cookcabulary - food words starting with b

Recipes are often filled with terminology that can be confusing to the novice.
Here's a mini-glossary for baking.

Fold: To combine a light ingredient (such as beaten egg whites) with a heavier ingredient (such as melted chocolate) with as little disturbance as possible, thereby preserving the air bubbles. The lighter ingredient is placed on top of the heavy one. A spatula is drawn down the back of the bowl and up the nearest side. The bowl is rotated a quarter turn, and the process is repeated until ingredients are blended.

Cream: Aside from describing the fatty layer that rises to the top of milk, "cream" is a recipe term that refers to beating ingredients together (often butter and sugar) until smooth, creamy and free of lumps.

Proof: Testing yeast to determine if it is active; that is, capable of leavening. Yeast is dissolved in warm water mixed with a little sugar. If the yeast is active, it will bubble and foam.

Sift: Passing a dry ingredient through fine mesh to lighten it and render it free of lumps. Bakers often wonder if they should sift before or after measuring. If the recipe calls for "1 cup sifted flour," sift before measuring. If it calls for "1 cup flour, sifted," sift after.  

Cut: Mixing shortening with dry ingredients using a pastry blender, fingers or two dinner knives until the mixture is the consistency of coarse meal. This can sometimes be done in a food processor.

Dot: Scatter small bits of something (usually butter) on top of item, typically pies and casseroles for browning and flavor.

biscotti (bee-SKAWT-tee). Twice-baked Italian biscuits or cookies that are made by first baking the dough in a loaf then slicing the loaf and baking the slices. Singular form is biscotto (bee-SKAWT-toh).

bolognese (boh-loh-NYEH-zeh) A thick, full-bodied meat sauce that’s a staple of northern Italy’s Bologna.

bouquet garni (boo-KAY gahr-NEE) A bunch of herbs (classically parsley, thyme and bay leaf) that are either tied together or placed in a cheesecloth bag. Used to flavor soups, stews and broths, the bouquet garni is removed before the dish is served.

Broccoli Rabe (BROK-a lee RAHB)
If broccoli rabe seems elusive, perhaps it's because it is-broccoli rabe goes by more names than a time-worn fugitive trying to dodge the FBI. Also known as broccoletti di rape, Italian broccoli, rabe, rape, brocoletto, broccoletti, cima di rabe, rapini, friarielli and American gai lan-broccoli rabe is a non-heading variety of broccoli. This member of the prolific mustard clan has flavorful leaves and clusters of tiny, broccoli-like buds.

Like its cousins the cabbage and the cauliflower, broccoli rabe is a cruciferous vegetable with all the good stuff that implies-that is, it's a great source of the antioxidants that help protect against cancer. It's high in fiber and rich in vitamins A, C and K, as well as potassium, calcium and iron.

Italians love this vegetable. Its acceptance beyond the Italian-American community has been slow because some find its taste bitter; in fact, it's often been relegated to use as animal fodder. But this is not a vegetable to cast aside; many gourmets consider broccoli rabe far superior to conventional broccoli.

Very young greens may be eaten raw in salads, but broccoli rabe is generally cooked by steaming, frying or sautéing. Trim the bottoms of tough stems and remove fibrous parts of upper stems with a paring knife or vegetable peeler. To subdue bitterness, blanch briefly, then shock in cold water before cooking. Broccoli rabe's bite marries well with bland foods like pasta, and Italians use it in braises with sausage and tomatoes.  

Broccoli rabe is best when eaten shortly after picking. Look for firm examples with relatively few buds, and sniff the stems-avoid those with an unpleasantly bitter, mustardy smell.
-Jo Marshall

bruschetta (broo-SKEH-tah). From the Italian bruscare meaning to “roast over coals,” this traditional garlic bread is made by rubbing slices of toasted bread with garlic cloves, then drizzling the bread with extra-virgin olive oil. The bread is salted and peppered then heated and served warm.