- 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 ...
1. In cooking, this term refers to lightly coating a food with a powdery ingredient such as flour or confectioners' sugar. 2. A term used to describe inferior, coarsely crushed tea leaves.
Industry:Culinary arts
A gravy made from pan drippings, flour and milk. It can be thick to thin, depending on the amount of milk added. Country gravy is a popular accompaniment to chicken-fried steak.
Industry:Culinary arts
This specially treated fruit can be made from any variety of cherry, though the royal ann is most often used. The cherries are pitted and then macerated in a flavored sugar syrup (usually almond flavor for red cherries, mint for green). At one time they were traditionally flavored with maraschino liqueur, though such an extravagance is now rare. The cherries are then dyed red or green. The federal government has now banned the use of the harmful dyes that were used until recently. Maraschino cherries can be purchased with or without stems. They're used as a garnish for desserts and cocktails, as well as in baked goods and fruit salads.
Industry:Culinary arts
1. The Italian word for "tart," "pie" or "cake. " 2. The Spanish word for "cake," "loaf" or "sandwich. "
Industry:Culinary arts
Literally translated as "English soup," this Italian dish is, in fact, a refrigerated dessert similar to the British favorite, trifle. It's made with rum-sprinkled slices of sponge cake layered with a rich custard or whipped cream (or both) and candied fruit or toasted almonds (or both).
Industry:Culinary arts
Milk has been used for human consumption for thousands and thousands of years, as proven by cave drawings showing cows being milked. Today cow's milk is still one of the most popular (especially in the United States) animal milks consumed by humans. Around the world, people drink the milk from many other animals including camels, goats, llamas, reindeer, sheep and water buffalo. Most milk packs a nutritional punch and contains protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins A and D, lactose (milk sugar) and riboflavin. On the minus side, milk's natural sodium content is quite high. Most milk sold in the United States today is pasteurized, which means the microorganisms that cause diseases (such as salmonella and hepatitis) and spoilage have been destroyed by heating, then quick-cooling, the milk. Pasteurization eliminates the possibility of disease and gives milk a longer shelf life. Most commercial milk products have also been homogenized, meaning that the milk fat globules have been broken down mechanically until they are evenly and imperceptibly distributed throughout the milk. The end result is that the cream does not separate from the milk and the liquid is uniformly smooth. In 1993, the Federal Drug Administration approved supplementing dairy cows with a genetically produced hormone protein known as bovine somatotropin (bst). bst is a naturally occurring growth hormone that's found in all cows. When bioengineered bst is injected into dairy cows, their milk production increases by up to 25 percent. Scientists assert that the composition of milk from bst-injected cows is not altered in any way and has no biological effect on humans, although many opponents are not convinced. There is no mandatory labeling for milk from bst-supplemented cows. However, in some smaller market areas, you may find dairy products voluntarily labeled as "farmer certified to not come from bst-supplemented cows. " Milk is available in many varieties. Raw milk, usually only commercially available in health-food stores, has not been pasteurized. Advocates say it's better nutritionally because vitamins and natural enzymes have not been destroyed by heat. The dairies that are certified to sell raw milk have rigid hygiene standards and their herds are inspected regularly. But the milk is still not pasteurized and therefore carries some potential risk of disease. Almost all other pasteurized and homogenized milks are fortified with vitamins A and D. Whole milk is the milk just as it came from the cow and contains about 3 1/2 percent milk fat. Lowfat milk comes in two basic types: 2 percent, meaning 98 percent of the fat has been removed; and 1 percent, which is 99 percent fat-free. A few lowfat milks contain only 1/2 percent milk fat but they're not widely available. Nonfat or skim milk must by law contain less than 1/2 percent milk fat. Both lowfat and nonfat milk are available with milk solids added, in which case the label states "Protein-fortified. " Not only does this boost the protein to 10 grams per cup, but it also adds body and richness. Federal law requires that both lowfat and nonfat milk be fortified with 2,000 International Units (iu) of vitamin A per quart. Though vitamin D fortification is optional, 400 iu per quart is usually also added. Buttermilk of times past was the liquid left after butter was churned. Today it is made commercially by adding special bacteria to nonfat or lowfat milk, giving it a slightly thickened texture and tangy flavor. Some manufacturers add flecks of butter to give it an authentic look. Dry or powdered buttermilk is also available (see dry milk). Sweet acidophilus milk (whole, lowfat or nonfat) has had friendly and healthful lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria added to it. It tastes and looks just like regular milk but many scientists believe it has an advantage because the acidophilus culture restores nature's balance to the digestive tract. Low-sodium milk, in which 90 percent of the sodium is replaced by potassium, is a special product available in limited supply for those on sodium-restricted diets. Lactose-reduced lowfat milk is for people suffering from lactose intolerance. The lactose content in this special lowfat milk has been reduced to only 30 percent. Ultrapasteurized milk has been quickly heated to about 300°F, then vacuum-packed. It may be stored without refrigeration for up to 6 months until opened, after which it must be refrigerated. Though the high heat destroys spoilage-causing microorganisms, it also gives a "cooked" flavor to the milk. Chocolate milk is whole milk with sugar and chocolate added to it. Chocolate dairy drink (sometimes labeled simply chocolate drink) is skim milk with the same flavorings added. In either case, if cocoa is used instead of chocolate, the product is labeled "chocolate-flavored drink. " There are a variety of dry milk and canned milk products on the market. (See dry milk, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk). Buying milk: Always check the date on the carton to make sure the milk you're buying is the freshest available. Pull dates (see open dating) are intentionally conservative, and most milk in a market with rapid turnover will keep at least a week after purchase. Storing milk: Refrigerate milk as soon as you get it home from the store. Milk readily absorbs flavors so always close milk cartons or other containers tightly. The storage life of milk is reduced greatly when allowed to sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes or more, as it would if put in a pitcher for serving. Rather than returning such milk to its original carton, cover the pitcher with plastic wrap, refrigerate and use that milk within 2 days. See also soy milk, as well as listings for milk's most widely distributed by-products: butter; cheese; cream; sour cream; yogurt.
Industry:Culinary arts
Pressing tree-ripened olives extracts a flavorful, monounsaturated oil that is prized throughout the world both for cooking (particularly in Mediterranean countries) and for salads. Today's marketplace provides a wide selection of domestic olive oil (most of which comes from California) and imported oils from France, Greece, Italy and Spain. The flavor, color and fragrance of olive oils can vary dramatically depending on distinctions such as growing region and the crop's condition. All olive oils are graded in accordance with the degree of acidity they contain. The best are cold-pressed, a chemical-free process that involves only pressure, which produces a natural level of low acidity. Extra virgin olive oil, the cold-pressed result of the first pressing of the olives, is only 1 percent acid. It's considered the finest and fruitiest of the olive oils and is therefore also the most expensive. Extra virgin olive oil can range from a crystalline champagne color to greenish-golden to bright green. In general, the deeper the color, the more intense the olive flavor. After extra virgin, olive oils are classified in order of ascending acidity. Virgin olive oil is also a first-press oil, with a slightly higher level of acidity of between 1 and 3 percent. Fino olive oil is a blend of extra virgin and virgin oils (fino is Italian for "fine"). Products labeled simply olive oil (once called pure olive oil) contain a combination of refined olive oil and virgin or extra virgin oil. The new light olive oil contains the same amount of beneficial monounsaturated fat as regular olive oil . . . and it also has exactly the same number of calories. What the term "light" refers to is that — because of an extremely fine filtration process — this olive oil is lighter in both color and fragrance, and has little of the classic olive-oil flavor. It's this rather nondescript flavor that makes "light" olive oil perfect for baking and cooking where regular olive oil's obvious essence might be undesirable. The filtration process for this light-style oil also gives it a higher smoke point than regular olive oil. Light olive oils can therefore be used for high-heat frying, whereas regular olive oil is better suited for low- to medium-heat cooking, as well as for many uncooked foods such as salad dressings and marinades. The International Olive Oil Institute recommends using pure olive oil for frying, since the flavor of extra virgin olive oil tends to break down at frying temperatures, making the added expense a waste. Olive oil should be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. It can be refrigerated, in which case it will last up to a year. Chilled olive oil becomes cloudy and too thick to pour. However, it will clear and become liquid again when brought to room temperature. See also fats and oils.
Industry:Culinary arts
An alcoholic distillate obtained from a fermented mash of grains such as barley, rye or corn. There are many varieties of whiskey — or whisky, as it's spelled in Scotland and Canada. The final result is affected by many factors including the water, type of grain, how the grain is treated and processed and the aging. Among the more popular whiskies are bourbon, canadian whisky, irish whiskey, rye and scotch.
Industry:Culinary arts
A generic term applied to any of several varieties of hot, red chili peppers. The most commonly available forms are ground red pepper and red pepper flakes.
Industry:Culinary arts
