| Term | Definition
|
|---|
| capellini | Thin pasta, slightly thicker than "angel hair"
pasta.
|
| 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.
|
| 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.
|
| cassoulet | A French dish of white beans and meats, slow
cooked in a covered pot.
|
| 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.
|
| 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.
|
| cayenne | Bright red, very hot chile pepper. Used to make
cayenne pepper, or ground for soups and sauces.
|
| celeriac | The root of a variety of celery, used raw or
cooked or pureed in a variety of dishes.
|
| celery | A popular vegetable; stalks and leaves are used
extensively in salads, appetizers, soups, and
more. Originally considered a medicinal herb.
|
| 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.
|
| chalupa | A corn tortilla shaped like a boat, fried, then
filled like a taco.
|
| chapati | Indian whole-wheat bread; flat round cakes cooked
on a griddle.
|
| 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.
|
| cherries jubilee | A famous dessert of dark red cherries, sugar,
and brandy, flamed then served over ice cream.
|
| chervil | A mild, anise-flavored herb related to parsley.
|
| chess pie | A favorite southern pie that has a combination of corn syrup, sugar, eggs and a small amount of flour as the filling.
|
| 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.
|
| 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.
|
| 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.
|
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