FOOD GLOSSARY - Welsh Rabbit to Wild Rice

WELSH RABBIT:  It is Welsh Rabbit, not Welsh rarebit, correctly, though the dish has nothing to do with a bunny. It is a concoction of sharp Cheddar cheese melted in ale, beer, or milk with various seasonings according to individual taste and variations of the dish. The origin of the name for the dish is unknown. There is a story to the effect that the dish originated when some early Welsh chieftain ran out of rabbit meat while entertaining a crowd, and had to substitute cheese.

WHEAT GERM:  This is the fat-containing portion of the wheat kernel. The germ is flattened and then sifted out as a yellowish oily flake.

WHEY:  The thin, watery part of milk which separates from the thicker part (curds) after coagulation, as in cheesemaking. It has considerable food value as well as a refreshing quality.

WHIP:  To beat rapidly with a rotary beater, an electric mixer set on fast speed, or a wire whisk, to incorporate air and produce expansion. You'll find the term used most often in instructions about egg whites, whipping cream, gelatin, and other foods like them that expand when whipped and become very light and frothy. Here, in other words, the introduction of air is the main idea; the mixing is only secondary.

WHISK:  A device usually made of wire used to beat or stir liquids.

WHITE SAUCE:  A basic sauce which can be varied in innumerable ways. It is a combination of butter or other fat, flour, milk, cream, or stock which is seasoned and cooked until smooth and creamy. The thickness and richness can be varied greatly.

WHITE STOCK:  A richly flavored, light-colored liquid in which poultry or light meats have been cooked.

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR:  Made of the entire grain of wheat, including a large part of the bran; however, the term is really a misnomer inasmuch as part of the bran has been removed, and sometimes the germ. See Flour.

WIENER:  Short for the German, wiener wurst, or Vienna sausage. A smoked sausage of beef or beef and pork, usually enclosed in a membranous casing and made in links a few inches long. Other names are: frankfurter, weenie, weeny, hot dog.

WIENER SCHNITZEL:  German, meaning literally "Vienna cutlet." A thin slice of veal that is breaded and fried. Served with various garnishings such as a fried egg, anchovy fillets, lemon wedges, parsley.

WIGGLE:  Flaked fish or shellfish in white sauce, usually with peas.

WILD DUCK:  These game birds (canvasback, malard, teal, and other wild ducks) should hang for at least 24 hours, and preferably for 48 hours, before cooking. When cleaning the ducks, carefully remove the oil sacs in the tail. Epicures contend that the blood of the wild duck retains the best flavor, so the duck should be wiped with a damp cloth, not washed, and the ducks should be served rare. Some wild ducks eat fish; however, a slight fishy taint may be eliminated by putting into the cavity of the otherwise unstuffed bird a whole peeled lemon, or bits of celery, parsley, or carrot, or a small onion and an apple, or a slice or two of bacon.

WILD RICE:  (Sometimes called Indian rice.) It is not a real rice but the seed of a tall water grass grown in the United States, mainly in the lake region of northern Minnesota where it is harvested by hand, chiefly by the Indians. The grains are long, spindly, and grayish, and require special cooking. Considered a delicacy, and expensive.