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F

FATS: Solid fats and oils add richness and flavor to food. In cooking, they improve browning, help bind ingredients together, tenderize baked goods and are used for frying. But not all fats are created equal in texture and flavor. In our recipes, we call for different fats because of their cooking and baking characteristics.

• BUTTER: A saturated fat made from cream that must be at least 80 percent butterfat by USDA standards. It's high in flavor and has a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Butter is sold in solid sticks or whipped in tubs. Only use sticks for baking; whipped butter will give a different texture because of the sir beaten into it.
   
• BUTTER-MARGARINE BLENDS: Available in sticks and tubs, blends usually are a combination of 60 percent margarine and 40 percent butter and are interchangeable with butter or margarine. Only use sticks for baking.
   
• LARD: A saturated fat made from rendered and refined pork fat, lard is not used as much now as in the past. Lard makes very tender, flaky biscuits and pastry.
   
• MARGARINE: An unsaturated butter substitute made with at least 80 percent fat by weight and flavoring from dairy products. Most margarine uses vegetable oils made from soybeans, cottonseed and corn. Use it as a table spread and for cooking and baking. Sold in sticks and as soft spread in tubs. Only use sticks for baking.
   
• OILS FOR COOKING: Low in saturated fats and containing no cholesterol, these liquid fats are delicate to bland in flavor and ar treated to withstand high-temperature cooking and long storage. Look for these cooking oils in the recipes:
   
  Cooking spray: Used to spray cooking and baking pans to prevent food from sticking. You also can spray it directly on food for low-fat cooking.
   
  Olive oil: This oil has become incredibly popular in the United States, not only for its flavor but also for its potential health benefits. Olive oil naturally contains no cholesterol, but it does contain fat - the highest amount of monounsaturated fat of any vegetable oil, which may contribute to heart health. It is classified in several ways, including extra virgin, virgin, olive oil and light olive oil.
   
  Vegetable oil: An economical blend of oils from various vegetables, such as corn, cottonseed, peanut, safflower, canola and soybean. Use for all cooking and baking.
   
• REDUCED-CALORIE OR LOW-FAT BUTTER OR MARGARINE: Water and air have been worked into these products, and they contain at least 20 percent less fat than regular butter or margarine. Do not use for baking or cooking.
   
• SHORTENING: Vegetable oils that are hydrogenated so they'll be solid at room temperature. Shortening is used especially for flaky, tender pastry and to grease baking pans. Use butter-flavored and regular shortening interchangeably. Sold in cans and in sticks.
   
• VEGETABLE-OIL SPREADS: Margarine products with less than 80 percent fat (vegetable oil) by weight usually are labeled as vegetable-oil spreads. They're sold in sticks for all-purpose use, including some baking if they contain more than 65 percent fat, so check the label. Vegetable-oil spreads sold in tubs shouldn't be used for baking. They're also sold as a liquid in squeeze bottles. Use the squeezable spread for topping veggies, popcorn or basting, but not for baking.

FLAKE: Break lightly into small pieces, using a fork (cooked fish).

FLOUR: The primary ingredient in breads, cakes, cookies and quick breads. The main difference between the different varieties of flour is the amount of gluten-forming protein they contain and you'll want more or less protein depending on what you are baking. The main job of gluten is to give structure to baked goods.

• ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR: Selected wheats blended for all kinds of baking. Available both bleached and unbleached.
   
• BREAD FLOUR: Made from hard wheat, which is higher in gluten-forming protein and gives more structure and volume to bread than all-purpose flour. It's the best choice for making bread machine breads and other yeast breads. It can also be used for quick breads and cookies, but it doesn't make tender cakes or pastries.
   
• CAKE FLOUR: Milled from soft wheat, which has less gluten, cake flour results in tender, fine-textured cakes.
   
• QUICK-MIXING FLOUR: Enriched, all-purpose flour that's granular and processed to blend easily with liquid to make gravies or sauces or thicken main dishes.
   
• RYE FLOUR: Milled from rye grain and low in gluten-forming protein, it is usually combined with wheat flour to increase a dough's gluten-forming capabilities.
   
• SELF-RISING FLOUR: A convenience flour made from a blend of hard and soft wheats that includes leavening and salt. For best results, don't substitute self-rising flour for other kinds, unless directed in a recipe, because it will throw off the leavening and salt proportions.
   
• WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR: Ground from the complete wheat kernel, whole wheat flour gives breads and other baked goods a nutty flavor and dense texture. Stone-ground whole wheat flour has a coarser texture than roller-milled whole wheat flour. Graham flour is a slightly different grind of whole wheat flour but can be used interchangeably with whole wheat flour. It is best to store whole wheat flour in the freezer or refrigerator to keep the fat in the wheat germ from becoming rancid. Be sure to allow the amount of flour measured for your recipe to come to room temperature before adding it to other ingredients.

FLUTE: Pinching pastry with your fingers to make a finished, decorative edge.

FRY: Cook in hot fat over moderate or high heat. See also Deep-fry, Panbroil, Panfry, Sauté.