FOOD GLOSSARY - Minestra to Light Molasses

MINESTRA:  An Italian soup of vegetables and herbs in a chicken or meat broth.

MINESTRONE:  A thick Italian vegetable soup, containing one of the pasta, such as vermicelli, and usually dried peas or beans. It is served with grated Italian cheese, preferably Parmesan.

MIREPOIX (French):  A layer of bacon, ham, vegetables, and herbs under meat being braised, used to give more flavor to the meat and the gravy or sauce accompanying it. These are strained out of the sauce before it is served.

MIROTON (French):  Sliced, cooked meat warmed in various ways. It may have other foods such as onions and pickles added.

MIXED GRILL:  A number of broiled foods served together for a plate dinner.

MIXING TERMS - you should know:  

To mix means to combine Ingredients, usually by stirring. A good cook, however, knows that mixing or combining casually may mean many a cooking failure; foods just can't be thrown together just any old way. When you come right down to it, cooking is putting ingredients together, fusing them into one and a number of words are used in recipes for ways to mix and combine.

The cook striving for perfection should see the following: Stir; Cream; Blend; Fold In; Cut In; Toss; Beat; and Whip. In the first six of these methods, mixing or combining is the one and only purpose; in the other two methods, beat and whip, one thing more is done - air is incorporated.

MOCHA:  A variety of coffee, originally grown in Mocha, Arabia. Foods flavored with coffee or with coffee and chocolate are often called mocha, as mocha cream pie, mocha fudge.

MOCK DUCK:  A meat prepared in a duck-like shape. Leg of lamb is commonly used.

MOCK TURTLE SOUP:  A soup made from veal and calves head.

MODE:  Custom; à la mode: in the fashion.

MOIST HEAT:  A method of cooking less tender meat by the application of steam or the addition of liquid.

MOLASSES:  Molasses is a by-product of cane sugar, an important source of iron and should be used often.

MOLASSES:  Molasses is a by-product of cane sugar, an important source of iron and should be used often.

Light molasses has a mellow flavor and is excellent for general cooking purposes.