- Industry: Printing & publishing
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Founded in 1941, Barron's Educational Series is a leading publisher of test preparation manuals and school directories. Among the most widely recognized of Barron's many titles in these areas are its SAT and ACT test prep books, its Regents Exams books, and its Profiles of American Colleges. In ...
Made from a combination of goat's- and cow's-milk whey, this Norwegian cheese is faintly sweet and caramel colored. The texture can range from semifirm like fudge to the consistency of stiff peanut butter. The brown color and sweetness result from slowly cooking the milk until its sugars caramelize. Gjetost is particularly good spread on dark bread. Scandinavia's mysost cheese (also called primost) is made exclusively from cow's milk in exactly the same way and tastes almost identical to gjetost. See also cheese.
Industry:Culinary arts
Made from cereal grains, farina is a bland-tasting flour or meal that, when cooked in boiling water, makes a hot breakfast cereal. It's very easily digested and rich in protein.
Industry:Culinary arts
Made from sugar cane, this thick, extremely sweet syrup is used in Caribbean and Creole cookery and is available in shops specializing in those cuisines.
Industry:Culinary arts
Made from the distillation of aromatic herbs, barks, roots and plants, bitters are a liquid used to flavor cocktails, apéritifs or foods. They are also used as a digestive aid and appetite stimulant. Bitters generally have a high alcohol content and are bitter or bittersweet to the taste. Angostura bitters, called for by name in many recipes, is simply the trade name for a brand of bitters. Other popular brands include Fernet-Branca and Peychaud.
Industry:Culinary arts
Made in both nonalcoholic and alcoholic forms, this carbonated beverage tastes like ginger ale with a stronger ginger flavor. It's an integral ingredient in the mixed drink, moscow mule.
Industry:Culinary arts
Made of apricots, this Hungarian eau de vie has a distinctive flavor somewhere between apricots and slivovitz.
Industry:Culinary arts
Malaysia is the motherland of the coconut palm, which now grows in parts of South America, India, Hawaii and throughout the Pacific Islands. This prolific tree yields thousands of coconuts over its approximately 70-year lifespan. Each coconut has several layers: a smooth, deep tan outer covering; a hard, dark brown, hairy husk with three indented "eyes" at one end; a thin brown skin; the creamy white coconut meat; and, at the center, a thin, opaque coconut juice. The smooth outer shell is usually removed before the coconut is exported. The coconut palm maximizes its potential by producing several products including food (coconut meat and buds) and drink (coconut juice, vinegar and toddy — the latter a potent fermented drink made from the tree's sap). Dried coconut meat, called copra, is pressed and used to make coconut oil, which is used in commercial frying and as a component in many packaged goods such as candies, margarines, soap and cosmetics. Coconut oil — one of the few nonanimal saturated fats — is used widely in the manufacture of baked goods such as commercial cookies. Certain major manufacturers have replaced it with the more expensive unsaturated fats with an eye toward cholesterol consciousness. The coconut palm's hard shells can be used for bowls, the fiber for ropes and nets, the wood for building, the roots for fuel and the leaves for baskets, hats, mats and thatching. The flesh of unripe coconut (usually not exported) has a jellylike consistency and can be eaten from the shell with a spoon. Upon ripening, the flesh becomes white and firm. Fresh coconuts are available year-round, with the peak season being October through December. Choose one that's heavy for its size and that sounds full of liquid when shaken; avoid those with damp "eyes. " Whole, unopened coconuts can be stored at room temperature for up to 6 months, depending on the degree of ripeness. The liquid in a coconut is drained by piercing two of the three eyes with an ice pick. This thin juice can be used as a beverage, though it shouldn't be confused with coconut "milk". Then the meat is removed and the inner skin scraped off. Chunks of coconut meat can be grated or chopped, either in the food processor or by hand. One medium coconut will yield 3 to 4 cups grated. Grated fresh coconut should be tightly covered and can be refrigerated up to 4 days, frozen up to 6 months. Packaged coconut is available in cans or plastic bags, sweetened or unsweetened, shredded or flaked, and dried, moist or frozen. It can sometimes also be found toasted. Unopened canned coconut can be stored at room temperature up to 18 months; coconut in plastic bags up to six months. Refrigerate both after opening. Coconut is high in saturated fat and is a good source of potassium. Coconut milk and coconut cream are sometimes called for in recipes, particularly in curried dishes. Coconut milk is made by combining equal parts water and shredded fresh or desiccated coconut meat and simmering until foamy. The mixture is then strained through cheesecloth, squeezing as much of the liquid as possible from the coconut meat. The coconut meat can be combined with water again for a second, diluted batch of coconut milk. Coconut cream is made in the same manner, but enriches the mix by using 1 part water to 4 parts coconut. Milk can be substituted for water for an even richer result. Discard the coconut meat after making these mixtures. Coconut milk and cream also come canned and may sometimes be found frozen in Asian markets and some supermarkets. Do not confuse sweetened "cream of coconut" — used mainly for desserts and mixed drinks — with unsweetened coconut milk or cream.
Industry:Culinary arts
Marine crustaceans (not mollusks, as many think) of the subclass Cirripedia that form calcareous shells. Barnacles attach themselves to submerged surfaces such as rocks, ship bottoms, wharves, pilings and even whales and large fish. The most common of the barnacle species are the small acorn barnacles. They have whitish, cone-shaped shells with overlapping plates. Acorn barnacles are what one most often sees clinging to pilings and ships. More culinarily valued are the gooseneck (or goose) barnacles, which are known as stalked barnacles. The colorful "gooseneck" name purportedly comes from a medieval myth that said when barnacles grew to a certain size, they would fall off of the piling, pier or whatever object to which they were attached and into the water, at which point they would transform into geese. Gooseneck barnacles are particularly popular fare along the coasts of Morocco, Portugal and Spain, where they're quite plentiful. Because these barnacles attach themselves to ships, they have traveled to all parts of the world. The dark brown shell of the gooseneck is not hard like other species of barnacle, but rather more like a strong, leathery skin that surrounds a pinkish-white, fleshy tubelike neck (the edible portion). At the barnacle's apex is a cluster of white calcareous plates. Gooseneck barnacles are now being farmed in the state of Washington. They can be found in some specialty fish markets. Before cooking barnacles, thoroughly rinse them, rubbing gently to dislodge any sand. Most recipes call for quick cooking, either by boiling, steaming or grilling. Barnacles may be served hot, cold or at room temperature, usually with a simple embellishment of melted butter or any sauce commonly used for other crustaceans. To eat, peel off the outer skin, then bite off the neck. When removing the skin, a soupçon of orange (fabric-staining) liquid sometimes spurts out, so be cautious. The flavor of barnacles is compared variously to that of crab, lobster or shrimp.
Industry:Culinary arts
Meaning "flute," a flauta is a corn tortilla rolled around a savory (usually shredded meat or poultry) filling, then fried until crisp.
Industry:Culinary arts
Meaning "white butter," this classic French sauce is composed of a wine, vinegar and shallot reduction into which chunks of cold butter are whisked until the sauce is thick and smooth. It's excellent with poultry, seafood, vegetables and eggs.
Industry:Culinary arts
