Safflower: An European thistle with orange flowers that are sometimes used as an inexpensive substitute for saffron. Safflower oil is pressed from the seeds. It has a high smoke point, making it good for deep-frying, and is high in polyunsaturates. Saffron: A spice consisting of the stigmas from a small, purple, autumn crocus. Each flower contributes only three stigmas which must be hand picked. Saffron contributes its characteristic golden color and characteristic flavor to traditional dishes such as paella. Sage: This Mediterranean herb lends the pungent flavor of its gray-green, oval leaves to a wide variety of dishes, particularly stuffings and sausages. A member of the mint family, it keeps well for up to 5 days in the refrigerator and drys easily if hung upside down at room temperature. Dried sage is available as whole leaves, rubbed, or ground. Salisbury steak: A generous ground beef patty, usually flavored with onion and herbs, sometimes extended with bread crumbs, and often served with pan gravy. It was prescribed by and named for an English physician who felt that the ground meat was easier for patients to digest. Salsify: A long narrow root more familiar in European markets than in the U.S., salsify is also called oyster plant or egetable oyster because itís flavor resembles that of oysters. The white or pale golden roots are peeled, simmered and served with butter sauce or included in a stew with other root vegetables. Saturated fatty acids: All fats and oils are made up of three fatty acid molecules and a glycerol molecule. The fatty acid molecules are made up of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. The number of hydrogen atoms attached to carbon atoms in the molecule determines its saturation. Each carbon atom could hold two hydrogen atoms. When two adjacent carbon atoms are each missing one hydrogen atom, they form a double bond between themselves. If the fatty acid has none of these double bonds it is called saturated. Scientists have suggested that saturated fats may be associated with an increase in the less desirable LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol in the blood. Saturated fatty acids are found in animal fats, coconut, chocolate, palm oil and artificially hydrogenated shortening and margarine. Scald: A cooking technique in which a liquid is heated to just below the boiling point, this is an important step in preparing yeast breads that include milk because it deactivates an enzyme in the milk that would retard the growth of the yeast. Scald is often used in the same way as blanch when immersing foods in boiling water for a brief period of time. Scallions: The name scallion is used generically for a variety of onions with fresh green stems and underdeveloped white bulbs. Also called green onions, they are available year round, keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator and add a fresh mild onion flavor to dishes. It is best to add them late in the cooking time of a dish so they will maintain their flavor. Scallop (cooking term): Scallop or scalloped refers to foods layered with a cream sauce and baked. They are often topped with a crumb mixture. It can also refer to the decorative edge of a pie crust or cookie. Scallop (shellfish): A mollusk with two beautiful shells that are often used for baking dishes. The meat usually consists of just the large muscle, but occasionally there will be a disc of salmon-colored roe attached. There are two kinds of commercial scallops; sea scallops are large and almost white in color and bay scallops are small and can be a very pale pink. Either are mild-flavored and sweet and should be cooked very quickly in order not to toughen them. Fresh scallops should be pearly white and translucent, fell springy when poked gently, and smell sweet. Scones: The name scone comes from a Scottish cake cooked on a griddle. In the U.S. it has come to mean a biscuit-like quick bread that is often but not always triangular and is baked in the oven. They can be sweet or savory. Scrapple: A thrifty Pennsylvania Dutch dish, scrapple is made by cooking corn meal with chopped scraps of pork and pork fat and pork broth. The resulting mush is chilled in a loaf pan, sliced and fried for breakfast or supper. It is served with golden syrup or corn syrup and sometimes accompanied by ěpuddinî a spicy chopped pork mixture. Semolina: The hard golden core of durum wheat, semolina may be ground to several different textures--coarse for puddings and polenta and fine for the very best pasta. Because this special hard wheat is higher in protein and lower in starch than most other wheat flours, it produces pasta that maintains its identity when cooked and doesnít fall apart or stick together. Because of its golden color, it is often confused for corn meal or corn flour and can be used for some of the same purposes. Although this wheat was originally grown around the Mediterranean and the name is Italian for ěfine flour,î today most durum wheat is grown in the Northern United States and in Canada. Sesame Oil: The highly polyunsaturated oil pressed from sesame seeds is marketed in two styles. A pale, mildly nutty sesame oil may be found in health-food stores and is excellent for frying because it has a high smoking point. The darker Asian or unrefined toasted sesame oil is found in Asian markets and in the International section of supermarkets. It is usually added to Asian dishes as a flavoring at the end of the cooking time. Shallot: A mild-flavored member of the Allium or onion family, the shallot grows in heads containing various numbers and sizes of cloves. Each clove is covered with a papery skin that varies in color from light brown to a russet similar to the skin of yellow onions. Shallots are used in many French sauces and wherever a subtle onion flavor is desired. Shichimi togarashi: A Japanese spice mixture of red chile flakes, Szechuan pepper (the togarashi), white sesame seeds, seaweed flakes, dried mandarin orange peel, black hemp seeds and white poppy seeds that is available mild, medium and hot. You can find it in many Asian markets. Shrimp Count: Shrimp come in various sizes ranging from miniature to colossal. The shrimp count is the number of shrimp per pound. For example a 15 count would contain 15 shrimp of similar size. Miniature shrimp come about 100 to a pound, small between 36-45, medium between 31-35, large between 21-30, extra-large 16-20, jumbo between 11-15, and colossal 10 or less. Since the larger the shrimp the more expensive, you may substitute the various sizes for one another in most recipes with the exception of the miniature shrimp. Simmer: A moist-heat cooking method in which foods are cooked in water or other liquid at a temperature low enough (185 to 210 degrees F.) that the surface of the liquid barely moves. Skewer: This term can mean a thin metal or bamboo stick used to hold meat, seafood or vegetables for broiling or grilling, or, as a verb, the act of inserting the stick into the food. When using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in water first to retard scorching. Sorghum: Any of several varieties of cereal grain that have broad leaves and kernels arranged on tassels or the molasses-like syrup made from their concentrated juice. Sorrel: Any of several leafy plants with an acidic flavor due to the presence of oxalic acid, some are also known as ědock.î Sorrel is usually cooked and used in soups or sauces. Squab: These domesticated pigeons are slaughtered at four weeks old and have never flown, so the meat, which is dark, is very tender. They generally weigh less than one pound, and should be plump and firm. Squab are available fresh or frozen, and may be used in any recipe calling for Rock Cornish hen. Sweetbreads: A gourmet favorite, sweetbreads are the pancreas and thymus glands of veal and occasionally young beef, pork or lamb. They are soaked or poached in several changes of lemon or vinegar water and the outer membrane removed before the delicate, mild-flavored white meat is finished in butter or oil and a mild sauce. Swiss steak: Swiss steak is made from round, or occasionally cubed, steak that is pounded to tenderize it, breaded with flour, browned and braised, usually with vegetables.