Soups and sauces can be thickened in a variety of ways. A sauce must the thick enough to cling to the food, but not so thick it stands up on its own. Starches are by far the most common thickening agent. Cornstarch, arrowroot, waxy maize and the ever popular, roux (roo). But what is a roux and how does it work?

Roux is a cooked mixture of equal parts by weight of fat and flour. If you mix a starch with water, such as cornstarch it is called a slurry

How does it work?

Starches thicken by absorbing water and swelling to many times their original size. This process is called gelatinization. In order for the starch to function at its maximum, each granule of starch must be separated before heating in order to avoid lumps. If granules are not What’s the Thick on Roux? Thickening Soups and Sauces Recipe

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Mexican Burgers

by News Canada

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Makes: 6 servings

1 pkg Knorr® Onion Soup Mix

1 1/2 lbs (750 g) medium ground beef

1/4 cup (50 mL) water

2 tbsp (30 mL) chili powder

1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) dried oregano

6 slices Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese

(2x 1.5 inches/ 5x3 cm)

1/2 cup (125 mL) prepared salsa

1/4 cup (50 mL) mayonnaise

6 buns

shredded lettuce

coriander leaves

In a large bowl, combine Knorr® Onion Soup Mix, beef, water, chili powder, cumin and oregano; mix well. Divide into 6 equal portions. On a baking sheet pat each portion into a 5-inch (12 cm) thin, round patty. Place one piece of cheese on each patty. Fold edges of meat over the cheese, pressing Mexican Burgers Recipe

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Russian Beverages for Russian Brides in the US

by Annas Agency

Ancient Happy Cherry Honey

Description

Honey beverage was an obligatory drink of the nobility. Monastery honey beverages were known as the most famous. Many tzars sent their cooks to perfect honey cooking skills to monasteries. To improve the taste and colour, they could add fruit juices or berries. Diluted with juice, honey didn't contain any alcohol and was considered as the most splendid vitaminous beverage.

Method

Put honey in enamel pan, add water and boil stirring regularly and taking froth off. Put well washed cherries without bones in the bottle with a narrow neck and pour warm syrup over. Cover bottle with a wet sheet and leave in a warm place for three days to ferment. After that cork the neck with a sackcloth up and put in Russian Beverages for Russian Brides in the US Recipe

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