RIBBON
A mixture of whole eggs and sugar beaten or whisked until they reach a smooth aerated consistency.�

RICE
To push cooked food through a perforated kitchen tool called a ricer. The resulting food looks like rice.

ROAST
To oven-cook food in an uncovered pan. The food is exposed to high heat which produces a well-browned surface and seals in the juices. Reasonably tender pieces of meat or poultry should be used for roasting. Food that is going to be roasted for a long time may be barded to prevent drying out.

ROUX
A mixture of melted butter and flour used as a thickening agent in gravies and stews. The roux can range from a light color to a chocolate brown depending upon the time it is cooked prior to use.

S

SAUT�
To cook food quickly in a small amount of fat or oil, until brown in a skillet or saut� pan over direct heat. The saut� pan and fat must be hot before the food is added, otherwise the food will absorb oil and become soggy.

SCALD
To dip fruits or vegetables in boiling water in order to loosen their skins and simplify peeling. The produce should be left in the water for only 30 seconds to prohibit cooking, and should be shocked in an ice water bath before the skin is removed

SCALE
To remove the scales from the skin of a fish using a dull knife or a special kitchen too called a fish scaler.

SEAR
To brown meat or fish quickly over very high heat either in a fry pan, under a broiler or in a hot oven. Searing seals in the food's juices and provides a crisp tasty exterior. Seared food can then be eaten rare or roasted or braised to desired degree of doneness.

SEASON
To add flavor to foods.
To coat the cooking surface of a new pot or pan with vegetable oil then heat in a 350 degree oven for about an hour. This smoothes out the surface of new pots and pans, particularly cast-iron, and prevents foods from sticking.

SEED
To remove the seeds from fruits and vegetable.

SHRED
To cut food into thin strips. This can be done by hand or by using a grater or food processor. Cooked meat can be shredded by pulling it apart with two forks.

SIEVE
To strain liquids or particles of food through a sieve or strainer. Press the solids, using a ladle or wooden spoon, into the strainer to remove as much liquid and flavor as possible.

SIFT
To pass dry ingredients through a fine mesh sifter so large pieces can be removed. The process also incorporates air to make ingredients like flour, lighter. Synonymous with AERATE.

SIMMER
To cook food in liquid over gentle heat, just below the boiling point, low enough so that tiny bubbles just begin to break the surface.

SKEWER
To spear small pieces of food on long, thin, pointed rods called skewers.

SKIM
To remove the scum that rises to the surface from a liquid when it is boiled. The top layer of the liquid, such as the cream from milk or the foam and fat from stock, soup or sauces, can be removed using a spoon, ladle or skimmer. Soups, stews or sauces can be chilled so that the fat coagulates on the surface and may be easily removed before re-heating.

SKIN
To remove the skin from food before or after cooking. Poultry, fish and game are often skinned for reasons of appearance, taste and diet.

SMOKE
To expose fresh food to smoke from a wood fire for a prolonged period of time. Traditionally used for preservation purposes, smoking is now a means of giving flavor to food. smoking tends to dry the food, kills bacteria, deepens color and gives food a smoky flavor. The duration of smoking varies from 10 minutes to several days. The most commonly used woods are beech, oak and chestnut to which aromatic essences are often added. Small home smokers are now available.

STEAM
To cook food on a rack or in steamer basket over boiling liquid in a covered pan. Steaming retains flavor, shape, texture, and nutrients better than boiling or poaching.

SUPREME
To remove the flesh section of citrus fruit from the membranes. Using a sharp knife, cut away all of the skin and pith from the outside of the fruit. Place the knife between the membrane and the flesh of one section and slice down. Turn the knife catching the middle of the fruit. Slice up, removing each section membrane.

SWEAT
To cook vegetables in fat over gentle heat so they become soft but not brown, and their juices are concentrated in the cooking fat. If the pan is covered during cooking, he ingredients will keep a certain amount of their natural moisture. If the pan is not covered, the ingredients will remain relatively dry.

T

TEMPER
To slowly bring up the temperature of a cold or room temperature ingredient by adding small amounts of a hot or boiling liquid. Adding the hot liquid gradually prevents the cool ingredient, such as eggs, from cooking or setting The tempered mixture can then be added back to hot liquid for further cooking. This process is used most in making pastry cream and sauces.
To bring chocolate to a state in which it has snap, shine and no streaks. Commercially available chocolate is already tempered but this condition changes when it is melted. tempering is often done when the chocolate will be used for candy making or decorations. Chocolate must be tempered because it contains cocoa butter, a fat that forms crystals after chocolate is melted and cooled. Dull gray streaks form and are called bloom The classic tempering method is to melt chocolate until it is totally without lumps (semi-sweet chocolate melts at a temperature of 104 degrees F.) One third of the chocolate is then poured onto a marble slab then spread and worked back and forth with a metal spatula until it becomes thick and reaches a temperature of about 80 degrees F. The thickened chocolate is then added back to the remaining 2/3 melted chocolate and stirred. The process is repeated until the entire mixture reaches 88-92 degrees for semi-sweet chocolate, 84-87 degrees for milk or white chocolate.

TENDERIZE
To make meat more tender by pounding with a mallet, marinating for varying periods of time, or storing at lower temperatures. Fat may also be placed into a piece of meat to make it more tender during cooking.

TRUSS
To secure food, usually poultry or game, with string, pins or skewers so that it maintains compact shape during cooking. trussing allows for easier basting during cooking.

U

UNLEAVENED
The word which describes any baked good that has no leavener such as yeast, baking powder or baking soda.

V

VANDYKE
To cut zigzags in edges of fruit and vegetables halves, usually oranges, tomatoes or lemons. The food is usually used as a garnish to decorate a dish.

W

WHIP
To beat ingredients such as egg whites or cream until light and fluffy. Air is incorporated into the ingredients as they are whipped, increasing their volume until they are light and fluffy

WHISK
To beat ingredients together until smooth, using a kitchen tool called a whisk.

X

XX, XXXX, 10X
An indicator on a box of confectioners sugar of how many times it has been ground The higher the number of X's the finer the grind.

Z

ZEST
To remove the outermost colored skin layers of citrus fruit using a knife, peeler or zester. When zesting, be careful not to remove the pith, the white layer between the zest and the flesh, which is bitter.