R

Red Cabbage - A misnomer because red cabbage is usually more of a purple color. A round solid head of cabbage similar to white or Dutch cabbage. In Britain, red cabbage is pickled. In the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden it is stewed with apples and spices. Cooked red cabbage is a common side dish in German cuisine. Red cabbage is often cooked with vinegar to preserve its color. when used raw it is a colorful addition to green salads and cole slaws. 

ricotta cheese - An Italian cheese similar to cottage cheese but slightly grainy and sweet. Used in dishes such as lasagna and manicotti. Low fat recipes often call for cottage cheese or a combination of cottage and ricotta as a substitute. 

rose hip - The reddish-orange fruit of the rose (after the petals have fallen). High in vitamin C, they are used to make jellies and jams, syrup, tea and wine. 


S

Scald - Plunging foods with skins, such as tomatoes, into boiling water. This loosens and splits the skin, so it can be removed easily. 

Scalding milk - Heat milk to just below the boiling point. This can slow the souring of the milk. 

shallots - Herb of the lily family whose root forms small clusters of bulbs with a mild garlic flavor. Used in soups, salads, sauces, etc., the shallot has a brown papery skin as opposed to the whitish skin of the garlic. 

snow crab - A type of crab found in the North Pacific region, may be cooked by frying or broiling but the easiest way is to steam them in a large pot with a little boiling water until they turn a nice orangey color. Live crabs should be cooked the day they are purchased and refrigerated until cooking. Cook raw crabmeat within 24 hours of when the crab dies. Crab can then be shelled and used in recipes or dipped in drawn butter as with lobster. 

soft crack stage - In candy making, the test for sugar syrup describing the point at which a drop of boiling syrup dropped in cold water separates into hard though pliable threads. On a candy thermometer, this is between 270 degrees and 290 degrees. 


stock - A strained broth made by cooking any vegetable, meat, seafood, or poultry in water. Used for soups and sauces. 

T

T. - In a recipe T. is the abbreviation for 1 tablespoon as in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.¨ 

Tabasco Sauce - Sauce made from the Tabasco® pepper, vinegar and salt and trademarked by the McIlhenny family since the mid-1800s. It's very hot and spicy.

tart - Pastry shell with shallow sides and no top crust that is filled with a savory or sweet filling. 

tempering - Process of heating and cooling chocolate which improves the malleability and gloss. Typically used for chocolate candy dipping or decorations. 

tempura - Japanese style of batter dipped and deep fried fish or vegetables. 

thyme - Herb of the mint family that is native to southern Europe. It is a basic herb of the French cuisine where its minty, light-lemon aroma enhances vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, soups and cream sauces.

tofu - Also know as bean curd, white tofu is made from curdled soy milk. Popular in Asian cooking, tofu itself has a mild nutty flavor but will readily take on the flavor of the food in which it is cooked. 

tournedo - Beefsteak cut from the tenderloin. Because they are very lean it's common to wrap them in bacon or pork fat for cooking. 

trifle - Sponge cake or ladyfingers soaked with liquor and covered with jam, whipped cream and nuts. 

tripe - Most often, the lining of beef stomach. 

tripolini - Small, bow tie shaped pasta. 

truffle - Fungus that is considered a delicacy. Prized fragrance is earthy and garlicky. Very expensive due to cultivation techniques. Pigs and dogs actually ferret out the fungi which grow several inches below the ground. 

truss - Term used to describe technique of sewing or wrapping a roast or poultry with string to keep it compact and secure for cooking. 

tube pan - A tube pan is simply an old-fashioned angel food cake pan. A round high sided pan with a hollow center tube. The tube helps with more even baking in the center of the cake. Another version of this type of pan is the Bundt pan.

turnover - Sweet or savory filled pastry squares or semi-circles. Sealed with filling inside, they are usually baked or deep fried, they can be bite sized or up to 6 inches across. 

tutti-frutti - Refers to Italian preserve made from mixed, diced fruits in sugar and brandy. Also considered as fruity flavoring in gums and candies 
tureen Deep-sided, covered dishes used in serving soups and stews at the table. 

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