Self-Rising Cornmeal is ground cornmeal premixed with baking powder and salt. You can get white and yellow versions. You can buy this in some areas, especially the American South. Brands include Aunt Jemima, Martha White, White Lily, Tenda-Bake, Three Rivers, Yelton’s, etc. Some brands such as Martha White may include some wheat flour (as of…
American Food
Shit on a Shingle
Shit on a Shingle (SOS) is an (unofficial) US military term for some kind of meat in a sauce, served over toast, often served as a breakfast dish. What it means exactly, though, depends on which branch of military service is referred to, and when.
Shortening
Shortening © Denzil Green Shortening is a solid white fat product made from vegetable oils, using the technique known as hydrogenation discovered at the beginning of the 1900s. The word is older than that, though. At the beginning of the 1800s, “shortening” was a generic term used to describe fats or oils added to baked…
Slumps
Slumps is baked fruit, usually apples, that are stewed and topped with a dumpling. Language Notes Called “grunts” in Massachusetts.
Smithfield Ham
Smithfield Ham is a version of American a Country Ham. It also happens to be a Virginia Ham. It must by law be made in the city of Smithfield, Virginia, between the Suffolk and the James River. A lot of hams produced in Smithfield aren’t “Smithfield” hams: Smithfield-style is not the same thing. They don’t…
Soft Ice Cream
“Soft ice cream” is purposely designed to stay semi-soft so that it can easily be piped out of machines.
Sorghum
Sorghum is a cereal grass with broad corn-like leaves and large clusters of grain atop tall stalks. In Africa, where sorghum is believed to have originated, it is an important food grain, as well as a basic ingredient in beer. In tropical areas, it is a basic cereal, as wheat is for us. Worldwide, it…
Sorghum Molasses
Sorghum molasses is a sweet syrup made from sorghum. The grain of sorghum is used for grain products, then the stalks are made into sorghum molasses. The raw canes are pressed to squeeze the juice out, which is then boiled down to a thick syrup which can be either a clear or dark amber colour….
Spiedies
Spiedies is a grilled meat dish made in Broome County, New York State. It is cubed meat that is marinated, then cooked on a skewer. It is served inside a slice of Italian-style bread, or it can be used as a topping for salads. Traditionally, the meat was lamb; now, it can be any kind…
Spinach
Spinach © Denzil Green Spinach is a dark, leafy-green vegetable. When you are buying spinach fresh, look for small, narrow stems — this indicates the spinach is younger and therefore more tender. Make sure you wash fresh spinach really well to get all the sand and grit out, or everyone will be grinding their teeth…
Sprite Melons
Sprite Melons are small. They are usually 1 to 1 ½ pounds (450 to 680g), but often less than a pound (450g.) When 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm) wide, they will weigh 1 pound (450g.) Inside, it has firm, crisp white flesh. The flavour is a combination of apple, pear and honeydew…
Sticky Buns
Sticky buns are a white-dough bread roll with sticky sides and topping, combining the flavours of caramel, nuts, and butter. The dough is basically a yeast-risen white bread dough (in the British or North American sense of bread) kept plain and simple, to help you bear the richness of the topping (though some recipes will…
Submarine Sandwiches
A Submarine Sandwich is a large, long sandwich made on a soft bun about 12 inches (30 cm) long and about 3 inches (7 ½ cm) wide, and rounded at the ends. The buns can be white, whole-wheat or a mixture of grains. They are often bland and uninteresting, which though perhaps while of less…
Succotash
Succotash is a side dish of vegetables served in a cream sauce. Sometimes, the cream sauce is actually cream or milk; sometimes, it’s just lots of butter to make the dish creamy. Some purists will say Succotash can only contain corn, lima beans and cream, milk or butter. What they’re doing is taking their regional…
Sunburst Oranges
The Sunburst orange belongs to the Mandarin family. It has very thin and brittle skin, making it hard to peel, but inside it is very juicy. Amongst growers, it is replacing the Dancy in popularity because the tree is thornless, and will begin bearing fruit in 3 years. Inside the fruit is divided into 12…
Sweet Curd Cottage Cheese
Sweet curd cottage cheese is similar to regular cottage cheese, but has larger curds and less tang. It can be used as an ingredient in cooking, but is often used as is on salad plates, etc.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes © Denzil Green Sweet potatoes are the storage roots of a plant that is part of the morning glory family. Sweet potatoes aren’t actually even related to yams. Sweet potatoes aren’t actually related to potatoes, for that matter. Potatoes are tubers of a plant, whereas sweet potatoes are engorged storage roots. Sweet potatoes,…
Swiss Roll
Swiss Roll is a rolled sponge cake with a filling, usually jam. You slice it sideways across the end; each slice reveals a spiral pattern. Swiss Roll tends to be the term used for this in the UK and in Canada; in America, the term used is “Jelly Roll” (though in Canada both terms are…
Sylvester Graham
Sylvester Graham © Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Life and Times Sylvester Graham (5 July 1794 – 11 September 1851) was the inventor of Graham Flour and Graham Crackers. He was born in West Suffield, Connecticut, 1 of 17 children. His father John Graham, Jr (1722 to 1796) was a minister. In 1823,…
Tabasco
Tabasco is a hot pepper sauce that is common on grocery shelves on both sides of the Atlantic. It is made from Tabasco peppers, vinegar and salt. When the peppers turn red, they are harvested, mashed, mixed with “Avery Island” salt, and let ferment and age in wood barrels for three years. When ready, the…
Tangelos
Tangelos are a family of hybrids between Dancy tangerines and Pummelos/or grapefruits. The cross-breeding has happened both accidentally and intentionally over the years.Tangelos look like big oranges, but have a tartness to them. They have a neck (or bump) on the end where the stem was. The skin, which can be rough or smooth, is…
Taylor Pork Roll
Pork Roll is a brand of pork roll with a very devoted following in New Jersey, USA. It is a round roll of pork that has been cured, smoked, and spiced. It has a slight sour tang and is salty. Spiciness and tanginess vary by brand. The rolls are sold wrapped in cloth then in…
Temple Oranges
Temple Oranges are actually tangors, even though they are referred to as oranges.Temple Oranges are a fragrant, medium-sized orange with a thin, deep orange skin. The orange peels and separates into sections easily. It has a lot of seeds, an average of 20, but Temple fans still love it for its tangy, spicy flavour. The…
Texas Grano 1015Y Supersweet Onions
This is a new sweet onion in the grand scheme of things, only available to growers since the early 1980s.When planted in the fall in the American south-west, it is ready for market by mid April. The size ranges from 3 to 4 inches wide (7.5 to 10 cm) It is grown in Texas and…