| Term | Definition
|
|---|
| cacao | A tropical tree whose seeds are used to make
cocoa and chocolate.
|
| Cajun | A culinary style of French and Southern origins,
associated with the deep south. There are
numerous well known dishes, such as Jambalaya,
that come from this cuisine.
|
| calorie | An energy unit of measure. It is defined as the
energy required to heat one gram of water by
one degree C. at sea level. Fat and alcohol
both have nearly twice the calories per unit
of weight than carbohydrates and proteins.
|
| canape | An appetizer or hors d'oeuvre of bread or
crackers with some savory topping.
|
| cannelloni | A large, tube-shaped pasta. They are generally
boiled, stuffed, and served with a sauce.
|
| cannoli | Italian dessert of deep fried pasta shells filled
with a sweet ricotta cheese mixture.
|
| capellini | Thin pasta, slightly thicker than "angel hair"
pasta.
|
| cappuccino | An Italian coffee beverage of expresso, a little
steamed milk, topped with steamed milk foam and
cocoa powder.
|
| capsaicin | The "heat" in chiles comes from this compound.
Most prevalent in the seeds and veins of the
chiles.
|
| caramel | A candy produced by melting sugar to between
320 F. and 350 F. When cooled, it is hard and
brittle. Soft caramel, used as an ice cream
topping, is made by mixing butter and milk
with the caramel.
|
| caramelize | A cooking technique of topping a dish with sugar
and then melting the sugar with high heat. This
is the technique used to make creme brulee.
|
| carpaccio | Italian dish of raw beef, very thinly sliced,
drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil, and
topped with capers and onions.
|
| cassata | A traditional Italian dessert, typically made
with sponge cake enclosing a ricotta-chocolate
filling.
|
| caster suger | Also spelled castor sugar is the British equivalent for superfine sugar. It dissolves easily and can be used for such things as making meringues and sweetening cold liquids.
It can be substituted for regular granulatd sugar cup for cup.
|
| caul | A fatty membrane taken from pig or sheep. It is
used to wrap preparations, such as pate, and it
melts while cooking.
|
| cayenne | Bright red, very hot chile pepper. Used to make
cayenne pepper, or ground for soups and sauces.
|
| celery | A popular vegetable; stalks and leaves are used
extensively in salads, appetizers, soups, and
more. Originally considered a medicinal herb.
|
| chalupa | A corn tortilla shaped like a boat, fried, then
filled like a taco.
|
| chard | A vegetable related to the beet, used for its
leaves and stalks. High in iron, and vitamins
A and C.
|
| chaurice | A Creole and Cajun sausage. Made from pork, and
normally spicy. Served on its own, or in gumbos
and jambalayas.
|
| chervil | A mild, anise-flavored herb related to parsley.
|
| chestnut | A large, sweet nut of the chestnut tree. Prepared
in a variety of ways after removing the shell and
inner skin (not just roasted over an open fire,
with Jack Frost nearby.)
|
| chickpea | Also called garbanzo beans, these large peas are
common in Mediterranean, Indian, and Middle
Eastern dishes.
|
| chile | The spicy fruit native to Mexico. Its popularity
since the 1500's now extends to Europe, Africa,
and Asia as well as the western hemisphere.
Many varieties, from large to small, mild to hot.
Most of the "heat" is in the seeds and veins,
and comes from the chemical compound capsaicin.
|
| chimichanga | A burrito that is fried or deep fried. A specialty of Sonora, Mexico.
|
| chirinabe | A family-style Japanese dish of fish and vegetables,
cooked in a central pot of broth at the table.
|
| chorizo | A highly seasoned, coarsely ground pork sausage flavored with garlic, chili powder and other spices used in both Mexican and Spanish cooking.
As opposed to other sausages, casing should be removed before cooking.
|
| churn | The process of agitating cream until it separates
into solids and liquids. The solid fat result
is butter.
|
| chutney | A spicy, Indian condiment made from fruit,
vinegar, and spices. It is served with curries
and other dishes, or as a spread or appetizer
with cheese.
|
| cilantro | The stems and leaves of the coriander plant, also known as Chinese parsley and coriander.
It is often used in Asian, Caribbean and Latin American cooking and can be found sold in bunches in the fresh herb section of most markets year round.
Both the leaves and the stems may be used in cooking. For cooking ideas, type cilantro into our word search feature.
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