Cooking Dictionary Results

S

Skim - to remove anything floating on top of a liquid, either fat or frothy scum. This usually forms in the early stages of boiling meats and vegetables.

Sloe - a wild plum used to flavor sloe gin, a Dutch alcohol. Also, a cultivated plum used for jams and jellies.

Smoke - to preserve meat or fish by slowly drying in the smoke of a fragrant hard-wood fire.

Smorgasbord - a buffet meal with a variety of hot and cold dishes.

Snow Peas - the immature sugar pea which has a tender, edible pod in its early stages. Also called Chinese peas, or pod peas.

Soba - Japanese buckwheat flour noodles.

Soda - bicarbonate of soda; a leavening agent used in early baking recipes, particularly with buttermilk, sour milk, cream, fruits or chocolate. Any of these, when heated with soda give off a gas that causes the dough to rise.

Soda Water - a sparkling water produced by adding carbon dioxide, often in the form of bicarbonate of soda.

Soft Peaks - the term used to describe egg whites beaten to form peaks, but still soft enough so the peaks fold or curl over, not yet at the stage described as “stiff” or “dry”.

Soufflé - a spongy hot dish, made from a sweet or savory mixture (often milk or cheese), lightened by stiffly beaten egg whites or whipped cream.

Soybean Curd - see tofu

Soy Sauce - a sauce made from fermented, boiled soybeans and roasted wheat or barley; its color ranges from light to dark brown and its flavor is generally rich and salty (a low-sodium version is available); used extensively in Asian cuisines (especially Chinese and Japanese) as a flavoring, condiment and sometimes a cooking medium.