Cornstarch (or corn flour) usually works best with water-based sauces, reduced stock, jus from meats, wine sauces, wine-soy-vinegar Chinese sauces, etc. Make a thin paste of cornstarch and water, and stir that into the very warm liquids in the pot or pan. Over-heating or over-cooking will break down the starches.
maintaining, or pertaining to, the same length; of equal dimensions. isometric contraction. muscle contraction without appreciable shortening or change in distance between its origin and insertion. isometric exercise. active exercise performed against stable resistance, without change in the length of the muscle.
Muscle contractions can be described based on two variables: length and tension. A muscle contraction is described as isometric if the muscle tension changes but the muscle length remains the same. In contrast, a muscle contraction is isotonic if muscle length changes but the muscle tension remains the same. If the muscle length shortens, the contraction is concentric; if the muscle length lengthens, the contraction is eccentric.