Cooking Terms, Part X Trivia Quiz

Answer: To remove the thin coloured flavourful surface of a citrus peel

The peel of an orange, lemon, grapefruit or lime is composed of the thin outermost coloured part (the flavedo) and a thicker white inner pith (the albedo). Zest is shaved, scraped or peeled from the flavedo and added to food for colour, scent and flavour.

The tool most often used to accomplish this task is called a zester, although a grater, microplane or even a vegetable peeler will often do the task just as well.

Answer: A covered dish with a heat source to keep foods warm for service

The term "chafing dish" derives from the French verb "chauffer" meaning "to make warm." The dish is used either tableside or on a buffet. Most modern chafing dishes are made of metal but they may be made of glass or ceramic, as well. The source of heat may be burning charcoal, an alcohol lamp, an electrical element, or another source.

Answer: Spanish yellow Onions from California

Probably the best-known sweet onion in the US is the Vidalia onion from Georgia. They are considered "sweet" because of their high water content and low sulfur content. Despite claims by the producers, varieties of sweet onions may be used interchangeably.

Answer: Dice of peeled and seeded fresh ripe tomatoes

The culinary term "concassé" (pronounced "kon-kuh-SAY") derives from the French verb "concasser" meaning to crush or to grind. It is a rough chop of any ingredient (most often tomatoes, usually vegetables, occasionally fruit). Tomato concassé is fresh ripe tomatoes, the seeds of which have been removed, peeled after parboiling in boiling water and shocking in an ice bath, the flesh chopped into some size of dice.

Answer: 94.4 degrees Celsius or 202.89 degrees Fahrenheit

Absent confounding weather factors like high- or low-pressure systems, barometric pressure increases at lower elevations (e.g. 31 in. Hg at 1000 feet (305 meters) below sea level). Conversely, the weight of the atmosphere decreases at higher elevations (e.g. 25 in. Hg at 5000 feet (1524) meters above sea level), which is about the elevation of Denver. This is why cooking boiled foods takes longer at higher elevations.

Answer: To cook food in a liquid at a temperature just lower than the boiling point

Simmering is a method which is gentle on food, often done to prevent foods from toughening or breaking up during cooking. Chefs debate the "perfect" temperature for simmering but it is generally held to be somewhere between 185 degrees Fahrenheit (85 degrees Celsius) and 205 degrees Fahrenheit (96 degrees Celsius). A simmering liquid is just below the boiling point such that tiny bubbles rise gently to the surface.

Answer: Szechuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, fennel seed, cloves

The balance of flavours in five-spice powder accords with the Chinese principle of balancing yin and yang in food. Chinese cinnamon (cassia bark) is often substituted for true cinnamon. The best five-spice powder is made by toasting and grinding whole spices for each use rather than using a preparation purchased pre-ground in a jar. Tarragon, oregano and thyme are not typical components of five-spice powder.

Answer: Slice it into slabs, cut the slabs into planks, and cut the planks into cubes, all of equal dimensions on every side.

Recipe directions to cube an ingredient are normally accompanied with further direction as to the resulting size desired. Cubes are most often cut with 1/2-inch to 2-inch sides. Perfect geometry assures even cooking of the ingredient.

Answer: Rendang is beef cooked in coconut milk and rambutan is a sweet white fruit covered with hairs or soft spines.

The rambutan is similar to the litchee (lychee) and the longan. It is contained in a peelable hairy skin and surrounds an oval seed. The rambutan is native to the Malay Archipelago. Rendang is an Indonesian dish, now popular in Malaysia and Singapore.

It is a dish of beef cooked slowly in coconut milk and spices. When all the braising liquid is evaporated, the meat is then fried in the coconut oil which comes out of the milk.

Answer: To quickly cook the surface of food (usually meat) over high heat

Searing meat produces an appetizing brown colour on the surface and induces savoury flavours through the Maillard reaction. Contrary to common belief, searing does not "seal in" the juices of the meat during further cooking. That notion is 150 years old but has been disproved by kitchen science. Once seared, meats may be fried at a lower temperature, baked, roasted or braised to finish them.