CRANBERRIES, DRIED
Flavor: sweet/sour, with a chewy texture
Volume: moderate–loud
Tip: Look for dried cranberries sweetened with fruit juice.
Possible substitutes: dried cherries (esp. sour), raisins
allspice
almonds and almond butter
American cuisine
apples and apple juice
arugula
baked goods, e.g., breads, cookies, pastries
beets
bread crumbs
Brussels sprouts
cereals, hot breakfast
cinnamon
desserts
grains, e.g., farro, quinoa
granola
hazelnuts
maple syrup
milk
mint
muesli
nutmeg
oatmeal and oats
onions, e.g., caramelized
oranges, e.g., juice, zest
pears
pecans
persimmons
pilafs
pomegranates
popcorn
puddings, e.g., rice
pumpkin seeds
rice, e.g., long-grain, wild
salads, e.g., grain, green
sauces, e.g., cranberry
spinach
stuffings, e.g., corn bread
sugar
trail mixes
vanilla
walnuts
Flavor Affinities
dried cranberries + almonds + pilafs + quinoa
dried cranberries + couscous + pistachios
DRIED CRANBERRIES + GRAINS (e.g., couscous, oats, quinoa, wild rice) + NUTS (e.g., almonds, pecans, pistachios, walnuts)
dried cranberries + oats + walnuts
dried cranberries + orange zest + wild rice
dried cranberries + pears + pecans
dried cranberries + pecans + wild rice
dried cranberries + walnuts + wild rice
CREAM, HEAVY
Nutritional profile: 94% fat / 3% carbs / 3% protein
Tips: Use silken tofu instead of actual cream to create creamy vegan sauces. Or heed the insight of the Cooking Lab’s director of applied research, Scott Heimendinger: “Dairy cream is an emulsion of fat and water. Once you realize that, with the right approach you can make ‘cream’ out of anything.”
“CREAM,” CASHEW
Flavor: neutral, with notes of nuts, and a rich, creamy texture
Volume: quiet–moderate
What it is: raw cashew nuts that have been soaked overnight in water and finely pureed with water to achieve the consistency of cream
Tip: Substitute cashew cream for regular cream.
Brand: MimicCreme nondairy cream substitute, made from almonds and cashews
baked goods, e.g., cakes, muffins
crepes
desserts, e.g., mousses, puddings, semifreddos
fruit
gratins
gravies
ice cream
pancakes
pastas, e.g., ravioli
potatoes, e.g., mashed
sauces, e.g., alfredo, cream, pasta
smoothies
soups, e.g., broccoli, butternut squash, creamy, tomato
CREAM, WHIPPED—VEGAN
Brand: Soy Whip
CREAM CHEESE (see CHEESE, CREAM)
CRÈME FRAÎCHE (see also FROMAGE BLANC)
Flavor: sour, with a smooth texture
Volume: moderate
What it is: fresh, cultured cream
Tip: Can be used to thicken sauces, because, unlike sour cream, it will not curdle when cooked.
Possible substitutes: fromage blanc (which is made from milk), sour cream
apples, apple cider, and apple juice
berries, e.g. raspberries, strawberries
caramel
citrus, e.g., juice, zest
dates
figs
French cuisine
fruits, e.g., fresh, stone, tree
oranges, e.g., juice, zest
pastas
potatoes
risottos
sauces
soups, e.g., beet, butternut squash, carrot, mushroom, pea, pumpkin
squash, winter
stews
sugar, e.g., brown
tarts
CRESS (see LAND CRESS and WATERCRESS)
CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES (see ARUGULA; BOK CHOY; BROCCOLI; BROCCOLINI; BROCCOLI RABE; BRUSSELS SPROUTS; CABBAGE; CAULIFLOWER; GREENS—e.g., COLLARD, MUSTARD, TURNIP; KALE; KOHLRABI; RADISHES; TURNIPS; WATERCRESS)
“Cruciferous vegetables are twice as powerful as other plant foods. [They are] not only the most powerful anticancer foods in existence; they are also the most nutrient-dense of all the vegetables.”
—DR. JOEL FUHRMAN, AUTHOR OF SUPER IMMUNITY
CUBAN CUISINE
bay leaf
BEANS, e.g., BLACK, pinto
bell peppers
cabbage
cilantro
corn
cucumbers
garlic
lettuce
lime
oranges
peanuts
plantains
pumpkin
RICE
scallions
squash, e.g., calabaza
sweet potatoes
tomatoes
CUCUMBERS
Season: spring–summer
Flavor: slightly sweet, with notes of melon, and a moist yet crisp texture
Volume: quiet–moderate
What it is: vegetable
Nutritional profile: 68% carbs / 20% protein / 12% fat
Calories: 15 per 1-cup serving (raw, chopped)
Protein: 1 grams
Techniques: best served raw; otherwise, blanch, braise, pickle, sauté, or steam
Tip: Opt for organic cucumbers.
Botanical relatives: melons, pumpkins, squashes
Possible substitutes: cucumber-flavored herbs, e.g., borage, burnet, comfrey
almonds
anise and anise hyssop
apples
apricots
arugula
avocado
basil
beans, e.g., black
beets
bell peppers, e.g., green
beverages, e.g., sparkling water
borage
butter
buttermilk
cabbage, e.g., Chinese
capers
caraway seeds
carrots
cayenne
celery and celery seeds
CHEESE, e.g., cream, FETA, goat, ricotta, soft white
chervil
chickpeas
CHILES, e.g., Anaheim, jalapeño, red, serrano; and chili pepper sauce
CHIVES and garlic chives
CILANTRO
citrus
coconut and coconut milk
couscous, e.g., Israeli
cream
cress, e.g., land
crudités
CUMIN
curries, curry powder, and curry spices
*DILL
dips
drinks, e.g., cocktails, sparkling waters
eggplant
eggs, e.g., hard-boiled
endive
escarole
fennel
galangal
GARLIC
ginger
grains, e.g., bulgur, farro, spelt
Greek cuisine
greens, salad
hibiscus
honey
horseradish
Indian cuisine
jícama
kale
kefir
lamb’s lettuce
LEMON, e.g., juice, zest
lemongrass
lentils, e.g., red
lettuce, e.g., butter, romaine
lime, e.g., juice, zest
lovage
mangoes
marjoram
mayonnaise
melon, e.g., cantaloupe, honeydew
Middle Eastern cuisines
milk, soy
*MINT, esp. spearmint
mushrooms, e.g., shiitake
mustard, e.g., Dijon, powder
noodles, Asian, e.g., soba, udon
OIL, e.g., avocado, flaxseed, grapeseed, OLIVE, sesame, sunflower, vegetable
olives, e.g., kalamata
ONIONS, e.g., green, red, spring, white
orange, e.g., juice
oregano
palm, hearts of
papaya
paprika
PARSLEY
peaches
PEANUTS
pears
peas, green
pepper, e.g., black, white
pesto
pickles
pineapple
pine nuts
plums
pomegranates
potatoes
pumpernickel
quinoa
radishes
RAITAS
rice
saffron
salad dressings
SALADS, e.g., chopped, cucumber, Greek, green, pasta
salsify
salt, e.g., kosher, sea
sandwiches
sauces, e.g., raita, tzatziki
savory
scallions
sea vegetables
seeds, e.g., poppy, pumpkin, sesame
sesame, e.g., oil, sauce, seeds
shallots
shiso
SOUPS, e.g., cold, cucumber, GAZPACHO, summer, vichyssoise, white gazpacho
SOUR CREAM
soy sauce
spinach
sprouts, e.g., radish
stews
strawberries
stuffed cucumbers
sugar
summer rolls
sushi, e.g., nori rolls
tabbouleh
tahini
tarragon
Thai cuisine
thyme
tofu, esp. silken
TOMATOES
turmeric
tzatziki sauce
VINEGAR, e.g., champagne, cider, red wine, rice wine, tarragon, white balsamic, white wine
wakame
walnuts
wasabi
watercress
watermelon
*YOGURT
za’atar
Flavor Affinities
cucumbers + almonds + avocados + cumin + mint
cucumbers + Asian noodles + sesame sauce
cucumbers + avocados + chiles + chives + lime + yogurt
cucumbers + avocados + green onions + lime + yogurt
cucumbers + avocados + nori + (sushi) rice
cucumbers + basil + garlic + tomatoes
cucumbers + beets + yogurt
cucumbers + buttermilk + dill + scallions
cucumbers + chiles + cilantro + lime + scallions
cucumbers + chiles + cilantro + peanuts
cucumbers + chiles + cilantro + rice vinegar + sugar
cucumbers + chiles + jícama + lime
cucumbers + cilantro + citrus (e.g., lime)
CUCUMBERS + CILANTRO + MINT
cucumbers + coconut milk + mint
cucumbers + cumin + lime + mint + yogurt
cucumbers + cumin + paprika + yogurt
cucumbers + curry + peanuts + yogurt
cucumbers + dill + garlic + vinegar
cucumbers + dill + mint + yogurt
cucumbers + dill + scallions + vinegar + wakame
cucumbers + feta cheese + lemon + mint
cucumbers + feta cheese + walnuts
CUCUMBERS + GARLIC + HERBS (e.g., DILL, MINT, PARSLEY) + YOGURT
cucumbers + garlic + lemon + olive oil + oregano
cucumbers + lemon + lime + mint + scallions + tofu
cucumbers + lime + mango + parsley + red onions
CUCUMBERS + MINT + YOGURT
cucumbers + miso + sesame
CUCUMBERS + RICE VINEGAR + sesame seeds + soy sauce
“I like making hot cucumber soup at home: I’ll cook the cucumbers with onion and a little extra-virgin olive oil and then add cumin, coriander, and masala curry. If I want the soup bright green, I’ll not add any white wine, but if I want a dull green, I’ll add white wine. To finish the soup, I might add either yogurt or crème fraîche—or if I want to take it even farther, I’ll add some kefir.”
—CHRISTOPHER BATES, HOTEL FAUCHÈRE (MILFORD, PA)