- Industria: 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 ...
Also known as langues-de-chat (French for "cats' tongues"), these long, thin cookies resemble their namesakes in shape. They are light, dry and slightly sweet. Cats' tongues may be flavored with citrus zest, chocolate or flavoring extracts. Two are sometimes sandwiched together with jam or another sweet filling; they may also be frosted. Cats' tongues are commonly made by pressing a thick batter through a pastry bag. A special langues-de-chat pan is also available in cookware shops.
Industry:Culinary arts
Also known in France as crème renversée, crème caramel is a custard that has been baked in a caramel-coated mold. When the chilled custard is turned out onto a serving plate it is automatically glazed and sauced with the caramel in the mold. In Italy it's known as crema caramella, and in Spain as flan.
Industry:Culinary arts
Also referred to as a balsam pear, this fruit resembles a cucumber with a bumpy skin and is used as a vegetable in Chinese cooking. When first picked, the bitter melon is yellow-green and has a delicate, sour flavor. As it ripens it turns yellow-orange and becomes bitter and acrid, which is how many people prefer it. Bitter melon is available fresh from April through September in most Asian markets. It can also be purchased canned or dried.
Industry:Culinary arts
Also referred to as hamburger, ground beef is simply beef that has been ground or finely chopped. The price of ground beef is determined by the cut of meat from which it was made and the amount of fat incorporated into the mix. High-fat mixtures are less costly but will shrink more when cooked. The least expensive product is sold as regular ground beef or regular hamburger. It's usually made with trimmings of the less expensive cuts such as brisket and shank, and can contain up to 30 percent fat. The moderately priced ground chuck is the next level of ground beef. Because it contains enough fat (about 15 to 20 percent) to give it flavor and make it juicy, yet not enough to cause excess shrinkage, ground chuck is the best meat for hamburgers. The leanest (around 11 percent fat) and most expensive of the ground meats are ground round and ground sirloin. Though they're great for calorie watchers, they become quite dry when cooked beyond medium-rare. Ground beef is sold fresh and frozen, prepackaged in bulk (usually 1 to 5 pounds) or in preformed patties. It may also be ground to order. The way it is used determines how the beef should be ground. In general, the finer the beef is ground, the more compact it will be when cooked. For instance, firm-textured combinations such as meatloaf or meatballs should be made with beef that has been ground at least 2 or 3 times. For hamburgers, however, where a light, juicy texture is preferable, the beef should be coarsely ground. Ground beef should be lightly wrapped before storing in the coldest section of the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To freeze, shape into individual patties or a large, flat disk and wrap with freezer-proof packaging. It can be frozen up to 6 months. See also beef; hamburger.
Industry:Culinary arts
Also referred to as roughage, dietary fiber is that portion of plant-related foods (such as fruits, legumes, vegetables and whole grains) that cannot be completely digested. Statistics maintain that high-fiber diets reduce cholesterol levels and cancer rates.
Industry:Culinary arts
Also referred to as Swiss chard, this member of the beet family is grown for its crinkly green leaves and silvery, celerylike stalks. The variety with dark green leaves and reddish stalks (sometimes referred to as rhubarb chard) has a stronger flavor than that with lighter leaves and stalks. There's also a ruby chard, which has a bright red stalk and a deep red (tinged with green) leaf. Chard is available year-round but best during the summer. Choose it for its tender greens and crisp stalks. Store, wrapped in a plastic bag, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The greens can be prepared like spinach, the stalks like asparagus. Chard, a cruciferous vegetable, is a good source of vitamins A and C, as well as iron.
Industry:Culinary arts
Also spelled oenology, this is the science or study of viniculture (making wines). One who studies the science is called an enologist (or oenologist). See also enophile.
Industry:Culinary arts
Although claimed by many to be of Australian origin, an Australian cookbook, The Captain Cook Book: Two Hundred Years of Australian Cooking, declares that the carpetbag steak came from the United States. It is a thick-cut steak with a pocket cut into it. The pocket is stuffed with seasoned fresh oysters (sometimes with the addition of bread crumbs), skewered shut, then the steak is grilled.
Industry:Culinary arts
Although not sanctioned for use in the United States at this writing, Alitame is expected to soon become FDA approved. This supernova of artificial sweeteners is 2,000 times as sweet as sugar. It's a compound of two amino acids — alanine and aspartic acid. See also acesulfame-K; aspartame; saccharin; sucralose.
Industry:Culinary arts
Although similar in structure and flavor to cabernet sauvignon, this red wine grape is not quite as full-bodied, and has fewer tannins and less acid. It is, however, more aromatic and herbaceous. Unlike Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc grows in cooler climates and ripens early. Therefore, it can be particularly important if weather conditions create a less-than-perfect Cabernet Sauvignon crop. Under such circumstances, the addition of Cabernet Franc might salvage the vintage.
Industry:Culinary arts
