- Industry: Printing & publishing
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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 ...
A small (about 1 1/2 inches long), slightly pointed chile that has a very hot, savory flavor. As it matures, its smooth, bright green skin turns scarlet red, then yellow. Fresh serranos can be found in Mexican markets and some supermarkets. They are also available canned, pickled or packed in oil, sometimes with carrots, onions or other vegetables. Serranos can be used fresh or cooked in various dishes and sauces such as guacamole and salsa. The dried serrano chile, also known as chile seco, comes whole and powdered and is generally used in sauces.
Industry:Culinary arts
A rich, creamy stew made with veal, chicken or lamb, button mushrooms and small white onions. The name comes from the French word blanc, meaning "white. "
Industry:Culinary arts
A mixture of minced meat or vegetables, a thick white sauce and seasonings that is formed into small cylinders, ovals or rounds, dipped in beaten egg and then bread crumbs, and deep-fried until crisp and brown.
Industry:Culinary arts
A name shared by three unrelated plants: the globe artichoke, jerusalem artichoke and chinese (or japanese) artichoke. Considered the true artichoke, the globe artichoke is cultivated mainly in California's midcoastal region. It's the bud of a large plant from the thistle family and has tough, petal-shaped leaves. To eat a whole cooked artichoke, break off the leaves one by one and draw the base of the leaf through your teeth to remove the soft portion, discarding the remainder of the leaf. The individual leaves may be dipped into melted butter or some other sauce. Once the leaves have been removed, the inedible prickly choke is cut or scraped away and discarded. Then the tender artichoke heart and meaty bottom can be eaten. Globe artichokes are available year-round, with the peak season from March through May. Buy deep green, heavy-for-their-size artichokes with a tight leaf formation. The leaves should "squeak" when pressed together. Heavy browning on an artichoke usually indicates it's beyond its prime, though a slight discoloration on the leaf edges early in the season is generally frost damage and won't affect the vegetable's quality. Store unwashed artichokes in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; wash just before cooking. Artichokes are best used the day of purchase. Artichoke hearts are available frozen and canned; artichoke bottoms are available canned. Artichokes contain small amounts of potassium and vitamin A.
Industry:Culinary arts
Used in Middle Eastern cooking, tahini is a thick paste made of ground sesame seed. It's used to flavor various dishes such as hummus and baba ghanoush.
Industry:Culinary arts
A veal scallop or thin slice of beef that is quickly grilled or sautéed.
Industry:Culinary arts
Chunks of marinated meat (sometimes fish) and vegetables that are threaded on a skewer and grilled or broiled. Also called shashlik.
Industry:Culinary arts
One of creole cookery's hallmarks, jambalaya is a versatile dish that combines cooked rice with a variety of ingredients including tomatoes, onion, green peppers and almost any kind of meat, poultry or shellfish. The dish varies widely from cook to cook. It's thought that the name derives from the French jambon, meaning "ham," the main ingredient in many of the first jambalayas.
Industry:Culinary arts
A "board," which may be wood or plastic (acrylic), used for cutting up foods such as meat and vegetables. Though it has long been thought that plastic boards were safer than wooden with respect to food-poisoning bacteria, that theory has now been discredited. Tests done by two University of Wisconsin microbiologists proved that wooden boards are so inhospitable to bacterial contaminants (such as those from poultry juices) that bacteria actually disappears from wooden surfaces within minutes. Conversely, on plastic boards bacteria multiplies rapidly at room temperature and, even after washing, bacteria can accumulate in knife cuts. The best solution: have one board for vegetables and another (preferably wood) for meats. Always use hot water and detergent to thoroughly scrub a cutting board after each use. Plastic boards may be cleaned in the dishwasher.
Industry:Culinary arts
To partially cook food by boiling it briefly in water. This timesaving technique is used in particular for dense foods such as carrots. If parboiled, they can be added at the last minute with quick-cooking ingredients (such as bean sprouts and celery) in preparations such as stir-fries. The parboiling insures that all the ingredients will complete cooking at the same time. See also blanch.
Industry:Culinary arts