For the January 11, 2007
Carefree… by Joyce McCombs

Carefree 101 Cooking Terms...

Welcome to 2007! It’s time for resolutions and I’m ashamed to admit I’ve already broken one of my top four promises to myself. (Someday, in a far off land where time is on my side, I really will get the CG to the editor early.) The other three resolutions are the same as they’ve always been: Be slow to judge, be quick to forgive, and practice, practice, practice being patient. Dang, that last one is always SUCH a pain!

There’s been a lot of eating and cooking and kitchen activity in the past couple of weeks, so I thought you might be a bit tired thinking about what to make and eat and then clean up after yet again. So instead of recipes, let’s look at some cooking basics, and give the leftovers a chance to clear out of the fridge for a couple weeks.

I like checking in with the Food Network whenever I have a couple of minutes, especially when I’m folding laundry. I remember when we first got the satellite dish and I found channel 110. I was stunned by the variety of the programs offered. I was also way, WAY out of my depth when it came to professional terminology and kitchen procedures. I can usually handle a chef’s knife without hurting anyone, and I know enough to turn the heat down when the food starts smoking. But this land of the professional egg polisher and nineteen burner gas ranges (never say “stove) was almost too much. When I stopped looking at all the pretty sets and dishes and the audience and started really listening, I began to realize just how much I didn’t know.

It’s like one of my favorite library patrons said to me last summer as he browsed the cookbook section: “What’ the heck’s a simmer, anyway? Can’t they just say “cook until done”? That’s what I do when I make Hamburger Helper!” I suppose they could, but “done” means different things to different cooks, where a “simmer” means the same thing to everyone . So take a look at these snippets and definitions and ideas and terms, and perhaps they’ll ease you into a new phase of kitchen adventures. If you start practicing all these things and the Food Network calls, be sure to let me know!

Chiffonade
French for “made of rags,” a chiffonade is a lovely way to dress a salad or a sandwich or even tacos. All you is stack up leaves of something leafy and green like lettuce or spinach or fresh basil or mint, roll them up in a tube and cut across the roll into very thin ribbons. Gently separate them by dropping them from about a foot above your cutting board or into a bowl and they’ll mound up perfectly.

Emulsion
An emulsion is nothing more than bringing two things together that usually want to stay apart. The two liquids are broken up by vigorous whisking and the tiny droplets of the heavier liquid disperse into the lighter one. Emulsions can be made in a blender or food processor, though the purists insist there’s nothing like a hand powered whisk to do the job properly. Personally, I can’t tell the difference, except for the time it saves. The classic emulsion is oil and vinegar and mustard or herbs for vinaigrette salad dressing. .

Deglaze
Food Network chefs just live to deglaze, all day, world without end amen. They are obsessed with those tasty browned bits left in the bottom of the roasting pan, and rightly so. That’s where the flavor is and it’s up to you to get it back into the the food you just cooked. Remove the roast or chicken or whatever you just cooked and set aside to rest. (Read about “resting” below.) Pour in at least a cup of liquid (wine, water, stock, cognac, etc.) heat it with the remaining cooking juices in the bottom of the pan. Scrape up the browned bits as the liquid heats. Use it for sauce, or simply pour it back over what you just roasted.

Resting Meat (Carryover Cooking)
If you have the time, it’s a great idea to remove whatever you’re roasting from the heat a little early. Thinner meats such as blade roasts should be allowed to “rest“ for 5 – 10 minutes, but larger cuts need to rest for at least 15 minutes. Meat continues to cook internally even after it’s removed from the oven. But without the high heat of the oven, the external heat decreases. That’s a good thing, though, because it redistributes the juices evenly and makes the meat more succulent and much easier to carve.

Baste
One of the first things most cooks learn, especially when baking a turkey. To baste, simply moisten periodically with cooking juices, marinade or butter. This not only keeps the meat moist, but promotes even browning.

Reduce
When water in a sauce evaporates, it concentrates and thickens the liquid. The flavors intensify as the volume is reduced, which is a good reminder to not salt stocks, soups, sauces and gravies until after they have been fully reduced. Frozen reduced chicken stock is culinary gold. Try using ice cube trays to make small portions and then keeping a zip top bag full handy in the freezer.

Roasting
This is nothing more than dry cooking in an oven in a large uncovered pan. Uncovered is the operative word here! Dry heat creates a crusty brown exterior, sealing in moisture. Large shallow pans work great because the moisture that does escape from the food evaporates quickly; otherwise the steam will keep the food from browning properly.

Turkey’s and chicken’s are perfect for dry roasting, and so are the more tender cuts of meat such as tenderloin, prime rib or top round. Tougher cuts like Chuck roast (called Charles Steak in our house, in honor of Papa McCombs) needs a slow moist heat to tenderize it.
Vegetables roast well also, but give them enough room to roam and leave at least a quarter of the pan empty so they won’t touch and stir them often.

Braising
Braising is similar to roasting, only with a small amount of liquid for a moister heat and you can cover it or not, depending on the meat. Try searing (see below) first to help seal in juices.
Using low heat for a longer period of time means tougher cuts of meat turn out tender because the fibers are broken down slowly while the stock, water or wine, keeps food moist. The braising liquid can be used in making sauces.

Sear
This is what you do to seal in a food's juices in prior to braising or roasting. You want to brown all surfaces of the meat quickly using very high heat in a skillet, under the broiler, on a grill, or in the oven. This seals in natural juices and creates a crispy exterior. Seared food is often eaten very rare with the center being left uncooked, as in blackened steak.

Sautéing
From the French verb sauter which means "to jump." Use a preheated pan, a bit of oil brought just to the smoking point before adding the food. And keep the food moving (“jumping”) over medium high to high heat. Don’t crowd the pan or things will steam instead of sauté. You’ll want about 1/3 of the surface area left empty to distribute the heat.

Sweating Vegetables
Sweating vegetables is similar to sautéing, but the goal is to use as little oil as possible cooking at a lower heat. The goal is to not let the vegetables brown, but to cook them until they are still colorful and still a bit crisp.

Simmer
To cook over medium or medium low heat to just below the boiling point which means low enough so that tiny bubbles just begin to break the surface. Sauces usually need to simmer to let flavors blend, and to reduce and thicken.

Poaching
Most often associated with eggs or fish, to poach means to cook by gently simmering in liquid that is just below the boiling point (180 to 190 degrees). My longtime idol Julia Child called this stage a "shiver" which seems more poetic than “poached” doesn’t it?
For a perfect poached egg, remember that the water should not be boiling with full bubbles, but should be hot enough to cook the egg quickly. Crack the egg into a small bowl or cup and then slide it gently into the poaching water. Let the egg cook slowly, and resist the temptation to poke at it, or you’ll end up with a sorry mess of yellow and white blotches in hot water. Make sure the water never comes to a full boil. Use a slotted spoon to remove the egg from the water, drain it for a moment on a paper towel or napkin and serve it on hot buttered toast. This will cure most ailments known to the human race.

Scald
Recipes that called for scalded milk used to scare me and I’d start over and make something else. That is until I got brave and scalded some on my own one day and things turned out just fine. All you do is heat milk to the simmer stage, waiting patiently for the tiny bubbles to rise around the edges of the saucepan and for the milk to steam, but not come to a boil If that happens, you really do have to start over.

Dice
There’s a lot of hollering about dicing and mincing and all kinds of other hacking up vegetables these days. I’m glad that for years all I did was chop and get away with it. Anyway, an official dice cut is about 1/8 to 1/4 inch on each side.

Mince
This is an irregular cut and is much smaller and finer than a dice. Think garlic, chives or KFC coleslaw bits.

Julienne
Not to be confused with my pal, Julie Ann who shares my birthday, a julienne cut means you’re going to slice things like cheese or ham or carrots into thin match-stick strips. Food is evenly sliced then cut into strips of random lengths.

Matchstick
Matchstick cuts are even more precise than julienne, and I get very annoyed when I have to do it every often because it’s so tedious. Still, it’s excellent knife practice and the results are pretty and worth it in the end. Begin by slicing the vegetable into 1 to 2 inch lengths. Cut each length into 1/8 inch slices. Stack those slices and cut into 1/8 inch matchstick size strips. Cutting matchsticks is a good way to practice being PATIENT.

Puree
Traditionally a food was rubbed through a strainer, food mill or sieve until it was completely smooth. Now this is done using a blender or food processor. In 1977 it was the button pushed on the blender my roommate Lori and I used when we were making split pea soup. I’ll spare you the details, except to say that I know for a fact it takes two rolls of paper towels to clean a college apartment ceiling of split pea soup puree.

Sorbet vs. Sherbet
And now at last, time for dessert. Does it really matter if it’s sorbet or sherbet? Not to me, since both are yummy, but here’s the difference. Sherbet contains milk, sorbet does not. Sorbet is also sometimes called granita and is granular in texture, whereas sherbet is smooth and creamy. Both contain flavorings and usually sugar and sometimes fruit essences as a sweetener. Sorbet sometimes has alcohol added for flavoring, which creates a slushier product. If you like fresh raspberry sorbet made five minutes before you eat it, try The Lodge restaurant at the River Palms Casino/Hotel in Laughlin Nevada. It’s the best I’ve ever had.

Next time, if all goes according to plan, we’ll visit with Joanna Holbrook and talk about bread and baking. Happy New Year to all!
 

Index to Carefree Gourmet Articles

Sourdough Sensations June 29, 2007

Kitty Treats June 29, 2007

Dog Treats April 20, 2007

Sandwich Plan March 23, 2007

Carefree Wacky Ingredients March 8, 2007

Homestead Hearth January 25, 2007

Carefree Cooking 101 January 11, 2007

Holiday Punch December 23, 2006

Holiday Treats December 12, 2006

Thanksgiving II November 20, 2006

Standby Favorites October 16, 2006

Cabbage October 11, 2006

Apples September 22, 2006

Kids Cook July 6, 2006

Wacky Tips June 8, 2006

Graduation May 11, 2006

African Cuisine April 13, 2006

A Bit of Irish March 23, 2006

Crazy for Carrots March 9, 2006

February Vacation February 23, 2006

Easy Budget January 12, 2006

Christmas Treats December 22, 2005

Sweet Surprises December 8, 2005

Turkey Times  November 22, 2005

Grand Champions - Part 2 - October 13, 2005

Janet Boyer September 22, 2005

Grand Champions September 5, 2005

Blueberries  August 12, 2005

Halibut and Zukes July 28, 2005

Orange Juice July 14, 2005

Happy Birthday June 30, 2005

Honey June 9, 2005

Picnic Dishes May 26, 2005

Celebration Salads May 12, 2005

Kraft Foods April 21, 2005

Shrimp April 7, 2005

Carry on Airline snacks March 25, 2005

Sandwiches March 10, 2005

Back from Vacation February 24, 2005

Super Bowl Snack Attack  January 14, 2005

Ginger Snaps December 29, 2004

Christmas Memories - December 12, 2004

Thanksgiving November 23, 2004

Glen and Meat  October 29, 2004

Blueberry Pie Champion  September 30, 2004

Fair Winners  September 2, 2004

Glen's Knives June 11, 2004

Aunt Aggie Tells All... May 13, 2004

Crazy About Catsup April 29, 2004

Carefree Clearance Special April 8, 2004

Seattle Adventure March 26, 2004

Vegas, part 2 March 12, 2004

Vegas Wind February 12, 2004

Casserole Bonanza January 11, 2004

No Fuss Dishes  December 19, 2003

Fake and Bake Christmas  December 11, 2003