Cabernet
Sauvignon: A superior red-wine grape cultivated in
France and California.
Cake:
Flour a finely ground low protein flour.
Calabaza:
Baked pumpkin
Calamari:
This ten-armed cephalopod, commonly known as "squid,"
is related to the octopus. They vary in size from 1 inch to
80 feet in length. The meat is firm and chewy, with a somewhat
sweet flavor. Over-cooking can lead to a rubbery texture.
Calavo:
California Avocados
Calico
bass: One of a large number of North American freshwater
fish closely related to the perch. Known for their bright, sunny
colors, calico bass are also known as "sunfish."
California
sheepshead: A saltwater fish belonging to the wrasse
family. Also called ""fathead," and "redhead."
Its meat is white, tender, and lean.
Calorie:
Unit of heat
Canapé:
A cracker, thin pieces of bread or toast topped with cheese
& other ingredients, served as an appetizer.
Candlefish:
A rich and oily mild-flavored fish. This variety of smelt is
so named because Indians sometimes run a wick through their
high-fat flesh and use them for candles. Also known as the "Eulachon."
Cane
syrup: Thick, extremely sweet syrup made from the sugar
cane
Capers:
These are the sun-dried, then pickled buds of a bush native
to the Mediterranean.
Cappuccino:
An Italian coffee made by topping espresso with creamy foam
Caramelize:
When sugars colours or browns due to prolong exposure to heat,
also known as browning.
Caraway
seed: The aromatic seed of an herb in the parsley family
with a flavor described as a cross between aniseed and fennel.
Carbohydrates:
Substances, mostly vegetable, composed of two parts hydrogen
& one part oxygen, ie: sugar, starch, cellulose.
Cardamom:
A pungent aromatic spice that is a member of the ginger family.
Carlonnade:
Beef stew cooked in beer.
Carob:
The dried and roasted pulp of a tropical tree sometimes used
as a chocolate substitute
Carp:
This freshwater fish ranges from 2 to 7 pounds and has a lean
white flesh. It is the primary ingredient for the Jewish dish
called "gefilte fish."
Casein:
Principal nitrogenous part of milk
Cashew:
An expensive nut used occassionally, it is high in fat and sometimes
used as a replacement for candle nut.
Cassiabark:
Interchangeable with cinnamon bark, it´s flavor is sweeter
and not as spicy, it´s thicker and texture is not as smooth
as cinnamon.
Caster
Sugar: Super fine sugar, also known as bar sugar.
Catfish:
This fish is firm, low in fat, and has a mild flavor. Most catfish
are fresh water varieties, but there is a salt water variety
that called the "hogfish." The channel catfish is
considered the best for eating.
Cayenne
Pepper: A hot red pepper powder made chiefly from the
dried ripe pepper
Celery
Seed: The seed of the wild "lovage," most
of which is grown in India
Celery
Salt: A seasoning composed of celery seed and salt.
Chablis:
An elegant dry wine grown in northern Burgundy (France).
Chakinzushi:
Sushi rapped with thin omelet
Chamomile:
An aromatic flower that is dried and used to flavor tea
Champagne:
A popular bubbling wine from France.
Chantilly
creme: A French term that refers to dishes that are
served or prepared with whipped cream.
Charcuterie:
Preserved pork products.
Chardonnay:
Wine from grapes used in making fine French champagnes and white
burgundies.
Chartreuse:
An aromatic liqueur originally made by the monks of a monastery
in France
Chateaubriand:
The largest end of the beef tenderlion cut, served with turned
vegetables, this product is prepared for two or more people.
Chaudfroid:
Meat or poached fish chilled and served cold, masked with a
thick sauce and covered with aspic.
Chayote:
(also known as christophine, chuchu, xuxu) A round or pear shaped
white to dark-green tropical squash. May be smooth or corrugated,
3 to 8 inches long sometimes covered with soft spines. The firm,
crisp flesh is more delicate in flavor than the familiar summer
squash. Available in some Latin American markets the year round.
Keeps two to four weeks in refrigerator.
Cheesecloth:
a light and porous fabric use in many cooking applications,
mostly used with a fagot or for straining stocks.
Chenin
Blanc: A grape of French origin that produces excellent
white wines
Chemiser:
the clothing or lining to mold aspic or ice cream.
Chervil: A mild,
aromatic herb of the parsley family
Chianti:
A sturdy dry red Italian wine now more commonly packaged in
a Bordeaux-type bottle.
Chicory:
An endive relative with curly, slightly bitter leaves that are
used in salads or cooked as greens.
Chiffonade:
mostly fish wrapped in thin strands of lettuce and/or vegetables,
cooked and sliced into medallions.
Chikuwa:
A variety of Japanese fish paste cake.
Chili
Pepper: Any of over 200 varieties of hot pepper.
Chilies
and Peppers: Every podded pepper-sweet, pungent or
hot-has a New World origin. The chilipepper family, called Capsicum,
includes Hungarian paprika as well as the fiery peppers of Indian
curry, the pickled peppers of the Middle East and the common
sweet bell pepper. There are a number of groups within the family-Cayenne
and tabasco are examples-and within each group there are hundreds
of varieties of different shapes and hotness. Growers and canners
of chilies rate the pungency, or heat, of chili peppers on a
scale of I to 120. A jalapeno, which to our palates is a relatively
hot chili, measures 15 on this scale.Remember that chilies lose
their flavor quickly. Even dried chilies must be stored in a
cool, dry place-preferably the refrigerator- in a tightly covered
jar or tin.
Chili
Powder: A seasoning mixture of dried chilies, garlic,
oregano, cumin, coriander, and cloves.
Chinese
Parsley: A plant native to the Mediterranean and the
Orient. It is related to the parsley family and is valued for
both its leaves and its seeds--both of whose flavors bear no
resemblance to each other.
Chinook
Salmon: Considered the finest Pacific salmon. This
high-fat, soft textured fish can reach up to 120 pounds. Also
called the "king salmon."
Chipotle:
A dark brick-red chili about 2 inches long, plump, tapered and
twisted. Very hot, with a pungent, distinct flavor.
Chirashizushi:
Assorted sushi
Chives:
A fragrant herb with slender, hollow green stems and
a mild onion flavor
Chocolate:
A preparation made from cocoa seeds that have been roasted,
husked, and ground.
Choucroutegarni:
Alsatian disk filled with pork, sausage and/or sauerkraut.
Chouzame:
Japanese for sturgeon
Chowchow:
A mustard-flavored relish of vegetables and pickles
Chowder:
Soups made with vegetables and meat, poultry or seafood
Chrysanthemum:
when dried this flower is used to make tea often with a little
sugar, every Chinese restaurant serves this tea
Chutney:
an Indian style relish containing cooked or uncooked fruit,
vegetables and spices.
Chuutoro:
Japanese for semi fatty tuna.
Cilantro:
A plant native to the Mediterranean and the Orient. It is related
to the parsley family and is valued for both its leaves and
its seeds--both of whose flavors bear no resemblance to each
other.
Cinnamon:
This spice comes from the inner bark of a tropical evergreen
tree
Cisco:
One of the most prized whitefish found in the Great Lakes and
in Canada. May be prepared in any manner suitable for salmon.
Also called "lake herring" and "chub."
Clarified
butter: Butter with impurities removed, also known
a drawn butter.
Clam:
These bivalve mollusks come in two varieties. Hard-shell clams
include littleneck, cherrystone, and chowder clams. The soft-shelled
clams, such as steamer, razor, and geoduck clams, have thin
brittle shells that can't completely close.
Clove:
This spice is the dried, unopened flower bud of the
tropical evergreen clove tree.
Cocoa:
The fruit of the cocoa plant.
Coconut
Water: The opaque white liquid in the unripened coconut
that serves as a beverage for those living near the coconut
palm.
Coconut
cream: This is made by combining one part water and
four parts shredded fresh or desiccated coconut meat and simmering
until foamy
Cocotte:
An oven-proof dish used for baking soufflés.
Cod:
A popular lean, firm, white meat fish from the Pacific and the
North Atlantic. "Scrod" is the name for young cod
(and haddock) that weight less that 2.5 pounds. "Haddock,"
"Hake," and "Pollock" are close relatives
of the cod.
Coddle:
To simmer just under the boiling point for a short period of
time.
Coho
salmon: This high-fat variety of salmon provides a
firm-textured, pink to orange-red flesh. Also called the "silver
salmon
Colander:
Sizable straining device with large perforations.
Compote:
Stewed fruits.
Concassé:
To chop roughly
Confectioners
sugar: A finely ground white sugar, also known as powdered
sugar.
Consummé:
A stock prepared with egg then strained to produce a clear flavour-full
broth.
Convection:
To cook using dry heat & forced air.
Coriander:
Almost never cooked, it is used as a garnish or in salsa to
make pico de gallo, it has a unique flavour and is used in small
quantities, also known as Chinese parsley or cilantro.
Corn
Syrup: This is a syrup derived from cornstarch.
Coulis:
A sauce made from the juice of fruit, pureed and forced through
a fine strainer to remove any lumps or seeds, usually goes under
the food product.
Crab:
Any of a large variety of 10-legged crustaceans (shelled animals).
There are freshwater and salt water varieties. It is the second
most popular shellfish. (Shrimp is the most popular.)
Crappie:
One of a large number of North American freshwater fish closely
related to the perch. Known for their bright, sunny colors,
crappie are also known as "sunfish."
Crayfish:
Also called "Crawfish" and "crawdads." Crayfish
are freshwater crustaceans that look like tiny lobsters. Crayfish
can be prepared in any manner appropriate to a lobster.
Cream
of tartar: A natural fruit acid in the form of a fine
white powder derived from a crystalline deposit found inside
wine barrels.
Creaming:
Method of producing a smooth, creamy mixture by blending in
an electric mixer at low speed.
Cremede
menthe: Mint-flavored liqueur is available clear ("white")
and green.
Creole:
Type of French, Spanish, Indian and African cuisine, originated
in the gulf states of America, especially in Louisiana by the
Acadians from Quebec.
Cress:
Any of various plants belonging to the mustard family
Croaker:
Any of a variety of fish named for the peculiar drumming or
deep croaking noise they make. These fish are firm and low in
fat. The croaker family includes the black croaker, black drum,
hardhead, kingfish, and redfish.
Croquette:
Pureed vegetables breaded and deep fried or sautéed.
Croustade:
Meat or poultry served in a pastry shell.
Croutons:
Cubes of bread, seasoned and lightly baked or fried to a golden
brown, popular on salads.
Cryovac:
The process to wrap foods in plastic while removing all the
air to prevent spoilage & meat can easily age
Cumin:
This spice is a member of the parsley family and dates back
to the Old Testament.
Cuminseed:
Main ingedient in curry powder and often coupled with fennel
seed
Cup:
measuring volume in imperial format (8 fluid ounces), also known
as c.
Curd:
the coagulated product from soured milk, also used in the making
of cheese.
Cusk:
A large saltwater fish related to the cod. It has a firm, lean
flesh. Also called "tusk" or "torsk."
Cuttlefish:
A relative of the squid and octopus, the cuttlefish has ten
arms that can reach up to 16 inches in length. "Sarume,"
which is available in ethnic stores, is cuttlefish that has
been seasoned and roasted.
Curacoa:
This is an orange-flavored liqueur made from the dried
peel of bitter