Cooking Glossary - H
Haba - [Spanish] large bean.
Habanero chile - A dried chile; Havana-like; small orange or red
chiles from the Caribbean and Yucatan; originally from Havana, Cuba; they are
the hottest peppers in the world, about 40 times hotter than a jalapeсo; they
are lantern shaped (resembling a tam or bonnet), pungent and fruity, with an
apricot-like aroma; has tones of coconut and papaya; other names include Scot's
Bonnet or Scotch Bonnet; jalapeсos or serranos may be substituted.
Habichuelas rositas - [Spanish] red beans.
Habichuelas tiernas - [Spanish] string beans.
Haggis - [Scottish] a steamed pudding made of finely minced sheep heart, lungs
and liver.
Halbtrocken - [German] means half-dry in German. Term used in
reference to German wines with 9 to 18 grams of residual sugar per liter.
Half-and-Half - This combination of equal parts cream and milk cannot
be whipped, and has between ten and fifteen percent milk fat. Although it can be
substituted for cream in some recipes, it is mostly used on cereal and in
coffee.
Halvah - Halvah is a unique natural delicacy that "goes with
everything" and is at the same time a perfect food supplement. It first appeared
in Northern Epirus, during the Byzantine period of Greek history, where renowned
halvah-makers used to live, and it soon became a favorite food of the various
peoples that lived in the eastern parts of the empire. Today, it is
traditionally produced in countries of the Middle East .
It is made from only two natural ingredients: up to 50-55% tahini (sesame
seed cream) and sweeteners. Tahini is made from sesame seeds, which have a high
oil content and are rich in calcium, iron, phosphorous, protein, niacin and
lecithin. Halvah contains all three groups from which humans obtain nutrients,
i.e. carbohydrates from the sugar, and proteins and vegetable fats from the
tahini. It also contains many B complex vitamins.
Halvah goes very nicely with breakfast meals. It provides energy and
calories, and is on its own - or with fresh bread - a tasty snack. It
supplements lunch, especially pulses and green salads. Also, halvah with a
little ground cinnamon sprinkled over it is a pleasant way to end one's evening
wine. Halvah is also a tasty and healthful mid-morning snack. In reality, it is
a daily delicacy made of natural raw materials, without animal fats, and it can
even accompany - topped with ground cinnamon, honey, lemon, or chopped walnuts -
a glass of wine at a wine bar or pub.
Ham hock - Cut from the hog's lower leg, often smoked or cured. Great
in bean soups and other slow-cooked soups and stews, where they lend rich, smoky
flavors.
Hamburger - Ground meat, usually beef, shaped into large patties, and
sautйed, broiled or grilled. Also the ground meat used loose in other dishes.
Hanging - Suspending meat or game in a cool, dry place until it is
tender.
Hangtown fry - Gold rush-style fried oysters.
Hard sauce - A sweet white sauce made with butter, sugar and lemon
juice, chilled until thick, served as a dessert topping.
Hardtack - hard biscuit or bread made with flour and water only.
Haricot - A generic term for all New World beans, which includes
almost everything; kidney, pinto, navy, pea, Great Northern, anasazi,
cannellini, flageolets, appaloosa, and more.
Haricots vert - Very small and slender green bean [syn: haricot
vert, French
bean]
Harina - [Spanish] flour; usually refers to wheat flour.
Harina de maнz - [Spanish] flour made from dried corn; cornmeal; Masa
Harina is the brand name of the product made by Quaker.
Harina de trito - [Spanish] wheat flour.
Harina enraizado - [Spanish] flour made from sprouted wheat; also
called panocha.
Harinilla; harinela - [Spanish] meal made of finely ground chicos; can
be used interchangeably with masa harina.
Harissa - [North African] a spice mixture used as both a condiment and a seasoning. Harissa contains chiles which are ground with cumin, garlic, coriander, and
olive oil. It becomes a thick paste that is used as is in cooking or diluted
with oil or stock to be used as a condiment.
Hartshorn - a source of ammonia used in baking cookies or, as "salt of
hartshorn," as smelling salts. Once the word meant literally the ground horn of
a hart's (male deer's) antlers, but ammonium carbonate was later used as a
substitute, which also went by the name of "salt of hartshorn." it is available
in American pharmacies. It is also an old-time leavening agent, and is used
occasionally in making cookies. It is also the ingredient in some homemade
pesticides.
Hasenpfeffer - [German]Rabbit stew.
Hash - From the French hatcher, which means "to
chop," hash is a dish of chopped meat, usually roast beef or corned beef,
combined with vegetables and seasonings and sautйed until lightly browned. It
is frequently served with a sauce or gravy.
Hatch chiles - A fresh chile; close relative of the New Mexico green
chile.
Haunch - Hindquarters; ham.
Hazelnuts - Also called filberts, hazelnuts are rich, sweet nuts that
are often ground or roasted in pastries, cookies, and other desserts.
Hearts of palm - Tender inner portion of a palm tree; eaten as a
vegetable or used as a garnish for salads; available only canned in the United
States, but is eaten fresh in Latin America.
Helado - [Spanish] ice cream.
Herba santa - [Spanish] holy herb; often labeled as hoja santa, it
contains licorice and sassafras flavors; has a broad, flat leaf; equal parts
fresh basil and tarragon may be substituted using about half as much by volume
as hierba santa.
Herbaceous - A term used in describing the aroma of herbs in the
following wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Cabarnet Sauvignons, and Merlots.
Herbs - Culinary herbs, which are available fresh or dried, include
basil, bay leaf, chervil, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage,
savory, tarragon and thyme. Used for their aromatic properties, flavor and
texture.
Hermitage - A French appellation located in northern Rhone. Its highly
regarded red wines, made from Syrah grapes, and white wines, made from Marsanne
and Rousanne, are the epitome of a world class wine.
Hibachi - Small, portable charcoal grill.
Hibiscus blossoms - Also called sorrel blossoms, these make a
delicious iced tea. Find in Latin and Caribbean markets. Jamaica is the Spanish
name; the blossoms of this tropical plant provide a brilliant color and an
intense blackberry and dried cherry flavor to cocktails, marinades and
vinaigrettes; Jamaica is also a beverage made from this blossom.
Hнgado - [Spanish] liver.
High-altitude baking - At altitudes above 5,000 feet, batters and
doughs behave differently from the way they do at sea level. You may compensate
for the lower atmospheric pressure in several ways. Increase oven temperature by
25°F. Shorten rising time for yeast doughs, letting your eye or the finger
poking method be your guide. In batters containing baking powder, reduce the
baking powder by 1/4 teaspoon for every teaspoon called for; do not change the
amount of baking soda. In batters containing beaten egg whites, underbeat the
egg whites somewhat. For more information about high-altitude cooking, consult
the home economics department of your state university.
Hijiki - A form of dried seaweed. Found in Japanese markets.
Hinojo - [Spanish] fennel.
Hock - A joint in the hind leg; British term for Rhine wines derived
from the German wine town of Hochhheim.
Hoe cakes - Corn cakes cooked on a hoe. Also known as johnny cakes -
pancakes made with cornmeal.
Hog side - Salt pork used in cooking and some baking; also called Old
Ned.
Hoisin Sauce - A rich, dark, sweet barbecue sauce made of soy beans
and seasonings, used in Chinese cooking for marinades and basting. Hoisin sauce
is easily recognizable in Mu Shu pork and Peking duck. The sauce is made from
soybean flour, chiles, red beans, and many other spices. Sold in cans or jars.
Store tightly sealed, refrigerated. It is also known as Peking sauce.
Hoja santa - [Spanish] large leaf used in cooking in southern Mexico.
Hojas - [Spanish] leaves.
Hojas de maнz - [Spanish] corn husks.
Hojas de platano - [Spanish] banana leaves.
Hollandaise Sauce - This is the most basic of the egg and oil
emulsified sauces. The only flavoring is fresh lemon juice. This sauce must be
kept warm, as excessive heat will cause it to break. Because this is kept warm,
it is not safe to keep it for long periods of time and should never be reused
from another meal period.
"Holy Trinity" of chiles - ancho, mulato and pasilla.
Homard - [French] Lobster.
Hominy - A traditional Native American food (also known as pozole or
posole), hominy is dried yellow or white field corn kernels that have been
soaked in slaked lime to remove their husks with the hull and germ removed. When
ground, hominy is called grits.; available canned, frozen or dried.
Homogenized - With fat broken down into such small particles that it
stays suspended in liquid, rather than rising to the top.
Honey - The original and all-natural sweetener. Honey is a sweet,
thick syrup produced by honey bees. Sold in the comb, as the extracted liquid,
and in solid and granular forms.
Hongos - [Spanish] mushrooms.
Horchata - [Spanish] beverage made with rice or melon.
Horn of Plenty Mushroom - This is a wild mushroom with a hollow,
funnel-shaped cap and is dark gray or black in color. Because of this, it also
has the name etrumpet of deathe. This mushroom is somewhat stringy, but has a
robust flavor and may be used to flavor sauces, soups, or any other mushroom
preparation.
Hornos - [Spanish] outdoor ovens; beehive ovens.
Hors d'oeuvres - Savory, usually small, foods served before or as an
introduction to the main meal; appetizers.
Horseradish - Long, coarse-looking root whose intense heat nearly
vanishes during cooking. Fresh horseradish is simply grated;
"prepared" horseradish is combined with vinegar and sold in jars (red
horseradish is colored with beet juice). Used mostly as a condiment.
Hot Cross Buns - Sweet yeast buns with currants, slashed crosswise
before baking, then glazed as they come from the oven.
Hot Pepper Oil or Chili Oil - May be purchased in Oriental markets and
finer supermarkets.
Hot-pot - Mutton and vegetable stew.
Hotte - Grape picking basket worn on the backs of French grape
pickers. It is traditionally made of wood, but today can be found made of metal
or plastic.
Huachinango - [Spanish] red snapper.
Huauzoncle (guauzontle) - [Spanish] wild green with thin serrated
leaves.
Huevo - [Spanish] egg.
Huevos - [Spanish] eggs
Huevos con tostaditos - [Spanish] eggs with tortilla chips; migas.
Huevos rancheros - [Spanish] ranch-style eggs. A Mexican dish of fried
eggs served atop a tortilla and covered with a tomato sauce.
Huitlacoche - [Spanish] corn fungus delicacy; sleepy excrement
(Aztec); common in central Mexico; during the rainy season, a fungus develops
between the husks and the ripe kernels where the kernels will blacken, contort
and swell to form this musty fungus; valued for centuries in Mexico; has an
earthy and distinct taste finally similar to mushrooms or truffles; lends a
black hue and resonant aroma to stuffings for empanadas, tamales and
quesadillas; makes distinctive sauces; usually sold cut from the cob and frozen;
needs cooking to release flavor and aroma; often sautйed with roasted garlic
and onions, and either fresh marjoram, oregano or epazote, then simmered with a
little water or stock; harvested during the rainy season, usually late spring to
early fall.
Huоtres - [French] Oysters
Hull - To remove the outer covering, or pull out the stem (the green
calyx) and leafy
top portion, of berries, especially strawberries.
Hummus - Thick Middle Eastern purйe of mashed chickpeas seasoned with
tahini (sesame paste), garlic. lemon juice, and other varying spices. Great dip
and sandwich spread.
Hyssop - Any of various herbs belonging to the mint family with
aromatic, dark green leaves that have a slightly bitter, minty flavor. Hyssop
adds intrigue to salads, fruit dishes, soups and stews. It is also used to
flavor certain liqueurs such as Chartreuse.
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