COOKING FOR MY FAMILY
From Catherine Pasculli's Hoboken Kitchen
From Catherine Pasculli's Hoboken Kitchen
TIPS FROM MY KITCHEN
AERATE
To pass dry ingredients through a fine-mesh sifter so large pieces can be removed. The process also incorporates air to make ingredients like flour, lighter. Sifting dry ingredients aerates them while distributing small amounts of chemical leaveners or dry seasoning evenly through the mixture. Use sifters or sieves to both aerate and sift.
BASTE
To brush or spoon food as it cooks with melted fat or the cooking juices from the dish. Basting prevents foods from drying out and adds color and flavor.
BLANCH
To cook raw ingredients in boiling water briefly. Blanched vegetables are generally shocked; i.e. plunged immediately and briefly into an ice water bath to stop the cooking process and preserve color and crunch.
BLEND
To combine two or more ingredients together with a spoon, beater or blender.
BOIL
To heat a liquid to its boiling point, until bubbles break the surface. “Boil” also means to cook food in a boiling liquid.
BONE
To remove the bones from meat, fish or fowl. Use a sharp boning knife and angle the blade toward the bone to avoid tearing or nicking the flesh.
BONING A CHICKEN
Step 1:
Pull neck skin out away from chicken and cut off to within one inch of body. Fold back remaining skin as far as it will go. Free meat around neck cavity from carcass with short snips or cuts cutting as close to carcass as possible. Wiggle each wing to find where it meets the carcass. Cut through the joint to detach wing, leaving wing itself intact. Continue to separate meat from carcass during chicken and rolling skin back as you work.
Step 2:
Remove meat from around each thigh; cut through joint to detach drumstick from thigh. Leave thigh bones on carcass.
Step 3:
Using poultry shears or cleaver, cut off exposed drumstick bone. Leave remaining portion of drumstick intact.
Step 4:
Continue to cut meat away from carcass. Cut through joint between backbone and tail bone, leaving tail with skin and meat. Turn skin and meat right side out. Stuff and roast according to directions.
BRAISE
To cook food, tightly covered, in a small amount of liquid at low heat for a long period of time. Sometimes, the food is first browned in fat. The long, slow cooking tenderizes meats by gently breaking down their fibers. The braising liquid keeps meats moist and can be used as a basis for sauce. Use wine, stocks or water as components in braising liquid.
BROIL
To cook food directly above or under a heat source. Food can be broiled in an oven or on a grill.
BRUSH
To apply a liquid, like a glaze, to the surface o
BUTTERFLY
To split food (meat, fish, fowl) down the center, cutting almost, but not completely through. The two halves are then opened flat to resemble a butterfly.
CARAMELIZE
To heat sugar until it liquefies and become a clear caramel syrup ranging in color from golden to dark brown. Fruits and vegetables with natural sugars can be caramelized by sautéing, roasting or grilling, giving them a sweet flavor and golden glaze.
CHIFFONADE
To slice into very thin strips or shreds. Literally translated from French, the term means made of rags.
CHOP
To cut food into bite-size pieces using a knife. A food processor may also be used to chop food. Chopped food is more coarsely cut than minced food.
CLARIFY
To remove sediment from a cloudy liquid, thereby making it clear. To clarify liquids, such as stock, egg whites and/or eggshells are commonly added and simmered for approximately 15 minutes. The egg whites attract and trap particles from the liquid. After cooling, strain the mixture through a cloth-lined sieve to remove residue. To clarify rendered fat, add hot water and boil for about 15 minutes. The mixture should then be strained through several layers of cheesecloth and chilled. The resulting layer of fat should be completely clear of residue.
Clarified butter is butter that has been heated slowly so that its milk solids separate and sink, and can be discarded. The resulting clear liquid can be used at a higher cooking temperature and will not go rancid as quickly as unclarified butter.
CURE
To treat food by one of several methods for preservation purposes. Examples are smoking, pickling - in an acid base, corning - with acid and salt, and salt curing - which removes water.
DEEP-FRY
To cook food in hot fat or oil deep enough so that it is completely covered. The temperature of the fat is extremely important and can make the difference between success and failure. When the fat is not hot enough, the food absorbs fat and becomes greasy. When the fat is too hot, the food burns on the exterior before it has cooked through. Fat at the correct temperature will produce food with a crisp, dry exterior and moist interior. An average fat temperature for deep-frying is 375 degrees, but the temperature varies according to the food being fried. Use a deep fryer, an electric fry pan or a heavy pot and a good kitchen thermometer for deep frying.
DEGLAZE
To remove browned bits of food from the bottom of a pan after sautéing, usually meat. After the food and excess fat have been removed from the pan, a small the liquid. After cooling, strain the mixture through a cloth-lined sieve to remove residue. To clarify rendered fat, add hot water and boil for about 15 minutes. The mixture should then be strained through several layers of cheesecloth and chilled. The resulting layer of fat should be completely clear of residue.
Clarified butter is butter that has been heated slowly so that its milk solids separate and sink, and can be discarded. The resulting clear liquid can be used at a higher cooking temperature and will not go rancid as quickly as unclarified butter.
CURE
To treat food by one of several methods for preservation purposes. Examples are smoking, pickling - in an acid base, corning - with acid and salt, and salt curing - which removes water.
DEEP-FRY
To cook food in hot fat or oil deep enough so that it is completely covered. The temperature of the fat is extremely important and can make the difference between success and failure. When the fat is not hot enough, the food absorbs fat and becomes greasy. When the fat is too hot, the food burns on the exterior before it has cooked through. Fat at the correct temperature will produce food with a crisp, dry exterior and moist interior. An average fat temperature for deep-frying is 375 degrees, but the temperature varies according to the food being fried. Use a deep fryer, an electric fry pan or a heavy pot and a good kitchen thermometer for deep frying.
DEGLAZE
To remove browned bits of food from the bottom of a pan after sautéing, usually meat. After the food and excess fat have been removed from the pan, a small amount of liquid is heated with the cooking juices in the pan and stirred to remove browned bits of food from the bottom. The resulting mixture often becomes the base for a sauce.
DEGORGE
1. To sprinkle vegetables with salt to eliminate water. Eggplant for example are generally salted and patted dry before cooking.
2. To add cornmeal to water and soak crustaceans in order that they will eliminate the sand in their shells.
DEVEIN
To remove the blackish-gray vein from the back of a shrimp. The vein can be removed with a special utensil called a deveiner or with the tip of a sharp knife. Small and medium shrimp need deveining for aesthetic purposes only. However, because the veins in large shrimp contain grit, they should always be removed.
DICE
To cut food into tiny cubes (about 1/8- to 1/4-inch).
DRAIN
To pour off fat or liquid from food, often using a colander.
DREDGE
To lightly coat food that is going to be fried with flour, breadcrumbs or cornmeal. The coating helps to brown the food and provides a crunchy surface. Dredged foods need to be cooked immediately, while breaded foods, those dredged in flour, dipped in egg then dredged again in breading, can be prepared and held before cooking.
EMULSIFY
To bind together two liquid ingredients that normally do not combine smoothly, such as water and fat. Slowly add one ingredient to the other while mixing rapidly. This action disperses tiny droplets of one liquid in the other. Mayonnaise and vinaigrettes are emulsions. Use a good whisk for steady, even emulsification.
FISH CLEANING
Prepare sea bass. Using a fish scaler or back of a large knife, scrape the scales off, from the tail towards the head, on both sides. Slit the underside from the gills to the rear vent with scissors. You may cut off the head, if you wish. Pull out the stomach contents. Wash fish under running water carefully. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°C). Arrange fish in an oven dish and add all the ingredients. You have also to put little aromatic herbs inside the fish. Season to taste with salt. Remember: you have also to salt fish inside. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until you can remove fins easily, turning fish over half-way through. Finally, skin fish and fillet it, discarding all the bones. Place the fillets in every dinner plate and accompany with a green salad (the best would be a mixture of corn salad and rocket dressed with olive oil, salt and balsamic vinegar).
FILLET
To create a fillet of fish or meat by cutting away the bones. Fish and boning knives help produce clean fillets.
FOLD
To combine a light mixture like beaten egg whites with a much heavier mixture like whipped cream. In a large bowl, place the lighter mixture on top of the heavier one. Starting at the back of the bowl, using the edge of a rubber spatula, cut down through the middle of both mixtures, across the bottom of the bowl and up the near side. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. This process gently combines the two mixtures.
FRY
To cook food (non-submerged) in hot fat or oil over moderate to high heat. There is very little difference between frying and SAUTEING although sautéing is often thought of as being faster and using less fat.
GRATE
To reduce a large piece of food to coarse or fine threads by rubbing it against a rough, serrated surface, usually on a grater. A food processor, fitted with the appropriate blades, can also be used for grating. The food that is being grated should be firm. Cheese that needs to be grated can be refrigerated first for easier grating.
GRILL
To cook food on a grill over hot coals or other heat source. The intense heat creates a crust on the surface of the food which seals in the juices. The grill should be clean and must be heated before the food is laid on it. The food can also be basted and seasoned.
GRIND
To reduce food to small pieces by running it through a grinder. Food can be ground to different degrees, from fine to coarse.
HOMOGENIZE
To create an emulsion by reducing all the particles to the same size. The fat globules are broken down mechanically until they are evenly distributed throughout the liquid. Homogenized milk and some commercial salad dressings are two examples of homogenized foods.
INFUSE
To steep an aromatic ingredient in hot liquid until the flavor has been extracted and absorbed by the liquid. Teas are infusions. Milk or cream can also be infused with flavor before being used in custards or sauces.
JOINT
To cut meat and poultry into large pieces at the joints using a very sharp knife.
JULIENNE
To cut food into thin sticks. Food is cut with a knife or mandolin into even slices, then into strips.
KNEAD
To mix and work dough into a smooth, elastic mass. Kneading can be done either manually or by machine. By hand, kneading is done with a pressing-folding-turning action. First the dough is pressed with the heels of both hands and pushed away from the body so the dough stretches out. The dough is then folded in half, given a quarter turn, and the process is repeated. Depending on the dough, the kneading time can range anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. During kneading, the gluten strands stretch and expand, enabling dough to hold in gas bubbles formed by a leavened, which allows it to rise.
LARD
To insert strips of fat (lardons) or bacon into a dry cut of meat using a utensil called a larding needle. Larding makes the cooked meat more succulent and tender.
LINE
To cover the bottom and sides of a casserole, mold or terrine with a thin layer of bacon, pork fat, flavorings or pastry. Cake pans are frequently lined with parchment paper to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan after baking.
MACERATE
To soak foods, usually fruit, in liquid so they absorb the liquid’s flavor. The macerating liquid is usually alcohol, liqueur, wine, brandy or sugar syrup. Macerate is also frequently applied to fruits sprinkled with sugar, which intensifies natural flavor of the fruit by drawing out its juices.
MARINATE
To soak food in a seasoned liquid mixture for a certain length of time. The purpose of marinating is to add flavor and/or tenderize the food. Due to the acidic ingredients in many marinades, foods should be marinated in glass, ceramic or stainless steel containers. Foods should also be covered and refrigerated while they are marinating. When fruits are soaked in this same manner, the process is called macerating.
MASH
To crush a food into smooth and evenly textured state. For potatoes or other root vegetables, use a ricer, masher or food mill. While food processors provide a smooth texture more like a puree or a paste, they should not be used for potatoes.
MINCE
To cut food into very tiny pieces. Minced food is cut into smaller, finer pieces than diced food.
MOUNT
To whisk cold butter, piece by piece, into a warm sauce for smooth texture, flavor and sheen. Each piece of butter must be thoroughly incorporated before a new piece is added so that the sauce does not break (or separate into liquid and fat).
NAP
To completely coat food with a light, thin, even layer of sauce.
OPEN FACED
A sandwich prepared with just one piece of bread which is topped with a wide variety of meats, vegetables, cheeses and heated or not.
PARBOIL
To boil food briefly in water, cooking it only partially. Parboiling is used for dense food like carrots and potatoes. After being parboiled, these foods can be added at the last minute to quicker-cooking ingredients. Parboiling insures that all ingredients will finish cooking at the same time. Since foods will continue to cook once they have been removed from the boiling water, they should be shocked in ice water briefly to preserve color and texture. Cooking can then be completed by sautéing or the parboiled vegetable can be added to simmering soups or stews.
PARE
To remove the thin outer layer of foods using a paring knife or a vegetable peeler.
PARMIGIANO REGGIANO
Parmigiano Reggiano is a staple ingredient of Italian food and probably the most well known Italian food product. A form or wheel of Parmigiano weighs about 60 pounds, making it one of the largest Italian cheese in production. Parmigiano Reggiano is made from 100% cow's milk and has a grainy texture and a golden yellow color. The producers of Parmigiano must follow very strict guidelines in making the cheese. It must be aged for at least one year. One-year-old Parmigiano Reggiano would be used mainly in pasta dishes. An older piece of Parmigiano Reggiano, aged up to two years, has a crumbly texture and is a darker yellow. This older cheese is best served as an appetizer with a sparkling wine such as Prosecco. Another way to serve the cheese is as a good way to finish a meal, accompanied by a nice Barolo. To serve the cheese on its own as a separate course, break off one-inch chunks with the tip of a knife. Avoid slicing the cheese, as it crumbles easily. To serve Parmigiano Reggiano with pasta or risotto, grate at the last minute on top of hot pasta or risotto. Store the cheese wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.
PECORINO ROMANO CHEESE
Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty Italian cheese, suitable primarily for grating, made out of sheep's. Pecorino Romano was produced in Latium up to 1884 when, due to the prohibition issued by the city council of salting the cheese inside their shops in Rome, many producers moved to the island of Sardinia [1]. It is produced exclusively from the milk of sheep raised on the plains of Lazio and in
PEEL
To remove the rind or skin from a fruit or vegetable using a knife or vegetable peeler.
POACH
To cook food by gently simmering in liquid at or just below the boiling point. The amount of the liquid and poaching temperature depends on the food being poached.
POT ROAST
To cook meat slowly by moist heat in a covered pot. The meat is first browned, then braised either on top of the stove or in the oven. Pot roasting is good for tougher cuts of meat which require longer cooking times to break down connective tissue.
POUND
Pounding thinner cuts of meat tenderizes it by breaking down muscle. Kitchen mallets are generally used for pounding, but it can be done using a small frying pan as well. First place the piece of meat between two pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper.
PUREE
To grind or mash food until completely smooth. This can be done using a food processor or blender or by pressing the food through a sieve.
REDUCE
To thicken or concentrate a liquid by boiling rapidly. The volume of the liquid is reduced as the water evaporates, thereby thickening the consistency and intensifying the flavor.
RICE
To push cooked food through a perforated kitchen tool called a ricer. The resulting food looks like rice.
RICOTTA SALATA
Ricotta Salata is harder than whole milk ricotta and contains more salt, it resembles feta cheese and can be purchased at Italian markets. I have even seen it at Sam’s and Costco.
ROAST
To oven-cook food in an uncovered pan. The food is exposed to high heat which produces a well-browned surface and seals in the juices. Reasonably tender pieces of meat or poultry should be used for roasting. Food that is going to be roasted for a long time may be barded to prevent drying out.
ROASTING PEPPERS
Take your peppers and rub them lightly, yet evenly, with a light olive oil. This will act as a conductor for the heat, dispersing it evenly around the peppers. This method works best for bell peppers. For chilies, you would simply roast them dry over an open fire. There are many ways to roast peppers. Some cooks prefer the grill; some prefer the oven or broiler. In this case I used a very hot oven. Whichever method you choose, the important thing is to check them often, turning them as they roast. All you’re trying to accomplish is the blistering of the skin so that it’s easy to remove. The pepper’s flesh will cook, but not so much that it becomes mush. You can see here that it’s time to rotate these peppers. When they are finished roasting, place the peppers in a bowl of some kind and cover them. They will still be quite hot, and by covering them, you will cause the skins to steam loose from the peppers. Simply leave them covered until cooled.
Now it’s time to clean the peppers. First, gently remove the stem from the top. If you’re careful and a little bit lucky, most of the seed cluster will come out with it. What works well for removing the seeds is to split one side of the pepper open and lay it flat on the cutting board inside out. This way you can gently scrape them away with your knife. You will also scrape away the membrane, or “ribs,” as it’s often called. These are the white - and somewhat bitter - things that run down the sides of the pepper on the inside. With chilies this is the hottest part, not the seeds as many people believe. Once the seed removal is complete, turn the pepper over and remove the skin. This is where even roasting becomes important. Pepper skin is very difficult to get off if it hasn’t been thoroughly blistered by heat. If you’ve roasted the pepper evenly, the skin will come right off. You can peel it away with your fingers, or use the knife method carefully.
If you have a freshly roasted pepper and a canned one side by side, they may look the same, but they most assuredly won’t taste the same. Roasting peppers is very easy to do, and certainly worth it for the flavor. Slice them into strips and use them in pastas or sauces; make a vinaigrette; or in this case, a roasted pepper bread salad with shaved procaine cheese.
SAN MARZANO TOMATOES
A variety of plum tomatoes, are considered by many chefs to be the best sauce tomatoes in the world. The story goes that the first seed of the San Marzano tomato came to
The San Marzano tomato is prized for its tart flavor, firm pulp, red color, low seed-count and easily removed skin. It is widely used in both pizza and pasta, though recently it has become famous around the world as the base for Vera Pizza Napoletana. It's interesting to note that
These great tomatoes are the perfect start to the perfect pizza. The harvest of the San Marzano usually begins in August and continues until the end of September and sometimes later. It is a delicate crop and mechanization is not used. The labor required to train the vines, and the hand picked harvest (the true San Marzano is harvested multiple times, only when the fruit is completely ripe, not all at once) are two elements that lead to an increase in production costs. Still, we think it's worth it. Take a 28oz can of imported San Marzano tomatoes, hit it with a potato masher, and you have the perfect pizza sauce.
SAUTE
To cook food quickly in a small amount of fat or oil, until brown, in a skillet or sauté pan over direct heat. The sauté pan and fat must be hot before the food is added; otherwise the food will absorb oil and become soggy.
SCALD
To dip fruits or vegetables in boiling water in order to loosen their skins and simplify peeling. The produce should be left in the water for only 30 seconds to prohibit cooking, and should be shocked in an ice water bath before the skin is removed
SCALE
To remove the scales from the skin of a fish using a dull knife or a special kitchen tool called a fish scaler.
SEAR
To brown meat or fish quickly over very high heat either in a fry pan, under a broiler or in a hot oven. Searing seals in the food’s juices and provides a crisp tasty exterior. Seared food can then be eaten rare or roasted or braised to desired degree of doneness.
SEASON
To add flavor to foods. To coat the cooking surface of a new pot or pan with vegetable oil then heat in a 350 degree oven for about an hour. This smoothes out the surface of new pots and pans, particularly cast-iron, and prevents foods from sticking.
SEED
To remove the seeds from fruits and vegetables.
SHOE PEG CORN
Shoe peg corn is a variety of white sweet corn valued for its sweetness. It is characterized by small, narrow kernels that form uneven rows on the cob. It is a common ingredient in salads and corn dishes throughout the
SHRED
To cut food into thin strips. This can be done by hand or by using a grater or food processor. Cooked meat can be shredded by pulling it apart with two forks.
SIEVE
To strain liquids or particles of food through a sieve or strainer. Press the solids, using a ladle or wooden spoon, into the strainer to remove as much liquid and flavor as possible.
SIFT
To pass dry ingredients through a fine mesh sifter so large pieces can be removed. The process also incorporates air to make ingredients like flour, lighter.
SIMMER
To cook food in liquid over gentle heat, just below the boiling point, low enough so that tiny bubbles just begin to break the surface.
SKEWER
To spear small pieces of food on long, thin, pointed rods called skewers.
SKIM
To remove the scum that rises to the surface from a liquid when it is boiled. The top layer of the liquid, such as the cream from milk or the foam and fat from stock, soups or sauces, can be removed using a spoon, ladle or skimmer. Soups, stews or sauces can be chilled so that the fat coagulates on the surface and may be easily removed before reheating.
SKIN
To remove the skin from food before or after cooking. Poultry, fish and game are often skinned for reasons of appearance, taste and diet.
SMOKE
To expose fresh food to smoke from a wood fire for a prolonged period of time. Traditionally used for preservation purposes, smoking is now a means of giving flavor to food. Smoking tends to dry the food, kills bacteria, deepens color and gives food a smoky flavor. The duration of smoking varies from 20 minutes to several days. The most commonly used woods are beech, oak and chestnut to which aromatic essences are often added. Small home smokers are now available.
STEAM
To cook food on a rack or in steamer basket over a boiling liquid in a covered pan. Steaming retains flavor, shape, texture, and nutrients better than boiling or poaching.
SWEAT
To cook vegetables in fat over gentle heat so they become soft but not brown, and their juices are concentrated in the cooking fat. If the pan is covered during cooking, the ingredients will keep a certain amount of their natural moisture. If the pan is not covered, the ingredients will remain relatively dry.
TEMPER
1. To slowly bring up the temperature of a cold or room temperature ingredient by adding small amounts of a hot or boiling liquid. Adding the hot liquid gradually prevents the cool ingredient, such as eggs, from cooking or setting. The tempered mixture can then be added back to hot liquid for further cooking. This process is used most in making pastry cream and the like.
2. To bring chocolate to a state in which it has snap, shine and no streaks. Commercially available chocolate is already tempered but this condition changes when it is melted. Tempering is often done when the chocolate will be used for candy making or decorations. Chocolate must be tempered because it contains cocoa butter; a fat that forms crystals after chocolate is melted and cooled. Dull grey streaks form and are called bloom. The classic tempering method is to melt chocolate until it is totally without lumps (semisweet chocolate melts at a temperature of 104 degrees F.) One third of the chocolate is then poured onto a marble slab then spread and worked back and forth with a metal spatula until it becomes thick and reaches a temperature of about 80 degrees F. The thickened chocolate is then added back to the remaining 2/3 melted chocolate and stirred. The process is repeated until the entire mixture reaches 88-92 degrees for semisweet chocolate, 84-87 degrees for milk or white chocolate.
TENDERIZE
To make meat more tender by pounding with a mallet, marinating for varying periods of time, or storing at lower temperatures. Fat may also be placed into a piece of meat to make it more tender during cooking.
TRUSS
To secure food, usually poultry or game, with string, pins or skewers so that it maintains a compact shape during cooking. Trussing allows for easier basting during cooking.
UNLEAVENED
The word which describes any baked good that has no leavener, such as yeast, baking powder or baking soda.
WHIP
To beat ingredients such as egg whites or cream until light and fluffy. Air is incorporated into the ingredients as they are whipped, increasing their volume until they are light and fluffy.
WHISK
To beat ingredients together until smooth, using a kitchen tool called a whisk.
ZEST
To remove the outermost skin layers of citrus fruit using a knife, peeler or zester. When zesting, be careful not to remove the pith, the white layer between the zest and the flesh, which is bitter.
HOW TO MEASURE BUTTER
|
Volume |
Sticks |
Weight |
|
|
|
|
|
¼ cup |
½ |
2 ounces |
|
½ cup |
1 |
¼ pound |
|
¾ cup |
1 ½ |
6 ounces |
|
1 cup |
2 |
½ pound |
|
1 ¼ cups |
1 ½ |
10 ounces |
|
1/ ½ cups |
3 |
¾ pound |
|
1 ¾ cups |
1 ½ |
14 ounces |
|
2 cups |
4 |
1 pound |