu.

MELON - a family of fruits. All have a thick, hard, inedible rind,
sweet meat, and lots of seeds. Common examples: watermelon, cantaloupe
(aka rock melon).

MESCLUN (MEHS-KLUHN) - Also called salad mix and gourmet salad mix, it's
simply a potpourri of young, small salad greens.

MIRIN - sweetened sake (Japanese rice wine)

MIXED SPICE - A classic mixture generally containing caraway, allspice, coriander, cumin, nutmeg & ginger, although cinnamon & other spices can
be added. It is used with fruit & in cakes. (In America 'Pumpkin Pie
Spice' is very similar).

MOLASSES - see section 1.5

MUSTARD OIL - This spicy oil is extensively used in Bengali and some
other Indian cuisines. It is said that it is very hard, if not
impossible, to find good quality mustard oil outside of India. In the 'Western' countries, mustard oil is required to be sold with a "for
external use only" warning, since it contains allyl isothiocyanate and
erucic acid, both of which have been implicated in some health problems.
(This entry is based on Shankar Bhattacharyya's postings)

NAM PLA (NAHM-PLAH) - Popular in Thailand, this is a salty, fermented
fish sauce, made with anchovies, with an extremely strong odour. Also
known as nuoc nam in Vietnam and shottsuru in Japan, it is used as a
condiment.

NAVY BEAN - also called Boston bean, Great Northern bean, pea bean,
pearl haricot.

NOPALES (NOH-PAH-LAYS) - Long popular in Mexico, these fleshy oval
leaves are from the prickly pear cactus. They range in colour from pale
to dark green and have a delicate, slightly tart green-bean flavour.
Before use, the thorns must be removed with a vegetable peeler. The
flesh is cut into small pieces or strips, simmered in water until tender
and used in a variety of dishes, from scrambled eggs to salads.

NORI (NOH-REE) - These paper-thin sheets of dried seaweed can range in
colour from dark green to dark purple to black. They have a sweet ocean
taste and are popular at Japanese meals or are used to make sushi.

NUTELLA - A thick smooth paste made from chocolate and hazelnuts, made
by the Ferrero company of Italy. Doesn't seem to be particularly
easy/cheap to come by in much of the US, but in many countries it is inexpensive and common. Can be spread on plain biscuits (cookies),
bread, toast, pancakes, or just eaten from the jar. There are other
brands that produce a similar product, but Nutella seems to the best
known.

OKRA - a fruit of a plant of the cotton family, native to Africa.
Appears as "bindi" or "bhindi" in Indian cooking, and as "bamiya" or
similar in the Middle East. Also widely used in the south of the USA,
in such dishes as gumbo. Also called "ladies' fingers".

ORZO (OHR-ZOH) - In Italian this means "barley," but it's actually a
tiny, rice-shaped pasta, slightly smaller than a pine nut.

PANKO (PAHN-KOH) - Bread crumbs used in Japanese cooking for coating
fried foods. They're coarser than those normally used in the United
States and create a deliciously crunchy crust on foods.

PAVLOVA - A dessert (invented in NZ, not Australia :-) The main
ingredients are sugar and egg white. A pavlova has crisp meringue
outside and soft marshmallow inside, and has approximately the
dimensions of a deep dessert cake. Commonly pavlovas are topped with
whipped cream and fresh fruit, especially kiwi fruit, passion fruit or strawberries.

PAWPAW - Also called 'papaw'. Papaya, also persimmons in some places,
or even a third fruit, Asimina triloba. It's best to check with the
recipe author. The papaya is a tropical fruit; the persimmon is from
warm temperate areas; and Asimina triloba from cooler temperate areas.

PERIWINKLES - These small relatives of the whelk are "Littorina
littorea". Popular in Europe but not in US. Northern (New England)
"winkles" are a different species from those found in the Gulf of
Mexico.

POLENTA - same as cornmeal, also, a thick porridge made from cornmeal
(also known as 'cornmeal mush', 'mamaliga')

PORTOBELLO - see Cremini

POSOLE (POH-SOH-LEH) - The dried hominy that is used to make a thick,
hearty soup consisting of pork, garlic and dried chilies. The stew is
named for the dried hominy.

POUTINE - French fries with cheese curds and gravy.

POWDERED SUGAR - see section 1.5

PRIME RIB - In the USA, a popular term referring to a standing rib roast
of beef. "Prime" in the term refers to one of the primal cuts of beef
and not, as is often incorrectly assumed, to the USDA grade of beef.
This usage precedes the establishment of the US beef grading standards,
which explains the confusion. This is explicitly acknowledged by the
USDA in its publications. The USDA technical name for the cut is "beef
rib roast."

RADICCHIO (rah-DEE-kee-oh) - This red-leafed Italian chicory is most
often used in salads.

RAPESEED OIL - Neutral-tasting oil made from seeds of Brassica napus.
Also called rape oil and canola oil.

RHUBARB - Rhubarb should be cooked because cooking inhibits or destroys
the oxalic acid it contains. The oxalic acid in raw rhubarb or in
rhubarb leaves is toxic.

RISO (REE-SOH) - In Italian this means "rice", but also rice-shaped
pasta similar to orzo.

ROCK MELON - see Melon

ROCKY MOUNTAIN OYSTERS - Lamb or cattle testicles, breaded and deep
fried (like oysters, I guess).

SAMBAL ULEK (SAMBAL OELEK) - A paste made by crushing red chillies with
a little salt. Can be made by crushing chopped de-seeded chillies in a
mortar with salt, or purchased at some delicatessens or Asian food
stores.

SANTEN/COCONUT MILK - Can be bought in cans or in powdered form, or made
as follows: To 2.5 cups boiling water add the grated flesh of one
coconut (or 4 cups desiccated coconut). Leave to stand 30 minutes,
squeeze coconut and strain. Use within 24 hours. Known as narial ka
dooth in India, santen in Indonesia and Malaysia.

SCALLION - Variety of onion with small bulbs, long stiff green leaves.
Usually eaten raw. Also called spring onion, green onion.

SCOTCH BONNET PEPPER - Capsicum tetragonum. Similar to Habañero
Pepper.

SCRAPPLE - Scrapple is boiled, ground leftover pieces of pig, together
with cornmeal and spices. Good scrapple, particularly served with a
spicy tomato catsup, is food for the gods. Bad scrapple, especially
with too little cornmeal, with too much grease, or undercooked, is an abomination in the eyes of the horde.

SCUNGILLI - Also a Mollusc Gastropod - "Buccinidae" - found in more
temperate waters than conch, with a darker meat and stronger flavour,
perhaps less "sweet". This is more properly known as "whelk". These
are generally removed from their shell and sold already steamed and
ready to eat. The meat is kind of a circular meat, about 1 to 2 inches
in diameter, perhaps 10 to 20 of these in a pound.

SELTZER - Plain soda water (from Selters water, the naturally effervescent mineral water of Germany).

SHALLOTS - Small pointed members of the onion family that grow in
clusters something like garlic and have a mild, onion-y taste. Not the
same as green/spring onion.

SHIRO GOMA (shee-roh GOH-mah) - Japanese for "sesame seed." This
version is the hulled white sesame seed used in many Asian recipes, like stir-fry.

SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS (SHEE-TAH-KAY) - Also called Chinese black mushrooms
and forest mushrooms, they have a meaty flesh with a full-bodied woodsy flavour.

SINGLE CREAM - see section 1.3

SPANISH ONION - see Bermuda Onion

SPRING ONION - see Scallion

SQUASH - a family of vegetables. All but two have a thick, hard,
usually inedible rind, rich-tasting meat, and lots of seeds. There are
also things called summer squashes, which have edible rinds, milder
meats, and usually fewer seeds. An example of this type is the
Zucchini.

SWEDE - US rutabaga

SWEETBREADS - According to the OED, sweetbread is "the pancreas or
the thymus gland, of an animal, esp. as used for food (distinguished respectively as _heart_, _stomach_, or _belly_ sweetbread and _throat_, _gullet_, or _neck_ sweetbread): esteemed a delicacy." Sweetbreads
generally come from young animals, usually calves or lambs, although
pigs' can also be used. Older animals' thymus and pancreas are
significantly smaller and tend to be much stronger in flavour.

SWEETMEATS - A sweetmeat, according to the OED, is a "small shaped
piece of confectionary usu. consisting chiefly of sugar or chocolate
with flavouring or filling, or of fruit preserved in sugar."

TAHINI (TAH-HEE-NEE) - Used in Middle Eastern cooking, it is a thick
paste made of ground sesame seed that concentrates the sesame seed
flavour.

TAMARI - Tamari is a type of soy sauce, usually used in Japanese food.
You can easily substitute with Chinese Light Soy or regular Japanese soy
sauce.

TANGELO - Citrus fruit cross of a tangerine and a pomelo. Larger than a mandarin and a little smaller than an average-size orange. Skin colour
is a bright tangerine and they mature during the late mandarin season. Mandarins, Tangerines or Oranges may be used instead.

TERASI - A kind of pungent shrimp paste, used in very small quantities.
May be crushed with spices, grilled or fried before adding to other ingredients. Also known as balachan/blacan (Malaysia), kapi (Thailand)
and ngapi (Burma).

TOMATO SAUCE - in UK/NZ/Australia, a homogeneous dark red sauce
containing (typically) tomatoes, sugar, salt, acid, spices, sometimes
(blech) apple - much the same thing as US tomato ketchup. In the US,
France, Belgium a more heterogeneous concoction, served in and on foods
such as pasta.

TRADITIONAL BALSAMIC VINEGAR (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale) - see also
Balsamic Vinegar.
Made in Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy) from white Trebbiano must that
is cooked for several hours over a direct flame in an open vessel
until it reaches a concentration averaging at around 50%. It is then
aged in barrels until it is dark in colour and pungently sweet. The
barrels need to be from at least 3 different woods including cherry,
oak, chestnut tree, ash tree and mulberry tree. Minimum ageing is 12
years. Frequently used in salad dressings or marinades. "Aceto
balsamico tradizionale" from both Modena and Reggio Emilia are
DOP (Protected Origin Denomination) products under Italian and European
laws. Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale can be sold only in the particular 0.1-liter flasks labelled by the respective Consortium (Modena or Reggio Emilia), and the prices vary from about 30 euros for the lower quality
to over 100 euros for the higher quality.

TWIGLETS - A stick-shaped cracker-textured snack. Taste mostly of yeast extract, but also contain cheese as an ingredient. Have 4 calories each
and 11.4 g fat per 100 g.

UDON (OO-DOHN) - A thick Japanese noodle similar to spaghetti and used
in soups, salads and Asian noodle recipes.

UNSALTED BUTTER - What it says, butter without the 1.5 - 2% added salt
that 'normal' butter has. Often recommended for cooking. Many people
prefer the taste of unsalted butter. In areas with high quality dairy
products the use of unsalted butter where it is called for may not be so important, since the salt is not so likely to be covering the taste of a low-quality product. In many stores it may be kept in the freezer
section rather than refrigerator.

VEGEMITE/MARMITE - Not the same thing, but similar enough to not deserve separate entries. A thick brown paste made mostly from yeast extract,
most commonly spread thinly on toast or sandwiches. The taste is mostly
salt plus yeast. Despite the occasional rumour, neither contains any
meat.

Wasabi (WAH-SAH-BEE) - The Japanese version of horseradish comes from
the root of an Asian plant especially used as a condiment with sushi.
Can be purchased in powder form (reconstitute with water) or in tube (in
paste form).

WAX BEAN - a yellow variety of the green bean. Also called snap bean or
string bean.

WHIPPING CREAM - in US, cream with at least 30% butterfat

ZUCCHINI - A long, green squash that looks something like a cucumber.
Also known as vegetable marrow, courgette.

----------------------------------------
4 Cooking Methods

If you would like to contribute a paragraph for one of these methods, or
add another method, please send it to me.

baking
barbecuing
basting
boiling
coddling
grilling
simmering

----------------------------------------
4.1 Poaching (thank you to Rodger Whitlock)

Poaching is cooking by simmering in water. It is distinguished from
"boiling" in that the water temperature is kept slightly below the
boiling point. It is distinguished from "simmering" in that poaching
applies to solid items poached in water later discarded, whereas
simmering applies to the cooking of watery foods such as sauces,
puddings, soups, and stews. The most common poached foodstuff is the
egg. However, other items, for example boneless chicken breasts and
some fish, can be poached.

There are great differences of opinion about the proper method of
poaching an egg, in particular how to avoid the formation of long
streamers of egg white. This writer knows of three major variants:

1. using a special egg poaching pan
2. the "whirlpool" method
3. the "acidulation" method

This writer uses the "acidulation" method: a large shallow pan is filled
with water and brought to boiling. It is removed from the heat, and a
small amount (5-10 ml) of apple cider vinegar is added to the water.
When the water is absolutely still, Each egg is cracked into a cup and
very slowly and gently poured into the hot water. The heat is turned
down to a low simmer setting, the pan returned to the stove and covered,
and the eggs allowed to slowly cook until done to taste. This writer
prefers poached eggs to have a completely set white and yolks set on the outside but still liquid at the centre.

Eggs poached this way do not taste vinegary. Apple cider vinegar gives
the poached eggs a very delicate hint of sweetness.

----------------------------------------
4.2 Frying

Frying is plunging a food into a bath of hot fat or oil. It involves
'sealing and browning'. It is important to use fat or oil heated to a temperature that is high, but not so high that the fat begins to break
up or decompose. Generally, the temperature should not exceed about 180°C/360°F. A good rule of thumb is to wait until the fat begins to
smoke. One should only use pieces of food small enough for the heat to penetrate to the centre fairly rapidly. Another rule to remember is to
use food that has been carefully dried. If one uses food that is
difficult to get dry well enough, one should dip it into flour, or
breadcrumbs, or fritter batter, or pastry.

A very popular foodstuff to deep-fry is the potato. For potato chips (French-fried potatoes), heat the fat to about 180-190°C/360-380°F.
Potato chips are washed in cold water and carefully dried in a cloth and
then plunged into the hot fat for 5-6 minutes. The potatoes are then
lifted from the fat and tested for consistency. They should be soft
enough to squash between one's fingers. The fat should be allowed to
get back to 180-190°C/360-380°F and the potatoes put back into the fat
again, for a couple of minutes. They will become crisp and golden brown.

For safety reasons, it is recommended to use a deep pan, to fill it to
no more than 1/3 and to avoid crowding it. If a fire occurs, dump in
baking soda and cover the pan with a lid.

----------------------------------------
4.3 Sautéing (and deglazing)

'Sauté' is the past participle of the French verb sauter (to jump, hence
to fry in shallow fat, while tossing, i.e. making to jump). Sautéing is
thus a method of briefly cooking food in a shallow pan or skillet in a
small amount of hot fat or liquid over direct heat. One of the primary
cooking techniques, it is similar to grilling and roasting in that it
consists of the quick sealing and browning of small pieces of food.
This method is most often used for making dishes in savoury sauces,
sautéing being just a stage in the preparation of the dish, but also as
an end in itself, as in sautéed potatoes or mushrooms. To be
successful, sautéing should be done at the last minute. The size of the
sauté pan should correspond with the quantity of food to be cooked. The
pan should be large enough to accommodate food without crowding,
otherwise the food steams. It shouldn't be *too* large, though,
because, if the base of the pan is not entirely covered with the food to
be sautéed, the fat will start to burn in the empty spaces between the
food pieces, and give a bitter taste to the sauce (if such is going to
be made).

If the food is going to be served with a sauce made with the food's own
juices, sautéing would be followed by the next step - deglazing the pan
and making a sauce. After the food is seasoned and cooked to the
desired degree, the pieces are taken out of the pan and kept warm. The
pan can now be deglazed, using some sort of liquid specified in the
recipe, typically wine, brandy or vinegar. The liquid is brought to the
boil to loosen and dissolve the caramelised juices stuck to the bottom
of the pan. Some sort of hot stock can now be added and reduced by
half or so. The pan is then taken from the heat, and butter or cream
may be added and blended into the sauce. The sauce is then added to the
food, which should never be cooked in the deglazing liquid (it would
turn it into a ragoût).

----------------------------------------
4.4 Broiling

In British English, 'broiling' is the same thing as 'grilling'. In the
USA, 'broiling' refers to grilling something *under* a direct heat
source (as provided as an option in a typical electric oven, for
example), as distinct from cooking it above such a source in grilling
proper, especially if it happens outdoors on a suitable contraption.

----------------------------------------
4.5 Caramelising (of onions)

Caramelising is browning of sugars. Heating food containing sugars
beyond a certain temperature (about 150°C (300°F) breaks sugars down in
a large number of compounds which give caramelised food its complexity
of flavour. To start caramelising, the water in the food has to
evaporate, to enable the food to be able reach the requisite temperature
for the sugars to start browning.

Caramelising onions is an example. Heat a pan over medium-low heat, and
add about 3 tablespoons of fat (say, a mixture of vegetable oil and
butter). When the fat has melted, add 1 1/2 pounds of sliced onions
(sliced about 1/4 inch thick or less) and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook over
the low heat, covered, for 10 minutes (the onions are "sweating" at this
point, which means they are giving off moisture). Then uncover and
raise heat to medium high. Cook for 20 or 25 minutes more, stirring
every now and then. At this point, you are reducing the moisture in the
onions and the natural sugar in them is going to brown them. The onions
will be dark brown and will have caramelised in the pan (meaning they
will be sweet to the taste).

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4.6 Braising

Braising is cooking 'by exchange', i.e. food (typically meat, but also
fish or vegetables) is first browned all over in a little fat (except
fish... see below), in a tightly sealed pot, immersed to half its depth
in liquid and cooked on top of the stove or in the oven, long, slowly,
and evenly, tenderizing it and, with the help of the juices that run
out, adding flavour to the resulting sauce.

Fish is typically braised differently, namely by laying in a buttered
dish, covered over with chopped shallots or onions, immersed to half its
depth in a mixture of wine and fish stock, and then cooked in the oven,
covered with aluminium foil or greaseproof paper.

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4.7 Cooking with alcohol

A 1990 study by E. Augustin et al. found evidence that alcoholic
beverages retain from 5 percent to as much as 85 percent of alcohol
after cooking. This study has been used in the following table
published by USDA (edited for readability).


COOKING METHOD ALCOHOL RETAINED (%)

No heat, stored overnight 70
Stirred into hot liquid 85
Flamed 75
Stirred in, then baked or simmered for:
15 min 40
30 min 35
1 hr 25
1.5 hr 20
2 hr 10
2.5 hr 5
Not stirred in, baked for: 25 min 45

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4.8 Roasting

Roasting is cooking food by exposing it to dry heat. In this, it is
similar to baking and grilling/broiling. It differs from the former in
that, first, roasting can take place not just in the oven, but also in
the open, i.e. directly over the fire or smouldering coals; and, second,
in that the term 'roasting' is much more often applied to meat and
poultry than to other food, though fish and even vegetables can be
roasted, too. It differs from the latter in that roasting is a method
much better suited for thicker cuts of meat or other food, whereas the
initial searing is followed by cooking at, sometimes, slightly lower temperatures and, more importantly, by frequent basting, typically with
the drippings from the roast.

Like some other methods, roasting is a way of cooking by 'sealing and browning'. The food is lightly coated or painted with fat, such as
butter, oil, or a mixture of the two, and exposed to a very high heat,
thus searing the surface, coagulating and caramelising it. When
grilling a relatively small piece of food, this would be almost the end
of the cooking process, but with a thicker roasting piece, the inside
would still be raw at this stage. So, one lowers the heat a bit and
continues to cook, basting the roast frequently and turning it
occasionally, or even rotating it continuously if the food happens to be roasted on a spit over an open fire.

Since it is dry heat which is employed in roasting, it is important to
never put the lid on, or cover the roasting food, as otherwise the food
will be steaming, not roasting. Occasionally, though, it may become
necessary to shield certain parts of the roast with foil to prevent overcooking, or to cover (bard) certain drier meats or game with strips
of bacon or other fat, which is removed towards the end of cooking to
allow the meat to brown.

For rare meat, a rule of thumb is to roast it about 30 minutes for the
first pound and 13 to 15 minutes for each additional pound.

If a roasting pan has been used, cooking juices will have collected in
the bottom. They can be deglazed with a little liquid, such as wine or
water, to form a delicious gravy which can be poured over the roast or
served separately, or used to prepare a more elaborate sauce.

----------------------------------------
5 Distilled Wisdom on Equipment

This section is designed to contain small articles people have put
together on various topics pertaining to cooking equipment.

----------------------------------------
5.1 Woks (thank you to Steve Hammond (and for a small correction to
Bill Boylan))

First of all, the best wok is one made of cold-rolled steel. Most of
them are round-bottomed and come with a ring to support it over the
burner. The support ring with the narrower diameter side up is used for
gas stoves and the larger diameter side up is used on electric stoves.
This seems to keep it the right distance from the burner.

Electric woks can be used for table-side cooking but they do not seem
practical for real cooking. With their thermostat, they go on and off,
on and off... the idea is to get the wok hot and keep it hot. Electric
woks never seem to get hot enough and stay hot for most uses.

A wok right out of the box will have a coating of machine oil to prevent
it from rusting. Wash the wok in hot water with soap. This is the LAST
time you should ever use soap in your wok. Next, it's a good idea to
boil some water in your new wok for 15-20 minutes to get it really
clean.

Seasoning a brand new wok involves heating the wok with some oil in it,
letting it cool, and repeating the procedure, say, three times. Heat
the wok over high heat, then add a couple tablespoons of peanut oil and
spread it around with a paper towel, being careful not to burn yourself.
Stop when the oil begins to smoke, and let it cool. Add more oil if
needed, and repeat a couple of times.

For actual cooking, put your wok over the burner on high for a few
minutes before cooking. To see if it is ready to cook in, put a few
drops of water into the wok and they should dance around and evaporate
almost immediately. Have *all* the food you need to cook, chopped and
ready. Next, add some peanut oil and swirl around to coat the bottom.
The oil will start to smoke a little. Immediately start adding the
ingredients for the meal you are cooking.


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