Hi folks, Sarah here to do the Word of the Day this week. (Giving Wordcrafter a well deserved week off!)

I have something a little different for you this week. It is a quiz within a quiz. I have a list of popular food terms with three choices as to what they mean. I think some of the choices are pretty lame, myself, so I would love to see what each of you come up with as other choices that would be more apt to fool someone than those mentioned.

Each day I will post or send you a new word with the three definitions. Not only do I want to see if you know what the correct answer is, but I want to see what other definitions you can come up with. The next day I will post or send the correct answer along with some of the replies.

So, what’s on the menu today?

1. SWEATING

a) Slang for cooking in the heat of August

b) Cooking foods over low heat without browning

c) Induction week at cooking fraternities

I wouldn't have known, but by sheer coincidence, today's main MSN screen linked to this:

Cooking with Emeril Lagesse
Emeril Answers Readers' Questions

1. What does "sweating an onion" mean, and how do I go about it?
Sweating onions or other vegetables (bell peppers, carrots, celery, shallots, garlic) refers to a method of cooking in which the onion/vegetables are cooked in a small amount of fat, such as butter or oil, over low heat, until soft but not colored.

Sarah here, thanks for the emails about “sweating”. Of course the answer was:

b: Sweating refers to cooking foods, usually vegetables, covered, in a small amount of fat or liquid. Food releases its own juices and cooks in them.

And Hic et ubique pointed it out in an article about “Cooking with Emeril Lagasse”.

So, what’s on the menu today?

GRANITA

a) A type of roasted chicken; literally “little Grandma”
b) A spice blend from the Caribbean
c) A grainy-textured frozen dessert

Remember, the game is to send me alternate definitions that are more apt to fool someone than the definitions listed!

Till tomorrow

GRANITA

d.) Granola meal ground to a fine powder. When sprinkled on salads, vegetables etc, adds protein and some trace minerals. When sprinkled into eyes, makes it damn hard to drive. (not recommended)

Sarah here again. Yesterday’s word was “Granita”.

The choices given were:

a) A type of roasted chicken; literally “little Grandma”
b) A spice blend from the Caribbean
c) A grainy-textured frozen dessert

I also received the following alternates:

d) Granola meal ground to a fine powder. When sprinkled on salads, vegetables etc, adds protein and some trace minerals. When sprinkled into eyes, makes it damn hard to drive. (not recommended)

e) Everyone knows that a granita is a margarita with a splash of Grand Mariner in it!

Thank you for the clever answers!

Of course the correct answer is:

c: Granita is an Italian dessert made by freezing water, sugar, and a liquid flavoring. Frequent stirring during freezing results in its texture.

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Today’s stumper is:

SPOOM
a) A kitchen utensil that both sweeps and spoons
b) The sound ice cream makes when you drop it
c) A light-as-air frozen dessert

So, send me your alternate definitions and I will post them tomorrow.

SPOOM
The sound a hot air balloon would make if you could get one to break the sound barrier.

We had a couple of interesting new definitions for yesterday’s word:

SPOOM
a) A kitchen utensil that both sweeps and spoons
b) The sound ice cream makes when you drop it
c) A light-as-air frozen dessert

d) Sherbet, Purée Of Orange Marmalade.
e) The sound a hot air balloon would make if you could get one to break the sound barrier.

Of course the correct answer is:

c: A spoom is a type of sherbet made with a mixture of sugar syrup, a fruit juice or wine, and uncooked meringue.


So, what’s on the menu today?

WASABI
a) Kitchen slang for “hello”
b) A Japanese knife
c) A Japanese “horseradish”

Send your “fake definitions” to me. Let’s see what we can come up with for tomorrow!

Sarah

We're wondering if "Spoom" might be a variant of spumoni

A board reader asks: “We're wondering if Spoom might be a variant of spumoni.” I looked both terms up in the Epicurean Dictionary and found the following definitions:

spoom
A frothy type of sherbet made with a light sugar syrup mixed with a liquid such as fruit juice, champagne or sauternes. Halfway through the freezing process, the mixture is combined with uncooked meringue, which gives spoom its airy texture. The Italians call this frozen specialty spuma, which means "foam" or "froth."

Now, comparing this to Spumoni:

spumoni
[spuh-MOH-nee; spoo-MOH-nee]
This frozen molded Italian dessert consists of two layers of ice cream (such as chocolate and vanilla) between which is sandwiched a layer of sweetened whipped cream that has been flavored with rum and mixed with toasted nuts and candied fruit. Sometimes the ice cream is lightened with whipped cream or beaten egg whites before being spooned into the mold. Spumoni is cut into slices and sometimes served with a sweet sauce that complements the ice cream flavors.

So, based upon this information, I would say they are not the same. They are both cold, Italian desserts, but that seems to be where the similarity ends. But thank you for bringing this up!


As for yesterday’s word, Wasabi, I received quite a few alternate definitions.
a) Kitchen slang for “hello”
b) A Japanese knife
c) A Japanese “horseradish”
d) A crispbread that swings both ways
e) A greeting in South Los Angeles
f) Interjection, pronounced "wah-SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH-bee" in as annoying a tone of voice as possible. Derived from uncertain African language, it translates roughly to "Would you like a Budweiser?"

What minds!

Of course the answer is:

c: Wasabi, a pungent, green-colored condiment, comes from a plant root similar to horseradish. It often accompanies sushi or is stirred into miso*-based soups.

*miso--bean paste

So, on today’s menu we have:

QUAHOG
a) An Atlantic Coast hard-shell clam
b) A breed of wild boar
c) The politically correct hog call that has replaced “sooey”

Send me your alternate definitions for posting.

Sarah

Yesterday’s word, quahog, gave us a few new definitions!

QUAHOG
a) An Atlantic Coast hard-shell clam
b) A breed of wild boar
c) The politically correct hog call that has replaced “sooey”
d) What you get when you cross a clam and a pig
e) A harpooner, particularly adept in the acquisition of white whales; last sailed on the Pequod out of Nantucket
f) A Narragansett abbreviation of Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg

The answer is:

a: The quahog clam clan includes popular littlenecks and cherrystones. The largest quahogs are called “chowder clams”.

Today’s word is RAMP

a) The walkway between a restaurant’s dining room and kitchen
b) The technical term for using a spatula, as in “ramp the burgers”
c) A wild onion

Send your definitions!

Sarah

apropos of A Narragansett abbreviation of Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg

the Central Massachusetts abbreviation is "Webster". Trust me!

quote:

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Originally posted by Sarah:
Today’s word is RAMP

a) The walkway between a restaurant’s dining room and kitchen
b) The technical term for using a spatula, as in “ramp the burgers”
c) A wild onion

Send your definitions!

Sarah

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Short for "rampage", as in, "Watch out for the boss; he's on a ramp today".

Tinman

a) The walkway between a restaurant’s dining room and kitchen
b) The technical term for using a spatula, as in “ramp the burgers”
c) A wild onion
d) Short for "rampage", as in, "Watch out for the boss; he's on a ramp today".
e) Royal Australian Munchy Pastries

Looks like we had some fun with yesterday’s word, ramp:

a) The walkway between a restaurant’s dining room and kitchen
b) The technical term for using a spatula, as in “ramp the burgers”
c) A wild onion
d) Short for "rampage", as in, "Watch out for the boss; he's on a ramp today".
e) Royal Australian Munchy Pastries

And the correct answer is:
c: The ramp resembles a broad-leaved scallion and has a strong garlicky-onion flavor. Its peak season is March to June.


Next is: GANACHE
a) A French restaurant term for “we’re out of that”
b) A mixture of melted chocolate and whipping cream
c) A favorite pastry of Marie Antoinette

Let’s have some fun with this one!

Sarah

quote:

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Originally posted by Sarah:
GANACHE

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French for "good night"

Tinman

Some fun was had with GANACHE, it seems:

a) A French restaurant term for “we’re out of that”
b) A mixture of melted chocolate and whipping cream
c) A favorite pastry of Marie Antoinette
d) French for "good night"
e) a subtle flick of the wrist when beating egg-whites by hand

And this one is just too good to miss:
f) This arcane expression is seldom heard except in medium-size bakeries. When the careless apprentice dumps flour, sugar, and pungent, spicy ingredients including cinnamon into the vat of the mixer, then instead of pressing "START," accidentally presses "HIGH SPEED." The resulting explosion saturates the atmosphere and inspires all members of the staff to shout "GANACHE" to one another. The usual response is "BLEH-CHOUX."

Thank you one and all!

The correct answer was:
b: When cooled, ganache can be used as a frosting, or whipped to twice its volume and used as a filling for cakes.

HOWEVER! I received a reply from a chef who states: “The original, and correct, definition of ganache is just melted chocolate.”
Thank you Stephen!

Now, as I think I must have misplaced Wordcrafter (Anyone seen him around?), I guess I will do another word in this series.

BRUT
a) A method for kneading flatbread dough
b) A taste classification for champagne
c) A churlish waiter

Let’s have some fun with this one!

Sarah

The last answer for my series:

BRUT
a) A method for kneading flatbread dough
b) A taste classification for champagne
c) A churlish waiter
d) A Neanderthal disguised as a civilized human being. (One of them was once my "husband")

And the answer is:
b) “brut” champagne has a crisp, dry taste. “Extra-brut” does not mean a drier champagne, but a sweeter one.

I want to thank you one and all for putting up with me this week, but it appears that our beloved Wordcrafter is back at the reigns.

Sarah