AtoZ of Cooking: Part 2

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Here it is! The most anticipated second part of the popular cooking series, AtoZ of Cooking! On second thought, maybe not.

And, by the way, Happy Friday everyone! The best day of the week, by far! It is certainly my most anticipated day of the week.

Alright, without further ado, here is the second part!

Kneading - Kneading is a process of working the dough to mix the ingredients, especially if you are using any sort of a liquid, and to develop the gluten in the flour. It expands the gliadin and glutenin proteins in the flour to form gluten, which gives all baked products it's texture.

Leavener - Leavener is an ingredient or process that produces or incorporates gases in a baked product in order to increase the volume, provide structure and give it texture. There are two types of leaveners, chemical and natural. Chemical leaveners include yeast, baking powder, baking soda and baking ammonia. Natural leaveners are steam and air.

Mirepoix - One of the common used terms by chefs, it is a mixture of chopped onions, carrots and celery to flavor various food items such as stocks, stews and liquid base for a sauce. The general mixture of mirepoix consists of 50% onions, 25% carrots, and 25% celery. It is pronounced meer-pwa.

Nappe - The consistency of a liquid, usually a sauce, that coats the back of the spoon.

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Oignon piqué - A French term for "pricked onion". A bayleaf and clove punctured into a peeled onion and dropped into a liquid base. It is used to flavor the liquid for sauces and soups.

Parchment paper - It is a heat-resistant paper used throughout the kitchen for tasks such as lining baking pans. It is mainly used as a disposable non-stick surface.

Quality grades - A guide to the eating qualities of meat such as tenderness, juiciness and flavor based on an animal's age and the meat's color and texture.

Reduction - The process of cooking a liquid until the quantity decreases and forms a saucy consistency. Reducing a liquid by one-half means that one-half of the liquid still remains. To reduce by three-fourths means that only one-fourth of the original amount remains. Reducing by au sec means the liquid is cooked until nearly dry.

Sear - Searing is the cooking method to brown food quickly over very high heat. Searing is usually done to caramelize the meat, and to give it a nice brown crust which acts as a great contrast between the exterior and the soft interior of a meat.

Tempering - A process for melting chocolate during which the temperature of the cocoa butter is carefully stabilized. This gives the chocolate a smooth and glossy look.

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There you have it. The second part of the AtoZ of Cooking series. Hopefully you learned some cool terms to help you around the kitchen. The final part of this series will be posted tomorrow. It's Friday! So, go out and have a ball!