Dictionary Results Browse the Dictionary Click on any of the letters below to browse all terms beginning with that letter. A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z sage an herb (Salvia officinalis) native to the Mediterranean region; has soft, slender, slightly furry, gray-green leaves and a pungent, slightly bitter, musty mint flavor; used for medicinal and culinary purposes; available fresh or dried, used chopped, whole or rubbed sago pearls Made from the starch of the sago palm, they can be used as a thickener in desserts salsa 1. Spanish for sauce. 2. Traditionally, a Mexican cold sauce made from tomatoes flavored with cilantro, chiles and onions. 3. Generally, a cold chunky mixture of fresh herbs, spices, fruits and/or vegetables used as a sauce or dip salt 1. A substance resulting from the chemical interaction of an acid and a base, usually sodium and chloride. 2. A white granular substance (sodium chloride) used to season foods saute to brown or cook a food quickly in a pan over direct heat, usually using a small amount of hot fat scald to heat a liquid, usually milk or cream, to just below the boiling point, when small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan scallions the immature green stalks of a bulb onion scalloped to bake in scallop shells or dishes; to prepare with crumbs of bread or cracker, and bake. score to cut shallow slits at regular intervals on the surface of a food sear to brown the surface of a meat quickly by cooking in a little fat at a very high heat in order to seal in the meats juices and create a rich color before finishing by another method season 1. Traditionally, to enhance a food's flavor by adding salt. 2. More commonly, to enhance a food's flavor by adding salt and/or pepper as well as herbs and other spices seasoned salt a seasoning blend; its primary ingredient is salt with flavorings such as celery, garlic or onion added shellfish any of many species of aquatic invertebrates with shells or carapaces found in saltwater and freshwater regions worldwide, most are edible; shellfish are categorized as crustaceans and mollusks shish kebab a Mediterranean dish of marinated meats (usually lamb or beef) and vegetables threaded on a skewer and grilled or broiled; also known as shashlik shortening a white, flavorless, solid fat formulated for baking or deep frying; any fat used in baking to tenderize the product by shortening gluten strands. shredded food that has been processed into long, slender pieces, similar to julienne sieve to strain liquid from food through the fine mesh or perforated holes of a strainer or sieve sift to pass dry ingredients, such as flour and baking powder, through a sieve or sifter to remove lumps and blend and aerate the ingredients simmer to cook liquid at a temperature just below the boiling point, low enough that tiny bubbles just begin to break beneath the surface around the edge of the pan skewer a long strong pin of wood or metal used to hold food in shape while cooking slow cooker liner A heat resistant nylon liner sized to fit 3- to 6 1/2-quart slow cookers; use to make slow cooker cleanup fast and easy by preventing the soaking and scrubbing associated with slow cooking. 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 spaghetti Italian for a length of cord or string and used to describe long, thin, solid rods of pasta with a circular cross section spinach a vegetable with dark green, spear-shaped leaves that can be curled or smooth and are attached to thin stems; the leaves have a slightly bitter flavor and are eaten raw or cooked squash the edible fleshy fruit of various members of the gourd (Cucurbitaceae) family; generally divided into two categories based on peak season and skin type: summer and winter Stellenbosch A town and a wine growing region in the Cape Province in South Africa, home to many of the country's best wines. The area is known for its full-bodied, Bordeaux-style reds, as well as excellent Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. stir to combine ingredients or move ingredients around with a spoon in a circular motion stock a rich extract of soluble parts of meat, fish, poultry, etc. A basis for soups or gravies strain to separate liquid from solid food by pouring through a strainer or fine sieve stuff To fill a cavity in food with another food stuffing a seasoned mixture of food used to fill the cavity of poultry, fish, vegetables or around which a strip of meat, fish or vegetable may be rolled sugar a sweet, water-soluble, crystalline carbohydrate; used as a sweetener and preservative for foods sugar snap pea a sweet pea that is a hybrid of the English pea and snow pea; the bright green, crisp pod and the paler green, tender seeds are both edible sweet potato a variety of sweet potato with a thick, dark orange skin and an orange flesh that remains moist when cooked; sometimes erroneously called a yam syrup sugar dissolved in liquid, usually water; it is often flavored with spices or citrus zest szechwan chile sauce a sauce or paste made from chiles, oil, salt and garlic and used as a flavoring in Chinese Szechwan cooking; also known as chile paste or chile paste with garlic