| Term | Definition
|
|---|
| butterfly | A preparation technique of splitting an item
down the center, nearly completely through,
so the halves can be opened and laid flat,
looking like a butterfly (though a meaty, dead
one.)
|
| Byrrh | French drink of combined red wine and quinine
water.
|
| Caesar salad | Famous salad first made by Caesar Cardini in
Tijuana, Mexico. Romaine lettuce and croutons
are tossed with garlic, olive oil, lemon
juice, anchovy, egg, and Worcestershire sauce.
An editor favorite is to substitute crisp chopped
celery for the croutons.
|
| caldo verde | A Portugese soup made with kale, potatoes, and
liguica sausage.
|
| cambric tea | An American beverage of milk, water, sugar, and
tea, served hot.
|
| Canola oil | This Canadian oil is made from the rapeseed.
Who'd want an oil named after the rapeseed?
It is low in saturated fat and high in
monounsaturated fat, making it a relatively
healthy oil.
|
| capers | The flower but of a bush native to the Mediterranean and parts of Asia.
It is picked, dried and then pickled in a vinegar brine. After rinsing, capers add a piquancy to sauces and condiments or as a garnish to meats and vegetables.
|
| cassoulet | A French dish of white beans and meats, slow
cooked in a covered pot.
|
| caviar | Classic, famous appetizer of sturgeon roe (eggs).
Beluga caviar is considered the best, coming
from the Caspain Sea of Russia and Iran. Lesser
caviars are available from other fish species.
|
| celeriac | The root of a variety of celery, used raw or
cooked or pureed in a variety of dishes.
|
| Celsius | A temperature scale where 0 is the freezing
point of water, and 100 is the boiling point
(at sea level.) F = 32 + C * 9/5.
|
| chafing dish | A dish kept above a heat source to keep food
warm.
|
| challah | A rich Jewish yeast bread, traditionally formed
in a braid.
|
| chapati | Indian whole-wheat bread; flat round cakes cooked
on a griddle.
|
| cherries jubilee | A famous dessert of dark red cherries, sugar,
and brandy, flamed then served over ice cream.
|
| chess pie | A favorite southern pie that has a combination of corn syrup, sugar, eggs and a small amount of flour as the filling.
|
| chicory | A bitter-tasting green, related to endive.
Common in Southern cooking. Roasted roots
are used to make a coffee style beverage, or
coffee additive.
|
| chiffonade | Thin strips of vegetables(i.e. lettuce or sorrel) lightly sauteed or used raw to garnish soups.
|
| chimichurri | An Argentinian herb sauce of olive oil, parsley,
vinegar, oregano, onion, garlic, and seasonings.
|
| chinois | A fine, metal sieve, used to puree or strain food.
|
| chives | A hardy, perennial herb (Allium schoenoprasum)
of the lily family, with small, slender, hollow
leaves having a mild onion odor: used to flavor
soups, stews, etc.
|
| chocolate | A highly refined and processed derivative of
cocoa beans. True chocolate must be made with
cocoa butter and chocolate liquor, both derived
from the processing of cocoa beans. The addition
of sugar and spices produces the various bitter
to sweet chocolates used in baking. Milk solids
are added for milk chocolate.
|
| chop suey | Not a Chinese dish, but rather an American-Chinese
dish, made of chopped meat, mushrooms, bean
sprouts, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, onions,
and rice.
|
| chowder | Most often thought of as clam chowder, but really
is any thick and chunky soup.
|
| coddle | Slow cooking of eggs in hot water. Used as a way
to reduce the danger of salmonella poisoning
from tainted raw eggs, when raw eggs are called
for in a recipe (such as in Caesar Salad.)
|
| coffee | World-wide popular beverage produced by steeping
roasted, ground coffee beans. Coffee flavor is
produced by hundreds of chemical compounds, and
is among the most complex of any food or beverage.
|
| Coleslaw | A shredded or chopped salad of red or white cabbage and mixed with mayonnaise, vinaigrette or other dressing. Variations include such ingredients as chopped onion, celery, red or green bell pepper, carrots, or herbs.
Traditional American coleslaws are made with a cream and vinegar sauce (along with other ingredients), while Dutch and German variations are vinegar based and the cabbage may or maynot be partially cooked. There is often some sugar added for a sweet and sour effect.
|
| concasse | If using tomatoes cut in large wedges. Cut near skin leaving about 1/4" of meat. No seeds or mushy flesh. Then, slice wedges julienne (1/4") and then slice julienne pieces in 1/4" pieces.
Generally a mixture that is coarsely chopped or ground.
|
| consomme | A clarified meat or fish broth which can be used as a soup or sauce base.
|
| cooking slow | Process which cooks food with a low, steady, moist heat often over a period of 8 to 12 hours.
A slow cooker or crock pot is an electic appliance which can cook the dish while you're away and doesn't heat up the kitchen.
Some vegetables may become over-cooked before other ingredients are done but could be added later in the cooking time or partially cooked on the stovetop and added at a later time.
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