# | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

C

• Cabbage, green - the common market cabbage (Brassica olercaea) with a large, firm spherical head of tightly packed pale green waxy leaves;
• Cacao - Native South American tree whose seeds are fermented and processed to make cocoa and chocolate.
• Cacciatore - Italian for hunter and used to describe any stew-like dish flavored with onions, herbs, mushrooms, tomatoes and sometimes wine (ex. Chicken cacciatore).
• Caerphilly - A mild, crumbly, moist, and slightly sour cows' milk cheese.
• Cafe - (French) Coffee.
• Cake - in the United States, a broad range of pastries, including layer cakes, coffee cakes and gateaux;
• Cake Flour - a low-protein wheat flour used for making cakes, pastry doughs and other tender baked goods.
• Calabaza - Baked pumpkin.
• Calamari - Small squid.
• Calavo - The trade name for California Avocados.
• Caldillo - Poor man's stew made of ground beef, raw potatoes, and seasonings.
• California Jack cheese - see Monterey Jack cheese.
• Calmondin - A citrus tree cultivated for its naturally high concentration of vitamin C
• Calorie - Unit of heat; 1 calorie = 968 B.T.U. . The heat required to raise 1 gram of water 1 degrees centigrade.
• Calupas - Meaning "little boats," is a fried corn tortilla topped with shredded chicken or beans, cheese, tomatoes, guacamole, and salsa.
• Calvados - An apple brandy from Normandy, France made from cider that has been aged for up to two years and distilled.
• Canadian Bacon - The large rib-eye muscle of the pork loin, cured and smoked. It is boneless and usually lean, making it a good ham substitute for those watching their fat.
• Canapés - Garnished bite-sized rounds of bread or vegetables (cucumber, zucchini) served with cocktails and at buffets.
• Canapés - Small savoury appetisers served with drinks.
• Canard - (French Origin) Duck.
• Candy Thermometer - a kitchen tool used to determine heat levels in the cooking of candy, jams, and preserves.
• Cane Syrup - a thick, sweet syrup; the result of an intermediate step in the sugarcane refining process when the syrup is reduced.
• Cannellini - large, elongated kidney-shaped beans grown in Italy; have a creamy white color and are used in soups and salads;
• Cantaloupe, American - a muskmelon with a raised netting over a smooth grayish-beige skin, pale orange flesh, large seed cavity with many seeds and a sweet, refreshing, distinctive flavor;
• Cape Gooseberries - A small round fruit.
• Capellini - Italian for fine hair; used to describe extremely fine spaghetti.
• Capers - the unopened flower buds of a shrub (Capparis spinosa) native to the Mediterranean region; Small pickled flower buds used as a flavouring
• Capirotada - (Bread Pudding) Toasted bread topped with caramelized-sugar corn syrup, sliced longhorn cheese, raisins and cinnamon, and baked until cheese melts.
• Capon - a rooster castrated before it is 8 weeks old, fattened and slaughtered before it is 10 months old;
• Cappuccino - an Italian beverage made from equal parts espresso, steamed milk and foamed milk, sometimes dusted with sweetened cocoa powder or cinnamon;
• Capsicum - Generic name for the pepper family .
• Carambola - Also known as star fruit.
• Caramel - 1. A substance produced by cooking sugar until it becomes a thick, dark liquid; its color ranges from golden to dark brown;
• Caramelize - to cook white sugar in a skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar forms a golden-brown syrup.
• Caramelized Sugar - Sugar that has been cooked until it reaches a caramel color.
• Caraway Seed - The curved, anise flavored seeds popular in German and Austrian cooking. Caraway is also employed in the making of certain cheeses and liquers.
• Carbohydrates - the food group containing sugars, starches, and cellulose.
• Carbonnades - a French beef stew cooked with beer.
• Cardamom - The pods of an aromatic Indian plant related to the ginger family.
• Cardoon - A large winter and spring vegetable, related to the artichoke
• Carne Adovada - Pork steak marinated in chile sauce, then roasted or pan fried. Usually served with Spanish rice and refried beans.
• Carne Asada - Beef or pork cut in thin diagonal strips and cooked quickly over very hot coals.
• Carob - A sweet fruit pod used in baking.
• Carpaccio - Originally, paper thin slices of raw beef with a creamy sauce
• Carrageen / Carraghen Moss - an edible seaweed; Irish moss.
• Carrot - a member of the parsley family (Daucus carota);
• Cashew - A nut eaten dried, roasted and salted as a snack or in salads.
• Casserole - Concoctions of food that are baked in various-sized deep dishes.
• Caster Sugar - Also called superfine sugar. It is pulverized granulated sugar. Made at home by putting some granulated sugar in the blender.
• Castor / Castor Sugar - English term for superfine granulated sugar.
• Castor Sugar - Superfine sugar.
• Caul Fat - A lacy fatty membrane from the internal organs of an animal, often used for wrapping faggots or pâtés.
• Cauliflower - a member of the cabbage family (Brassica oleracea); has a head (called a curd) of tightly packed white florets
• Caviar - The salted and matured eggs or roe of sturgeon fish, Beluga is most expensive, followed by Oscietra and Sevruga.
• Caviar - the salted roe of sturgeon. Red caviar is the salted roe of salmon, and considered a less desirable substitute.
• Cavolo Nero - A strong flavoured cabbage, with dark green leaves
• Cayenne Pepper - A hot ground spice used for flavouring.
• Cayenne; Cayenne Pepper - 1. A hot pungent peppery powder blended from various ground dried hot chiles and salt, has a bright orange-red color and fine texture; also known as red pepper.
• Celeriac - Also known as celery root.
• Celery - developed in 16th-century Italy, this vegetable (Apium graveolens) grows in bunches of long stringy curved stalks or ribs surrounding a tender heart;
• Celery Salt - a seasoning blend of ground celery seeds and salt.
• Celery Seeds - the seeds of the herb lovage; they are small and brown and are used in pickling and as a flavoring.
• Cellophane/glass noodles - Also known as bean thread noodles, these are made from mung bean flour.
• Cèpe - a delicious mushroom.
• Chambrer - a French term used to describe the gradual raising of the temperature of wines from the cool wine cellar to room temperature.
• Chantilly - heavy cream whipped then sweetened and flavored with vanilla. Also, a sauce with whipped cream added
• Chantilly Cream - Whipped cream sweetened and flavoured with vanilla.
• Charcuterie - The term for pork meat or offal products, including cured and cooked meats.
• Charlotte - a molded dessert containing gelatin, usually formed in a glass dish or a pan that is lined with ladyfingers or pieces of cake.
• Charlottes - mold of biscuits, sponge cake, ladyfinger, etc., or sliced bread, filled with a custard cream and fruit.
• Chasseur - game or poultry served ‘hunter style’, with a rich red wine sauce,
• Château Bottled - wine bottled at the château where it was grown and made. Usually this means a superior wine,
• Chaud - (French Origin) Hot.
• Chauquehue - Blue corn meal much thicker than atole. Served with red chile with pork or spareribs in place of potatoes or rice.
• Chayote - The pear-shaped fruit of a West Indian annual vine (Sechium edule) of the gourd family that is widely cultivated as a vegetable. Also, the plant called mirliton. Tastes like a cross between potato and cauliflower, yet slightly sweet.
• Cheddar, American - a firm cheese made from whole cow's milk (generally pasteurized) produced principally in Wisconsin, New York and Vermont
• Cheese - dairy products made from milk curds separated from the whey
• Cheesecake - a rich, smooth dessert made by blending cream cheese, cottage cheese or ricotta with sugar, eggs and other flavorings, then baking;
• Chef - (French Origin) A culinary expert. The chief of the kitchen.
• Cherry - a small stone fruit from a tree of the Prunus genus, grown in temperate climates worldwide
• Cherry Tomato - a small less acidic spherical tomato with a bright red or yellow skin
• Cherrystone Clam - clams 3 inches long.
• Chestnut - the nut of the sweet chestnut tree (Castanea sativa); edible when cooked
• Chicharrones - (Cracklings) Pieces of fat cooked slowly until lard is rendered out.
• Chicken - one of the principal USDA-recognized kinds of poultry; has both light and dark meat and relatively little fat.
• Chicken, broiler-fryer - a chicken slaughtered when 13 weeks old; has a soft, smooth-textured skin, relatively lean flesh,
• Chicken, roaster - a chicken slaughtered when 3 to 5 months old; has a smooth-textured skin, tender flesh, a less flexible breastbone than that of a broiler.
• Chickpea - a somewhat spherical, irregular-shaped pea-like seed of a plant (Licer arieinum) native to the Mediterranean region; has a buff color, firm texture and nutty flavor
• Chicon - A single bulb of chicory.
• Chicory - The roasted ground roots of a variety of perennial herbs related to the radicchio and curly endive.
• Chicos - Dried sweet corn used whole or crushed in a seasoned stew.
• Chiffonade - finely cut vegetable strips used to garnish soups, raw, or simmered in butter. Lettuce and sorrel often are used in this manner.
• Chilaquillas - Called tortilla hash or poor man's dish. Includes leftover tortillas fried until crisp and combined with chile, eggs, jack or sharp cheddar cheese, and red chile sauce.
• Chile Caribe - Red chile pods blended with water to a puree and seasoned.
• Chile Con Queso - Melted cheese dip seasoned with chile and served with tostados.
• Chile Rellenos - Green chiles stuffed with cheese or meat, dipped in a cornmeal batter, and deep-fat fried.
• Chiles, Green - Found in a variety of sizes, shapes, and piquancies.
• Chiles, Red - Green chile that has ripened and dried. Chili oil This spicy, bright red oil, an essential in Chinese cooking, is made from steeping vegetable oil with crushed or small dried chilies.
• Chili (Chile) Powder - pure ground dried chiles; depending on the variety used, its flavor can range from sweet and mild to pungent and extremely hot and its color from yellow-orange to red to dark brown; used as a flavoring.
• Chili paste/sauce - A variety of thick seasoning pastes and sauces made from ground chilies, oil, salt and sometimes garlic and vinegar
• Chili; Chili (Chile) Pepper; Hot Pepper - the fruit of various plants of the capsicum family; a chile can have a mild to fiery hot flavor (caused by the capsaicin in the pepper's placental ribs) with undertones of various fruits or spices.
• Chilled - a food that has been refrigerated, usually at temperatures of 30 to 40*F(-1 to +4*C).
• Chimaja - Wild celery, root andleaf
• Chinese broccoli (gai lan) - The broad leaves, tender stalks and delicate white flowers of this vegetable are all edible.
• Chinese chives - Also known as garlic chives, these flat green chives are quite pungent and are used extensively in stir-fries and soups.
• Chinese egg noodles - These wheat-flour-based egg noodles are sold in both fresh and dried forms
• Chinese rice wine (Shaoxing) - This brown, nutty-tasting wine is made from glutinous rice, millet, yeast and spring water, and is similar in taste and smell to dry sherry.
• Chinois - A conical strainer.
• Chipolata - A small pork or beef sausage with special flavourings.
• Chipotle - a dried, smoked jalapeño; this medium-sized chile has a dull tan to dark brown color with a wrinkled skin and a smoky, slightly sweet, relatively milk flavor with undertones of tobacco and chocolate.
• Chippolata - common name for a tiny sausage, this originally described a garnish of chestnuts, glazed vegetables, and small sausages.
• Chitterlings - part of the small intestine of a pig, cooked.
• Chives - An herb and member of the onion family (Allium schoenprasum), with long, slender, hollow, green stems and purple flowers;
• Chocolate - roasted, ground, refined cacao beans used as a flavoring, confection or beverage.
• Chocolate, white - a confection made of cocoa butter, sugar and flavorings; does not contain cocoa solids.
• Chop - to cut into pieces of roughly the same size, either small (finely chopped) or larger (coarsely chopped).
• Chorizo - Highly seasoned hog link sausage.
• Choux Pastry - A light, double-cooked pastry used for cakes and buns.
• Chowder - A thick, chunky seafood soup
• Chuck - A cut of beef used for casseroles and stews.
• Chump - A cut of lamb or pork.
• Chutney - from the Hindi chatni, it is a condiment made from fruit, vinegar, sugar and spices; its texture can range from smooth to chunky and its flavor from mild to hot.
• Cider Vinegar - vinegar of unprocessed apple cider.
• Cilantro - Also known as Coriander and Chinese Parsley.
• Cilantro - the dark green lacy leaves of the cilantro plant; used as an herb, they have a sharp, tangy fresh flavor and aroma and are used fresh in Mexican, South American and Asian cuisines
• Cinnamon - a spice that is the inner bark of the branches of a small evergreen tree (Cinnamonum zeylanicum) native to Sri Lanka and India; has an orange-brown color and a sweet,
• Citric Acid - an organic acid common to citrus fruits and used in preserving, retaining color or flavoring drinks.
• Citron - a fruit likened to an overgrown knobbly lemon, it is famed for its peel, which is used in marmalades, candies and fruit cakes.
• Clamart, a la - Any of a few dishes that include green peas
• Clarified Butter - butter that has been melted and chilled. The solid is then lifted away from the liquid and discarded.
• Clarify - to make a liquid clear and free of sediment. Clarification heightens the smoke point of butter.
• Clotted Cream - Thick, baked cream, from Cornwall or Devon.
• Clove - 1. A spice that is the dried, unopened flower bud of a tropical evergreen tree (Eugenia aromatica);
• Coarsely Chop - to cut food into small pieces, about 3/16 inches (1/2 cm) square.
• Coat - to cover a food completely with an outer "coating" of another food or ingredient.
• Cobbler - a deep-dish fruit pie with a top crust of biscuit dough.
• Cockle - a small mollusk related to the oyster, usually eaten boiled with condiments or in a sauce.
• Cocktail - an appetizer; either a beverage or a light, highly seasoned food served before meal.
• Cocoa Powder - a brown, unsweetened powder produced by crushing cocoa nibs and extracting most of the fat (cocoa butter);
• Cocoa Powder, Dutch process - coca powder that has been treated with an alkali to neutralize its natural acidity; darker and milder than a nonalkalized powder.
• Coconut - The fruit of the coconut palm, used in both sweet and savoury dishes.
• Coconut, dried - the shredded or flaked flesh of the coconut; often sweetened;
• Cod - a large family of saltwater fish, including Atlantic cod, Pacific cod, pollock, haddock, whiting and hake; generally, they have a milk, delicate flavor
• Cod - A sea fish with flaky, white flesh.
• Coddle - to gently poach in barely simmering liquid.
• Coddling - Cooking just below the boiling point
• Coleslaw - a salad of Dutch origin made from shredded cabbage and sometimes onions, sweet peppers, pickles and/or bacon bound with a mayonnaise, vinaigrette or other dressing and sometimes flavored with herbs.
• Collar - A cut of pork.
• Collard Greens - a leafy, dark green vegetable with paddle-like leaves that grow on tall tough stalks;
• Combine - to mix two or more ingredients together.
• Comino - (Spanish Origin) Cumin, powder or seeds
• Compote - mixed fruit, raw or cooked, usually served in “compote” dishes.
• Concass - To roughly chop.
• Condensed Milk - A preserved milk in which the water content of the milk is evaporated and a - lot of sugar is added.
• Condiments - seasonings that enhance the flavor of foods with which they are served.
• Confectioners' Sugar - refined sugar ground into a fine, white, easily dissolved powder
• Consommé - clear broth that is made from meat.
• Convection Cooking - convection ovens use a small fan in the rear of the oven to circulate air all around the food to cook it quickly and more evenly.
• Convection oven - an electric oven in which heat is circulated rapidly around the cooking foods by means of a fan, resulting in fast crisping and browning.
• Converted rice - rice that is pressure-steamed and dried before milling to remove surface starch and help retain nutrients;
• Cookie sheet - a flat, firm sheet of metal, usually aluminum, with open sides on which cookies, biscuits and other items are baked.
• Cookies - small, sweet, flat pastries, usually classified by preparation or makeup techniques as drop, icebox, bar, cutout, pressed and wafer.
• Cool - to allow a food to sit until it is no longer warm to the touch.
• Cooling rack - a flat grid of closely spaced metal wires resting on small feet;
• Coq au vin - a French dish of chicken, mushrooms, onions, and bacon or salt pork cooked in red wine.
• Coquille - (French Origin) Shell.
• Coral - the roe of female lobsters. It turns bright red when cooked and is used in sauces.
• Cordial - A thick liquid, often fruit flavoured, usually intended for dilution as a drink.
• Cordon bleu - a dish consisting of thin boneless chicken breasts or veal scallops separated by a thin slice of prosciutto
• Core - to remove the central seeded area from a fruit.
• Coriander - A herb used as a flavouring or garnish. Also called cilantro.
• Corked / Corky - description of wine whose flavor has been tainted by the odor of the cork.
• Corn - a tall, annual plant native to the western hemisphere producing white, yellow, blue or multicolored grains arranged on a cob;
• Corn Flour - finely ground cornmeal;
• Corn Oil - a pale yellow oil obtained from corn endosperms; odorless, almost flavorless, high in polyunsaturated fats with a high smoke point;
• Corn Syrup - a thick, sweet syrup derived from cornstarch, composed of dextrose and glucose;
• Cornbread - Bread made from cornmeal flour.
• Corned - meat that has been cured in a brine solution.
• Corned Beef - beef, usually a cut from the brisket or round, cured in a seasoned brine
• Cornflour - A starch extract used to thicken sauces.
• Cornmeal - (also known as polenta) A yellow, grainy powder made from yellow degermed ground corn.
• Cornstarch - A white, powdery thickener finer than flour. It is extracted from the starch endosperm of wheat or corn.
• Coulis - A thin puree of fruit, sweetened and thinned to a sauce consistency using sugar.
• Coupe - Ice cream that is topped with fruit and traditionally served in stemmed glasses or silver goblets.
• Court Bouillion - A liquid mixture of salt and water, although some variations include herbs, milk, wine, and lemon or vinegar.
• Couscous - A grain-like hard wheat semolina that has been ground, moistened, and rolled in flour.
• Couscous - Course semolina that is used in many North African and Middle Eastern dishes.
• Couscous - small, spherical bits of semolina dough that are rolled, dampened and coated with a finer wheat flour;
• Crab Apple - A small sour wild apple.
• Cradle - a wicker basket used to decant wine.
• Crayfish - a freshwater crustacean similar to lobster but smaller.
• Cream - a component of milk with a milkfat content of at least 18%; has a slight yellow to ivory color, is more viscous and richer tasting than milk and can be whipped to a foam;
• Cream Cheese - a fresh, soft, mild, white cheese made from cow's cream or a mixture of cow's cream and milk
• Cream of Tartar - A fine white powder derived from a crystalline acid deposited on the inside of wine barrels.
• Cream Puff - A small, hollow puff made from Choux Pastry (cream-puff pastry) filled with sweetened whipped cream or custard.
• Cream, to - to blend together, as sugar and butter (or shortening), until mixtures takes on a smooth, creamy texture.
• Cream, Whipped - cream that has been whipped until it is stiff.
• Creaming - Mixing ingredients together until they become fluffy like whipped cream.
• Crema Centroamerica - A Latin-style cream that is as rich or richer than whipping cream. It is similar to mascarpone.
• Crema Centroamericana Acida - A Latin-style cream that has the consistency, tang, and fat content of salted sour cream.
• Crema Fresca Casera - Literally 'homestyle fresh cream'. It is a sweet pourable whipping cream.
• Crema Mexican Agria - A Latin-style cream as thick as sour cream with 15-20 percent fat content.
• Crema Mexicana - A Latin-style cream that has the same amount or more of butterfat as whipping cream.
• Crème anglaise - The French name for custard.
• Crème Brûlée - An egg custard dessert with a hard caramel topping.
• Creme de Cacao - a chocolate-flavored liqueur.
• Creme de Casis - A sweet cordial flavored with black currants.
• Creme Fraiche - A matured, thickened cream that has a slightly tangy, nutty flavor and velvety rich texture.
• Cremini Mushrooms - A wild mushroom.
• Crepe - (French Origin) Thin pancakes.
• Crêpes - Very thin pancakes.
• Crimp - to seal pastry edges together by pinching.
• Croissant - French breakfast bread pastry, delicate, flaky and rich.
• Crookneck Squash - a summer squash with a long slender neck and bulbous body, pale to deep yellow skin with a smooth to bumpy texture, creamy yellow flesh and mild, delicate flavor;
• Croquette - minced food, shaped like a ball, patty, cone, or log, bound with a heavy sauce, breaded, and fried.
• Croutons - cubes of bread, toasted or fried, served with soups or salads.
• Crudités - Thinly sliced or grated raw vegetables.
• Crudités - French word for an American cocktail appetizer of raw vegetables served with a dip.
• Cruller - a doughnut of twisted shape, very light in texture.
• Crumb - to moisten food with an adhesive liquid such as milk, beaten egg or batter, then roll it in bread or cracker crumbs.
• Crumble - to break food into smaller pieces, usually by hand.
• Crumpet - the original English muffin.
• Crustacean - a shellfish, for instance, shrimp, lobster, crab, crayfish.
• Crystalize - to preserve fruit, fondant, and edible flowers with a boiled sugar.
• Cube - to cut food into small cube shapes, larger than diced, usually about 1/2 inch.
• Cube Steak - meat tenderized by scoring the surface with a pattern of squares or cubes.
• Cucumber - the edible fleshy fruit of several varieties of a creeping plant (Cucumis sativus);
• Cuitlacoche - (also spelled huitlacoche) is a fungus which grows naturally on ears of corn (Ustilago maydis).
• Cumberland Sauce - A cold sauce, served with ham, sausages and pâté.
• Cumin - An Indian spice with an earthy flavor, also known as comino.
• Cup - a unit of measure in the U.S. system equal to 8 fl. oz.
• Cupcake - a small individual-sized cake baked in a mold such as a muffin pan, usually frosted and decorated.
• Curacao - an orange-flavored liqueur.
• Curd - a solid milk product that develops as milk sours and separates into solids (curd) and liquid (whey).
• Curd - The solid residue of coagulated milk that is separated from liquid whey after acidification in cheese making.
• Curing - to preserve meat, fish, or cheese with salt or by drying and or smoking.
• Curry Powder - A spice mixture more popular in the West than in India. It usually consists of coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, cumin, and chili.
• Custard - a cooked or baked mixture mainly of eggs and milk; served hot or cold with desserts.
• Cut - to divide a food into smaller portions, usually with a knife or scissors.
• Cut in, to - to incorporate by cutting or chopping motions, as in cutting shortening into flour for pastry.
• Cutlet - a small piece of meat cut from the leg or rib of veal or pork, or a croquette mixture made into the shape of a cutlet.
• Cuttlefish - A rounder, thicker and chewier relative of the squid.

# | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z