Glossary, Cooking and Recipes.
Buterscotch, Toffee - soft crack stage (syrup dropped into cold water separates into hard but not brittle threads) 270-290 degrees
Brittle - hard crack stage (syrup dropped into cold water separates into hard brittle threads) 300-310 degrees
Baba - a small sweet cake made from enriched yeast dough, often flavored with candied fruits and soaked with a rum or syrup after baking.
Baking powder - A chemical combining an acid with bicarbonate of soda to form the gas which enables baked products to rise.
Baking soda - Also called bicarbonate of soda and sodium bicarbonate is a leavening agent which is used as an essential ingredient in baking powder. When used alone, recipes must include some type of acid to neutralize the resulting sodium carbonate in the finished product. Buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream, and citrus juice are adequate acid to use.
Batter - A flour-liquid mixture for pancakes that is thin enough to pour. Batter, used in pancakes, waffles, muffins and cakes, easily drop from a spoon.
Borscht - A rich soup contain beets and cabbage. Other ingredients may include potatoes, beans, meat, mushrooms, greenery, served with sour cream.
Buttermilk - it is liquid, which left after butter is churned solid. Buttermilk is the byproduct of butter making.
Caramel - firm ball stage (syrup dropped into cold water holds shape unless pressed) 242-248 degrees
Chutney - The name for a large range of sauces, jams or relishes used in Indian cooking.
Cilantro - A green herb, similar in appearance to parsley.
Clabber - Milk which has soured to the point where it is thick and curdy but not separated.
Dough, used in breads, rolls, pie crusts and most cookies, is typically thick enough to be rolled, kneaded, or pushed from a spoon with finger.
Divinity, Taffy - hard ball stage (syrup dropped into cold water holds shape but is pliable) 250-268 degrees.
Drippings - Fat and juices drawn and left from meat or poultry as it cooks.
Evaporated milk - Preserved milk that has much of the water content removed through evaporation. Similar to condensed milk, but not nearly as sweet.
Flour:
Cake Flour: A high starch flour made from soft wheat. Ideal for baking.
Bread Flour: A high gluten flour made from hard wheat. Perfect for yeast breads.
All-Purpose Flour: Half cake flour, half bread flour. Suitable for all applications.
Whole Wheat Flour: A high fiber flour that contains the wheat germ. Usually blended with other flours.
Self-Rising: A mixture of all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
Fudge, Penuche - soft ball stage (syrup dropped into cold water can be picked up but flattens),234-240 degrees
Half-and-Half - This combination of equal parts cream and milk.
Kebab - Cubes of meat cooked on a skewer, often with vegetables.
Pecans - An oil-rich native American nut.
Ravioli - Pelmeni - little pasta pillows filled with mushroom, meat, vegetable, or other fillings.
Syrup - spun-thread stage (syrup dropped from spoon spins 2 inch thread, 230-240 degrees.
Saltpeter - Potassium Nitrate. A common kitchen chemical used in preservation
of meat or preparing corned beef or pork.
Samovar - Russian metal tea urn heated from an inner tube, in which charcoal is burnt. The samovar appeared in Russia in the 18 the century. It was made of copper and brass. It was an indispensable utensil in all homes. Wood-burning samovars has occupied an honored place in Russian homes for more than 250 years. Not only the centerpiece of the table but a prized family heirloom as well. Keeping water hot all day (and often, all night, too) so it could be added to the teapot to make a piping hot cup of tea, anytime. Early samovars, from the Russian "sam" (self) and "varit" (to boil), were heated by burning charcoal or wood. The famous Russian Tula city factory is producers of fine samovars since 1745.
Shashlyk - Skewered, broiled marinated lamb.
Shortbread - A butter-rich cookie, often seasoned with lemon, cinnamon, ginger, almonds and cumin.
Shortening - Although good at holding air, shortening has little flavor. It is just a fat solid. Stick with butter for baking.
Sieve - A fine, mesh strainer.
Sorrel - Somewhere between an herb and a green, sorrel has a sour, lemony flavor. It is used to flavor sauces and is great in soups.
Tumeric - A bright yellow spice used primarily in commercial curry powder. It is also used in sweet pickles and for various dishes requiring a yellow color. This is used as a coloring substitute for saffron.
Turmeric - [Indian] a rhizome that is dried and ground, then utilized to spice and color dishes bright yellow. Primarily used in Indian and Southeast Asian cooking.
White sauce - A sauce whose base is butter, flour and a liquid such as stock, milk or water.
Zbiten - an old Russian beverage made from cognac or vodka, honey, herb tea and spices.
Zabaglione- An Italian custard made with egg yolks and wine or juices, which are beaten vigorously over hot water to form a rich, creamy dessert. The custard can then be poured into glasses and chilled to be eaten later, or eaten warm with fresh fruit. Marsala is the most common wine used, though any sweet wine such as Madeira, Champagne, or Sauterne may be used.
Abundance of vegetables:
Potatoes must
be cooked at least 3/4 of the way before freezing.
You can freeze the pumpkin after you cook it but I have a couple of suggestions for
you: 1. make sure to get as much of the liquid out of it as you can and 2. freeze it in measured amounts you want to use for a recipe.
I freeze chopped string beans, washed green peas, broccoli and cauliflower broken into small florets, peeled and grated carrots and beats, cooked mushrooms.