Tinfoil Chef

Albumen isn’t exactly a commonly used term that I’ve noticed, but it’s shown up once in a while in recipes written by cooks that I think are trying to make their recipes sound more exotic than they really are. Albumen is the white of an egg.

Al dente is one of those terms that you hear in Italian restaurants and anywhere pasta dishes are ordered by customers who want to show off a bit of knowledge. It’s one of those little things that can make Joe average sound like entrepreneurs even if they don’t have the luxury watches and hyper expensive suites. It refers to pasta that’s cooked until just enough resistance is left in it to be felt “by the tooth.”. This only applies to pasta that starts out dried because fresh pasta is too soft to be cooked al dente. The expression is also applied to vegetables that have been cooked crisp by steaming, boiling, or stir-frying.

Arborio is one you’ll run into in Risotto recipes. It’s the name of some of the best short-grained rices grown in the Po Valley of Italy.

Aromatics are plant ingredients, like herbs and spices. They’re used to enhance the flavor and fragrance of food.

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