- Industry: Printing & publishing
- Number of terms: 62402
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Founded in 1941, Barron's Educational Series is a leading publisher of test preparation manuals and school directories. Among the most widely recognized of Barron's many titles in these areas are its SAT and ACT test prep books, its Regents Exams books, and its Profiles of American Colleges. In ...
Italian for "snails," referring culinarily to large pasta shells intended for stuffing.
Industry:Culinary arts
This Philippine version of the egg roll consists of a lumpia wrapper (a thin "skin" made of flour or cornstarch, eggs and water) wrapped around a filling and fried. Sometimes a lettuce leaf is used to enfold the filling mixture, in which case lumpia is not fried. The filling can be made of chopped raw or cooked vegetables, meat or a combination of the two. Lumpia can be served as an appetizer or side dish.
Industry:Culinary arts
A member of the ginger family, this aromatic spice is native to India and grows in many other tropical areas including Asia, South America and the Pacific Islands. Cardamom seeds are encapsulated in small pods about the size of a cranberry. Each pod contains 17 to 20 tiny seeds. Cardamom has a pungent aroma and a warm, spicy-sweet flavor. It's widely used in Scandinavian and East Indian cooking. Cardamom can be purchased either in the pod or ground. The latter, though more convenient, is not as full-flavored because cardamom seeds begin to lose their essential oils as soon as they're ground. The seeds may be removed from the pods and ground, or the entire pod may be ground. A mortar and pestle make quick work of the grinding. If using cardamom to flavor dishes such as stews and curries, lightly crush the shell of the pod and add the pod and seeds to the mixture. The shell will disintegrate while the dish cooks. Be frugal when using cardamom — a little goes a long way. See also spices; herb and spice chart.
Industry:Culinary arts
A term meaning "formed fish" and referring to fish pulp that's formed into various shapes. Surimi and the similar kamaboko have been made for centuries by the Japanese and are thought to date as far back as 1100 a. D. Most surimi found in North America is made from Alaska pollock, a fish with a lean, firm flesh that has a delicate, slightly sweet flavor. Pacific whiting is also beginning to be used for surimi but its flesh is so soft that it requires the addition of egg whites and potatoes to be firm enough for processing. To become surimi, fish is skinned, boned, repeatedly rinsed to eliminate any fishiness and pigment and ground into a paste. This odorless white paste is then mixed with a flavor concentrate made from real shellfish, the solution from boiled shells or artificial flavorings. The paste is then formed, cooked and cut into the various shapes of the seafood it's imitating, which in the United States is usually crab legs, lobster chunks, shrimp and scallops. Lastly, surimi is colored to complete its transformation from fish to shellfish look-alike. Surimi is available in the refrigerator or freezer section of most supermarkets. It can be kept unopened in the refrigerator for up to 2 months, in the freezer for up to 6 months. Once opened, use surimi within 3 days. Surimi (which is sometimes simply labeled "imitation crabmeat," "imitation lobster," etc. ) is best when used as an ingredient in salads, casseroles and soups.
Industry:Culinary arts
Popular in the cooking of Southeast Asia (particularly Indonesian, Malasian and Thai), screwpine leaves have a floral flavor and are used most often to flavor rice dishes and puddings. Their intense green hue also makes them useful as a natural food coloring. Screwpine leaves are available in Asian markets — sometimes fresh and always dried. They're also called daun pandan, pandanus and kewra.
Industry:Culinary arts
The name "kamut" comes from the ancient Egyptian word for "wheat. " Considered by some to be the great-great grandfather of grains, kamut is a variety of high-protein wheat that has never been hybridized. Thirty-six kernels were brought to Montana in the late 1940s and, at this writing, the grain is grown commercially only in that state. Kamut's kernels are two to three times the size of most wheat. Not only does this grain have a deliciously nutty flavor, but it also has a higher nutritional value than its modern-day counterparts. In the United States, kamut is available only in processed foods. It's used mainly for pastas, puffed cereal and crackers. Because cultivation is limited, kamut products are hard to find, and are generally only available in health-food stores. See also wheat.
Industry:Culinary arts
A decorative, fluted paper "sock" that is slipped over a protruding meat bone, such as in a crown roast.
Industry:Culinary arts
Native to northern Africa, teff is a miniscule (about 1/32 inch in diameter) cereal grain. It's been a staple of Ethiopia for eons and is now being grown in the United States in Idaho. The mildly nutty-flavored teff is high in protein and carbohydrates and a good source of calcium and iron. It can be found in some health-food stores.
Industry:Culinary arts
A mild to medium-hot, rich-flavored chile that, when dried, is known as the pasilla. The narrow chilaca can measure up to 9 inches long and often has a twisted shape. It turns from dark green to dark brown when fully mature. About the only place it can be found fresh in the United States is in farmer's markets. See also chile.
Industry:Culinary arts
It's no wonder that saffron — the yellow-orange stigmas from a small purple crocus (Crocus sativus) — is the world's most expensive spice. Each flower provides only three stigmas, which must be carefully hand-picked and then dried — an extremely labor-intensive process. It takes over 14,000 of these tiny stigmas for each ounce of saffron. Thousands of years ago saffron was used not only to flavor food and beverages but to make medicines and to dye cloth and body oils a deep yellow. Today this pungent, aromatic spice is primarily used to flavor and tint food. Fortunately (because it's so pricey), a little saffron goes a long way. It's integral to hundreds of dishes like bouillabaisse, risotto Milanese and paella, and flavors many European baked goods. Saffron is marketed in both powdered form and in threads (the whole stigmas). Powdered saffron loses its flavor more readily and can be easily adulterated with imitations. The threads should be crushed just before using. Store saffron airtight in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. See also spices; herb and spice chart.
Industry:Culinary arts
