CONGRATULATIONS TO SHAWN JUN FROM FULLERTON, CA!!!
- Mise en place is your prep before you start cooking such as chopped onions, sliced peppers, cleaned spinach, etc. It literally translates into "set in place" or "put in place". It's French :)
- Aborio Rice is the grain used in traditional risotto. Risotto is the way it's cooked by adding a liquid a little bit at a time and letting it reduce which concentrates the flavor of the liquid. Risotto is not only made with Aborio Rice, it can be made with Barley, Regular white rice, Cous Cous, or even Cauliflower!
- Al dente usually describes pasta when it's not cooked all the way, which is how you want it cooked. If you bite into pasta and it's completely soft, it's overcooked. Al dente translates into "to the bite" in Italian which means you want a little bite when you bite into it.
- NO! Pickles are cucumbers that have been pickled. haha!
- Mirepoix aka the trinity is the mixture of Carrots, Celery, and Onions. You will almost always see these 3 vegetables in soups and stews. The ratio is 2 part onion, 1 part celery, and 1 carrot.
- Both a Julienne and a Chiffonade are strips. But a Julienne is a cut for Vegetables and larger foods as a Chiffonade is a cut for herbs such as mint, parsley, and basil.
- A roux is a cooked mixture of flour and fat used to thicken a liquid such as soup or a sauce. Butter is typically used but you can also use oil or even bacon fat. The ratio is equal parts.
- Braising is used more for larger pieces of meat. Liquid is filled only halfway up the meat and requires a longer cooking time. Stewing is used more for smaller uniformed pieces of meat. Liquid is added just to cover the meat and does not require a very long cooking time.
- Sulfur is released from the onion when it is cut. The sulfur rises in the air and mixes with the moisture in your eyes creating Sulfuric Acid.
- Clarified Butter.
- Simple syrup is made of sugar and water. Equal parts Sugar and Water, but some people beg to differ as they believe the ratio is 2 parts sugar and 1 part water. Either way water and sugar and heated to a boil and cooled down.
- Puff pastry is made of layers of flour and butter.
- Similar to Aborio Rice and Risotto, Squid is the ingredient to make Calamari and Calamari is the ring shape the squid is cut into.
- Searing is the process of creating an even crust on the outside of the meat which will lock in all the juices in the meat.
- Prime, Choice, and Select. Not a lot of people know about the prime grade of beef because it's just too expensive for the public and can only really be found in high end restaurants and very gourmet grocery stores. Not sure if Wegmans or Whole Foods sells it.
