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"C" Terms Calvados Canadian Bacon Candy Thermometer Cannellini Beans Capers Capon Carambola Caramelized Sugar Caraway Seed Cardamom Carpaccio Celeriac Chayote Chicory Chipotle Chutney Cilantro Cloves Cocoa Powder Coconut Cream Coconut Milk Condensed Milk Confectioners Sugar Cornmeal Cornstarch Coulis Coupe Couscous Cream of Tartar Crema Centroamerica Crema Centroamericana Acida Crema Fresca Casera Crema Mexicana Crema Mexican Agria Creme de Casis Creme Fraiche Cremini Mushrooms Cumin Curry Powder Cuttlefish

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Calvados
An apple brandy from Normandy, France made from cider that has been aged for up to two years and distilled.
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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.
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Candy Thermometer
Usually a large glass mercury thermometer that measures temperatures from about 40 degrees F to 400 degrees F. A frame or clip allows it to stand or hang in a pan during cooking.
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Cannellini Beans
A large creamy, white bean used often in Italian cooking. They are sometimes referred to as Northern beans and make excellent vegetarian substitutes for both fish and chicken.
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Capers
The small buds of a Mediterranean shrub. They are usually pickled in vinegar or dried and salted.
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Capon
A castrated rooster that makes a good roasting bird. It ranges in size from four to ten pounds and has plenty of breast and thigh meat. Its size makes it an ideal choice for serving eight to twelve. Buying capon may prove to be difficult; try to special order it from your butcher.
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Carambola
Also known as star fruit. A golden yellow fruit grown in the West Indies, Indonesia, and Brazil. When sliced, the fruit has a star shaped .The flesh of the carambola is juicy and highly acidic. Its taste is reminiscent of plums, grapes, and apples. It is eaten fresh, mostly in salsas and vinaigrettes, and sometimes as a dessert (with sugar and cream).
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Caramelized Sugar
Sugar that has been cooked until it reaches a caramel color. The new flavor it attains works nicely in desserts.
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Caraway Seed
The curved, anise flavored seeds popular in German and Austrian cooking. Caraway is a member of the parsley family. The seeds are used as topping on breads and savory pastries, and as accompaniments to cabbage and goulash. Caraway is also employed in the making of certain cheeses and liqueurs.
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Cardamom
The pods of an aromatic Indian plant related to the ginger family. The seeds of the pods are dried and used as a spice. It is a very expensive spice. cardamom is used mostly in Indian cooking. However, it also shows up in Scandinavian, spicing up wines, stewed fruits, etc., and in Arabic cooking (called hale) as an accompaniment to coffee.
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Carpaccio
Originally, paper thin slices of raw beef with a creamy sauce, invented at Harry's Bar in Venice. In recent years, the term has come to describe very thinly sliced vegeatables, raw or smoked meats, and fish.
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Celeriac
Also known as celery root. A root vegetable that houses a white fleshed interior beneath its rough skin.
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Chayote
A crisp, delicate, light green squash that is pear shaped and keeps well. It is ideal for stuffing. Otherwise, it can be prepared like zucchini or summer squash.
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Chicory
The roasted ground roots of a variety of perennial herbs related to the radicchio and curly endive. Caffeine-averse Germans discovered that chicory could be processed into a coffee substitute. In New Orleans, chicory spiked coffee and/or Cafe Au Lait is very popular. Caffeine-averse Germans discovered that chicory could be processed into a coffee substitute.
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Chipotle
Smoked dried jalapeno chiles. The distinctive smoky heat of chipotles is used to flavor southwestern and Mexican dishes. They are sold both dried and in cans, in a vinegary sauce called adobo. Most big supermarkets carry them, but a Latin-American market is your best bet.
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Chutney
A fruit condiment used commonly in Indian cuisine. It looks like fruit preserves, but contains vinegar, spices, and at times nuts. Its taste varies from sweet to tart, and mild to spicy. The most common chutney is mango.
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Cilantro
Also known as Coriander and Chinese Parsley. This herb is often used in Chinese and Mexican cooking. It resembles and is often used like parsley. The seeds of this aromatic plant are often dried and used as spices (whole or ground). It's flavor is reminiscent of slightly burnt oranges.
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Cloves
The brown, hard dried flower buds of an aromatic Southeast Asian evergreen. They are useful in both whole and ground forms. Ground, they are used in cakes and soups. Whole, they add great flavor to mulled wines and ciders. Cloves also have natural preservative qualities.
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Cocoa Powder
There are two basic types of cocoa: regular (or American) and Dutch process (sometimes labeled "European process"). Dutch process cocoa has a slightly stronger flavor and richer color than regular cocoa: It's been treated with a mild alkali, such as baking soda, which neutralizes its acidity. Both regular and Dutch process cocoa have far less fat and fewer calories than baking and eating chocolate because the cocoa butter has been removed. This also means cocoa tastes less rich, so when you're cooking with it, you have to find another way to put the moisture and richness back in.
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Coconut Cream
Coconut cream is made by combining 1 parts water and 4 parts shredded fresh or desiccated coconut meat and simmering until foamy. The mixture is then strained , squeezing as much of the liquid as possible from the coconut meat. Milk can be substituted for water for an even richer result. Coconut cream comes canned and may sometimes be found frozen in Asian markets and some supermarkets.
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Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is made by combining equal parts water and shredded fresh or desiccated coconut meat and simmering until foamy. The mixture is then strained , squeezing as much of the liquid as possible from the coconut meat. The coconut meat can be combined with water again for a second, diluted batch of coconut milk. Coconut milk comes canned and may sometimes be found frozen in Asian markets and some supermarkets.
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Condensed Milk
A preserved milk in which the water content of the milk is evaporated and a lot of sugar is added. It was very popular in wartime England because of how well it preserved. These days it is used mainly in sweets and confectionery making. It is also used in iced drinks (Thai iced tea) because of its high sugar content (it won't freeze easily).
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Confectioners Sugar
Powdered sugar, often used in baking and in frostings.
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Cornmeal
Also known as polenta. A yellow, grainy powder made from yellow degermed ground corn. It is similar to semolina in texture. Tortillas and cornbread are two of the most common cornmeal based foods. However, cornmeal is versatile enough to be used in both sweet and savory dishes. White cornmeal is also available.
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Cornstarch
A white, powdery thickener finer than flour. It is extracted from the starch endosperm of wheat or corn. It must be dissolved in a cold liquid before it is added to a hot mixture or it will lump. It results in a glazed, opaque finish.
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Coulis
A thin puree of fruit, sweetened and thinned to a sauce consistency using sugar.
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Coupe
Ice cream that is topped with fruit and traditionally served in stemmed glasses or silver goblets.
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Couscous
A grain-like hard wheat semolina that has been ground, moistened, and rolled in flour. The grain is then steamed (for 40 minutes) and traditionally served with a stew. There are also sweet couscous dishes. It is a staple dish in the North African countries of Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. The couscous you find in most American grocery (usually in the rice aisle) stores is precooked.
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Cream of Tartar
The common name for potassium bitartare, a by-product of wine-making. Its is a major ingredient in baking powder and is used to stabilize beaten egg whites.
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Crema Centroamerica
A Latin-style cream that is as rich or richer than whipping cream. It can be liquid and sweet, or thick, rich, and tangy. Some brands are labeled soft-ripened cheese. It is similar to mascarpone.
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Crema Centroamericana Acida
A Latin-style cream that has the consistency, tang, and fat content of salted sour cream.
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Crema Fresca Casera
Literally "homestyle fresh cream". It is a sweet pourable whipping cream used in Latin cooking.
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Crema Mexicana
A Latin-style cream that has the same amount or more of butterfat as whipping cream. It can be sweet and pourable like whipping cream, or delicately tart and very thick, like creme fraiche.
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Crema Mexican Agria
A Latin-style cream as thick as sour cream with 15-20 percent fat content. It also has a tartness similar to sour cream, and is salted.
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Creme de Casis
A sweet cordial flavored with black currants. It can be bought at most liquor stores.
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Creme Fraiche
A matured, thickened cream that has a slightly tangy, nutty flavor and velvety rich texture. The thickness of crème fraîche can range from that of commercial sour cream to almost as solid as room-temperature margarine. In France, where crème fraîche is a specialty, the cream is unpasteurized and therefore contains the bacteria necessary to thicken it naturally. In America, where all commercial cream is pasteurized, the fermenting agents necessary for crème fraîche can be obtained by adding buttermilk or sour cream.

To make your own combine 1 cup whipping cream and 2 tablespoons buttermilk in a glass container. Cover and let stand at room temperature (about 70°F) from 8 to 24 hours, or until very thick. Stir well before covering and refrigerate up to 10 days.

Creme fraiche is the ideal addition for sauces or soups because it can be boiled without curdling. It's delicious spooned over fresh fruit or other desserts such as warm cobblers or puddings.
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Cremini Mushrooms
A wild mushroom.
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Cumin
An Indian spice with an earthy flavor, also known as comino. It usually appears in its ground form and as cumin seed. Cumin is featured in Middle Eastern (lentil and lamb dishes) and Latin American cuisine (chili, tamales).
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Curry Powder
A spice mixture more popular in the West than in India. It usually consists of coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, cumin, and chili.
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Cuttlefish
A rounder, thicker and chewier relative of the squid. This lean and nutritious seafood can be found in ethnic markets.
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