All sausages fall into one of two categories: fresh sausage, such as fresh kielbasa or bratwurst, and pre-cooked sausage like smoked sausage or knockwurst, according to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council.

An ancient grain, rice has been a food staple for centuries. After harvesting, the grains are processed according to marketing and preparation specifications. The outer hull is removed for brown rice and the outer hull and bran for white rice, sacrificing some nutrients in the process.

Homemade pizza is cheaper, more nutritious and more versatile than the pizza you'd get from the freezer section of the grocery store or the local pizza parlor. The tough part is having the dough prepared and on hand when you want to make pizza in a hurry.

Alfred Bird discovered the first modern baking powder when searching for a yeast-free way to make bread for his wife, who suffered allergies to eggs and yeast. Baking powder, like baking soda and yeast, is a leavening agent that causes batter to rise.

The typical ways to make popcorn are on the stove top or in the microwave. Both the stove top and the microwave provide the fast burst of heat that popcorn needs to pop. The oven is not the ideal tool for making popcorn. It is, however, possible if you can satisfy certain conditions.

A carbohydrate is an important organic nutrient that has numerous roles in living things. It stores energy, acts as a structural component, at least in plants, and forms the backbone of genetic molecules such as DNA and RNA.

The word vermicelli literally means “little worms,” and refers to the shape of this type of pasta -- long strands thinner than spaghetti. People use vermicelli in Italian dishes, as well as many other ethnic cuisines. Vermicelli is especially popular as part of Asian menus, and usually is made from rice or wheat.

Ground beef with onion is a flavorful combination called for in a number of recipes. Sometimes -- as with sloppy Joes or beef casseroles -- you can just toss diced onion into the pan with the meat while you cook it. This doesn't work for solid preparations, though, such as meatloaves, meatballs and hamburgers.

Beef brisket is a traditional southern smokey barbecue treat made from the breast of the cow and slow cooked until tender and juicy. When planning a menu to accompany your brisket, consider dishes that will complement the heavy, smoky flavor of the beef while working within the barbecue theme of the meal.

Pierogies, traditional Eastern European dumplings, consist of a pasta-like dough encasing a filling that can include anything from potatoes and cheese to sauteed vegetables to fruit. Fresh pierogies can be deep-fried, sauteed, baked, grilled or boiled, but they cannot be cooked in the microwave.

Flavored water can give you a low-calorie or calorie-free zing when you need a hydrating boost, but it can also give you a dose of the artificial sweetener aspartame. While aspartame in low doses is safe for many and it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, it does come with potential side effects.

Cabbage consists mainly of delicate, thin-walled cells that rupture when the moisture they contain freezes rapidly. You can freeze cooked cabbage rolls, but it is likely they will fall apart into a soupy puddle when reheating them.