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Reference / Food Dictionary
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submitted by Dr. Gary Farr - Contact the author here.
Last Updated August, 13, 2002
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Baby corn refers to whole, entirely edible cobs of immature corn, no more than 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm) long. They are sold canned, packed in water. Rinse well before using.
Bacon, a cut of pork from the flank or back, is cured and sometimes smoked, then cut into strips. The best bacon has more lean meat than fat. Leftover drippings are often used as fat for sauteing and in dressings.
Also see Canadian bacon.
Baking potatoes
 Also known as russet or Idaho potatoes, are oval tuberous vegetables with thick brown skins and white flesh that has a dry, mealy texture when cooked. They are ideal for baking, mashing, or frying.
Choose firm, well-shaped potatoes, without sprouts or a greenish cast. Store in a dark, dry place for several weeks.For other potato varieties, see boiling, new, red, sweet, white potatoes and yams.
Bagel
Chewy bread with a hole in the middle - round, and 3-4 inches in diameter. The origin is Russian-Jewish. Can come with many types of toppings on it. Dough is boiled then baked with toppings such as onion, garlic, poppy seeds etc. Flavours can also be kneaded into the dough. On the east coast usually used as a breakfast bread but can also be used as a sandwich bread.
Baguette
a traditional, French-style yeast bread made with wheat flour, is a long, narrow loaf usually about 24 inches (60 cm) in length and no more than about 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter.
Balsamic Vinegar
Made from the white Trebbianno grape, balsamic vinegar gets its pungent sweetness from aging for several years in wood barrels. During the Middle Ages, this sugar-rich grape was used primarily for wine, but its high acidity made it better suited for producing vinegar. Produced in Modena, Italy, the maturation process takes place in a series of barrels made from a variety of woods and lasts from 6 to 25 years. Use it to dress salads and enrich stews, soups and sauces. Store in a cool, dark cupboard. Seek out aged balsamic and beware of inexpensive bottles - it may be a colored red wine vinegar with only a drop or two of 6 year-old balsamic added to it.
Beans (dried)
Members of the legume family (plants that carry seeds in a pod), dried beans are an excellent source of protein, calcium, and iron. Major varieties include black, garbanzo, kidney, pinto and white beans. To prepare dried beans, soak for 8 hours or overnight in a ratio or 3 parts water to 1 part bean, bring to a boil and simmer for up to 2 hours. If beans haven't been soaked for 8 hours, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes, then let stand, tightly covered, for 1 hour. One cup of dried beans will expand to 2 to 2-1/2 cups after cooking. Look for smooth surfaces and bright colors and avoid cracked or wrinkled surfaces. Store dried beans in an airtight container for up to 1 year. There are a wide array of canned beans now available if using dried beans is too time consuming. Simply skip the soaking process, rinse and drain the beans well, then proceed with your recipe cutting down on the total cooking time.
(See also Black Bean, Soy Bean, Pinto Bean, Anasazi Bean, Garbanzo Bean, Azuki Bean, Cannelini Bean)
Beard
The common name for the byssus on the mussel. This silky hair-like extension helps to anchor the mussel to rocks and piers during tides.
Beetroot
Called beet in US. The red, succulent root of a biennial plant (Beta vulgaris). Often dressed with vinegar and served cold and sliced, but can also be served hot and is the basis of one of the most well-known borschts.
Bell Pepper
see Capsicum
Bermuda Onion
A large sweet onion with several regional names. May also be known as Spanish Onion, and possibly 1015 onion.
Biscuits
In the UK, equivalent of US cookies (small, sweet cakes). In US, In the US, a type of non-yeast bread made of flour, milk, and shortening, usually served with breakfast - small, and similar to what much of the world refers to as `scones'.
Black Bean
Black, or turtle, beans are an important staple in Latin American and Caribbean dishes, ranging from soups and chili to burritos and dips. Jet-black on the outside with a creamy flesh, black beans have a sweet and nutty flavor with a slightly mealy texture. To prepare dried beans, soak overnight, bring to a boil then simmer 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Store dried beans in an airtight container for up to 1 year. Cooked black beans are also available canned.
Black Treacle
see Substitutions and Equivalents under Sugars and other sweeteners
Bloom
Pale gray film, streaks, or blotches that appear on the surface of chocolate when the cocoa butter separates and forms crystals (usually as a result of storing in too warm a place). Blooming does not effect flavor or cooking properties.
Bosc pear
Dark golden winter pear with slender neck. Cooks well. Sweet-tart taste.
Bouquet Garni
A bunch of herbs ties together or placed in a cheesecloth bundle. This allows the herbs to be easily removed from food before it is served. The classic herbs used in a bouquet garni are thyme, parsley, and bay leaf.
Braeburn Apple
The Braeburn’s texture is crisp, firm and juicy, and it has a sweet flavor balanced with moderate tartness. It is shaded with a broad red stripe and a yellow-green undercolor. Originating and still largely shipped from New Zealand, Braeburn apples are now being grown in the Pacific Northwest as well. Braeburns from Washington are best late summer through November, while New Zealand apples can be found the rest of the year.
Braise, To
Braising is a combination of cooking methods to render tough cuts of meat and fibrous vegetables succulent and tender. Usually, food is first sautéed or browned for color and flavor, then cooked slowly in a small amount of liquid in an airtight pot. This creates a moist, steamy cooking environment that gently breaks down hard-to-chew connective tissue and muscle and releases the food's own juices. The browned meat is often set on a bed of chopped aromatic vegetables, which later may be pureed mixed with pan juices and used as a sauce.
Any casserole with a tight-fitting lid is suitable for braising. It is important that the vessel be of a material that conducts heat evenly and efficiently to prevent scorching evenly and hot spots. The pot should not be much larger than the meat plus its liquid, so that the heat will be directed to the meat rather than the empty spaces.
Brinjal
see Eggplant
Broccolrabe
A green bitter vegetable unless harvested young. Looks like broccoli but has skinnier stalks. The leaves, stems and florets are eaten. Really good sautéed with garlic and olive oil and served over pasta. Also known as Italian Broccoli, rabe, rapini.
Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is a large, cylindrical winter squash with a buff, yellow coloring and flesh ranging from yellow to orange. It is long and skinny, measuring between 8 to 12 inches in length and up to 3 to 5 inches in diameter at its bulbous base, and can weigh 2 to 3 pounds. It is a sweet squash that can be baked, steamed or simmered. It will keep for several months in a cool, dry place.
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