Ingredients
Milk is almost always sourced come from cows. Sometimes sheep, goat, yak and water buffalo milk are used. In general, store bough milk comes from a cow, unless specified otherwise. Whole milk is white, or cream colored and has a higher fat content than skim milk and therefore a creamier and richer texture and flavor. The flavor is mild and bland with a hint of savory sweetness and is satisfying, especially due to its creaminess. Milk is served as a beverage and used in a multitude of dishes both sweet and savory.
Butter is made from churned cream, usually from a cow. It has a cream color and a texture that is smooth and melts easily. The flavor is mild and creamy. Butter is often sold in square sticks, or as a flat or round block. It is delicious on bread. It pairs better in baked goods than salted butter, due to its more neutral taste. It also makes an excellent cooking fat.
Eggs are an incredibly versatile protein and binder. Most eggs used in cooking come from hens and are usually unfertilized. Eggs are oval shaped and roughly 53 mm in length and 40 mm in width. Eggs have a hard, but thin and delicate shell that is brown or white and occasionally green. Inside is the clear and glossy white, with a slimy texture and in the center is the yellow opaque, round shaped yolk. Once cooked, the whites become opaque. Eggs can be scrambled, fried, boiled, and more. They are used in desserts and baked goods as a binder. Egg is also used as a wash to glaze items or dip meat into before breading it. The flavor is mild and sulfurous. It has many uses.
The origin of pistachios is debated, with Central Asia as the most likely spot. The nut is a seed of the pistachio tree and has a hard cream colored shell, that easily cracks open. The nut has a brown skin that covers the pale green meat of pistachio. The nut is hard, but softer than an almond and creamier. The flavor is unique and buttery with a warm nutty taste. Roasted pistachios have a toasted and enhanced flavor.
The origin of pistachios is debated, with Central Asia as the most likely spot. The nut is a seed of the pistachio tree and has a hard cream colored shell, that easily cracks open. The nut has a brown skin that covers the pale green meat of pistachio. The nut is hard, but softer than an almond and creamier. The flavor is unique and buttery with a warm nutty taste. Roasted pistachios have a toasted and enhanced flavor.
All purpose flour comes from wheat and though wheat is cultivated all around the world today, it was first cultivated in Turkey 10,000 years ago. All purpose flour is white in color and has a soft texture. This incredibly versatile flour is used in everything from breads, cakes, pastries, crackers, pasta, sauces and much more because of its pleasing and mild flavor that is slightly nutty and buttery. The gluten protein is what helps hold together breads and other products, part of what makes all purpose wheat flour so popular.
Baking powder is a fine, white, powdery substance with a neutral smell and a very bland taste. It is an acid and used to instantly leaven baked goods. It reacts when it touches moisture and differs from yeast because of its instant leavening reaction. Baking powder is primarily used in flour-based baked goods to help cakes and cookies rise. Baking powder can be found in many non-yeast baked goods.
Vanilla extract is a flavoring used in baked goods, candies and drinks. It is made by infusing alcohol with vanilla pods or beans. This mixture sits for some months and is then strained. It is also extracted using heat and alcohol. The result of either is a thin brown liquid that smells and tastes like vanilla. It has a rich and gentle sweetness to its flavor.
Butter is made from churned cream, usually from a cow. It has a cream color and a texture that is smooth and melts easily. The flavor is mild and creamy. Butter is often sold in square sticks, or as a flat or round block. It is delicious on bread. It pairs better in baked goods than salted butter, due to its more neutral taste. It also makes an excellent cooking fat.
Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
Lemon zest is used in dishes to brighten the flavors and add a lemon flavor that is floral, citrusy, and anything but sour. Lemon zest comes from the yellow skin of the lemon. When using zest, none of the white pith underneath should be used, as it tastes bitter. The skin is shaved off in tiny pieces and this is what is called lemon zest, which also refers to the small size. The zest contains aromatic lemon oil and not juice. The small size of the zest makes it easy to incorporate into dishes such as pasta or into a cake batter.
Ground cinnamon is a fine aromatic powder made from the bark of the cinnamon tree, also known as cassia; another variety. The bark is peeled from the tree, dried and ground into the warm brown powder that is known as cinnamon. The flavor is spicy, warm and sweet and savory at the same time. It is extremely popular in many cuisines and common in American desserts.
Nutmeg is the seed of a fruit. The seed has a lacy skin around it, commonly called mace in cooking and is used as a separate spice. Nutmeg is a small, woody spice, with an oblong and muted brown body. Ground nutmeg is a similar color to fresh nutmeg. It is a sweet spice with a warm flavor that is rich and inviting. Nutmeg is commonly used in desserts and can be found in savory dishes as well. Nutmeg is a key ingredient in the flavoring of eggnog.
