Word of the Day: Egg Wash

An egg wash is a coating used on many baked goods to create a desired texture or shine on the surface of the pastry or bread. There are many different types of egg washes. Some require only the use of the egg white while others use the whole egg. In addition, some egg washes call only for egg while others call for the addition of milk, cream, water, or salt. If your recipe doesn't specify, consider how you would like the final product to look. A wash of yolks only will be very shiny while the addition of water will cause a more golden finish. If you only use the whites, the color will be light but the surface will be very crispy and flaky. The addition of milk causes a darker color finish.

Finally, water is typically added to savory items while milk or cream is added to egg washes used on sweet treats.

Word of the Day (and a Healthy Snack!): Edamame

Edamame is the word used for fresh soybeans. You can find edamame sold in their pods or out of the pod. You can usually find them in the frozen food section in traditional or "steam-in-the-bag" forms. I love the steam-in-the-bag variety because they are so fuss-free, but if you find the kind you need to boil, it only takes about five minute.

"But...How do I eat that?" I think this is the quesiton that causes many people to shy away from edamame. If you buy the peeled variety, you can use the protein-packed beans in salads or soups or pretty much any other dish as you would another type of bean. The taste is slightly sweet, but it works in a lot of dishes to up the protein count. You can find a great recipe at this website - where I also found the picture above - for a Three-bean Salad using edamame.

My favorite way to eat edamame however is straight out of the pod as a snack. Just steam or boil your edamame, sprinkle a little salt on the pods, and put a pod in your mouh. You your lips to squeeze the beans out of the pods. YUM! And, a half cup has about 15 grams of protein!

Enjoy!

Kristy

Word of the Day: Julienne

"Julienne" vegetables and fruit are common elements of many recipes, but do you know what it means? Thankfully, the process is really quite simple. Just take a sharp knife (we have lots in the Sassy Chef Store!) and cut up your veggies or other required ingredient into thin strips. When all is said and done, your julienne veggies will look something like matchsticks or these julienne carrots originally pictured on marthastewart.com.

Happy cooking!
Kristy

Word of the Day: Mirepoix

If you've ever watched Emeril, you've heard this term, but maybe you're not sure what he's talking about. Mirepoix is a staple in French cooking and consists of equal parts of carrots, onions, and celery. Usually you saute the combination in olive oil to release the flavors and you may or may not use herbs to season the Mirepoix. Mirepoix is commonly used in soups and as the "background flavors" in many different types of French dishes.

Kristy

Word of the Day: "Fold"

I've decided to take on the fun task of "Word of the Day" Friday today... and you must all know that I am much newer at this "being fabulous" in the kitchen thing than my amazing counterpart, Kristy. However, "fold" is a word that had me puzzled until quite recently, so maybe it's a word that others like me out there still don't know and need a little push in the right direction to finally understand just what in the WORLD they're talking about!

According to the Food Network, "Folding is a technique used to prevent deflating a light and airy mixture--such as whipped cream or egg whites--when combining it with a denser mixture.."

They go on to say the following:

1. Using a spatula, add a quarter of the whipped ingredient to the denser mixture and stir together gently to lighten up the base.

2. Then add the rest of the whipped ingredient and begin folding: Reaching into the center of the bowl, cut vertically through the two ingredients. Then pull the spatula out to the edge and up, gently folding the denser ingredient over the mixture.

3. With your other hand, rotate the bowl as you go. Keep folding until the mixtures are just combined. Don't over-mix or you'll deflate the whipped ingredient.

You can also view their short video on Windows Media by clicking here!

And note: rubber spatulas are about the best tool to use when folding any ingredients. You can find some great ones at our store!

Have a great weekend,

Brittany

Word of the Day: "Deglaze"

Chefs all over the world are deglazing their pans, but … what does that mean?

Luckily, deglazing is simple. It is the process of using a “deglazing liquid” to loosen the cooked and caramelized bits from the bottom of your pan. First, you want to remove the main dish, say a roasted meat for example, and then pour off the excess fat from the pan. Then add a few tablespoons, or enough to cover the bottom of your pan, and use a spatula (here comes that rubber spatula again!) to loosen the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the liquid to come to a boil for just a few seconds and then remove from the heat.

But why?: Those caramelized bits that stick to the bottom of the pan are packed with yummy flavor and the liquid makes a great start for gravies and sauces.

One more thing: Your deglazing liquid can be just about any liquid you choose, but most often it is water, stock, lemon juice, or wine. Just make sure the wine gets in the pan….

Deglazing: It doesn’t just sound fancy…. It’s sassy!

Word of the Day: Chiffonade

There are lots of cooking words that may get you a little out of your comfort zone in the kitchen. Fridays are going to be the day I dedicate to taking those confounding and frustrating terms you see in recipes and making them sassy again.

Chiffonade:

Definition: A chiffonade is simply the technique which takes green leafy herbs or baby spinach and cuts them into long thing strips by first stacking the leaves, rolling them up burrito-style, and cutting into thin strips.

But why?: Chiffonades are an easy and efficient way to cut up your herbs and they also make a professional looking topping for soups, pasta dishea, and nearly any other dish.

And - the photo is straight off of Wikipedia, so let's give credit where credit is due.