Glossary of Cooking Terms

A type of cookware constructed of a soft, heavy metal material known as Cast Iron, which is an excellent material for cooking foods.

A ridged shell pasta that has been rolled to form a long oval shape. It was orginally named Paguri after a tiny crab found along the coast of Italy that had a shape resembling the pasta.

A Spanish sheep's milk cheese that has a natural rind with a zigzag pattern pressed into it.

A very soft, blue-veined Danish cheese with a buttery flavor. This blue cheese has a spreadable quality making it excellent for appetizers or as a snacking cheese it goes well with fruit and nuts.

A traditional farmhouse cheese that comes from the Piedmont area of northern Italy.

Native to Europe, this old world variety of cheese comes from the Piedmont region of northern Italy and is not often found in stores.

A variety of olive that is grown in Italy, most notaly in areas around Sicily. Bright green in color, the Castelvetrano Olive is harvested when it is young and is brine cured.

A granulated sugar produced into very fine textured grains of sugar. Often referred to as "castor" sugar in Britain, this sweetener is an unrefined sugar made from unrefined sugar cane.

A stuffed pasta that is made into the shape of a half circle and crimpled along the edges.

An olive that is produced in the Catalonia region of Spain. An Arebequina olive would be a traditional Catalan olive.

A type of scaleless, freshwater river fish distinguished by the whisker-like barbels that extend from its mouth.

An aromatic herb from the mint family, which is sometimes used in cooking. The leaves and shoot tips from the plant are added to salads, soups, sauces, and savory dishes for flavoring.

Unit of measure of the duration of a wine’s finish. 1 second of after taste is equal to 1 caudalie.

A type of cabbage with numerous buds known as florets, that form a compact cabbage-like head.

Scientific Names: Sparassis Crispa or S Spathulata and S. Herbstii. The Sparassis Crispa is known as the western U.S.

Sparkling wine originating in Spain produced by traditional methods. Cava is made using the Méthode Champenoise.

A short s-shaped pasta tube that resembles a small corkscrew. Its slender, spiral shape makes it suitable for serving with sauces, in salads, and in casseroles.

A small shell shaped pasta that has slightly rolled-in edges. The name cavatelli is sometimes found associated with pasta that is similar in shape to casarecci, only shorter in length, but most often it refers to the small shell shaped pasta.

The most common variety of banana used in baking, fruit salads, fruit compotes, and to complement foods.

The eggs or roe of selected varieties of fish that are processed and salt cured to provide a spreadable food that is considered an elegant delicacy.

A serving spoon that is small in size and made from materials that will not mix with the caviar to affect the taste and flavor of the fish eggs.

A very hot, intense red chile about 2 to 3 inches in length, which is often used in a ground form as a spice.

A chile pepper that is often available as a green or red fresh pepper and also commonly purchased as a ground pepper to be used as a spice for seasoning.

A traditional round clay pot from Spain that is used to cook or bake a variety of Spanish foods.

A turnip-like root vegetable that has a flavor similar to strong celery combined with parsley.

A plant belonging to the parsley family that is a common vegetable grown primarily for the pale green stalks or Celery ribs as they are also known.

A turnip-like root vegetable that has a flavor similar to strong Celery combined with parsley.

The seed from a wild form of celery, which is used as a spice. It has a strong celery flavor, so a little goes a long way.

A disease or condition relating to the inflammation of the small intestine. Sensitivity to gluten occurs in individuals having a specific genetic makeup so they are unable to easily digest wheat or wheat products, which contain the protein gluten.

A pasta tube that has been twisted to resembles the shape of a corkscrew.

Cellophane noodles are thin translucent noodles made from mung bean starch. Also known as bean thread noodles and glass noodles.

A scale for measuring temperature. On the Celsius scale, which is named for the Swedish astronomer that proposed it, pure water freezes at 0° and boils at 100°.

One of the five distinct types of garden lettuce used for salad greens and other dishes.

A grape varietal, used in the production of red wine, originating in the Iberian Peninsula of Spain.

Translated as "little rag" this pasta is oval shaped with a slight upward curl in the form of a small boat hull.

Also referred to as center cut ham steak, this cut is approximately ½ to 1 inch thick and is sliced from the center of the leg primal cut.

A scale for measuring temperature. On the centigrade scale, pure water freezes at 0° and boils at 100°.

(Scientific Name: Boletus edulis) A rich meaty flavored mushroom that has a large, round cap, pale yellowish brown to dark reddish brown in color, that grows 2 to 12 inches in width and may reach several pounds in weight.

A group of invertebrate marine animals that are characterized by muscular tentacles attached directly to their head.

A knife with a blade made from zirconium oxide, also referred to as ceramic zirconia, a very durable and hard substance that is only slightly softer than the hardness of diamonds.

The grain that is produced from grassy plants, which is processed into an edible or ready-to-eat breakfast food.

A large oval shaped black or green olive native to Italy. It is a brine-cured olive that generally provides a softer delicately sweet flavor.

A Mexican sandwich sold by street markets and vendors throughout Mexico that is somewhat similar to the American or Italian deli sandwich.

Often referred to as "summer sausage" or "blockwurst", Cervelat is a mildly seasoned sausage made from chopped pork or from a combination of chopped pork and beef.

A South American specialty dish that originated in either Ecuador or Peru: there seems to be a dispute as to which country the dish first appeared.

A variety of tea, grown at high altitudes, which is noted for its golden color and rich flavor.

French goat's milk cheese made in the Poitou region, south of the Loire valley. Cured dried, this cheese is molded in a cylinder shape and allowed to age for a month or two as a thin white, rough rind becomes yellowed and blue with mold.

Pronounced shah-blee. White wine produced in the Chablis district of the Burgundy region of France.

A cooking utensil used to keep foods warm. The Dish consists of a pan that rests within or on a platform above a small heating device such as a candle or gel stove (also known as spirit stove) that is used to heat the underside of the pan when warming food.

1) Derived from various Asian terms meaning "tea", Chai is the name applied to a popular hot beverage served throughout many parts of the world, but particulary Asia.