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About This Quiz
You may be a whiz in the kitchen, but just how well-versed are you when it comes to the art of cooking? Test your culinary prowess with this cooking quiz.
Which of these terms means to cook food in its own juices with a small amount of fat over low heat, just until softened?
sweating
Sweating is a cooking method that allows food to gently cook in its own juices over a long period of time, just until it's soft, but not browned.
simmering
stewing
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What's the difference between a convection oven and a conventional oven?
A convection oven uses a fan.
A convection oven uses a fan to circulate heat throughout the oven. With this additional apparatus, the convection oven generally cooks food 25 percent faster and at 25 degrees Fahrenheit (-4 degrees Celsius) cooler than conventional ovens.
A convection oven lacks the broiler setting.
A convection oven uses radioactivity.
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When it comes to Italian pasta and sauces:
the redder the sauce, the longer the pasta should be
long pastas are best with cream sauces or olive oil
Flatter and longer pasta shapes tend to go best with olive oil and cream sauces; sturdier shapes go best with chunky and assertive sauces.
It's all good!
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What should you look for when buying fresh mussels?
mussels with widely opened shells
mussels that are light-colored
mussels with closed shells or shells that snap shut when tapped
When buying mussels, look for ones with tightly closed shells or shells that close when you tap them. Those shells that don't close when tapped mean the mussel is dead. Don't purchase those.
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Which type of wood should you NOT use for smoking foods on an outdoor grill?
softwoods
Never use softwoods -- like pine, spruce or cedar -- as they release resins that taint the food's taste. Opt for hardwoods or fruitwoods instead. Hickory, oak, mesquite, pear and apple all produce aromatic smoke that will enhance the flavor of your food.
hardwoods
fruitwoods
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Which of these is an 18th-century word for flattening chicken for quick cooking?
spatchcock
Spatchcock (believed to have been derived from the phrase "dispatch the cock") is a way of flattening a whole chicken by cutting out the spine before cooking.
anvil
poundeyre
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What salad dressing gets its name from a region that's popular among outdoors enthusiasts?
ranch
Thousand Island
The Thousand Island region in upstate New York is known for its good hunting and fishing -- and salad dressing.
green goddess
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A basic pesto sauce consists of basil, Parmesan, olive oil, salt and:
pepper
tomato paste
pine nuts
Pine nuts are an essential ingredient in any basic pesto recipe.
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What's a mycophile?
wine connoisseur
edible mushroom hunter
A mycophile is someone who hunts edible wild mushrooms. The word comes from the Greek "mykes" (meaning "fungus") and "philos" (meaning "loving)".
person who loves wild game
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What's the hand test used for in grilling?
It determines the heat of coals.
The hand test is used to estimate the temperature of charcoal when grilling. Hold your hand 4 inches (10 centimenters) above the coals. If you can hold it there for five seconds before the heat forces you to pull it away, the coals are at medium-low heat. Four seconds equals medium heat, three seconds equals medium-hot heat and two seconds means the coals are at high heat.
It's used to test the doneness of meat.
It's a method of determining the difference between chicken and burgers when cooking in the dark.
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When a recipe calls for wine, most cooks avoid using cooking wines because they contain what?
salt
Products labeled as cooking wines contain salt. Most cooks use a regular wine for their recipes.
too much alcohol
fat
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What is the soft-ball stage of syrup?
The syrup can be rolled into a ball that gives some resistance when pressed.
The syrup can be rolled into a ball and flattens easily when pressed.
At the soft-ball stage, the syrup can be rolled into a soft ball and flattened when removed from cold water.
The syrup can be rolled into a ball and does not flatten when pressed.
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Which of the following should you avoid marinating overnight?
chicken
pork
fish
Fish and vegetables should only be marinated for short periods of time, since they don't need tenderizing.
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What is a quick fix if your rice is too wet?
Turn up the heat.
Stir the rice.
Uncover the pot.
If the rice is too wet, uncover the pot and cook over low heat to gently evaporate the extra water.
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What degree is required to smoke meat?
150-200 degrees Farenheit (66-93 degrees Celsius)
Smoking may take several days at temperatures around 150 degrees to 200 degrees Farenheit (66-93 degrees Celsius).
250-300 degrees Farenheit (121-149 degrees Celsuis)
350-400 degrees Farenheit (177-204 degrees Celsius)
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What type of sauce is best for long, narrowly shaped pasta?
oil-based sauces (thin and smooth)
Thin and smooth sauces are favored by long and narrowly shaped pastas like spaghetti and vermicelli.
thick sauce that contains chunks of meat
Either is best.
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Which of the following is a suitable substitute for oil in some bread recipes?
milk
margarine
applesauce
Applesauce will work in recipes for quick breads, muffins and other cake-like baked goods.
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What is poaching?
quick boil
dry broiling
slow simmer
Poaching is a technique of cooking food slowly in a simmering, but not boiling liquid.
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What is mincing?
make shallow cuts in the surface of the food
cut food in fine pieces
Mincing is cutting food into very fine pieces.
cut food lengthwise in thin strips
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When doubling a recipe which of the following should you NEVER double?
flour
alcohol
Alcohol can overpower the other flavors of the dish so you should not double it in a recipe. Use 1.5 times the amount instead.
water
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You Got:
/20
Chris Gramly/Getty Images
