Culinary Terms Y
#Yeast – A tiny, single-celled organism that multiplies rapidly in warm and moist environments. Bakers yeast is used as the raising agent in various kinds of dough, where it ferments the sugar in the dough to produce the bubbles of carbon dioxide gas, which make the mixture rise. Yeast has been used in bread making since its accidental discovery more than 4,000years ago. It is available in two forms: compressed (fresh) yeast, which is partially dried and formed into a cake, and dried or granular yeast. Yeast is also used in brewing and winemaking.
#Yoghurt – A thick creamy, tangy-tasting milk product made by coagulating milk with a bacterial product. Yoghurt can feature in all parts of a meal. It is the base of a number of Middle Eastern dips and is used to thicken and enrich soups, stews, and curries. Yoghurt has a cooling effect on the palate and is often served with chopped cucumber as an accompaniment to a spicy meal; it is also used in salad dressings and in sauces for hot cooked vegetables. Tenderizing yoghurt marinades are used in many Indian dishes, particularly in tandoori dishes and korma curries. As a dessert, yoghurt can be sweetened with honey or mixed with fresh or stewed fruit, or it can be baked in cakes, cheesecakes, and biscuits (cookies).
Natural yoghurt containing cultures such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria bacterium is considered to have beneficial effect on the digestive system. These cultures are believed to help restore balance in the intestine by re-establishing bacteria which are normally present but may have been destroyed by infections or drugs such as penicillin.
Yoghurt has been used in the Middle East for many thousands of years, and its therapeutic properties are often cited as the reason for the famed longevity of the people of the Caucasus. Commercially available yoghurt may be made from fat free, reduced fat or full-cream milk, and may be either natural, flavoured with vanilla or other sweeteners, or mixed with fruit. Flavoured frozen yoghurt and drinking yoghurt are also available.
#YoungBerries – A sweet, purple fruit, which is a cross between several types of blackberry.
#YuleLog – Also called Bûche de Nöel, a traditional French Christmas cake with a number of popular variations in other countries. A rolled sponge is filled and coated with chocolate butter cream and the surface decorated to resemble bark.
Culinary Terms Z
#Zabaglione : A foamy Italian dessert sauce made with whole eggs, egg yolk, sugar and Marsala. These are whisked together over gentle heat in the top of a double boiler. Zabaglione can be served warm with sweet, crisp biscuit (cookies) or spooned over strawberries, or chilled. It is an ingredient in some versions of the rich dessert tiramisù. Zabaglione can also be made with other dessert wines or liqueurs; in Spain it is made with sherry, and in France a similar sauce made with sweet white wine or champagne is known as sabayon. The name zabaglione is derived from a Neapolitan dialect word, which means ‘to foam’.
#Zest : The thin, coloured, outside rind of a citrus fruit. it contains volatile oils that add fragrance and concentrated flavour to both sweet and savoury foods.
#Zwieback : A rusk made from slightly sweetened yeast dough (sometimes flavoured with lemon or cinnamon) baked then cut into thin slices and returned to a slow oven until crisp and golden.
