Glossary of Cooking Terms

A vegetable having a short stem surrounded by large wrinkled leaves that are packed together in a round broad head.

Pronounced cab-air-nay FrahN. A grape varietal, used in the production of red wine, originating in the Loire Region of France.

Pronounced cab-air-nay FrahN. A grape varietal, used in the production of red wine, originating in the Loire Region of France.

Pronounced cab-air-Nay So-veen-yawn. A grape varietal, used in the production of robust red wines and white wines with blush hues, originating in the Bordeaux region of France.

A popular variety of farmhouse blue cheese produced in and around the town of Cabrales in Northwest Spain.

A tree that grows in tropical regions and produces a bean or seed known as the cocoa bean.

The Italian word for "hunter" that refers to the manner of food preparation and the ingredients typically used for game dishes.

A derivative of the Italian word for hunter (cacciatora) that refers to the preparation procedure as well as the ingredients typically used for several different types of game dishes.

A dry Italian salami, which generally consists of equal parts of pork and beef, however it can be produced with all pork meat.

Considered to be one of the traditional farmhouse cheeses that are rural and artisian in nature, this variety of cheese has been made in the Italian regions of Umbria and Tuscany for many years.

The edible leaf or paddle of the prickly pear cactus and other varieties of cactus.

Classified as a phosphoprotein, this substance is a protein that is most commonly associated with and found in milk and cheese products.

An organic compound that is found naturally in various foods and plants such as cocoa beans (coffee and chocolate or chocolate milk products), tea leaves (teas), and kola nuts.

Italian espresso that has been diluted with a little extra water to soften the espresso flavor.

Italian espresso that is modified by adding grappa, an Italian liqueur or brandy.

A coffee drink consisting of iced coffee that is sweetened with sugar and topped with whipped cream.

Italian espresso that has been lightly diluted with a little extra water to soften the espresso flavor.

A coffee beverage with a slightly chocolate flavor. The ingredients in Café Mocha typically include: half coffee, half cocoa, and garnished with whipped or heavy cream.

An Italian espresso that is made by using half the normal measure of water and twice the normal measure of espresso grounds.

A chilled drink traditionally served in Brazil that is made from Cachaca, an alcoholic beverage distilled from sugarcane that is similar to rum.

Refers to a type of cuisine that combines French and Louisiana cooking and is noted for its spicy quality.

A bread-like baked substance with a sweet flavor, usually made with flour, eggs, milk or water, sugar, and flavoring.

A type of flour produced from the endosperm portion of the wheat kernel. It is high in starch and has a low protein content, which means that it contains very little gluten, making it suitable for cake recipes.

The type of knife that is most often considered to be a serving utensil for cutting cakes at events such as graduations, weddings, and other celebrations.

A baking pan commonly found in every kitchen. Cake pans can be round, square, or rectangular and are available in several sizes.

A round plate with a cover that serves as a storage container to hold fresh cakes.

A companion utensil to a cake knife, the Cake Server is used to place pieces of cut cake and pie on plates to be served.

A kitchen utensil that is used to check the doneness of cakes after baking. Typically, any utensil that is thin-shafted will work, such as a pick, slender knife, or a traditional cake testing utensil.

A type of fresh yeast, sold in dense crumbly cakes, that is used as a leavening agent for bread dough.

A round pumpkin-shaped squash that is found in a variety of sizes ranging from a few inches in diameter, similar to a small canteloupe up to two feet.

An Italian dry sausage that is traditionally made with only pork meat, but at times is combined with a small amount of beef.

Wide tubular pasta that is shaped like a large ring.

A smaller version of the calamarata tube pasta, which has been cut into large wide rings.

Another name for squid, calamari is a member of the cephalopod variety of mollusks that also includes cuttlefish and octopus.

A medium size, almond shaped Greek olive that is blackish-purple in color. It is a brine-cured stone cracked olive that is slit, and packed in vinegar.

A French food that is similar to a beignet, however it includes rice as the main filling inside of a fried dough pastry shell, instead of fruit or a shell of only sweet dough.

A common Jamacian salad green grown from the taro root. Used in a manner similar to lettuce, Callaloo is prepared for use in salads, soups, and side dishes.

A soup or stew popular in Caribbean countries that is prepared with Callaloo leaves obtained from taro root plants.

A unit of measure used to describe the heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water, one degree centigrade.

A dry apple brandy considered to be a premium brandy, which is produced in the Calvados region of northern France.

Mild in flavor, the Calypso bean is a dried heirloom bean that is a member of the kidney bean family of legumes.

With a baked or fried dough as the outer wrapping that covers ingredients cooked within, this food item is often considered to be a form of a baked sandwich.

A minor red grape varietal, primarily found in Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines produced in the Rhône region of France.

A cheese native to Germany and Austria that is produced as a combination of a Camembert and a Gorgonzola, thus the name, which is also often spelled Cambazola.

A cheese that is French in origin, which is also made in other European countries and the United States.

A fairly new variety of apple that is thought to be a cross between Red and Golden Delicious apples.

Pasta in the shape of a small cone with a ruffled edge. Also known as gigli.

Queso Campesino is a name often given to this Mexican cheese that is categorized as an artisan cheese produced most often by smaller cheese processors.

Made from a combination of cow, goat, and sheep's milk, this cheese originated in Spain as a cheese considered to a Manchego-style cheese, but is actually different in several respects.

A foodborne pathogen that causes illness from undercooked poultry and meat or infected raw milk and untreated water.