Al dente

Food that is cooked until it is ‘firm to the bite’. This is most commonly used to describe how pasta should be cooked.

Food that is cooked until it is ‘firm to the bite’. This is most commonly used to describe how pasta should be cooked.

Almond Meal

Made from ground almonds and is generally used to replace flour in many baked goods and to thicken sauces.

Made from ground almonds and is generally used to replace flour in many baked goods and to thicken sauces.

Au gratin

Recipes that are browned in the oven, or under a grill. Often refers to dishes that use a sauce and are topped with breadcrumbs and/or cheese.

Recipes that are browned in the oven, or under a grill. Often refers to dishes that use a sauce and are topped with breadcrumbs and/or cheese.

Baking Powder

Used as a raising agent in cakes and breads. Consists of bi-carbonate of soda, cream of tartar and a little starch.

Baste

To spoon juices over food that is being roasted or baked to prevent it from drying out and to glaze the surface – commonly meat, or baked fruit.

Bi-carbonate of Soda

Bicarbonate of Soda Used as a raising agent in mixes that contain an acidic ingredient i.e. buttermilk.

Bind

To add eggs, cream or liquid to a recipe to make the other ingredients hold together

Blanch

To plunge food (usually vegetables) into boiling water briefly. This is often to help loosen their skins or to par-cook prior to freezing.

Blind Baking

This is a method used to ensure that pastry bases are cooked through properly. The pastry is lined with baking paper and then filled with either dried beans, rice or special metal or ceramic ‘blind baking beans’. The blind bake material heats and helps the pastry cook through. Bake for 15 min at 200°C, then remove the beans and the paper. Return the base to the oven for a further two minutes. The beans can be cooled and stored for use again and again, although just ensure that you do not eat them.

Bouquet Garni

Herbs, usually parsley, thyme and bay leaf tied together (or contained in a small muslin bag) added to soups and stews and removed before serving.

Braise

To cook slowly in a very small amount of liquid in a dish with a tightly sealed lid.

Buttermilk

Traditionally the remaining liquid left over from the production of butter, although now it is made from skim milk and milk powder, that is cultured in the same manner as yoghurt. Perfect for use in pancakes, smoothies, cakes and breads.

Capers

Small green flower buds of a Mediterranean plant which are preserved in salt or vinegar and used to give a sharp burst of flavour in dishes.

Caster sugar

Use caster sugar for a finer texture – and particularly when baking meringues as it dissolves during beating, giving you a smooth, glossy meringue. Add a couple of vanilla pods to your jar of caster sugar to make vanilla-infused sugar.

Chorizo Sausage

A spicy pork sausage found in many Mexican and Spanish recipes. Can be sliced and served raw, pan-fried, or added to soups, casseroles and frittatas.

Coulis

A strained sauce, gravy or puree – often made from berry fruit for desserts.

Couscous

Produced form semolina grains that are coated in flour. Cooked by placing equal quantities of instant couscous and boiling water or stock in a bowl, covered and allowed to stand for 5 minutes, or until the couscous has absorbed all the moisture. Fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper. You can also add a knob of butter or a dash of olive oil as well as spices, herbs, nuts and fruit for added flavour.

Cream (to)

To beat softened butter and sugar, either by hand, or with an electric mixer until they become soft, creamy and lighter in colour.

Deglaze

To add wine, stock or other liquid to the sediment and cooking juices left in a pan after roasting or sautéing –which is then heated to make a gravy.

Filo pastry

Paper thin sheets of pastry commonly used in Greek, Eastern European and Middle Eastern cuisines. Filo is brushed with oil or butter and layered. Found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket.

Fish Sauce

Made from salted fermented fish it is used extensively as a flavour base in Vietnamese and Thai cuisines. Particularly in dressings, marinades and soups.

Fold (to)

A gentle hand mixing method used to combine a lighter, airy mixture (eg: whipped eggs) with a heavier mixture. Use a metal spoon or spatula to cut through the mixture, gently lifting the bottom mixture to the top and turning the spoon over to ‘fold’ it into the mixture again. The motion is top to bottom rather than round and round.

For Browner Chicken

Add a splash of water to your egg whites when breading chicken.

Try it out with this recipe: Roasted Turkey Breast with Oriental Plum Sauce

For Crispier Puffs

Add a teaspoon of Semolina / Rava and 1 teaspoon of Rice flour

try it with our cheese, http://www.yahoo.com

For Great Smoothies

To make your smoothies thicker, add your fav yoghurt or ice-cream

Try it out with this delicious recipe: Fruit Salad Smoothie

For Moist Roasted Chicken

Create a brine with vegetable or chicken broth, add some seasoning and let refridgerate for 3 - 8 hrs

Try it out with this recipe: Roasted Turkey Breast with Oriental Plum Sauce

Freeze Splatz

Pack a frozen water bottle and fruity Heinz Splatz pack in the lunchbox to keep food cold, particularly during the hot summer months.

Keep Lunch Cool: pack a frozen water bottle and fruity Heinz Splatz pack in the lunchbox to keep food cold, particularly during the hot summer months.

Glaze

To coat foods, particularly meat or cakes, with syrup, jam, egg, milk or meat juice to give it a glazed surface when cooked.

Guacamole

A popular Mexican dish of mashed avocado mixed with lemon or lime juice and seasonings such as chilli. Sometimes finely chopped tomato, onion and coriander are added. Used as a dip or with other Mexican food like tacos.

Hummus

A puree or dip of crushed cooked chickpeas flavoured with tahini (pounded sesame seeds), oil, garlic and lemon juice.

Infuse

To extract flavour from one food into another, often by heating or steeping.

Julienne

To cut vegetables into long thin matchsticks.

Kaffir Lime leaves

A double jointed leaf which is used extensively in Thai and Vietnamese cuisines. Has a definite lime flavour and aroma.

Loose-bottom tin

Cake or flan tin with a removable base which allows the cake to be lifted out cleanly and served directly off the base.

Lukewarm

A temperature that feels neither hot nor cold when tested on the inside wrist – around 35°C

Maldon salt

A gourmet salt which comes from the Maldon area of Essex. Maldon salt flakes are used sparingly as a condiment.

Marinate

To leave meat, poultry, fish, or sometimes fruit to soak in a ‘marinade’. Most often a combination of liquid ingredients and other flavourings. Used to tenderise and add flavour.

Mesclun

A mixture of young shoots lettuces, herbs and leaves used in a salad. Available pre-packed at the supermarket.

Panfry

Cook quickly until golden in heated pan using a small amount of oil or butter as stated.

Parboil

To partly cook in boiling water. In the case of vegetables, they should still be very firm, but not crunchy.

Pesto

Traditionally, pesto refers to an Italian paste of basil, oil, pinenuts, garlic and parmesan, but can also be made from a variety of herbs and different nuts. Served with pasta, vegetables or breads.

Poach

To cook very gently in simmering water or other liquid eg: wine.

Preparing beetroot

To prevent the beetroot from bleeding, leave stems about 5cm long. The beetroot is cooked if there is no resistance when it is pierced with a skewer

Try it out with this recipe: Italian Beetroot Salad

Puree

To mash, sieve or blend well-cooked vegetables or fruit to create a thick, smooth, paste-like consistency.

Reduce

To boil rapidly in order to evaporate liquid, concentrate the flavours, and thicken.

Refresh

To plunge cooked vegetables into cold, or iced water to arrest the cooking process after they are removed from boiling water.

Rice – varieties

There are many different types of rice available – don’t assume that they are interchangeable. Some dishes require a specific variety – risotto for example should be made with Arborio Rice – the starchy outer of the grain melts away and thickens the risotto. Basmati Rice is intensely fragrant rice used for Indian dishes. Sushi Rice – is a sticky starchy short grain rice ideal for making Sushi. Jasmine Rice is great for Thai and Asian meals. Short grain rice is ideal for close-textured dishes like rice pudding or paella. Wild Rice isn’t really rice at all, but the seed of a grass grown mainly in America and Australia. It requires long cooking and is generally served mixed with other rices.

Roulade

Refers to something that has been filled or stuffed and rolled. In particular meats, pastries and sponge cakes.

Roux

A method of thickening a sauce by cooking flour and butter together, then gradually stirring in the liquid ingredients. The general rule to prevent lumps forming in a roux is to add cold liquid to a hot roux or hot liquid to a cold roux.

Rub into

A method of combining flour and butter, by rubbing or pressing the butter into the flour using the finger tips. The butter is ‘rubbed in’ when the mixture reaches the consistency of breadcrumbs. Now it is quite common to achieve the same result by processing in a food processor.

Salsa

A mixture of finely chopped vegetables or fruit combined with other flavourings and served cold – usually with spicy food.

Sauté

To fry food quickly in a hot pan, stirring or shaking the pan often.

Scald

To heat liquids, (usually milk) until they are just at the point of boiling.

Score

To cut the surface of meat, pastry, or fruit with a sharp knife, without cutting right through it.

Sear

To cook (usually meat) in a hot pan or on a grill to seal in the juices and brown the surfaces.

Simmer

To cook in liquid that is heated to the point where there is slight movement in the water, but not boiling.

Skim

To remove fat or scum from the surface of a boiling liquid.

Springform pan

A cake tin with a release spring on the side that allows it to expand and lift away from the cake, leaving the cake and base behind.

Steam

To cook in the steam created by boiling water – usually in a lidded container that allows the steam in through vents in the base. Also refers to method of cooking puddings (especially Xmas puddings) where the pudding is cooked in a tightly sealed container which is immersed in boiling water.

Steep

To stand food in hot liquid in order to extract the flavour.

Stir-fry

Method of cooking – traditionally in a wok, but also in a pan, where small pieces of food are cooked at a high temperature while turning and tossing constantly until just cooked.

Stock

Used as the base of soups, stews and in risottos – can be home made or packaged.

Storing fresh herbs

Storing fresh herbs:To keep herbs fresh, wrap in a wet cloth and store in a plastic bag in the crisper section of your refrigerator. Alternatively, stand herbs in a tall glass with water covering the stems, secure the leaves in a plastic bag and refrigerate. Refrigerated herbs should keep for 7 days.

Storing fresh herbs: To keep herbs fresh, wrap in a wet cloth and store in a plastic bag in the crisper section of your refrigerator. Alternatively, stand herbs in a tall glass with water covering the stems

Sweat

To cook vegetables, particularly onion, until the juices just run and the vegetable softens without colouring.

Swiss roll tin

A shallow rectangular baking tin often used to bake slices.

Tortilla

In Spain a tortilla is a set omelette often containing potato and other vegetables. In Mexico tortilla refers to a flatbread made from corn or wheat flour.

Water Bath (or French term bain-marie)

A method of cooking whereby food is placed in a dish, pan or bowl and is sat in a large pan of warm water which surrounds the food with gentle heat. This method of cooking can be used on the top of the stove or in the oven. This cooking technique is designed to cook delicate dishes such as custards and sauces without breaking or curdling them.

Whip

To beat with an egg-beater or electric beater until thick and frothy.

Whisk

To beat with a wire whisk until thick or frothy.

Zest

The outer rind of citrus fruit containing essential oils. Must be removed with care – avoiding removing the white pith with it, which can be bitter in flavour.