| Term | Definition
|
|---|
| curdle | The separating of milk into curd and whey (the
solid and liquid. Acids, such as vinegar or
lemon juice, can curdle milk, as can boiling.
|
| cure | The process of treating food to preserve it.
Curing methods include smoking and salting.
Salting can be done by dry packing or by soaking
in brine.
|
| curry | A gravy-based Indian dish. The gravy is made
from curry powder, the rest of the dish can be
most any type of meat and starch.
|
| curry powder | A powdered blend of many spices and herbs. True
curry powder is made fresh for each use. It can
be sweet, spicy, or savory, depending on the
mix of herbs and spices used by the cook.
|
| cut across the grain | see cutting on the bias (cooking term)
|
| Cutting on the Bias | Cutting on the bias is a sewing term in which you cut on the diagonal to the weave of the fabric.
To find the true diagonal, unravel an edge of the fabric until you get to one straight thread, then fold that edge over
to a 90 degree angle to itself. Cutting on the bias is used for trims and such because it has more stretch to it and gan go around curves easier with less bunching.
(I don't know why this was requested of the Online Cookbook but we try to please.--Editor)
|
| cutting on the bias | Cutting at an angle across the grain of meat, generally providing more tenderness to inexpesive cuts such as flank or round steak, used for stir fry to reduce shrinkage prior to cooking. Retains moisture in cooked meats.
|
| daikon | A sweet Asian radish. May be eaten raw or
cooked.
|
| damper | Australian bushman's bread made from flour salt and water.
|
| dandelion greens | A slightly bitter green that can be used in
salads, or cooked like spinach. The roots are
also eaten or ground for a beverage called
"root coffee."
|
| Darjeeling tea | A black tea from the Darjeeling province of
India.
|
| dash | A small measure of an ingredient, generally
considered to be about 1/16 teaspoon, though
it isn't measured. The cook instead adds a
single splash of liquid or a pinch of dry
ingredient.
|
| daube | A braised French dish of beef, wine, and
vegetables.
|
| decant | The pouring of wine (generally) from the bottle
to another container, slowly, so any sediment
remains in the bottle.
|
| deer meat | venison.
|
| deglaze | The addition of liquid to a pan of cooked meat,
followed by stirring to loosen the stuck bits
of meat from the pan. As the liquid reduces,
it becomes a sauce flavored by the meat. Usually,
stock or wine is used as the liquid.
|
| desiree potato | A small, pink-skinned potato. Any small, thin-skinned potato is usually a suitable alternative.
|
| devein | To remove the vein from the back of a shrimp.
|
| dice | To cut food into small cubes about 1/4 inch or
5mm across.
|
| dill | An annual, pungent herb, used in a variety of
dishes and cuisines.
|
| divide, divided use | as in, divide sugar, amount stated will be divided up to be used in different parts of the recipe.
|
| dollop | An indeterminent measure of soft food, such as
whipped cream, spooned onto a dish or other
food.
|
| double boiler | A two-pot arrangement where the lower pot contains
simmering water and the upper pot nestles inside,
allowing foods to cook gently without burning.
|
| drained and rinsed | When cooking vegetables in order to get them to stay at that crisp-tender stage,
drop into boiling water. When the vegetable, such as green beans, reaches the desired stage of doneness,
drain the vegetable into a colander and quickly rinse with cool water. Return to the cooking pan, off the flame, and cover to keep warm.
This will halt the cooking process.
|
| dredge | To lightly coat food with flour, cornmeal, breadcrumbs, etc. before frying to help to brown the food.
|
| drippings | The liquid and melted fat left from cooking
meat in a pan.
|
| drizzle | To slowly pour a fine stream of liquid over
a dish.
|
| dumpling | A dough ball cooked in a liquid, such as soup.
|
| Dutch oven | A large, normally cast iron, pot with a very
tight fitting lid that prevents steam from escaping
during cooking.
|
| ea | each as in 1 lemon, 1 onion, or whatever.
|
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