Ingredients and Their Uses
Flours
All-purpose flour: is a blend of hard and soft wheat flours and may come bleached or un-bleached. The combination allows it to be used in all types of baked goods, as well as for thickening soups, sauces and gravy.
Barley Flour: is a starchy soft flour with a sweet, earthy taste. Barley flour has a cake like crumb and can be substituted for all or part of wheat flour recipes. Barley flour has a very low gluten content and will not raise much on its own. So for bread making we suggest blending High Gluten Flour with it.
Buckwheat Flour: is a light flour that is grayish in color with a slightly bitter flavor. Because of its lightness it is traditionally used for pancakes and crepes. Buckwheat flour is gluten free and will not rise on its own. Combine with wheat flour to make delicious bread that is very dense yet tender and moist.
Cake Flour: is a flour made from a softer wheat. It is used for making tender delicate cakes.
Hard White Wheat Flour: is stone ground from a new variety of wheat that is quickly growing in popularity. This whole grain flour brings complete nutritional goodness to breads and other baked goods. The slightly sweet taste, light texture, and creamy color after baking make it easy to introduce this whole wheat flour into breads for people who traditionally have eaten only white bread. Hard white wheat flour is often used to make whole wheat pastries. This high gluten content flour is also great for bread machines.
High Gluten Bread Flour: this is a combination of Wheat Flour and Malted Barley Flour to improve yeast activity. It may or may not be enriched. This is also great in bread machine.
Oat Flour: retains most of the nutrients present in whole oats because the bran and germ remain intact in processing. It can be used interchangeably with whole wheat flour in some recipes, giving a moist, delicate sweetness to breads, pancakes, biscuits, scones and other pastry products. The addition of oat flour to baked goods gives the added benefit of a natural antioxidant, which enables baked products to retain their freshness longer. Oats have only a moderate gluten content and should be combined with wheat flour or other high gluten flours when making bread.
Pastry Flour: is the flour that bakeries use for pastries and fine cake baking. It performs much better than all-purpose bleached flours in quick breads, pancakes, muffins, cookies, pie crust, or any recipe calling for baking powder or soda as a leavener.
Rice Flour: is a gluten-free flour made from either white or brown rice. This sweet flour contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals. It is most successfully used in low-ratio combinations with other flours and will impart a lively, seed-like flavor. It is excellent for piecrusts, breads, crackers, noodles, cakes and biscuits. Rice flour is also a great thickener for soups, sauces and gravy. Rice flour can also be used for making gluten-free breads.
Rye Flour: Comes in whole, white, dark and pumpernickel varieties. Rye flour is milled from a hardy cereal grass and contains less gluten than all-purpose or whole wheat flour. For that reason, it will not produce a well risen loaf of bread without the addition of some higher gluten flour. Pumpernickel is made from rye kernels coarsely ground. Rye flour is also heavier and darker in color than most other flours, which is why it produces outstanding hearty and robust peasant-style bread. Rye flour is sweet and tangy and makes excellent pancakes.
Semolina Flour: is refined flour produced from the starchy inner endosperm of durum wheat. Semolina flour is most often used to make pasta and couscous because its chemical structure allows it to retain whatever shape it is made into, and will not dissolve when boiled. It can also be used in gnocchi and desserts or added to Italian Style breads.
Soy Flour: this gluten-free flour has a slightly nutty flavor and contributes to a tender, moist and nicely browned finish in baked goods. Soy flour extends the keeping ability of foods, inhibits fat absorption, and provides a nutritional boost. It can successfully replace up to 25% of wheat flour in baked goods, although, unless additional gluten is added, less should be used in breads that require rising since soy contains no gluten. Try adding one tablespoon for each cup of other flour; you’ll add nutrients and have a lighter product.
Whole Wheat Flours: comes in many varieties with the most popular being stone ground and graham. Stone ground is the finest quality because germ, bran, and endosperm are all used and the oils in the germ is distributed evenly throughout the flour, and is not overly heated during milling.
Graham is brown in color and coarse in texture. Graham flour is the whole wheat flour from winter wheat that has had the endosperm very finely ground and the bran and germ returned; it makes delicious somewhat densely textured bread, which takes longer to rise than white varieties.
Thickeners
It is always best to make a rue with a dry thickener before adding it to hot liquid. Thoroughly mix thickener with water, milk or stock and slowly whisk into sauce.
Flour: may be used to thicken soups, sauces, gravies and pudding. Different flours will produce different taste and textured sauces, and setup times are different as well. For instance, rice flour will produce a smooth silky textured gravy but takes longer to set up than wheat flour, so be patient and add slowly.
Cornstarch: is used to thicken sauces and puddings when a translucent product is desired. Its thicken power is about twice that of flour.
Tapioca Starch: is grain-free and derived from the cassava root. It is starchy and slightly sweet. Tapioca Starch is a good choice for thickening pie fillings, since it thickens at a lower temperature than corn starch, remains stable when frozen, and imparts a glossy sheen. Tapioca starch is finely ground so it dissolves completely. It also works quickly so it is a good choice if you want to correct a sauce before serving it.
Eggs: may also be used to thicken mixtures an add richness.
Sweeteners
Granulated Sugar: is a basic sweetener made from sugar cane or sugar beets.
Powdered Sugar: is granulated sugar crushed and screened till the grains are tiny. Starch is then added to keep lumping to a minimum. It’s designed for use in uncooked frostings and to dust over baked goods. Powdered sugar requires sifting to remove lumps.
Brown Sugar: is a less refined form of granulated sugar. It derives a special flavor and moistness from the molasses that clings to the granules. Dark brown sugar has a stronger flavor than light.
Raw Sugar: is an unrefined sugar similar to granulated but with a coarser texture and light brown in color with a much richer flavor.
Honey: is made by bees from the nectar of flowers. It is sweeter than sugar, and adds a characteristic flavor to food.
Syrups: include corn, cane, sorghum, maple and molasses. Each adds its own distinctive flavor to foods. They are also used as toppings as well as recipe ingredients.
Dextrose: is glucose sugar refined from corn starch and is about 20% less sweet than cane sugar. Dextrose is commonly used as a sweetener and a readily available source of energy.
Fructose: is the sweetest of all naturally occurring sugars. Fructose is a major constituent of many fruits, berries, vegetables, honey, sucrose, and high fructose corn syrup. It may be used alone, or in combination with other sweeteners, in a variety of products. Fructose metabolizes slower than table sugar and does not raise glucose levels as fast as table sugar. Fructose is sweeter than sucrose (1.8 times) and requires about one half the amounts to get the same sweetness. This means fructose has nearly 50% less calories per serving.
Leavenings
Leavenings are the ingredients that cause a baked food to rise in the oven or on the griddle. In some products, such as cream puffs and angel cakes, the water turning to steam and air expanding are sufficient to leaven the food. But most baked goods require additional leavening agents.
Baking Soda: reacts with the acid in food to form carbon dioxide gas. The soda and acid begin to react as soon as liquid is added, so a product containing soda should be baked immediately after it is mixed. Some acidic foods that help complete the reaction are vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, buttermilk, sour cream, brown sugar, and molasses.
Baking Powder: is a combination of baking soda and an acidic ingredient. It does not produce its full amount of leavening till heated, so the unbaked product is more stable than with baking soda.
Yeast: is a microscopic plant that produces carbon dioxide from starch or sugars when placed in suitable conditions for growth. It can be purchased in the active dry or compressed form.
Wheat Gluten: can be used to greatly improve bakery products, and most baked goods will benefit from the addition of vital wheat gluten. A small amount added to yeast bread recipes improves the texture and elasticity of the dough. The taste of bread is enhanced and the color, especially of the crust. Gluten improves the nutritional value of baked goods; it contains 75% protein. Gluten also enhances the shelf life and aids in thin slicing without breakage. This is often use by commercial bakeries to produce light textured breads, and can easily put the home baker on par with the professionals. Wheat gluten can also be used to make a meat substitute know as seitan.
Eggs
Slightly beaten eggs: are whole eggs beaten with a fork just long enough to break up yolks, and form streaks of white and yellow.
Beaten eggs: are whole eggs beaten with a fork till the whites and yolks are blended and no streaks remain.
Well-beaten eggs: are whole eggs beaten with an electric mixer or rotary beater till they are very light in color and texture.
Thick and lemon colored yolks: are yolks beaten an electric mixer till very thick and lemon colored. They flow in a thick stream when beaters are lifted.
Egg whites beaten to soft: are whites beaten with an electric mixer or rotary beater till they form peaks with the tips that curl over when beaters are lifted.
Egg whites beaten to stiff peaks: are whites beaten with an electric mixer or rotary beater till they form peaks that stand straight when beaters are lifted. Further beating makes them dry, flaky, and unsuitable for most purposes.
Grains
Barley: Whole barley or also know as hulled or groats and is much more nutritious than pearled because the bran is left intact. They can be used in cereals or added to soups and casseroles, however the cooking time is longer than pearled or rolled.
Barley, Flakes or Rolled: Barley flakes are processed in exactly the same manner as oatmeal, which allows them to cook quicker than whole grain form. They have a sweet, nutty flavor and can be cooked for a chewy breakfast porridge, eaten raw in muesli, or toasted and used as a thickener agent in soups, stews and baked in goods, or used in meat loaf.
Barley is highly regarded as a nutritious food. Soothing to the digestive tract and liver, it is said to help heal stomach ulcers, prevent tooth decay and hair loss, and improve the condition of finger and toe nails.
Barley has blood-cholesterol-lowering abilities.
Barley, Pearled: Pearled barley is the most commonly used in cooking. It has a very mild nut like taste, cooks quickly, and is readily absorbs the flavors of its companion ingredients in soups, salads, casseroles and side dishes. It May also be ground into a healthy and flavorful addition for improved texture in bread and rolls.
Pearled barley is the mildest and easily digested of the cereals. It is naturally cholesterol-free and low in fat. A ½ cup of cooked pearled barley contains less than a ½ gram of fat and only 100 calories. Pearled barley contains both soluble & insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is helpful in lowering blood cholesterol and may be effective in stabilizing blood glucose. Pearled barley also contains antioxidants, several vitamins & minerals, including niacin, thiamine, selenium, iron, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus & copper.
Flax Seed: has a nutty flavor that makes them a tasty addition to freshly baked bread, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, muffins, cooked cereal, casseroles, sauces, salads and smoothies. When boiled and whipped, they make good binder and leavener in baked goods in place of eggs.
Flax seed has been used in medicine as a decongestant, demulcent, expectorant, laxative and purgative, for liniments, cough syrups and salves to treat infections. Flaxseed helps alleviate the problems of constipation and abdominal discomfort. Flaxseed is an energizer, helps to relieve asthma & chronic cough, enriches the blood and strengthens the nerves. They are reputedly good for dry, brittle hair. Flaxseed is a rich source of fiber and important omega-3 fatty acids, along with 8 essential amino acids and lecithin. Flaxseed also contains up to 60% linolenic acid, which has been shown to inhibit the production of tumor-promoting acid in the body and helps maintain the integrity of cell walls.
Millet: has a slightly nutty flavor. The whole grain swells to a fluffy texture when cooked. Toasting it in a little oil before cooking, enhances the flavor and prevents clumping. It can be cooked into a tasty breakfast porridge, served with nuts and dried fruit or it can be eaten raw when sprinkled over other food. Millet also makes an excellent substitute for rice and a tasty addition to stuffed vegetables, croquettes, stews, casseroles, pilafs, breads and is great in meatloaf. If cooked with a little liquid (1 cup millet to 2 ¼ cups liquid), it makes a light, dry, fluffy pilaf. Increase the liquid to 3 cups, and the millet takes on a smooth texture like mashed potatoes or polenta.
Millet is a gluten-free, easily digested grain that is one of the most outstanding alkaline foods in the word, as one of the least allergic. Exceedingly nutritious, it contains an abundance of vitamins and minerals, and the most complete protein of any of the true cereal grains. Millet is rich in fiber and silica, which detoxify the intestine and forms butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that has been shown to suppress the growth of cancers. It is also antifungal and one of the best grains for Candida problems
Oats: Unlike other grains oats must be steamed before their two inedible outer hulls are removed. While the whole groat, (minus the inedible outer hulls) may be cooked like brown rice, most oats are consumed in the form of oatmeal. Oats contain a moderate amount of gluten and can be used for thickening and enriching soups as well as in stuffing, pilafs, cakes, breads, muffins, pancakes, granola and muesli.
Oats are an adaptogen grain, meaning that they improve resistance to stress and support a healthy state of system balance. Oats have been known to help stabilize blood sugar, regulate the thyroid, sooth the nervous and digestive system and reduce cholesterol. The rich silicon content in oats helps renew the bones and connective tissue. Externally oat flour is an effective skin cleanser, and has an anti-inflammatory effect on certain skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis. It can be added to bath water to sooth the itch of irritations such as eczema, poison ivy and poison oak. It can also be made into a thick poultice and applied directly to the effected area.
Oat Bran: is the outer covering of the hulled oat groat and comes in raw and toasted forms. Oat bran is a delicious and nutritious addition to any baked product. Since it is the oil in the bran that contains the nutrients, all types of bran should be stored in the refrigerator.
Oat Groats: are hulled, whole kernels that have been cleaned and dried. They are roasted slightly during this process, but have virtually the same nutrients as the whole grain; plus, roasting adds richness to the flavor. Softer than wheat berries, oat groats can be pounded on with a wooden mallet or rolled with a rolling pin so they cook quicker than whole. They are used in baking bread, as a cereal, or added to grains for chewiness. They also can be cooked in the same manner as rice and eaten as a side dish, or added to salads and stuffing.
Oats, Rolled: most commonly known as oatmeal, are made of hulled oats that have been steamed and rolled flat into flakes. “Quick oats” are groats that have been precooked in water, dried and rolled very thin. Quicker to cook, they have less nutritional value. Both varieties are used as cereal, they both may be ground into meal and used in breads, cookies, cakes, and toppings for fruit crisps.
Oats, Steel-cut: also know as Scotch or Irish Oats, are natural, unrefined oat groats that have been processed with a minimal amount of heat by steel blades, which cut them into small pieces. They still contain everything that is in the whole oat, retaining most of its vitamins even through processing. With a fairly long cooking time they are best used for tasty, chewy cereals. They are also great to add to various flours for baking hearty breads.
Quinoa: is a gluten-free grain that is thoroughly rinsed and dried to remove the naturally occurring bitter saponin. Quinoa has a delicious nutty taste reminiscent of couscous and peanuts, and is very easy to prepare. Toasting lightly before cooking will enhance its flavor even further. Ready in less than 15 minutes, it puffs up to four times its dry volume. Widely versatile, it’s great by its self or in any recipe that calls for whole grains. Quinoa makes a quick and tasty substitute for bulgur, rice or couscous. It can also be added to soups, stews, casseroles, salads, meatloaf and even cookies.
Quinoa is the most nutritious of all grains. It packs a powerhouse of high-quality protein and all 8 essential amino acids, in addition to being high in fiber. Its protein content is far higher than corn, barley or rice. Quinoa is valued in fitness circles as a high-energy food, and among convalescing for its ease of digestion. It also has more calcium than milk.
Rice, Long-grain: these slender grains are four to five time longer than they are wide. Most offend used in Indian cooking, long-grain rice is richer in the starch amylase, when properly cooked, helps render dry, light, and fluffy, product with separate grains.
Rice, Medium-grain: is popular in Asia and Latin American cultures. About twice as long as it is wide, it cooks up moister and tenderer than long-grain varieties. This type is most commonly processed to make cold cereals.
Rice, Short-grain: is a popular feature of Asian cuisine. This variety may be oval or almost round and upon cooking tends to have a stickier, softer texture than other rice. Of the three types of rice, short-grain has the highest level of starch that makes rice clump together when cooked. This makes it easy to eat with chopsticks and ideal for making sushi.
Rice, Basmati: is a long-grain rice that comes from Southeast Asia. There is also Calmati and Texmati varieties, grown in California and Texas. When cooked Basmati elongates more than it plumps and being lower in starch it turns out flaky and separate. It is fluffy and light, with an aroma of buttered peanuts. Basmati comes in both white and brown versions.
Rice, Brown: is the whole rice kernel from which only the outer hull has been removed. It has a richer chewier texture than white rice and has a sweet, nutty flavor. Because it is not highly processed, it is one of the only grains that contains vitamin E. Brown rice come in short-, medium- and long-grain varieties.
Rice, Glutinous-White: is a short-grain rice popular in Japan and other Asian countries. Very sticky, chewy, and resilient, this starchy grain turns translucent when cooked. It can be formed into balls and is ideal for sushi.
Rice, Jasmine: is a long-grain white rice grown in the southern United States and in Thailand. Popular in Southeast Asian cuisine, this rice is soft and slightly sticky, very white, delicately flavored, and aromatic. It is very similar in flavor to basmati.
Rice, White: is produced by stripping off the outer brown layer of bran, leaving its pure white center core. To prevent spoilage some manufacture coat the rice with talc and glucose and must be washed thoroughly before use.
Rice, Wild: Though it is cooked and used like a grain, wild rice is neither a rice nor a grain, but a seed of an aquatic grass native to the Great Lakes region. Hand-harvested rice is parched over open fires, giving it a variety of distinct matte colors, from red-brown to a gray-green. There are other paddy cultivated varieties with there own distinct colors and tastes. Wild rice is a ½ inch to 1 inch in length, and when properly cooked wild rice will split and be fluffy, chewy and has a nutty, smoky, woodsy flavor. Wild rice is often combined with other rice varieties to mellow the flavor. It is frequently used in pilafs, soups, salads and stuffing. When precooked it makes an excellent addition in breads and muffins.
Rye Berries: are the whole kernels with just the outer husk removed. Rye berries can be sprouted and used in soups, salads, or breads; un-sprouted they can be used for the same dishes or cooked like rice. Rye is a good source of protein and dietary fiber, and contains vitamin E, calcium, iron, thiamin, phosphorous, and potassium.
Rye, Cracked: is made of whole rye berries that have been broken or ground into small pieces. It can be cooked for hot cereal, combined with cracked wheat or rolled oats, or added to soup and breads.
Rye, Flaked: are whole grains that have been heated until soft and than pressed and rolled between high-pressure rollers, and lightly toasted. They look very similar to rolled oats but are slightly thicker. They can be cooked as a cereal and are excellent added to breads and muffins.
Wheat Berries: are the whole grains that are mostly milled into flour or other products. Although rarely used, can be cooked and eaten like rice. Of the common wheat varieties, there are sub species including hard or soft wheat, red and white wheat, and spring and winter wheat. There are thousands of varieties of wheat around the world.
Wheat Bran: is a byproduct of white-flour production. Wheat bran is relatively rich in nutrients, but less so than wheat germ. It is used in breakfast cereals, casseroles, and baked goods.
Wheat, Bulgur: also known as wheat pilaf, it is made from wheat berries that have been pearled, steamed, dried, and than cracked into a variety of textures. This makes it quicker-cooking, lighter-textured, and a nuttier-flavor than cracked or whole wheat. Dark bulgur has a slightly stronger taste and is made from red wheat, while white bulgur is made from hard wheat and has a more delicate flavor. When cooked, bulgur swells to a fluffy texture similar in appearance to couscous, and the two can often be used interchangeably. Bulgur wheat can be used in salads, pilafs, casseroles, stuffing, and breads
Wheat, Cracked: consist of whole wheat berries that are machine-cracked into course or medium granulation. The difference between cracked wheat and bulgur is cracked wheat has not been cooked, thus it is lighter in color. Cracked wheat has an agreeably wheaty flavor and can replace rice or other grains in most recipes; baked or boiled. It makes an excellent substitute for rice with its sticky texture and slight crunchiness. It also makes a great cereal and can be added to casseroles, soups and breads.
Wheat, Couscous: is the steamed, dried, and cracked grain of durum wheat, using only the inner starchy endosperm. More refined than bulgur, it has a pale creamy color, a pleasant light texture with a pasta like flavor when cooked. While delicious by its self, and used in place of rice, it can be mixed with vegetables or in salads, or made into desserts and cakes. The nutritional benefits are similar to those of any other refined pasta product.
Wheat, Farina: also known as cream of wheat, is generally used as a hot breakfast cereal, can also be used for desserts and dumplings. These small hard bits of wheat were typically the middle product in the process of making wheat into flour. It is essentially a ground wheat meal.
Wheat Germ: is the heart of the wheat and it is nutritionally the densest part, being a rich source of protein , vitamin B complex, vitamin E, phosphorus, iron and magnesium. Wheat germ is one of the very few places in nature in which the entire vitamin B complex is found.
Add wheat germ to baked goods, use as a filler for meat loaves and balls, or to coat cookies, rolls, and breads, top casseroles, replace breadcrumbs, the uses are numerous. Just use your imagination.
Dairy Products
Homogenized Whole Milk: is milk that has been processed so that the fat does not rise to the top. The fat content is at least 3.25%
Low Fat Milk: has had its fat content lowered to 0.5% to 2%.
Skim Milk: has had most of its fat removed, so its fat content is less than 0.5%
Buttermilk: is the liquid left after the butter making process. More widely sold is cultured buttermilk, a product made by adding bacteria to skim milk. The two products can be use interchangeably.
Evaporated Milk: is milk that has had 60% of the water removed.
Sweetened Condensed Milk: is milk with about half the water removed and a large amount of sugar added.
Nonfat Dry Milk: is milk with both the fat and water removed. It is processed to mix easily with water.
Whipping Cream: also may be called heavy cream or light whipping cream. It contains 30% to 40% fat, and is suitable for whipping as well as to make rich cream sauces and soups.
Light Cream: contains 10% to 30% fat and includes half & half. It adds richness to recipes.
Dairy Sour Cream: is a cultured light cream used to add a tangy flavor and richness to food.
Yogurt: is a creamy product made by fermenting milk. Not only can it be eaten on its own, but has many uses in the kitchen as well. Yogurt can be used as a thickener, and as a substitute for sour cream in some recipes.