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S

• Sabayon - A frothy custard of egg yolk, sugar, and wine that is made by whisking the ingredients over simmering water. Served warm as a dessert or sauce.
• Sabayon - a sweet egg dessert or sauce, flavored with wine.
• Saccharin - A product made from coal tar, used as a substitute for sugar.
• Sacher Torte - a famous Viennese cake made of chocolate with apricot filling and dark chocolate icing.
• Sachet bag - Cloth bag filled with select herbs used to season soups or stocks.
• Saddle - a cut of meat including both loins. In beef, this is considered the finest cut.
• Saddle - The undivided loin from a meat carcass.
• Safflower - a major source of orange dye, oil and polyunsaturated fat.
• Saffron - dried, yellow-orange stamens of the flower of crocus sativus.
• Sage - A aromatic herb used for flavouring.
• 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;
• Sago - A starch made from the pith of the sago palm.
• Sahlab - An extract from the tubers of orchids used in Middle Eastern cooking
• Saint- Honoré - an impressive dessert of caramel-glazed cream puffs circling cream filling.
• Saint-Germain - a soup made of fresh green peas.
• Sake - a wine made from rice.
• Salamander - A commercial grill which can be heated to very high temperatures.
• Salami - A salted, smoked or air-dried sausage.
• Salmagundi - a meat-salad dish with hard boiled eggs, beets, anchovies and pickles.
• Salmi - a stew made of leftover or precooked roast game.
• Salsa - A thick and spicy cold relish made from tomatoes.
• Salsa Jalapeno - A hot sauce or relish made of Jalapeno chiles, onions, either red or green tomatoes, and seasonings.
• Salsify - A root vegetable with a delicate flavour. Also called the oyster plant.
• 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.
• Salt Cod - Dried, salted cod.
• Salt Pork - Similar to bacon but has a much higher fat content and is not smoked.
• Saltpeter - Potassium nitrate, a preservative used with salt for pickling and keeping meat.
• Sambuca - An Italian aniseed flavoured liqueur.
• Samphire - A fleshy green plant which grows on coastal marshes. Also called as glasswort or pickle-plant.
• Sangria - A Spanish drink of red wine with fruit and spices with mineral water.
• Sangria - a sweetened wine drink made with red wine and fruit and brandy.
• Sardine - A small pilchard, an oil-rich sea fish.
• Sarsaparilla - a drink flavoring made with the dried roots of a plant of the smilax genus.
• Sashimi - raw saltwater fish and other foods sliced paper thin and served decoratively;
• Sauerbraten - A German dish that is prepared by marinating meat for a few days then roasting it in its own marinade.
• Sauerkraut - white cabbage cut finely, salted and fermented in its own liquid.
• Sauté - to brown or cook a food quickly in a pan over direct heat, usually using a small amount of hot fat.
• Sauté - To cook food in oil or butter on a pan over a heat source.
• Sauté - To fry food rapidly in a small amount of oil or fat until evenly browned.
• Savarin - a yeast-raised sweet cake soaked in Kirsch or rum. French.
• Savory Butter - butter whipped with a variety of flavorings, used as a spread for canapés , a sauce for grilled fish or meat , or to flavor sauces.
• 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.
• Scallion - Also known as green onion. A bulbless onion with hollow green tops and a white base. It gives dishes a milder onion taste
• Scallop - a bivalve mollusk of which only the muscle hinge is eaten; to bake food in a sauce topped with crumbs.
• Scaloppine - An Italian cooking term referring to a thinly sliced, boneless, round cut of meat that is slightly floured (or breaded) and quickly sauteed.
• Scampi - name for shrimp. Also, a dish of shrimp cooked in a rich garlic-butter sauce. Italian.
• Schnitzel - a thin slice of veal; a cutlet. May be breaded and sautéed, as in wiener schnitzel.
• Score - to cut shallow slits at regular intervals on the surface of a food, as in scoring fat on ham before glazing.
• Score - To make shallow cuts in the surface of meat to allow heat to penetrate whilst cooking.
• Scotch bonnet - A very hot, small chilli.
• Scotch Bonnet Chiles - One of the world's hottest peppers, about 30-50 times as hot as a jalapeno.
• Scotch Woodcock - scrambled eggs on top of toast, spread with anchovy paste, and garnished with smoked anchovies.
• Scrag - Cut of meat from the neck of lamb.
• Sea Bream - A white sea fish.
• Sear - To seal in the juices of meat by browning it on all sides in a very hot pan.
• 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 Flour - Flour with salt, pepper or spices added used to lightly coat meat or fish before stewing or frying.
• Seasoned Salt - a seasoning blend; its primary ingredient is salt with flavorings such as celery, garlic or onion added.
• Self-Rising Flour - flour that is premixed with salt and leavening.
• Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate - This is the chocolate most often called for in cake and cookie recipes. 'Bittersweet' and 'semisweet' are often used interchangeably, though bittersweet generally has more chocolate 'liquor'
• Semolina - a by-product of milled flour, these large wheat grains are used to make couscous, pasta, puddings or as a thickening agent.
• Serrano Chiles - A hot chile pepper. It is both smaller and thinner than the jalapeno.
• Sesame oil - Used extensively in Japanese and Chinese cuisine, this highly aromatic and richly flavored oil ranges in hue from golden to dark brown.
• Set - term used to describe the consistency of gelatin when it has jelled enough to unmold.
• Seviche - white sea fish pickled in lime juice. South American.
• Shad - a seafish that spawns in fresh water.
• Shallots - an herb with a garlic-onion flavor, small and milder than an onion, but resembling garlic cloves.
• Sheepshead - a fish with lean white flesh found along the Atlantic coast.
• Sheeting - stage at which sugary jams, candies and other preserves will jell;
• 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.
• Shepherd’s Pie - a meat pie with a mashed potato crust.
• Sherbet - A smooth frozen ice flavored with fruit and sugar or with a mixture of fruit, sugar, and milk or cream.
• Sherbet - a frozen sweet made with fruit juice that originated in the Middle East almost before recorded history.
• Shiitake - Also called Chinese, black or oriental mushroom (in its dried form). Shitake is a strongly flavored mushroom used in both its fresh and dried form.
• Shin - A cut of beef from the foreleg.
• Shirr - applies to eggs baked in buttered ramekins and usually topped with cream.
• 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.
• Short - the description of any pastry with a high content of fat.
• Shortbread - A sweet, rich butter biscuit.
• Shortcrust Pastry - A crumbly pastry that is ideal for pies and pasties.
• Shortening - a white, flavorless, solid fat formulated for baking or deep frying;
• Shred - to cut into long narrow strips, usually with a grater or sharp knife or food processor.
• Shredded - food that has been processed into long, slender pieces, similar to julienne.
• Shrimp Flavor Crackers - Known as krupuk. Dried, thin cracker made from shrimp and various flours.
• Shrimp, dried - Used in a broad range of Asian dishes, this ingredient adds flavor to fried rice, soups, stir-fries and other dishes.
• Shrub - an alcoholic drink made with rum or brandy and a sweetened fruit syrup.
• Shuck - To open the shell of an oyster with a small, thick-bladed knife.
• 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.
• Silverside - A cut of beef.
• 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.
• Simmer - To keep a liquid just below boiling point.
• Sippet - A small piece of toast used to garnish.
• Sirloin - the front part of the loin of beef.
• Skewer - a long strong pin of wood or metal used to hold food in shape while cooking.
• Skim - to remove anything floating on top of a liquid, either fat or frothy scum.
• Slake - To mix a thickening agent with liquid.
• Sloe - a wild plum used to flavor sloe gin, a Dutch alcohol.
• Smoke - to preserve meat or fish by slowly drying in the smoke of a fragrant hard-wood fire.
• Smoothie - A drink made from pulped fruits or vegetables.
• Smorgasbord - a buffet meal with a variety of hot and cold dishes.
• Snow Peas - the immature sugar pea which has a tender, edible pod in its early stages. Also called Chinese peas, or pod peas.
• Soba - A dark brown buckwheat noodle used in Northern Japanese cooking.
• Soba - Japanese buckwheat flour noodles.
• Soda - bicarbonate of soda; a leavening agent used in early baking recipes, particularly with buttermilk, sour milk, cream, fruits or chocolate.
• Soda Water - a sparkling water produced by adding carbon dioxide, often in the form of bicarbonate of soda.
• Soft Peaks - the term used to describe egg whites beaten to form peaks, but still soft enough so the peaks fold or curl over.
• Somen noodles - These delicate Japanese wheat flour noodles are often served cold or in soups
• Sopaipillas - Puffy, crisp, deep-fried bread.
• Sorbet - A non-dairy smooth frozen ice made with flavored liquids, either sweet or savory.
• Sorbet - A semi-frozen water ice.
• Sorrel - A green herb used in salads and as a flavouring.
• Sorrel leaves - Bright green leaves with a lemony flavor that soften when cooked.
• Soufflé - a spongy hot dish, made from a sweet or savory mixture (often milk or cheese), lightened by stiffly beaten egg whites or whipped cream.
• Souse - To cover fish with a mixture of vinegar, spices and water to cure or prior to cooking.
• Soy Sauce - Soy sauce is one of the world’s oldest condiments. Soybeans and wheat are blended and then yeast culture is added, along with water and salt, to create a mash, which ferments and ages like wine for several months to develop a rich, mellow flavor
• Soy Sauce - a sauce made from fermented, boiled soybeans and roasted wheat or barley;
• Soybean Curd - see tofu
• Spaetzle - A German dish of small noodles or dumplings made with flour, eggs, water or milk, salt and sometimes nutmeg.
• Spaghetti - Italian for a length of cord or string and used to describe long, thin, solid rods of pasta with a circular cross section.
• Spaghetti Carbonara - hot spaghetti noodles tossed with beaten eggs and a mixture of cream, grated cheese, bacon, salt and pepper, which has been slightly thickened by cooking.
• Spatchcocking - A French technique of butterflying a whole chicken by removing the backbone so you can open it up flat, like a book, and cook it using direct heat.
• Spelt - A cereal grain with a nutty flavour, and can be used by people with wheat allergies.
• Spice - an aromatic plant substance, generally bark or berry, used to flavor foods.
• Spinach - a vegetable with dark green, spear-shaped leaves that can be curled or smooth and are attached to thin stems;
• Spiny Lobster - crustacean lacking claws, but otherwise are like a large American lobster.
• Sponge Cake - a cake made without shortening and leavened only with eggs.
• Spoom - A fruit or wine based ice to which Italian meringue is added when ice is halfway frozen.
• Sprat - a small herring found in European waters.
• Spring Onions - see scallion.
• Sprouting - sprouting is to cause seeds to germinate for use in cooking or salads.
• Sprouts - the young growth of any seed.
• Squab - Young (at most 4 weeks old) , domesticated pigeon with dark meat. It is often served rare.
• Squab - young commercially raised pigeons.
• Squash - the edible fleshy fruit of various members of the gourd (Cucurbitaceae) family;
• Squid - a relative of the octopus, and a popular food in fish dishes in the Mediterranean.
• Squid - A sea mollusc of the cuttlefish family. Also called calamari.
• Star Anise - A star shaped spice, with an aniseed flavour, used as a flavouring.
• Starfruit - A yellow five-pointed fruit with a sweet and sour flavour. Also called carambola.
• Steam - to cook indirectly by setting food on top of boiling water in a covered pot.
• Steam-pressure canning method - used for processing low-acid foods, such as meats, fish, poultry, and most vegetables. A temperature higher than a boiling temperature is required to can these foods safely. The food is processed in a steam-pressure canner at 10 pounds’ pressure (240) to ensure that all of the spoilage micro-organisms are destroyed.
• Steep - to let food, such as tea, stand in not quite boiling water until the flavor is extracted.
• Stew - a mixture of meat or fish and vegetables cooked by simmering in its own juices along with other liquid, such as water and/or wine.
• Stiff Peaks - egg whites beaten until they are stiff enough to stand on their own.
• Stir - to combine ingredients or move ingredients around with a spoon in a circular motion.
• Stir-Fry - to cook quickly in oil over high heat, using light tossing and stirring motions to preserve shape of food.
• Stock - A liquid that has absorbed the flavour of meat, fish or vegetables cooked in it.
• 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.
• Strudel - a German pastry of paper-thin flaky dough, filled with a sweet or savory mixture, often apple.
• 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.
• Suet - A dry, firm animal fat used in the making of pastry and steamed puddings.
• Suet - the fat surrounding the kidneys and loin of an animal. It is used in stuffings, mincemeat and plum pudding.
• Sugar - a sweet, water-soluble, crystalline carbohydrate; used as a sweetener and preservative for foods.
• Sugar Loaf - Sugar molded into a cone shape, with the base traditionally wrapped in blue paper and shipped to the Middle East.
• 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.
• Sukiyaki - Japanese dish of thinly sliced meat and vegetables, cooked quickly in a little broth, and heaped in a big plate in the center of the table. Diners help themselves with chopsticks.
• Sumac - A Middle Eastern spice that comes from the grated skin of a dark berry. It has a slightly acidic, astringent flavor.
• Sundae - A dessert of ice cream served with one or more toppings
• Superfine Sugar - Also called Caster sugar. It is pulverized granulated sugar.
• Suprême - a French term used to describe a boned chicken breast.
• Supreming - a method of using a paring knife to remove the skin, pith, and outer membrane from citrus fruit and then carefully cutting each segment away from white membranes.
• Sushi-Meshi - Japanese vinegared rice, decorated beautifully and served with slices of raw fish
• Sweat - To cook vegetables slowly with little fat, to steam, soften but do not brown.
• Sweet and Sour - a term used to describe a dish or sauce combining sugar and vinegar.
• Sweet Chestnut - The fruit of the sweet chestnut tree, can be roasted or added to stuffings or other dishes.
• Sweet chocolate - Very similar in composition to semisweet chocolate, sweet chocolate simply has more sugar added and less chocolate liquor.
• 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.
• Sweet Rice - Known as nasi ketan. Glutinous rice that cooks up stick and sweet.
• Sweet Soy Sauce - Known as kecap manis (Indonesian). Sweetened, slightly thick soy sauce.
• Sweetbreads - the thymus glands of veal, young beef, lamb and pork.
• Syllabub - a drink made of frothy milk and alcohol, usually wine, served on festive occasions in the past.
• Syllabub - An English dessert of sweeten whipped cream, white wine, infused with lemon.
• Syrup - sugar dissolved in liquid, usually water; it is often flavored with spices or citrus zest.
• Syrupy - thickened to about the consistency of egg white.
• Szechuan pepper; Szechwan - Native to the Szechuan province of China, this mildly hot spice comes from the prickly ash tree.
• Szechuan peppercorns - Not related to black and white peppercorns, these are tiny dried berries that contain a seed.
• Szechwan Chile (Chili) 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.

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