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Barrons Educational Series, Inc.
Industry: Printing & publishing
Number of terms: 62403
Number of blossaries: 0
Company Profile:
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 mild-flavored member of the parsley family, this aromatic herb has curly, dark green leaves with an elusive anise flavor. Chervil is one of the main ingredients in fines herbes. Though most chervil is cultivated for its leaves alone, the root is edible and was, in fact, enjoyed by early Greeks and Romans. Today it's available dried but has the best flavor when fresh. Both forms can be found in most supermarkets. It can be used like parsley but its delicate flavor is diminished when boiled. Chervil is also called cicily and sweet cicily. See also herbs; herb and spice chart.
Industry:Culinary arts
Though the United States has only recently begun to appreciate the merits of this fish, other cultures have eaten shark for eons. Some of the more popular shark species are leopard, mako, soupfin and thresher. Sharks marketed for food range in size from 15 to 120 pounds. Though some of the smaller ones are sold whole, fillets, steaks or chunks are the more common market forms. The shark's flavorful, lowfat flesh is dense and meatlike. Because of its metabolism, however, it has a tendency to smell of ammonia. This off-putting odor can easily be eliminated by soaking the fish in milk or acidulated water. Shark can be prepared in a variety of ways including broiling, grilling, baking, poaching and frying. It's also delicious in soups, and cold, cooked shark can be used in salads. See also dogfish; fish; shark'S fin.
Industry:Culinary arts
N. see strainer. sieve v. To strain liquid or particles of food through the mesh or perforated holes of a sieve or strainer.
Industry:Culinary arts
Though many pundits claim that Marco Polo brought the idea of noodles back with him to Italy from China, the truth is that this food form existed in both places independently long before Polo's expeditions. In fact, archaeological documentation now points to the fact that noodles probably originated in central Asia, possibly dating back to at least 1000 b. C. Almost every country has a form of pasta. The Germans enjoy spaetzle, Poles have their pierogi and throughout the Orient there are dozens of noodles, usually made with rice or soy flour rather than wheat flour (see asian noodles). In Italian, the word pasta means "paste," and refers to the dough made by combining durum wheat flour called semolina with a liquid, usually water or milk. The term "pasta" is used broadly and generically to describe a wide variety of noodles made from this type of dough. Some doughs have a little egg added, though doughs made with only flour and eggs are generally referred to as noodles. There are hundreds of shapes, sizes, thicknesses and colors of pasta. macaroni and spaghetti are probably the most popular, though each of those categories has many size and shape varieties. Additionally, there are dozens of fancy shapes such as conchiglie (shells), farfalle (bows) and rotelle (little corkscrews). Other pastas, such as ravioli and tortellini, have fillings. Some pastas are colored, often with spinach (green), beet juice or tomato paste (red) and squid ink (charcoal gray). Pasta also comes in both dried and fresh forms. As a general rule, imported dried pasta is superior to American factory-made products, mainly because the imported pasta is only made with semolina, which doesn't absorb too much water and is pleasantly firm when cooked al dente. A good selection of dried pastas can be found in most supermarkets, and an even broader variety is available in Italian markets. It should be stored airtight in a cool, dry place and can be kept almost indefinitely. Fresh pasta is often made with eggs instead of water; it can increasingly be found in many supermarkets and is always available in Italian markets. Because it's highly perishable, it must be refrigerated airtight and can be stored in this manner for about 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to a month. Fresh pastas cook in a fraction of the time necessary for dried pastas. When it comes to saucing pasta, a general rule is to use light sauces for delicate pastas like capelli D'angelo and chunky, heavy sauces for sturdy pastas such as fusilli. See also acini di peppe; agnolotti; anelli; bavettine; bucatini; cannaroni; cannelloni; capellini; cappelletti; cavatappi; cavatelli; coralli; creste di galli; ditali; elbow pasta; fedelini; fettucce; fettuccine; fideos; fischietti; gemelli; gnocchi; lasagna; linguine; lumache; maccheroni; mafalda; magliette; manicotti; margherite; mostaccioli; orecchiette; orzo; pansotti; pappardelle; pastina; penne; perciatelli; pezzoccheri; quadrettini; radiatore; rigatoni; riso; rotini; semi de melone; stelle; tagliarini; tagliatelle; tagliolini; trenette; tripolini; tubetti; vermicelli; ziti.
Industry:Culinary arts
A French goat's-milk cheese that is cured in chestnut leaves and sometimes washed in marc or cognac. It has a soft to semisoft texture and a mild lemony flavor, and is best from late spring to early fall. See also cheese.
Industry:Culinary arts
A kitchen tool used to press a garlic clove through small holes, thereby extracting both pulp and juice. Leaving the skin on the clove facilitates cleaning, which should be done immediately after pressing, before any garlic left in the press dries. The press can also be set in a cup of warm water until cleaning time. Some presses contain teeth that push garlic fragments back out through the holes, making cleaning much easier. Garlic presses can be made of aluminum, stainless steel and strong plastics.
Industry:Culinary arts
Thought to have been inspired by the cupola of Florence, Italy's, Duomo (the city's main cathedral), this dome-shaped dessert begins with a bowl lined with liqueur-moistened cake (usually pound cake) slices. The bowl is then filled with a mixture of sweetened whipped cream, chopped or grated chocolate and various chopped nuts before being topped with additional cake slices. The zuccotto is refrigerated at least a day so the filling can set. It's inverted onto a plate before being served.
Industry:Culinary arts
This cabbage-family root vegetable resembles a large (3 to 5 inches in diameter) turnip and, in fact, is thought to be a cross between cabbage and turnip. The name comes from the Swedish rotabagge, which is why this vegetable is also called a Swede or Swedish turnip. Rutabagas have a thin, pale yellow skin and a slightly sweet, firm flesh of the same color. There is also a white variety but it is not generally commercially available. This root vegetable is available year-round with a peak season of July through April. Choose those that are smooth, firm and heavy for their size. Rutabagas can be refrigerated in a plastic bag for up to 2 weeks. They may be prepared in any way suitable for turnips. Rutabagas, which are a cruciferous vegetable, contain small amounts of vitamins A and C.
Industry:Culinary arts
This reddish-pink marine fish is not really a true mullet but a Mediterranean member of the goatfish family. The red mullet ranges in size from 1/2 to 2 pounds and has very firm, lean flesh. It's found on menus all over Europe but is rarely available in the United States. See also fish.
Industry:Culinary arts
A cocktail made with equal parts of scotch and drambuie and served over ice.
Industry:Culinary arts