Finally, Spring is here. We’ve had so much snow I thought I’d never see the sun again! With the warmer Spring temperatures our gardens start to bloom. With the growing season starting so too does the farmer’s market season. What will be in season? Check out my list below for some great fruit and veggie ideas. Happy eating!
Apricots
Asparagus
Broccoli
Butter Lettuce
Corn
Green Beans
Honeydew
Limes
Mango
Oranges
Pea pods
Pea
Pineapples
Rhubarb
Spinach
Strawberries
Al Carbon- In Mexican/Spanish cooking meaning to cook over charcoal or wood coal.
Baking Soda- A chemically based ingredient that generates carbon dioxide and is used with acidic ingredients such as sour cream, or fruit juices to create bubble to make the food rise.
Baking Powder- This is a combination of chemicals that can make carbon dioxide in two different stages. One stage is when it is a liquid. The other stage is heat.
Butterfly- To cut or split food through the center without cutting it in half. So it resembles butterfly wings.
Capers- A bud of a bush or shrub that grows in several countries that adds flavor to a dish.
Cafe de Olla- Mexican Style coffee made in a clay pot.
Calamar- In Mexican/Spanish Cooking means squid.
Carne- In Mexican/Spanish cooking meaning meat.
Emulsify- When you combine two liquids that don’t dissolve together.
Maiz- In Mexican/Spanish cooking means corn in a dry state.
I wish I could say I love to cook. Honestly it is the least favorite household chore I do. I did not grow up in a cooking family. Our joke was if it didn’t come out of a box and you couldn’t add water our mother didn’t make it. Well, we thought it was funny. Mom not so much. Even if it was true.
As an adult, I tried to cook a variety of dishes. Cookbooks were my best friends. I wish I could say that I have a natural ability to cook, but I don’t. So as I use these cookbooks I also need to understand some of the vocabulary used. Here is a list of ten cooking words that I’ve run across in reading or watching television shows and their meanings.
Albert Sauce: A horseradish sauce with a base of butter, flour and cream.
Alfredo Sauce: A sauce made with heavy cream, butter, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Ceviche: An appetizer from Latin America made of raw fish marinated in citrus juice.
Bearnaise: A sauce made from a reduction of vinegar, wine, tarragon, shallots and finished with egg yolks and butter.
Acai: A dark purple berry from Central and South America that is rich in nutrients.
Cacciatore: Meaning to prepare food “hunter style” with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, herbs and wine.
Aioli: A garlic mayonaisse
Acini de pepe: Is Italian for peppercorns. Pronounced ah-chee-nee dee-Pay-pay which in cooking can mean tiny rice shaped pasta.
Caffeine: An organic compound found to stimulate the nervous system, release insulin, stimulate heart and kidneys, and dilate the blood vessels.
All Spice: A spice named due to the fact it tastes like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. It is taken from the berry of the evergreen pimiento tree from Jamaica.
Happy Cooking!
I know what you are thinking. It’s November, the food vocabulary must be about Thanksgiving and turkey! Nah, I’m sure you will be sick of the holiday season by now. I usually get over it by the time Columbus Day rolls around. I think as I get older the holidays hold less importance for me. Plus my child is getting older. Anyway, here are more cooking terms to know.
Genoise- A light, rich cake made with sugar,eggs, butter, flour and vanilla. It is very similar to a sponge cake.
A La King- A diced food meal (poultry) in a rich cream sauce that has mushrooms, pimento, sherry, and green peppers.
Cut In- A way to distribute evenly a solid fat in flour using a cutting motion using either two knives or a pastry blender.
aioli- a garlic flavored mayonnaise.
Buchede Noel- A term in French for a Christmas Cake (similar to a yule log) that is made from Genoise (see above) and covered in buttercream and formed into a log shape and decorated accordingly.
Dice- Cutting food into 1/4″ pieces or smaller (cubes).
Brandy Alexander- A sweet cocktail usually served after dinner and made with brandy, chocolate liqueur and cream.
Macerate- To soak in a flavored liquid, usually for fruit.
Bonne-Bouche- A French for tasty little bite referring to small snacks.
Arrabbiata- An Italian term translating into “angry”, used for dishes with spicy sauce of tomatoes, pancetta, and chiles.
What veggies are in season during the winter months? Here is a list of fruit and veggies you can find more readily available during those cold months.
Calcium is a mineral that is a vital part of bones and teeth. The heart, nerves and blood clotting systems also require calcium to work. Women are often told the are especially prone to calcium deficiency. You can find calcium in white beans, figs, sardines with bone in, salmon with bone in, bok choy, kale, blackstrap molasses, almonds, oranges, sesame seeds, and oatmeal. From what I read we need 1000 mg of calcium a day.
