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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 ...
Small tools used to turn the whole nutmeg seed into a coarse powder. A nutmeg grater has a fine-rasp, slightly curved surface. The grating is accomplished by rubbing the nutmeg across the grater's surface. Many graters store the whole nutmegs in containers attached to the bottom or back of the unit. A nutmeg grinder resembles a pepper grinder, except the cavity is designed specifically to hold a whole nutmeg with a small 4-pronged plate at the end of a central, spring-mounted post. The spring serves to keep downward pressure on the nutmeg, forcing it into a sharp blade that, when the crank is rotated, grates the nutmeg.
Industry:Culinary arts
A hand-powered kitchen utensil with two beaters connected to a gear-driven wheel with a handle — all of which is attached to a housing topped with a handle-grip. The rotary beater requires two hands to operate — one to hold the unit, the other to turn the wheel. As the gear-driven wheel is turned, the two beaters rotate, providing aeration that can whip cream, eggs, batters, etc. The best roatary beaters have rounded, stainless-steel hoops and nylon gears. Others are made of cast aluminum, chromed steel or plastic.
Industry:Culinary arts
A cooking technique whereby small chunks of cold, unsalted butter are whisked into a sauce just before serving to give it flavor, texture and a glossy appearance.
Industry:Culinary arts
A staple of North African cuisine, couscous is granular semolina. Cooked, it may be served with milk as porridge, with a dressing as a salad or sweetened and mixed with fruits for dessert. Packaged precooked couscous is available in Middle Eastern markets and large supermarkets. The name couscous also refers to the famous Maghreb dish in which semolina or cracked wheat is steamed in the perforated top part of a special pot called a couscoussière, while chunks of meat (usually lamb or chicken), various vegetables, chickpeas and raisins simmer in the bottom part. In lieu of a couscoussière, a colander set over a large pot will do. The cooked semolina is heaped onto a platter, with the meats and vegetables placed on top. All diners use chunks of bread to scoop the couscous from this central platter. Couscous varies from country to country — Moroccans include saffron, Algerians like to add tomatoes and Tunisians spice theirs up with the hot-pepper-based harissa sauce.
Industry:Culinary arts
This tropical fruit is said to be named not for the passionate propensity it promotes but because particular parts of the plant's flowers resemble different symbols of Christ's crucifixion, such as the crown of thorns. Though native to Brazil, passion fruit (also called granadilla) is now also grown in Australia, California, Florida, Hawaii (where it's called lilikoi) and New Zealand. The most common variety marketed in the United States is egg-shaped and about 3 inches long. When ripe, it has a dimpled, deep-purple skin and a soft, golden flesh generously punctuated with tiny, edible black seeds. The flavor is seductively sweet-tart and the fragrance tropical and perfumy. Fresh passion fruit is available from March through September in Latin markets and some supermarkets. Choose large, heavy, firm fruit with a deep-purple color. Store ripe passion fruit in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It can be served plain as a dessert or used to flavor a variety of foods like sauces, ice creams and beverages. Canned passion-fruit nectar is available in many supermarkets. Passion fruit contains a small amount of vitamins A and C.
Industry:Culinary arts
Also called kielbasy or Polish sausage, this smoked sausage is usually made of pork, though beef can also be added. It comes in chunky (about 2 inches in diameter) links and is usually sold precooked, though an occasional butcher will sell it fresh. Kielbasa can be served separately or cut into pieces as part of a dish. Even the precooked kielbasa tastes better when heated. See also sausage.
Industry:Culinary arts
Contrary to what most of us think, this fruit was not named for its color. Instead, the word orange comes from a transliteration of the sanskrit naranga . . . which comes from the Tamil naru . . . which means "fragrant. " It's thought that the reason oranges have long been associated with fertility (and therefore, weddings) is because this lush evergreen tree can simultaneously produce flowers, fruit and foliage. Though oranges originated in Southeast Asia, they now also thrive around the world in warm-climate areas including Portugal, Spain, North Africa and, in the United States (the world's largest producer), Arizona, California, Florida and Texas. There are three basic types of orange — sweet, loose-skinned and bitter. Sweet oranges are prized both for eating and for their juice. They're generally large and have skins that are more difficult to remove than their loose-skinned relatives. They may have seeds or be seedless. Among the more popular sweet oranges are the seedless navel, the juicy, coarse-grained valencia and the thin-skinned, red-fleshed blood orange. Sweet oranges are better eaten fresh than cooked. Loose-skinned oranges are so named because their skins easily slip off the fruit. Their segments are also loose and divide with ease. Members of the mandarin orange family are all loose skinned; they vary in flavor from sweet to tart-sweet. Bitter oranges, the most well-known of which are the seville and the bergamot, are — as their name implies — too sour and astringent to eat raw. Instead, they're cooked in preparations such as marmalade and bigarade sauce. Bitter oranges are also greatly valued for their peel, which is candied, and their essential oils, which are used to flavor foods as well as some liqueurs, such as curaçao. Most of the bitter orange supply comes from Spain. USDA grading of oranges is voluntary and not considered necessary by most growers. The two grades used are U. S. Fancy (best) and U. S. No. 1. Fresh oranges are available year-round at different times, depending on the variety. Choose fruit that is firm and heavy for its size, with no mold or spongy spots. Unfortunately, because oranges are sometimes dyed with food coloring, a bright color isn't necessarily an indicator of quality. Regreening sometimes occurs in fully ripe oranges, particularly with Valencias. A rough, brownish area (russeting) on the skin doesn't affect flavor or quality either. Oranges can be stored at cool room temperature for a day or so, but should then be refrigerated and can be kept there for up to 2 weeks. Oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C and contain some vitamin A. Once cut or squeezed, however, the vitamin C quickly begins to dissipate. After only 8 hours at room temperature or 24 hours in the refrigerator, there's a 20 percent vitamin C loss. Canned, bottled and frozen-concentrate orange juices have a greatly decreased vitamin C content. See also king orange; temple orange.
Industry:Culinary arts
A clear, very sweet liqueur made with anise seeds and tasting of licorice.
Industry:Culinary arts
A white, slightly salty, fresh Mexican cheese with a texture similar to that of farmer cheese. Queso fresco is available in cottage cheese-style tubs in Latin markets and many supermarkets. Also called queso blanco.
Industry:Culinary arts
Small tools used to turn the whole nutmeg seed into a coarse powder. A nutmeg grater has a fine-rasp, slightly curved surface. The grating is accomplished by rubbing the nutmeg across the grater's surface. Many graters store the whole nutmegs in containers attached to the bottom or back of the unit. A nutmeg grinder resembles a pepper grinder, except the cavity is designed specifically to hold a whole nutmeg with a small 4-pronged plate at the end of a central, spring-mounted post. The spring serves to keep downward pressure on the nutmeg, forcing it into a sharp blade that, when the crank is rotated, grates the nutmeg.
Industry:Culinary arts
