I woke up early today and spent quite a bit of time searching YouTube for cooking "How To" videos. I have started a "How To" library. Most of the How To's are things I often do or talk about on this site. Some (like how to shuck an oyster) are things I have yet to do but would like to try. If you have any suggestions for what else can be added, let me know.
Looking for cooking terms? This site has a very extensive list.
- How to Seed a Tomato
- How to make a Cosmopolitan (Mix one up then watch the rest of the videos!
- How to chiffonade herbs
- How to butterfly shrimp
- How to shuck an oyster
- How to dice vegetables and more precisely, how to large dice vegetables and how to small dice vegetables.
- How to dice an onion
- How to julienne
- How to cut a bell pepper
- How to segment a citrus fruit (also called Supreming)
- How to seed a pomegranate
- How to fold a wonton
- How to fold a spring roll
- How to remove pin bones from fish
- How to open a bottle of wine and what to do if you break the cork, which I do quite often.
- How to open Champagne
- How to poach an egg
Showing posts with label glossary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label glossary. Show all posts
Monday, February 22, 2010
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Glossary of Terms - Asian Cooking
I love Asian food, especially Thai. Many of my recipes are Asian inspired and use a myriad of Asian ingredients. Almost everything listed is widely available at most large grocery chains. Save on Foods, IGA and Superstore all have great ethnic food sections. Safeway is less stocked than most. If you have an Asian supermarket in your area (like T&T), make use of it as you will find everything you need and it will cost less too!
Fish Sauce is a staple of Thai & Vietnamese cooking. It is derived from fish and salt that has been left to ferment for several months. Fish sauce is used in sauces, marinades and as a seasoning condiment (like we use salt). To quote Thai Food & Travel, Fish sauce "is indispensable in the Thai kitchen as Thai food wouldn't be quite the same without it".
Garlic Chili Sauce is a Vietnamese chili sauce similar to Sriracha and Sambal (see below). The main difference is that Garlic Chili Sauce is hotter and runnier than Sriracha and Sambal. Generally, they can be used interchangeably.
Lemongrass is an herb widely used in Asian cooking and native to India. It can be dried, powdered or used fresh. It imparts a citrus flavour and is often used in marinades and to flavour soups. See here about choosing your lemon grass and how to prepare it for cooking.
Lime Leaves are native to South Asia and are common in Thai cooking. The leaves can be used fresh or dried and the fresh leaves can be frozen for future use. Like lemongrass, lime leaves are most often used in marinades and soups.
Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking wine with a low alcohol content. It is used to make teriyaki and other sauces.
Oyster Sauce is common in Chinese cooking. It is a thick, savory sauce made from oyster extracts.
Red Thai Chili Pepper, also known as "birds eye chili", are small, thin, hot peppers. They are about an inch long and usually sold in small bags with a couple dozen or more pieces.
Sake or Cooking Sake, is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice. It is often called rice wine, although unlike wine, it is brewed not fermented.
Sambal or Sambal Oelek is a hot chili sauce made from several types of chili peppers. It is common in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Shirataki Noodles are gluten free, low carbohydrate, low calorie, thin, translucent noodles made from yam starch. In North America the most common types are made from a blend of tofu and yam starch. The noodles have little to no flavour and tend to take on the flavours of their cooking sauce or liquid. Shirataki noodles are incredibly versatile and can be used in place of traditional noodles in most all dishes.
Soy Sauce is a Chinese cooking staple made from fermented soy beans. It also contains wheat so if you have any wheat or gluten intolerance it's important to use gluten free soy sauce.
Sriracha is a Thai chili sauce used to flavour sauces, marinades and as a condiment. The main ingredients are chili peppers, galic, vinegar, salt and sugar.
Thai Curry Pastes are a moist blend of fresh ground herbs and spices. Read more about Thai Curry and how it is different from Indian Curry here. The common varieties are red, yellow and green.
Other staples of Asian cooking include fresh garlic and ginger, rice wine vinegar, peanut oil, coconut milk, cilantro (and corrinader, the latter referring to the seed and the former refering to the leaf) and several ground herbs and spices (turmeric, tamarind, cumin, star anise and galangal, for example).
If you enjoy Asian cooking, I recommend stocking your pantry (and fridge) with good quality soy sauce (gluten free if needed), fish sauce, a chili sauce, red & green chili pastes, a can or two of coconut milk, rice wine vinegar and a jar each of minced ginger and minced garlic. Those will get you started. Later on you can add more to your Asian pantry as needed.
A well stocked pantry leads to good cooking!
Fish Sauce is a staple of Thai & Vietnamese cooking. It is derived from fish and salt that has been left to ferment for several months. Fish sauce is used in sauces, marinades and as a seasoning condiment (like we use salt). To quote Thai Food & Travel, Fish sauce "is indispensable in the Thai kitchen as Thai food wouldn't be quite the same without it".
Garlic Chili Sauce is a Vietnamese chili sauce similar to Sriracha and Sambal (see below). The main difference is that Garlic Chili Sauce is hotter and runnier than Sriracha and Sambal. Generally, they can be used interchangeably.
Lemongrass is an herb widely used in Asian cooking and native to India. It can be dried, powdered or used fresh. It imparts a citrus flavour and is often used in marinades and to flavour soups. See here about choosing your lemon grass and how to prepare it for cooking.
Lime Leaves are native to South Asia and are common in Thai cooking. The leaves can be used fresh or dried and the fresh leaves can be frozen for future use. Like lemongrass, lime leaves are most often used in marinades and soups.
Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking wine with a low alcohol content. It is used to make teriyaki and other sauces.
Oyster Sauce is common in Chinese cooking. It is a thick, savory sauce made from oyster extracts.
Red Thai Chili Pepper, also known as "birds eye chili", are small, thin, hot peppers. They are about an inch long and usually sold in small bags with a couple dozen or more pieces.
Sake or Cooking Sake, is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice. It is often called rice wine, although unlike wine, it is brewed not fermented.
Sambal or Sambal Oelek is a hot chili sauce made from several types of chili peppers. It is common in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Shirataki Noodles are gluten free, low carbohydrate, low calorie, thin, translucent noodles made from yam starch. In North America the most common types are made from a blend of tofu and yam starch. The noodles have little to no flavour and tend to take on the flavours of their cooking sauce or liquid. Shirataki noodles are incredibly versatile and can be used in place of traditional noodles in most all dishes.
Soy Sauce is a Chinese cooking staple made from fermented soy beans. It also contains wheat so if you have any wheat or gluten intolerance it's important to use gluten free soy sauce.
Sriracha is a Thai chili sauce used to flavour sauces, marinades and as a condiment. The main ingredients are chili peppers, galic, vinegar, salt and sugar.
Thai Curry Pastes are a moist blend of fresh ground herbs and spices. Read more about Thai Curry and how it is different from Indian Curry here. The common varieties are red, yellow and green.
Other staples of Asian cooking include fresh garlic and ginger, rice wine vinegar, peanut oil, coconut milk, cilantro (and corrinader, the latter referring to the seed and the former refering to the leaf) and several ground herbs and spices (turmeric, tamarind, cumin, star anise and galangal, for example).
If you enjoy Asian cooking, I recommend stocking your pantry (and fridge) with good quality soy sauce (gluten free if needed), fish sauce, a chili sauce, red & green chili pastes, a can or two of coconut milk, rice wine vinegar and a jar each of minced ginger and minced garlic. Those will get you started. Later on you can add more to your Asian pantry as needed.
A well stocked pantry leads to good cooking!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Glossary of Terms - "Health" Foods
My aunt e-mailed me last night to ask what "sucanat" is and I realized many people may not know about some of the "health foods" used in the recipes. These are the "healthy" substitutes I use most often. This list will be updates as I come across new products.
Agave Syrup is a sweetener that is made from a cactus-like plant. It is sometimes called agave nectar. It is much sweeter than either honey or sugar and has a lower glycemic index than other sweeteners. When substituting for other sweeteners in baking, you only need 1/3 cup of syrup for each cup of sugar. It is high in fructose and highly processed, so use sparingly. From Natural-Health-Restored.com.
Chia is a plant in the mint family, native to South America. Chia seeds are very rich in omega-3 fatty acids. They are also a source of antioxidants and a variety of amino acids. Chia is also a good source of dietary fibre (soluble and insoluble). Chia is sold commercially as seeds or oil and is a good alternative to Flax. Some say it is better than Flax because it does not contain the naturally occurring estrogens and phytoestrogens that flax seeds contain. And unlike flax or hemp seeds, the oil in chia seeds does not go rancid, due to its high antioxidant content. There is no need to refrigerate your chia seeds or oil. Just be aware, chia seeds contain Phytic Acid, a naturally occurring compound found in the hull of most seeds, grains and nuts. Phytic acid blocks the absorption of certain minerals, such as calcuim zinc and iron, into the intestines. Use the seeds sparingly or soak for a few hours prior to use. From Wikipedia and High on Healthy.
Ghee is clarified butter, most often used in Indian cooking. The milk proteins are removed in the clarifying process so it is mostly lactose free. The result is pure butterfat which makes it perfect for shallow pan frying and other cooking. Since the milk solids are removed, Ghee does not burn like butter can. From Food-India.com.
Greek Yogurt has the whey filtered out, to produce a thicker, creamier yogurt. It is also referred to as Strained Yogurt or Yogurt Cheese (Labneh in the Middle East). You can easily make your own by straining plain yogurt through cheese cloth for several hours. Greek yogurt has nearly twice the protein per serving as conventional yogurt, is lower in carbohydrates and its creamy texture makes it the perfect choice for dips and sauces. Most Greek style yogurts are very high in fat. Liberté makes one of the only 0% MF commercially available yogurts in Canada.
Kefir is a fermented milk beverage. It's thicker than traditional milk, but not as thick as yogurt. Kefir is a natural pro-biotic and is said to have antibiotic, anti-fungal and antioxidant properties. It also contains many vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids.
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-WA) is an ancient grain (actually a seed) that is super nutritious. It's high in protein and iron, low in sodium and has high amounts of 7 major minerals (more than found in wheat, barley or corn). It also has 10 grams of fibre per cup! It's super easy to make and use. It cooks like rice and is just as versatile. In fact, quinoa is so versatile, it can be used in soups, salads, casseroles, stir fry and even baking.
Sucanat is non-refined cane sugar. Sucanat is generally accepted as a substitute for brown sugar and contains a smaller proportion of sucrose than white cane sugar. From Wikipedia.
Turbinado Sugar is low-refined cane sugar, produced from the first pressing of the sugar cane. It has larger crystals than regular granulated sugar and teaspoon for teaspoon has less calories than granulated sugar. It is generally used as a finishing sugar to sprinkle over cookies, cakes and other sweets or stir into beverages. Also known as Raw Sugar or Golden Cane Sugar.
Wheat Germ is the very nutritious inner embryo of the wheat kernel. Unfortunately when wheat is milled into flour, the germ gets discarded. Wheat Germ contains 23 nutrients and has more nutrients per ounce than any other vegetable or grain. It is also very high in protein. Store your wheat germ in the fridge or freezer otherwise it goes rancid quickly.
All of these things can be found in your local health food store or good grocery store.
Agave Syrup is a sweetener that is made from a cactus-like plant. It is sometimes called agave nectar. It is much sweeter than either honey or sugar and has a lower glycemic index than other sweeteners. When substituting for other sweeteners in baking, you only need 1/3 cup of syrup for each cup of sugar. It is high in fructose and highly processed, so use sparingly. From Natural-Health-Restored.com.
Chia is a plant in the mint family, native to South America. Chia seeds are very rich in omega-3 fatty acids. They are also a source of antioxidants and a variety of amino acids. Chia is also a good source of dietary fibre (soluble and insoluble). Chia is sold commercially as seeds or oil and is a good alternative to Flax. Some say it is better than Flax because it does not contain the naturally occurring estrogens and phytoestrogens that flax seeds contain. And unlike flax or hemp seeds, the oil in chia seeds does not go rancid, due to its high antioxidant content. There is no need to refrigerate your chia seeds or oil. Just be aware, chia seeds contain Phytic Acid, a naturally occurring compound found in the hull of most seeds, grains and nuts. Phytic acid blocks the absorption of certain minerals, such as calcuim zinc and iron, into the intestines. Use the seeds sparingly or soak for a few hours prior to use. From Wikipedia and High on Healthy.
Ghee is clarified butter, most often used in Indian cooking. The milk proteins are removed in the clarifying process so it is mostly lactose free. The result is pure butterfat which makes it perfect for shallow pan frying and other cooking. Since the milk solids are removed, Ghee does not burn like butter can. From Food-India.com.
Greek Yogurt has the whey filtered out, to produce a thicker, creamier yogurt. It is also referred to as Strained Yogurt or Yogurt Cheese (Labneh in the Middle East). You can easily make your own by straining plain yogurt through cheese cloth for several hours. Greek yogurt has nearly twice the protein per serving as conventional yogurt, is lower in carbohydrates and its creamy texture makes it the perfect choice for dips and sauces. Most Greek style yogurts are very high in fat. Liberté makes one of the only 0% MF commercially available yogurts in Canada.
Kefir is a fermented milk beverage. It's thicker than traditional milk, but not as thick as yogurt. Kefir is a natural pro-biotic and is said to have antibiotic, anti-fungal and antioxidant properties. It also contains many vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids.
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-WA) is an ancient grain (actually a seed) that is super nutritious. It's high in protein and iron, low in sodium and has high amounts of 7 major minerals (more than found in wheat, barley or corn). It also has 10 grams of fibre per cup! It's super easy to make and use. It cooks like rice and is just as versatile. In fact, quinoa is so versatile, it can be used in soups, salads, casseroles, stir fry and even baking.
Sucanat is non-refined cane sugar. Sucanat is generally accepted as a substitute for brown sugar and contains a smaller proportion of sucrose than white cane sugar. From Wikipedia.
Turbinado Sugar is low-refined cane sugar, produced from the first pressing of the sugar cane. It has larger crystals than regular granulated sugar and teaspoon for teaspoon has less calories than granulated sugar. It is generally used as a finishing sugar to sprinkle over cookies, cakes and other sweets or stir into beverages. Also known as Raw Sugar or Golden Cane Sugar.
Wheat Germ is the very nutritious inner embryo of the wheat kernel. Unfortunately when wheat is milled into flour, the germ gets discarded. Wheat Germ contains 23 nutrients and has more nutrients per ounce than any other vegetable or grain. It is also very high in protein. Store your wheat germ in the fridge or freezer otherwise it goes rancid quickly.
All of these things can be found in your local health food store or good grocery store.
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