The Vocabulary of Cooking.....Sa to Se

There are scads of culinary terms that begin with "S."  It looks like we may need three Thursdays to get through them all!

So here we go....

Sabayon is a type of light emulsified sauce that is a whisked, aerated sauce made over a double boiler.

Sabayon sauce

Saffron is a spice that has a subtle, fragrant flavor with distinctive bright color.

Saffron

Sage is a herb with an astringent, pungent flavor that complements bold savory dishes like roast meats, stews and winter vegetables.

Sage

Sake is a dry Japanese rice wine.

Sake

Saltimbocca literally meaning "salt in mouth" - this term refers to the combination of thinly pounded veal with prosciutto and sage.

Sambal is an Asian condiment commonly made of red chilli paste, garlic and vinegar.

Sambal

Samosa is a stuffed pastry dumpling that is typically fried and triangular in shape.

Samosa (also called Sambosa)

San Marzano tomatoes is a rich and full flavored variety of Italian plum tomato - found in most US grocery stores canned.

San Marzano Tomatoes

Santoku knife is a knife that is usually slightly shorter than a chef's knife and has a distinctive scalloped edge on the face of the blade.  This helps reduce friction when slicing so things don’t stick to the blade.

Santoku knife

Sauce pan is a standard pot that is used for boiling, steaming and making soups and sauces. One of the things to look out for are pots with thicker walls as this will ensure an even heat distribution and better retention of heat as well.  A sauce pan is one of the most versatile pieces of cookware you can have. With its wide flat surface it’s designed for exactly that: sautéing or quick frying because it provides plenty of surface area on which you can get lots of of high even heat and caramelization.

Standard Sauce Pan

Scampi is a type of lobster but commonly used to define a type of dish/preparation rather than the ingredient.  Shrimp Scampi is a very common dish.  And here's a recipe for you:

Shrimp Scampi

What you need:

 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1/4 cup olive oil

1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Hot cooked angel hair pasta

What to do:

In a large skillet, saute garlic in butter and oil until fragrant.  Add shrimp, lemon juice, pepper and oregano.  Cook and stir until shrimp turn pink.  DON'T overcook the shrimp. The will turn to rubber if you do.  Sprinkle with cheese and parsley.

Serve shrimp over the hot pasta.  Serves 4.

Sear is to cook something at very high heat briefly on the outside, normally in a pan or on a grill.

Seared Steaks

Sel rose is a pink salt that is a preservative and helps the meat retain its pink color during the cooking process of a pate.

Sel Rose

Semifreddo literally means "half-cold".  It is a frozen cream dessert much like ice cream only it doesn’t require a machine.

Orange semifreddo

Semolina flour is a coarse flour used in pasta that is made from durum wheat.

Semolina Flour

Serrano pepper are a type of chili that have a crisp, bright, and biting flavor that is spicier than the more common jalapeno.

Serrano Peppers

We've just gotten started on the culinary terms that begin with "S."  Stay tuned for the next installment on Thursday.  Until then, cook good things and enjoy!