amaretto 
This Italian almond liqueur is made by soaking seventeen herbs and fruits in apricot kernel oil to extract their essences. According to the producers of Amaretto di Saronno, Bernardino Luini was commissioned in Saronno, Italy, to paint a fresco of the Madonna. The talented painter searched for the perfect model and found a beautiful young innkeeper. For the next few months, they worked closely in intimate settings and the girl fell deeply in love. To express her love, she created a sweet, almond-flavored liqueur—the first bottle of di Saronno. It’s been used in desserts and as an apéritif ever since.
arborio rice See Rice.
artichokes Rich in vitamins and minerals, artichokes are considered a tonic and aphrodisiac by some. Spring is their peak season. The globe artichoke is the most widespread in America, while at least a dozen varieties are popular in Italy. Look for artichokes with bright green, tightly packed leaves. To keep raw artichokes freshest, stem them within an inch of the bottom, set stem end down in shallow water, and refrigerate.
To cook, snap off the small outer petals at the base, slice off the stem and ½ inch of the top cone of clustered petals, trim any prickly leaf tips with scissors, and rinse well. Boil or steam in flavored water (vinegar and garlic are nice) until the base is tender and a leaf can be easily pulled free.
Eat the artichoke leaf by leaf, dipping in a lemon-butter or other sauce and scraping off the thin layer of flesh with your teeth. The most tender inner leaves can be eaten whole. When you reach the heart, scoop out the fuzzy, bitter, inedible choke down to the firm, tender heart. Now savor eating the delicious heart. Most baby artichokes have not developed a choke and can be completely eaten once peeled down to the yellow inner leaves and cooked until tender. See this page for a great recipe.
artichoke hearts Those succulent, meaty, center bottom parts of artichokes are available marinated, packed in brine, and frozen. At Moosewood, we prefer the ready-to-use, salty, tangy, brine-packed variety. Marinated canned artichoke hearts usually contain oil in the marinade—so they have added fat—and frozen ones are quite bland.
arugula Originally a staple in southern Italian cooking and harvested wild, arugula has become a standard gourmet addition to salads in both Europe and North America. Also known as ruchetta and rucola, or “garden rocket,” this calcium-packed, nutritious green grows almost any time of year, and within three weeks of planting, the sweet, tender little leaves can be harvested. More mature leaves are peppery and sharp-tasting and add piquancy to salads and soups. With the stems immersed in water, arugula will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.
avocados This creamy, satisfying fruit of the tropical lauraceous tree is rich in B vitamins and minerals, and most of its fat is monounsaturated. We recommend Hass avocados, a variety with dark green pebbly skin and a smooth yellowish-green interior. A hard avocado will ripen and soften somewhat in 3 to 4 days at room temperature, slower if refrigerated. To cube, slice around the avocado lengthwise, gently twist the halves apart, and remove the pit. Cut the flesh in a criss-cross pattern or in slices right in the skins and scoop out the cubes with a serving spoon.
azuki beans (aduki, adzukii) Small, oval, high-protein, low-fat, burgundy beans that originated in China but are also popular in Japan. They are used in soups, side dishes, teas, and in Japanese sweet red bean paste confections. See this page for cooking instructions.
baking powder The idea for mixing alkalis and acids to produce rising came with the use of wood ash and sour milk to moisten corn cakes in the American colonies. Later came the American invention of baking powder. Modern baking powder is a combination of baking soda, aluminum sulfate, and calcium acid phosphate. Drying agents such as flour or cornstarch are added to absorb moisture and inhibit the release of carbon dioxide during storage, thus increasing shelf life. Nonetheless, an opened and recapped can of baking powder will absorb some atmospheric moisture—it’s generally good for 3 to 12 months when stored in a cool, dark place.
When the acids and the alkaline baking soda in baking powder are activated by liquid and/or heat, they release carbon dioxide and the trapped gas causes the dough or batter to rise. To insure that rising isn’t exhausted before the batter is in the oven, most of today’s baking powders are “double acting”: They contain two acids, a fast-acting one that reacts to liquid and a slower-acting one that reacts to heat.
To test your baking powder for activity, dissolve 1 teaspoon in ½ cup of warm water. If the water bubbles vigorously, you’re in business. If not, a good substitute is a mixture of 1 part baking soda to 2 parts cream of tartar. Mix only as much as you need, because it doesn’t keep. With only one acid (cream of tartar), the mixture is single acting and will produce CO2 as soon as moistened, so pop the batter into the oven as soon as the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together.
A metallic aftertaste may be evident if the baking powder contains aluminum acid salts. Rumford Baking Powder is one brand that is aluminum-free.
baking soda (bicarbonate of soda, sodium bicarbonate, sodie saleratus) A water-soluble, alkaline powder often used to neutralize or reduce acidity. It’s also a main component of baking powder. If a recipe calls for both baking soda and baking powder, the soda’s purpose is to mellow an acidic ingredient. Always sift it to remove lumps before adding it to a batter. The right amount will pleasingly deepen the color of cocoa and chocolate during baking, but too much can turn a white cake yellow or negatively affect the aroma and flavor of any baked good. Baking soda can soften the skins of peas and beans, and a pinch added to boiling water will make some green vegetables, like cabbage and broccoli, greener. Baking soda keeps indefinitely.
barley Cultivated as far back as the Stone Age, barley must be the grandmother of grains. For centuries, it was ground to make bread before the development of more cold- and disease-resistant wheat. Although barley is lower in protein and gluten than wheat, it is low-fat, easily digested, may inhibit cholesterol production, and has a mild, sweet, chewy texture. Products made from barley include barley grits, barley flour, barley extracts, barley grass juice, and barley malt sugar and syrup.
hulled barley The most nutritious barley available and a good source of protein, calcium, and iron. The outermost protective husk has been removed, but the vitamin-rich endosperm and germ remain intact. It takes 1¼ hours to cook using about a 5:1 ratio of water to barley. One cup of raw hulled barley yields about 3¾ cups cooked.
pearled barley The protective husk, the endosperm, and the germ have been removed. It is little more than pure starch. It cooks in 50 minutes using a 2:1 ratio of water to barley.
partially pearled barley Only part of the endosperm has been removed, so it’s nutritionally richer than the completely pearled variety. It usually cooks in about 1 hour.
instant barley Pearled barley that has been steamed and dried. It cooks in 15 minutes.
beans One of the oldest cultivated foods, beans have provided satisfying, nutritious food for millennia throughout the world. Most beans contain nearly twice the amount of protein as cereals and, when eaten with other foods—particularly grains—can create a perfect protein. The phytochemicals and isoflavones in beans may help to maintain the health and well-being of the heart and may possibly inhibit the growth of cancer cells. They are an excellent source of fiber, complex carbohydrates, B vitamins, calcium, iron, and zinc.
Look for unbroken dried beans with a deep, vibrant color, which means they are from the current year’s crop. The fresher they are, the more quickly and evenly they will cook. Store in airtight containers in a cool, dry, dark place.
Beans must be fully cooked to get the maximum benefits of protein, minerals, and vitamins, and to avoid digestive distress. At Moosewood, we cook dried beans from scratch. Before cooking, sort dried beans to discard stones and shriveled specimens; then soak in plenty of cold water for 6 to 8 hours (overnight works well) and drain. Cooked beans will keep for four or five days in the refrigerator or two to three months in freezer bags in the freezer. When pressed for time, look for Eden, Goya, Randall, Sahadi, or Westbrae brand canned beans without preservatives.
See this page and this page for more information.
black mustard seeds To draw out the nutty flavor of this Indian spice, briefly heat the seeds in a dry skillet and then grind them, or sauté them in a small amount of oil until they begin to make a popping sound and then drain them and add them whole to your dish. Look for them in Indian, Asian, or specialty food stores.
black peppercorns Grown commercially in Burma, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, and Brazil, peppercorns vary in aroma and pungency depending upon growing conditions. Black pepper adds flavor to dishes, stimulates saliva flow, and aids digestion. For best flavor, grind whole peppercorns just before using.
black turtle beans These relatives of kidney beans are actually very deep purple. They are popular in the cuisines of Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, and the southern United States. See this page for cooking instructions.
black-eyed peas (cow peas) Beige with a black scar at the spot where they were attached to the pod. Black-eyed peas originated in Africa around 3000 B.C., and seventeenth-century Spanish and Portugese explorers introduced them to the Americas. They are generally available dried, frozen, and canned. Dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight, cook in ½ hour. Unsoaked, they must simmer for about an hour. We often substitute black-eyed peas for the harder-to-find pigeon peas and field peas. See this page for cooking instructions.
blue cheese See Cheese.
bok choy (chinese cabbage, pak choi, bak choi, chard cabbage) One of the most popular and nutritious cabbages in China. Both the leaves and the stalks are tasty, and they complement each other: soft and chewy, sweet and slightly bitter. The white crisp stalks grow from a single base and bear broad deep green leaves. Bok choy is packed with calcium and vitamins A and C.
bouillon The French word for “broth,” the liquid that results from simmering vegetables, herbs, spices, and/or meats. While broths and stocks are made the same way, broths are served as is, whereas stocks are intended to provide the base of a dish.
Vegetable bouillon is available in packages of soft cubes or in jars. Ingredients include dehydrated vegetables, herbs, spices, and proteins and starches from wheat, corn, beans, and potatoes. The salt/sodium content varies considerably and many brands contain artificial ingredients, so check the nutrition labels.
In the past few years, we’ve seen the emergence of “no-chicken” and “no-beef” broths packaged aseptically and have tried both Imagine and Pacific brands. Although pricey, these mock stocks can help make cooking a soup or stew a breeze. Both brands are fat free and use organic ingredients.
broccoli rabe (rapini, rappi, broccoli de rape) This small-headed broccoli is closely related to turnips and has a strong bitter taste. In Italian cooking, it’s often mellowed by first sautéing it with olive oil and garlic and then accompanying it with mashed beans or hearty bread, sharp cheese, and wine.
bulghur (bulgur) Quick-cooking and nutty-flavored, made from wheatberries that have been steamed or parboiled, dried, and cracked. A staple from the Middle East to Morocco, it is probably best known in America as the grain in tabouli. Bulghur comes in four grades from fine to extra coarse. Soak it in an equal amount of water for 20 to 30 minutes until tender. At Moosewood, we use mediumgrade bulghur and steep it in boiling water for at least 20 minutes.
butter Its rich flavor, lovely texture, and unparalleled contribution to baked goods gives butter a strong edge over all of its look-alikes and competitors. Studies report that margarines and solid vegetable shortenings all contain transfatty acids formed during hydrogenation that contribute to elevated cholesterol levels and may increase the risk of heart disease and some cancers. So at Moosewood, we use butter. Butter contains vitamin A and is available salted and unsalted. To keep freshest, enclose in the original wrapper and store in the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Sealed in a freezer bag, frozen butter can keep for up to 6 months.
buttermilk Creamy and low-fat or nonfat, this virtual wonder food is made by fermenting 1% or skim milk with a bacterial culture. Its acidic quality inhibits the development of the gluten present in wheat flour and that makes it a natural tenderizer for desserts. Buttermilk has a mildly tangy flavor great for creamy soups, sauces, and baked goods.
cabbages One of the most hearty, economical vegetables cultivated throughout the world, cabbage comes in many shapes, colors, and textures. Rich in calcium, magnesium, vitamins A and C, and beta carotene, the light and dark leaf crucifer family includes arugula, bok choy, broccoli, broccoli rabe, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, daikon, kale, kohlrabi, mizuna, mustard greens, red cabbage, turnips, and watercress among others.
See Arugula, Bok Choy, Broccoli Rabe, Collards, Daikon, Kale, Mizuna, Mustard Greens, Napa Cabbage, Savoy Cabbage, and Turnips.
cannellini Originated in Peru or Mexico 2,000 to 3,000 years ago. Cannellini made their way from the Americas into Italian cuisine as facilely as did tomatoes, corn, zucchini, and peppers. Cannellini vary in size from pea beans to kidney beans and are available dried and canned in most supermarkets. See this page for cooking instructions.
capers The tiny, green buds of a flowering Mediterranean plant. Capers are sharp, piquant, and simply adorable. Processing and importing—not to mention labor-intensive harvesting—drives up their price. They are packaged either in a vinegar-based brine or in sea salt. At Moosewood, we use the brine-packed variety, which is less salty and comes in jars. Rinse capers well before using, use sparingly, and add toward the end of cooking for the best flavor.
caramelized onions When the sugars in onions are released by cooking, the sweet browned onions that result are called caramelized. To caramelize onions, cook them in oil on medium heat for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown and creamy. Be careful not to scorch, or the sweetness will be lost.
chanterelles See Mushrooms.
chapati Common in India and Pakistan, this unleavened flatbread is made from water and finely ground whole wheat flour that is often mixed with unbleached white flour. It is usually baked and flipped once on a hot dry griddle, but sometimes oil or butter is used. Phulka, meaning “puffed,” is a thicker version of chapati that is cooked for a second time over a flame to puff it up. Chapati are available in the Indian section of many supermarkets.
chard Enjoyed since the fifteenth century in France, red-veined Ruby chard (often called red or rhubarb chard) and green Swiss chard are both relatives of beets. Chard is high in calcium and vitamins A, B, and C. Its leaves and stems can be simmered or sautéed, and small leaves are sometimes used in mesclun salad mixes. Look for fresh leaves with bright tender stems and veins.
chayotes See Squash.
cheese Fresh cheeses are soft, young, mild, and occasionally seasoned with black pepper or herbs. Goat’s-milk cheese, or chèvre, is most often ripened by surface mold, can sometimes be tolerated by people who are lactose intolerant, and requires no pasteurization since goats don’t carry the tuberculosis bacteria. Farmer’s cheese is a dry white cheese similar in taste to cottage cheese but with no curds. It is pressed into blocks for slicing and is a good choice for crêpe and pastry turnover fillings.
Cheeses that have a white-mold rind, such as Brie and bucheron, are ripened cheeses usually made with cow’s milk and have a smooth, buttery texture and flavor. They are most often used as spreads for crackers or bread.
Marbled blue cheeses can be blue- or green-veined depending on the molds introduced during cheesemaking. They come in a wide variety of strengths and textures. The main types include Italian Gorgonzola, Danish blue cheese, English Stilton, French Roquefort, and domestic blue cheese made in Canada and the United States. Most are made with cow’s milk except Roquefort which is always from sheep’s milk.
Edam is a mild, buttery semi-firm Dutch cheese and is an interesting alternative to Cheddar or Swiss cheese. Feta cheese is a sharp, white, salty cheese made with either goat, sheep, or cow’s milk. Most American-made feta is lower in fat than Cheddar, provolone, Swiss, or Muenster. Havarti, named after a farm in Denmark, is a semi-soft, creamy cheese with irregular holes. Mascarpone is a sweet, 75% fat, creamy white cheese—a by-product of making Parmesan in Lombardy, Italy.
Smoked cheeses are infused with a smoky flavor either by exposure to a hickory wood fire, by the addition of smoked salt, or by adding a chemical called “liquid smoke” during cheesemaking. The most readily available smoked cheeses are Cheddar, Gouda, Swiss, and mozzarella. Look for naturally smoked cheeses in natural foods stores and gourmet cheese shops.
Hard cheeses are dry, aged, sharp cheeses that are usually grated and used in small quantities as flavorings or toppings. One of the most common is Parmesan, which is made from skim milk and originated in Parma, Italy. Others include Romano and Pecorino Romano.
chèvre See Cheese.
chickpeas (garbanzo beans) Round beige legumes used whole in Mediterranean soups and stews and puréed in the familiar chickpea spread, hummus. Chickpea flour is often used in Indian and Mediterranean cuisines for making crêpes and pancakes. See this page for cooking instructions.
chiles (hot peppers, chili peppers) Members of the Capsicum family, an enormous variety abounds with new hybrids constantly appearing. The heat of a chile can vary wildly even among chiles of the same type, so taste to determine how many chiles to use and remove the seeds and membrane, which are the hottest parts, if you want to tone down the heat.
Look for chiles with taut smooth skins. Refrigerated in a plastic bag, fresh chiles will keep for about 5 days. Whole chiles can be frozen for up to a year, chopped ones for 6 months.
Chiles we regularly use at Moosewood:
anaheims (green chiles) Bright green, slender, long chiles that tend to be mild, adding flavor without a strong kick.
anchos The biggest though not the hottest chiles around. A type of poblano chile, anchos are dark green to dark purple, juicy, shiny, and heart-shaped like a miniature green bell pepper. They’re the most commonly used chiles in Mexico.
arbols Bright red, slim, 3- to 5-inch curved pods. They are similiar in heat and flavor to cayenne and are used in barbeque sauce, curry, and chili. Arbol chiles are often used in the production of hot pepper oil and vinegar.
banana peppers Pale yellow, short, fat, curved oval chiles, usually quite hot.
guajillos A medium-hot, red variety of mirasol chiles, which are yellow hot peppers. When dried, the seeds in guajillos rattle when shaken, giving it the nickname “little gourd.”
habaneros (scotch bonnets) Crown-shaped yellow, red, or green chiles, often mercilessly hot.
jalapeños Short, green, oval chiles that vary from not-so-hot to very hot. Sometimes the more mature red jalapeños are available.
serranos Small, thin, green, sleek, pointed chiles. Often extremely hot, they are the chile in Mexico for guacamole and salsas. We always keep these fresh chiles on hand at Moosewood to use as our general all-purpose chile.
thai peppers Ranging from green to red to reddish-black, Thai peppers are tiny oblong peppers that mean business: very hot to fiery hot.
chinese chili paste (chili paste with garlic) A wonderful condiment to spark up an Asian stir-fry, stew, sauté, or sauce. Supermarkets usually carry a wide variety of chili pastes and most include crushed, fermented chiles, salt, soy oil, and garlic. We’ve found that the simpler the ingredient list, the better. Look for bottled brands without preservatives. Tightly capped and refrigerated, Chinese chili paste keeps indefinitely.
chipotles in adobo sauce Chipotles are jalapeño peppers that have been smoked and packed in a fragrant, thick tomato purée called adobo sauce. Different varieties of adobo sauce are traditional in the Philippines, Spain, and Mexico. Most canned chipotle adobo sauces include tomatoes, vinegar, onions, ground chiles, sugar, spices, and herbs. We like La Torre brand canned chipotles in adobo sauce.
chives The mildest member of the onion family. Chives are a hardy garden plant whose long, thin, hollow green stems can be snipped raw into soups, salads, and dressings, and whose pretty purplish white flowers are very mild, edible, and gorgeous as garnishes. Chives are available in supermarkets fresh, frozen, and freeze-dried.
chocolate The generic name of the cocoa tree means “food of the gods” and chocolate, which is derived from cocoa tree beans, certainly tastes heavenly to many. In 1502, Columbus captured a canoe laden with cocoa beans and other produce, and, although he saw commercial value in the cargo, he never knew that a drink was made from the “black almonds,” as cocoa was first called. The Aztecs saw cocoa as a drink for warriors, while Catholics debated whether it was “a woman’s drink” or could be drunk during lent. The Spanish created the word chocolatl by combining the Mayan word for hot, chocol, and the Nahuatl word for water, atl.
The journey from cocoa beans to “chocolate kiss” is awesome. First, cocoa beans are fermented, dried, roasted, hulled, ground, and heated to make a chocolate liquor. Then sugar, vanilla or vanillin, lecithin, and additional cocoa butter are added. (For milk chocolate, milk solids are also added). Next, this mixture is “conched” (kongkt). Conching is a process that simultaneously reheats, mixes, grinds, and stirs the mixture for up to 4 full days and produces chocolate’s satiny-smooth texture. For gloss and snap, chocolate is then tempered by more heating, cooling, and reheating. Finally, comes the molding and shaping process.
A chocolate’s type and quality depend on the amount of cocoa butter and sugar added, the mixture of cocoa beans, the roasting time, and the conching time. Couverture is a French term used to describe chocolates made with a very high percentage of cocoa butter, which due to their high fat content can make smooth thin coatings that harden well. At Moosewood, we use a Belgian chocolate called Callebaut. European chocolates are available in many supermarkets, usually in the candy aisle rather than in the baking section.
Types of chocolate include the following:
unsweetened chocolate (baking chocolate, bitter chocolate, cooking chocolate) Made with chocolate liquor processed from whole cocoa beans and contains only cocoa solids and cocoa butter. No sugar is added, but vanilla may be included.
sweet chocolate All dark chocolates that have any amount of sugar added and are made with a minimum of 35% chocolate liquor. Most good-quality sweet chocolates are made with 55% to 70% chocolate liquor. German chocolate is a “sweeter than semi-sweet” dark chocolate developed by Samuel German of Bakers Chocolate Company. Subcategories of sweet chocolate include semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate. The names describe the sugar content, which decreases from sweet to semi-sweet to bittersweet.
semi-sweet chocolate Made with chocolate liquor, additional cocoa butter, sugar, vanilla or vanillin, and lecithin. It contains less sugar than sweet chocolate and is available in chips and solid blocks. Most European “semi-sweet” chocolates are called bittersweet and contain less sugar than semi-sweet chocolates made in the United States.
white chocolate Contains no cocoa solids, so technically it’s not true chocolate. White chocolate is made of cocoa butter, sugar, vanilla, milk solids, and lecithin. The richest ones contain a high percentage of cocoa butter and less of other fats such as vegetable oil.
milk chocolate By law contains at least 10% real chocolate liquor and 12% whole milk. A good milk chocolate may contain up to 40% chocolate liquor.
Chocolate is temperature-sensitive—it melts at 80°—so store it in a cool, dry spot between 50° and 60°. Temperatures below 50° or high humidity cause it to bloom: The cocoa butter rises to the top and streaks the chocolate with white, leaving it edible but unattractive. Because it absorbs odors easily, keep chocolate in a sealed container. Well stored, dark chocolate keeps for years. Milk and white chocolates are more perishable, lasting from 3 to 12 months.
cilantro (green coriander, spanish parsley, chinese parsley) The fresh leaves of the coriander plant. It has a strong, heady, distinctive aroma and flavor. An ancient herb in the carrot family, this hardy annual was originally native to southern Europe and the Middle East. Now cilantro is grown on almost every continent and is the most widely consumed culinary herb in the world.
At Moosewood we’ve found that cilantro can balance both the flavors of rich ingredients and the heat of chiles. Always rinse it well before using. Fresh cilantro will keep refrigerated for about 4 days with the stems or roots immersed in water and a plastic bag loosely covering the leaves. Look for cilantro in the fresh herb section of the produce department. We don’t recommend dried cilantro.
cocoa powder Used to make both cocoa powder and chocolate, cocoa beans are part cocoa butter (fat) and part cocoa solids (rich in protein and carbohydrates). The first stage involves roasting, grinding, and melting ripe cocoa beans. Then the pressed pods are ground to produce the unsweetened cocoa powder used in baking.
Dutch cocoa has a small amount of alkali added to neutralize cocoa’s natural acidity, yielding a mellower, more deeply colored, easy-to-dissolve cocoa. However, the absence of acid can affect leavening, so use Dutch-processed cocoa in baking only when specified or when rising is not an issue.
When working with cocoa, crush lumps before measuring. Cocoa is temperature-, humidity-, and odorsensitive, so store in a tightly sealed container and keep in a cool, dry place.
coconut Unsweetened coconut flakes are available in Indian, Caribbean, or Southeast Asian groceries, natural foods stores, and many supermarkets. If you must use the very sweet “sweetened shredded coconut” in the supermarket baking section, reduce another sweetener in the recipe. To toast shredded or flaked coconut, spread it on an unoiled baking sheet and bake at 350° for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly golden.
Coconut milk is neither the liquid in a fresh coconut nor the sweetened coconut cream in tropical beverages and mixed drinks. Coconut milk is a smooth, thick, rich-flavored liquid made from water and grated coconut that has been puréed and strained. It comes canned in regular and reduced-fat versions and is available free of preservatives and additives. Once opened, it will keep for about 3 days covered and refrigerated. Frozen it will last indefinitely.
For more information about using fresh coconut and making homemade coconut milk, see Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special, page 360.
collards (collard greens) Bluish green, paddle-shaped leaves packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and almost as much calcium as milk. Collards readily absorb the flavors of vinegars and spices and are often paired with beans in traditional Southern cuisine.
couscous The North African name for dishes made in a couscousière—a two-tiered clay or ceramic pot specially designed for steaming couscous over a simmering stew. In Moosewood recipes, couscous refers to the ready-to-cook grain alone, which is available in supermarkets and natural foods stores. Commercial couscous is a pre-cooked semolina milled from durum wheat and cooks in just 10 minutes into a light, fluffy grain. Regular couscous looks like tiny yellow pearls similar to millet, and whole wheat couscous is the same size and shape but with a light brown color and nuttier flavor.
cranberry beans Also called Roman beans, these medium, oval, creamy white and red speckled beans are used in many traditional Italian soups and dishes.
cremini (brown italian mushrooms) See Mushrooms.
currants In our recipes, currants refer to dried black grapes native to Greece—their largest exporter—and also grown in California, South Africa, and Australia. Sweet and glistening, small, deep black currants don’t fade, even when simmered. The dark color provides a lovely visual accent when used as a garnish on curries, stews, or fruit salads.
Many other types of wild and cultivated berries go by the name of currants, such as the red, white, and black currants in the gooseberry family commonly used for making jellies and preserves and the golden currant of North America. These varieties should not be used in our recipes.
curry The southern Indian Tamil word kari, meaning a spiced sauce with a soupy consistency, is the root for our English word curry, which refers to East Indian dishes flavored with curry spices mixed with yogurt, coconut milk, or other cooking liquids.
curry paste This Southeast Asian condiment combines curry spices and vegetable oils to create a highly concentrated, savory seasoning. Curry pastes can add spark to dressings, rice salads, sauces, sautés, soups, pilafs, and (of course) curries. Like curry powders, curry pastes have a range of flavors and spiciness. Curry pastes are available in jars at Indian groceries and in the ethnic section of many supermarkets. To make your own, see this page of Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites.
curry powder A mixture that usually includes ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cayenne, and cinnamon. Nutmeg, fenugreek, cloves, anise or fennel, and black pepper are sometimes added. Supermarket blends are often bland. We recommend shopping in Asian markets for a prepared curry powder you like or experimenting at home to make your own.
For homemade curry powder, toast the seeds just before grinding to mellow the sharp edge of uncooked spices and produce the fullest flavor.
daikon (japanese radish) Resembling a giant white carrot or parsnip and measuring up to a foot or more in length, this impressive-looking radish is crisp, mildly peppery, and good for refreshing the palate and adding zest to a dish. Daikon originated in southern Asia and spread east to Japan and west to Europe. Today, Florida is a major producer of daikon, which is frequently used in Caribbean cooking.
dashi Often the starting point for Japanese soups, sauces, and rice, dashi is a clear, strained, seaweed broth. Traditional dashis are made by simmering kombu in water, and dried bonito flakes (a mackerel-like ocean fish) or dried shiitake (mushrooms) are often included. Dashi is a wonderful base for miso soup. Most natural foods stores or Asian groceries carry the basic ingredients for making dashi. For a simple dashi recipe.
dijon mustard White wine, spices, and vinegar give a distinctive flavor to this yellowish brown mustard flecked with crushed mustard seeds. Named for a city in east central France.
edible flowers While flower fragrances are important in confections, it’s the visual appeal that’s most striking when they’re used decoratively in salads, soups, and tarts, and as garnishes. The rose is the most widely used edible flower: its petals are good both fresh and dried. Roses can be crystallized or candied and are used to make jams, conserves, fragrant water, and flavored vinegar. Nasturtiums, calendula, violets, marigolds, dianthus, pansies, and day lilies are other edible flowers that can add pizzazz to salads. Zucchini flowers, apple blossoms, and lilacs are often made into delicate fritters. Before using flowers for food or garnishes, be certain of their identity and be sure they have not been sprayed with pesticides or herbicides. Always soak them gently in cold water to remove dirt and drain well.
endive See Frisée.
escarole This mildly bitter, juicy member of the chicory family has dark green, wavy leaves with white sweet-tasting midribs. It’s delicious sautéed with garlic and oil or chopped raw and added to soups and stews. Avoid wilted, yellow, or brown-edged bunches. Escarole will keep in a perforated plastic bag for several days in the refrigerator.
extracts Used most often in baking, these strong flavorings are made by cooking the most flavorful part of a plant in alcohol until a thick, syrupy oleoresin is produced, and then diluting the syrup with alcohol in a ratio of 1:4. Flavorings differ from extracts in that they use glycerin instead of alcohol as a medium. Vanilla, chocolate, orange, lemon, maple, almond, and coconut flavors are all available as pure extracts and pure flavorings, and taste far better than artificial ones.
fava beans (broad beans) Small, immature, fresh favas are a springtime delicacy. Enjoy fresh favas as a snack or add them to sauces and soups. To cook more mature fresh favas, blanch in boiling salted water, drain, rinse with cold water, remove the outer skins, and then cook until tender. Dried favas may be found whole or split, the latter being easier to cook and digest. They are also available canned.
fennel Fresh fennel bulb, or “Florence fennel,” is a curious-looking vegetable with a sweet anise/licorice flavor and crunchy texture. Sometimes labeled anise at markets, fresh fennel has a large, white, edible bulbous bottom with green celery-like stalks topped by feathery fronds. The bulb can be sliced raw into salads, cooked as a side dish, or added to stews, and the fronds make nice garnishes. The tough stalks should be discarded.
Fennel seeds share the licorice flavor and fragrance of fresh fennel bulbs, but the seeds are the product of a different plant. Fennel seeds come from a native Mediterranean member of the parsley family, a widely cultivated aromatic perennial with umbrella-like flowers. Toasted and ground just before use, fennel seeds add depth and complexity to dishes—sometimes making them taste surprisingly like meat-based versions.
Wild fennel is bitter, has no anise flavor, and is generally not used for culinary purposes.
feta See Cheese.
filo (phyllo) Yufka is the modern Turkish word for a single sheet of filo, a paper-thin dough that originated in Turkey. Our English word is derived from the Greek word phyllo meaning “leaf.” The dough, widely available packaged, is used to make strudels and pastries. After opening a package of filo, remove only as much as you plan to use and work quickly, because it dries out rapidly when exposed to air. Look for it in the frozen or refrigerated sections of the supermarket.
fish Versatile and widely available, fish can make a substantial and delicious meal with the simplest preparation and provide a lean source of protein and essential oils. Choose fish with a sweet, mild odor or a fresh briny aroma and avoid anything that smells strong or offensive. The flesh should be firm, unblemished, elastic, moist, and translucent. It’s important not to overcook fish: a good rule of thumb is to cook 10 minutes for each inch of thickness.
Cod, scrod (young cod), flounder, haddock, ocean perch, and whiting are all tender lean sea fish with mild flavors. Halibut, pollock, red snapper, sea bass, turbot, and monkfish (poor man’s lobster) are lean sea fish with firm white flesh. Mahimahi found in semitropical waters on both coasts of the United States is a lean sea fish with a strong meaty flavor.
Oil-rich sea fish include bluefish, herring, mackerel, mako, pompano, smelt, swordfish, tuna, and salmon. In general, these fish have a stonger flavor than the lean sea fish. Many are sold as steaks and are excellent for grilling.
Freshwater fish include carp, catfish, perch, striped bass, sturgeon, trout, whitefish, and tilapia. Sturgeon, tilapia, trout, and catfish (sometimes called “tenderloin trout”), are farm-raised in the United States.
Shellfish, which are quick-cooking but take more preparation if not already cleaned and deveined, include clams, mussels, several varieties of scallops, and shrimp. The shells can be used to make fish stock for soups or stews.
fish sauce (nam pla, nuoc mam, tuk trey) A pungent condiment made from salted small fish fermented in vats of brine. The briny liquid is removed, dried in the sun, and then bottled. An essential part of Southeast Asian cooking and popular throughout Asia and the Pacific, fish sauce is used in sauces, stir-fries, and soups and liberally added to foods at the table. In Thailand and Vietnam, this high-protein, vitamin B-filled sauce plays a role similar to soy sauce and tamari in China and Japan. It does not require refrigeration.
five-spice powder This spicy Chinese seasoning made of ground Szechuan peppercorns, star anise, fennel, cumin, and cloves is available in most Asian markets and adds a distinctive flavor to Asian dishes and marinades.
flour Technically, any ground cereal, such as wheat, oats, barley, rye, rice, and corn, is called flour, but generally speaking in America and Europe, the term applies to ground or milled wheat. Varieties include whole grain, white, bleached, unbleached, pastry, bread, and all-purpose—a combination of pastry and bread flours. We prefer unbleached flours in which the endosperm is preserved. Whole wheat varieties are higher in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. In India and other parts of the world, beans such as chickpeas are often ground into flours for added texture and flavor.
Flours vary in fineness and gluten according to the type of wheat from which they are made, but all flours should be stored in a cool, dry location in airtight containers. Whole wheat pastry flours should be refrigerated. Flours kept in paper bags or the original sack can absorb odors from other foods. Here is the lowdown on various types of flour and their uses:
all-purpose flour Most recipes in our books can be made with this multipurpose blend of hard and soft wheats—especially good for making quick breads, biscuits, cakes, and cookies. It’s by far the most versatile and widely available wheat flour and has a protein content ranging from 8 to 12 percent. Unbleached flour is naturally aged and matured without the use of chemical bleaching agents like chlorine dioxide. At Moosewood, we use unbleached flour without preservatives or bromates. When substituting, use 1 cup minus 1½ tablespoons of all-purpose flour per cup of pastry flour.
bread flour Bread flour is milled from hard wheat, contains the most gluten, and produces the most elastic doughs. It’s highest in protein of all the types of flour (at least 12 percent) and should be avoided in dessert baking or any time that a dough with a high gluten content is undesirable.
cake flour A low-protein, soft wheat flour that is heavily chlorinated or bleached to inhibit its ability to form gluten with liquids. Because it bonds more readily with fats and absorbs liquids faster than other flours, it produces especially light, delicate cakes. At Moosewood, we don’t use cake flour because we believe the fewer additives in our food, the better. To approximate cake flour, replace 2 tablespoons of each cup of bleached all-purpose flour with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
pastry flour Milled from soft wheat with a soft, fine texture and very little gluten. Its lower protein content makes a tender crumb ideal for pie and tart doughs, biscuits, muffins, and some cookies and cakes. Cakes made with pastry flour may have less “rise” and cookies tend to be flatter and crisper. When substituting, use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of pastry flour for each cup of all-purpose.
self-rising flour This is flour, common in the southern U.S., contains baking powder and salt. It should not be used in place of all-purpose flour, since the leavening incorporated in it may wreak havoc with the recipe.
whole wheat flour Contains all of the nutrients in wheat, including fiber, vitamins and minerals. The fat content of wheat germ shortens the shelf life of whole wheat flour, so store it in the refrigerator.
frisée (endive, curly chicory, curly endive) A delicate bitter salad green that has frilly individual leaves and a crisp texture. Its thin serrated leaves in various shades of lime green can visually enliven a salad and its sharp flavor complements sweeter mixed greens. Frisée will keep refrigerated for about 4 days in a loosely closed plastic bag. Rinse well just before using.
garam masala Like curry powders, garam masala is a mixture of roasted, ground spices that can vary according to taste and purpose. Here’s one of our favorite recipes: 6 inches of crushed cinnamon stick, ¼ cup of coriander seeds, 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds, 2 tablespoons of black peppercorns, 1 tablespoon of cardamom seeds, 1½ teaspoons of whole cloves, and 1½ teaspoons of fennel seeds. Heat all of the spices on an unoiled baking tray at 200° for ½ hour; cool and grind. Experiment with proportions to find the mix you like best. Other spices sometimes included are nutmeg, mace, and saffron. Convenient blends are often available in Asian markets or in the herb and spice aisle or the specialty foods section of the supermarket. Store in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dark place and use within 3 months for best results.
ginger root The bronze-colored, knobby, underground branching stem of a perennial rhizome. Its spicy hotness with sweet undertones is milder and distinct from that of chiles. Healthy fresh ginger has a smooth, taut, tan skin and golden juicy flesh. Peeling is necessary only if the skin is blemished or doesn’t grate easily. Ginger root can be finely grated or thinly sliced into rounds for use in Asian, African, and Caribbean dishes. Look for it in the fresh produce section of the market. Fresh ginger root keeps for several weeks refrigerated and for months in the freezer.
greens This term refers both to raw salad greens and to leafy greens that are usually cooked. Grouping greens into raw and cooked categories, however, is not without quite a bit of overlap. Some salad greens are delicious steamed or sautéed, or added to or blended into soup. Likewise, a good many cooking greens, especially when young and tender, can make a nutritious tasty addition to salads.
Popular salad greens include Boston lettuce, spinach, Belgian endive, mesclun, looseleaf lettuces, radicchio, and arugula. Cooked greens include beet and turnip greens, chard, collards, escarole, frisée, kale, mustard greens, broccoli rabe, bok choy, and watercress.
grits A popular staple of southern United States cuisine. Yellow and white grits have similar sweetness, flavor, and nutritional value. Commercial grits are made from dried corn with the germ removed and are available in instant, quick-cooking, and regular varieties. We recommend using the quick-cooking or regular grits, which can be found in the cereal section of most supermarkets. Stone-ground grits are dried whole kernels of white or yellow corn crushed between millstones: they are delicious but take longer to cook than commercial regular grits. Stored in the freezer in a well-sealed container, grits will keep for several months. For more about grits.
havarti See Cheese.
herbs See this page for information.
hijiki (hiziki) See Seaweed
hoisin sauce Traditionally used in Mu Shu dishes, this sweet Chinese condiment is spread on thin pancakes that are filled with stir-fried vegetables and rolled. Hoisin sauce is a deep chocolate-colored brown purée with a smooth thick texture. It contains soybeans, sugar, vinegar, and spices.
hominy Made by soaking dried corn kernels in lye wood ash, a process that removes the germ layer and turns the kernel creamy white. Although vitamins are lost, the lye-soaking process enhances the availability of the corn’s protein and niacin. Hominy has a firm, smooth, chewy texture and distinctive taste. Whole hominy is in the canned vegetable section of most supermarkets. Look for brands without preservatives or other additives.
horseradish A pungent condiment popular in Russian, German, and Scandinavian cuisines, a perfect foil for creamy sauces and seafood chowders, and a good source of iron and potassium. Most supermarkets carry jars of grated horseradish mixed with vinegar and salt, either sweetened and colored with beet juice or plain. Freshly grated horseradish root makes an excellent aromatic garnish.
jicama This clean-tasting, mildly sweet tuber from Mexico and the Amazon has a rather spherical shape and coarse brownish skin. Its crunchy, translucent white flesh is high in potassium, low in sodium, good raw or cooked, and can be combined with fruit, vegetables, or seafood. Jicama can vary in weight from ½ to 6 pounds! Thin-skinned jicamas are the most tender and tasty. Store whole jicama unwrapped in a dry spot in the refrigerator. Once cut, it will keep in plastic for about a week.
kale One recorded history’s oldest vegetables. An exceptionally nutritious food, it’s a rich source of fiber and is loaded with vitamins A and C, thiamine, iron, and calcium. Young leaves are tender enough for a raw salad, but most often kale is served cooked. The bluish green, frilly-edged leaves are at their sweetest after the first frost. Kale will keep in the refrigerator for at least a week.
To cook kale, hold each leaf by the stem and run your other hand down the rib to strip off the leaf, chop into bite-sized pieces, and steam or sauté until just tender. One pound of raw kale yields 4 cups cooked.
kombu See Seaweed.
leeks A mild relative of the onion and garlic family. They were once a food of the Roman aristocracy and today they’re the national vegetable of Wales. Leeks have thick stalks with wide overlapping leaves and resemble giant scallions. Their subtle flavor makes them a renowned delicacy celebrated in many cultures. The Scottish make Cockaleekie soup which contains leeks and chicken. In China, the heart of the leek is used in a popular condiment for Beijing pancakes. And, of course, there’s the famous French potato-leek soup, vichyssoise.
To prepare leeks, cut off the root end and the tough part of the leaves and discard. Slice vertically down the center of the bulb, separate its layers, and submerge in water, rinsing well to remove sand and grit.
legumes A French word for “vegetables.” The English term “legume” replaced the older word for beans, pulse, in the seventeenth century. Among nutritionists, legumes include beans, lentils, peas, and peanuts. Among botanists, a legume is a fruit that splits into two halves. See Beans.
lemongrass stalks Amazingly aromatic round reeds with a lemony flavor. They can grow up to 2 feet high and range in color from pale yellowish green to green-gray. To use lemongrass, cut off the tough root end, peel the thick outer layers, and mince the tender core. Lemongrass can be eaten raw, but we usually sauté or simmer it. The tough exterior layers can be used in stock: One stalk of outer leaves and tough stems will flavor about a quart of water. Lemongrass is sold in Asian markets and many supermarkets, and is easy to grow. Although tropical, it will grow in moderate climates, and we have successfully harvested it even with our short upstate New York summers.
lentils Second only to soybeans in protein content, lentils are quick-cooking, sulphur-free legumes that contain calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and other nutrients. They are a staple in Europe, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and India. Varieties include red, brown, and French lentils. Red lentils are available whole or split, cook faster when split, and transform into a gorgeous golden purée when cooked. The familiar brown lentils maintain their color and must simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. French lentils are small and stay firm and nutty when cooked. Lentils can be the basis for soups, stews, side dishes, and salads, and they make flavorful crunchy sprouts. In Italian culture, a bowl of lentil soup on New Year’s Eve brings good luck for the coming year.
mangos Originated Southeast Asia and the tropics. A Vedic legend has it that the mango tree sprang from the ashes of a golden lotus and when a ripe fruit fell to the ground, a king’s long lost wife stepped out from it. Mangos were introduced into the Americas in the nineteenth century.
A ripe mango should have a distinct aroma at the stem end, a smooth surface without soft or deflated spots, and apricot colored flesh that’s sweet and smooth. Mangos that are odorless or winy are respectively underripe or overripe. A mango has a large, flat central pit that can occupy almost a third of the fruit. To cube, cut the mango lengthwise into two halves, as close to the pit as possible. Score the fruit of each mango half just down to the peel in a crosshatch pattern. Then bend each mango half inside out and slice off the cubes.
marsala A sweet blended wine from the town of Marsala in the hills of Sicily. To help maintain a consistent flavor, the kegs of wine are stacked so when some is drawn from the bottom keg, the keg above drains into the lower one. At Moosewood, we use marsala to sweeten desserts, sauces, and stews.
Marsala is the setting for Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing. During the American prohibition, marsala was disguised in medicine bottles because it could pass for cough syrup in appearance.
mascarpone See Cheese.
milk In most cases, whatever milk you have on hand will suffice for our recipes. At Moosewood, we mostly use 2% milk, which has a texture and flavor closer to whole milk than either 1% or skim, but is still considerably lower in fat than whole milk.
Evaporated milk is a canned milk with the moisture content reduced by 60%. Processing slightly caramelizes the natural milk sugar, which produces a somewhat sweet flavor. Skimmed evaporated milk adds a rich, velvety creaminess to dishes without the butterfat. Condensed milk is a highly sweetened, concentrated milk that is also available skimmed.
mirin This Japanese rice cooking wine has a lovely sweet flavor used to season marinades, sauces, dressings, and glazes. Both hon-mirin (brewed from sake, sweet rice, and rice malt) and aji-mirin (a wine with salt, fructose, and corn syrup) are widely available. If you’re caught without mirin, use a mixture of ⅔ cup of dry sherry and ⅓ cup of sugar instead. Find mirin in Asian groceries and the ethnic section of supermarkets. Store in a cool, dry place.
miso A staple of Japanese cuisine, miso has a wonderful, complex flavor and can give dressings, sauces, stews, and marinades a boost in both taste and nutrition. Made from fermented soybeans, miso types vary greatly in intensity and flavor depending on the grains added to the soybeans and the length of the aging process. Miso is cholesterol-free, low in saturated fat, high in protein, and full of beneficial digestive enzymes. Three basic misos are aged hatcho miso, which is dark and rich; savory dark red barley miso; and amber rice miso, which is more delicate and slightly sweet. All of them make an almostinstant invigorating soup using just water for the broth. It’s the soothing restorative “chicken broth” for vegetarians.
mizuna A mild-tasting Japanese green with white stems and green feathery foliage. When young, this member of the mustard family has a mild bite and is often included in mesclun and other baby green mixes. Mizuna is easy and gratifying to grow: The greens re-grow after snipping and, therefore, can be harvested all season from a single planting.
molasses Made from sugarcane. Providing sweetness, rich flavor, B vitamins, and iron, it adds moisture to baked goods for better keeping. We use unsulphured molasses because its flavor is assertive without being overpowering. Blackstrap molasses is so strong that it can overwhelm a dish, and sulphured molasses retains unpleasant sulphur odors.
morels See Mushrooms.
mung beans These olive-green, bead-like beans are familiar to most Westerners as sprouts, but East Asians are more familiar with them made into cellophane noodles and smooth sweet fillings for pastries. Indians know split mung beans as the staple moong dhal. See this page for cooking instructions.
mushrooms Available in all shapes and sizes, both fresh and dried, cultivated and wild. With fresh mushrooms, look for firm, relatively unblemished fungi that are dry to the touch. For best results, store them unwashed in the refrigerator in a paper bag—never in plastic. Store dried mushrooms in a well-sealed glass jar.
button mushrooms (common, domestic, moonlight) The common variety always available in supermarkets and found most often in 8- and 12-ounce containers or with the bulk vegetables. They are white and mostly bite-sized; larger ones make great stuffed hors d’oeuvres.
chanterelles Most often golden to orange in color, with a trumpet shape and delicate flavor. They are firm and take longer than button mushrooms to release their juices when cooked. They are available seasonally in some supermarkets and are also harvested wild by mushroom “experts.”
cremini (crimini) The brown and tan Italian relatives of button mushrooms. While smaller ones hold their shape when cooked whole, more mature larger ones produce a darker juice and fuller flavor. They are sometimes labeled either Baby Portabellos or Baby Bellos.
morels A sweet, spicy, and nutty variety of wild mushrooms that can be used either fresh or dried. Remove and discard their tough stems before using, and soak dried morels for 15 minutes in water to cover before cooking.
oyster mushrooms Grown on tree stumps in clusters of cream, gray, or light brown with caps shaped like shells. They are chewy with a flavor somewhat reminiscent of the sea. We especially like them grilled or stir-fried.
porcini Fleshy imported Italian mushrooms with a rich, woodsy flavor. They can be expensive, but a little goes a long way. Most often, you will find them dried. Soak them in warm water for about 30 minutes before cooking and use the strained soaking liquid for stock.
portabellos Brown to taupe with almost black gills. Their large size (up to 6 inches across) makes them easy to spot. They are all the rage grilled, roasted, or stuffed and are readily available fresh in most supermarket produce sections.
shiitake The name comes from the Japanese beech tree or shii on which they most commonly grow. Asians value shiitake as health stimulants. They are brown, fleshy mushrooms with woody stems that should be removed before eating the chewy, smoky-flavored caps. They are always eaten cooked, never raw, and fresh ones are often dried for storage. Choose fresh shiitake that are firm, aromatic, and dry but not leathery. Dried shiitake should be soaked in boiling water for at least 20 minutes before sautéing or adding to dishes. Both fresh and dried are available in the United States, although fresh ones can be more difficult to find.
straw mushrooms Grown in beds of rice straw or husks—thus, their name. They are cone-shaped, beige to brown in color, meaty textured, and mildly flavored. They are available canned or dried.
tree ears Sometimes called wood ears, these smooth mushrooms with brown caps are mild and crunchy and available dried in packages in Chinese and Southeast Asian groceries.
wild mushrooms Should be foraged only by experts because most species have poisonous look-alikes. Fortunately, the wild mushroom selection is quite good in many supermarkets. Most of what are called “wild” mushrooms are actually cultivated exotics. Some varieties are rarer and pricier than others but, in general, wild mushrooms are more flavorful than the ordinary white ones.
mustard greens A spicy, mustardy green terrific for flavoring and good as a companion to milder greens such as collards or spinach. They are commonly used in Southern cooking and in many parts of Africa, India, and China. Young red mustard greens are often included in mixes of mesclun or baby greens. Wrapped in a damp towel in plastic in the refrigerator, they will keep for about 3 days.
napa cabbage Crinkly, soft, elongated leaves that soften quickly for stuffed cabbage. Napa has a mild sweet taste, good for slaws and stir-frys. Look for light green, crisp, tightly packed leaves. Place in a closed plastic bag and store in the refrigerator crisper.
navy beans This small white bean has many nicknames: Boston bean, pea bean, white pea bean, haricot. The name “Navy bean” comes from the frequency with which it was served to sailors on ships. Navy beans are perfect for baked beans, soups, and stews and are easily puréed for dips. See this page for cooking instructions.
neufchâtel Here in the United States, Neufchâtel refers to a low-fat cream cheese widely available in supermarket dairy cases. It’s an excellent alternative to full-fat cream cheese. Although the name derives from the place in France where the original French Neufchâtel has been made since the Middle Ages, our low-fat Neufchâtel in America is quite different from the French Neufchâtel.
nori See Seaweed.
oats One of the world’s most often eaten hot cereal breakfasts. Oats can add flavor and texture to baked goods, as well as holding moisture for good keeping quality. They can also be used as a hidden but effective thickener in soups and stews. Oats are available in three grades: steel-cut, regular, and quick-cooking. Avoid instant oats, which are not worth cooking. Unless otherwise stated, our recipes use regular rolled oats. See this page–this page for more information and delicious recipes.
oils A form of liquid fat used to prevent sticking and to add body, flavor, and a rich smoothness to foods. Store oils away from light and use while fresh. Avoid using old, rancid specimens. Olive oil and canola oil are high in monounsaturated fat and low in saturated fat, so good-quality brands of these oils are recommended as the healthiest oils for regular consumption. Canola oil has a very mild flavor and is pressed from the seeds of the rape plant, which is in the Brassica family.
Peanut oil is particularly valued for deep-frying and sautéing because it does not scorch until heated above 500°. Sesame oils come in two main varieties, light and dark. Light sesame oil has a mild flavor, is made with unroasted sesame seeds, and is good for dressings and sautéing. Dark sesame oil, pressed from roasted sesame seeds, is used almost exclusively as a rich aromatic flavoring in dressings, sauces, and soups.
A sprinkling of hazelnut or pumpkin seed oil will will nicely flavor a salad dressing, soup, condiment, or dessert and almond and walnut oils are delicious in salads, baked goods, and infused with herbs. Asian chili oils are specialty flavoring oils infused with dried chiles or crushed pepper flakes and will add fire and seasoning to any dish.
olives Cultivated in the Mediterranean since 3000 B.C., olives were brought to the Americas by the Spanish. They are cured to remove their natural bitterness and then most types are fermented in salt or brine. See this page–this page for more information and recipes. Here are a few varieties we keep on hand:
california ripe olives These black olives are often pitted and canned and have a mild flavor that’s less tangy than most olives because they aren’t fermented in salt or brine before canning.
green spanish olives Picked before they’re ripe, then cured and preserved in brine. Available jarred, both pitted and unpitted, in most supermarkets, they have a bright tangy flavor.
kalamata olives (calamata) Delicious, meaty, purplish-black olives marinated in wine vinegar and then packed in olive oil and vinegar. Look for them in specialty and Greek groceries and the delicatessen section of well-stocked supermarkets.
onions In the wild, onions have been natives of Southeast Asia for 4,000 years. Now there are hundreds of varieties thriving in a wide spectrum of conditions. Cultivated onions grown in warm climates tend to be mild and perishable, while cold-climate onions are stronger flavored and better keepers. Choose onions that are firm near the stem and store them in a well-ventilated, cool, dark place. Below we discuss the most common varieties of onions. For other onion relatives, see Chives and Leeks.
pearl onions Very small, many-layered onions harvested in the late summer and fall. When they are larger than 1½ inches across they are sometimes referred to as “boiling onions.” Look for them year round in the frozen vegetable section of supermarkets or in season in the produce section. Fresh pearl onions should be hard with papery white skin. To peel, blanch for about 15 seconds in boiling water, cut off the root end, and slip off the skin.
red onions These add color and crunch when used raw in salads, and have a milder, sweeter flavor than Spanish or Bermuda onions. They are usually smaller in size than large Spanish onions and release water when cooked. The freshest red onions are available from late summer to early winter.
shallots (welsh onions) A head composed of cloves wrapped in a reddish-brown papery skin. They are eaten cooked and raw and have a delicate flavor. Store in a well-ventilated, cool, dark place.
spanish onions These large round onions with light amber, papery skin are delicious and juicy either raw or cooked. Most supermarkets carry them year round, but the best-quality ones are available in autumn and winter.
vidalia onions Correctly pronounced (vi-dahlyuh) with a long “i” as in “high,” this juicy sweet onion is named for a town in the state of Georgia. Vidalias are sweet because they are harvested when slightly underripe, before they develop the strong taste and bite of other onions. Vidalias are in season during May and June.
parchment paper A thin, translucent, dry paper used as a pan liner to prevent sticking and burning when baking delicate sweet or savory pastries. Parchment paper can be re-used when baking multiple batches. Purchase it at cooking supply stores and in the cooking supply or baking section of many supermarkets.
parsnips Most parsnips look like slender pale carrots; round “turnip” parsnips also exist. They are a beige-skinned winter root vegetable with a creamy white fibrous interior that’s sweet and mild. Choose smooth, firm parsnips during their peak season from December through March. Peel before chopping and adding to soups and stews.
pasta Many brands of domestic and imported pastas line the shelves of markets today. Because pasta is made with a variety of flours and in every shape imaginable, the discriminating cook can find exactly the pasta that suits the dish. In general, small pastas work best in soups and larger ones in main dishes or salads. Use thin, long strands of pasta for smooth sauces and spirals or shells for chunkier vegetable sauces. Always cook in lots of boiling water until just tender or al dente.
Some familiar pasta shapes and descriptive names are conchiglie (conch shells), farfalle (bowties or butterflies), fettuccine (small ribbons), linguine (small tongues), manicotti (small muffs), orecchiette (little ears), rotini (corkscrews), spaghetti (strings), trenette (square-cut strings), tubetti and tubettini (small and tiny tubes), and vermicelli (little worms).
See this page for additional information.
peanut butter Our peanut butter of choice is made from just peanuts with no addition of hydrogenated fats, sweeteners, or stabilizers.
pecorino romano cheese Produced mostly in Sardinia from November to June, a hard grating cheese made from sheep’s milk, enjoyed since the early Roman Empire. It has a fragrant aroma and a slightly gamey, piquant flavor. Nutritionally, it is high in protein, vitamins A and D, and calcium and phosphorous. In ¼ ounce of cheese, there are 25 calories, 2 grams of fat (1 gram saturated), 5 milligrams of cholesterol, and 140 milligrams of sodium. Wrap in heavy paper and store in the lower part of the refrigerator.
pesto A sumptuous paste usually made with olive oil, basil, nuts, garlic, and aged cheese. It’s a condiment to add to soups (such as pistou), to wake up steamed vegetables and seafood, to sauce hot pastas, and to spread on crackers or toast.
pine nuts (pignoll) The edible seeds of certain pine trees that grow in Central America, the Mediterranean, and the southwestern United States. These highly perishable nuts are small ecru ovals with a sweet flavor and creamy texture. Store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. For the best flavor when used as a garnish, dry roast them in a skillet or 350° oven for 3 to 5 minutes until golden-brown.
pinto beans In Spanish, pinto means “spirited.” This mottled beige and brown bean is used in chilis, refried beans, and southwestern dishes. See this page for cooking instructions.
polenta A cornmeal mush or pudding made most simply with yellow cornmeal, water, and salt. Serve polenta under saucy stews and sautés or as a hot breakfast cereal, or use it to make “cutlets” or a crust for savory pies. See this page–this page for additional information and recipes.
porcini See Mushrooms.
portabellos See Mushrooms.
potatoes In many sizes and colors, potatoes range from starchy to waxy. Always store them in a dark, cool location between 35° and 50°. Exposure to light causes potatoes to turn green and green sections, eyes, and sprouts all have high concentrations of a toxic substance that can cause illness if eaten in large quantity. So remove any green sections, eyes, or sprouts before cooking. Storing an apple with the potatoes helps maintain their flavor and texture by preventing them from sprouting.
Look for these outstanding potatoes at your local farmers’ market or well-stocked produce section:
caribe This attractive potato with very white flesh and contrasting violet skin has a high starch content and makes exceptionally fluffy mashed potatoes.
new potatoes Young tubers harvested before maturity and usually available from early spring through summer. Prized for their delicate flavor and texture, they’re sweeter and moister than their older siblings. Look for thin, somewhat fragile skins; sometimes merely small potatoes are peddled as new.
peruvian purple A fingerling type of blue potato with deep purple skin and flesh. When mashed, they produce a pretty pastel violet dish. When boiling blue potatoes, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the water to keep the color vivid.
rose gold Pale red skin and yellow flesh, combining the best of red-skinned and golden potatoes. They’re firm enough for steaming and creamy enough to bake well.
ruby crescent With thin pink skin, flavorful yellow flesh, and a firm yet creamy texture, this is one of the best of the fingerlings. Others include Russian Banana, French Fingerling, and Ratte. All are superb roasted or boiled.
yellow finn A good all-purpose variety with pale yellow skin and deeper yellow flesh, moist and sweeter than most potatoes.
yukon gold This specialty variety with yellow skin and flesh made a big hit and crossed over from gourmet markets to supermarkets. It has an excellent, buttery texture and flavor for mashed, boiled, or salad potatoes.
quinoa (keen-wah) Indigenous to South America and first cultivated by the Incas, this easily digestible grain is mild, slightly crunchy, nutty-flavored, and rich in vitamins, minerals, and protein. It cooks in just 15 minutes and contains all eight essential amino acids. A little goes a long way: It expands four to five times in cooking. Use a 2:1 ratio of boiling water to quinoa.
red kidney beans These thick-skinned, long-cooking beans range in color from light red to deep reddish-purple. Kidneys hold their shape well and are popular in chilis. Quicker-cooking small, red chili beans, which are sometimes called Mexican red beans, may also be used. See this page for cooking instructions.
rice A popular worldwide grain grown in tropical, equatorial, and temperate zones across the continents. Raw rice can be stored for months in a capped container in a cool, dark place. Rice that retains its bran, such as brown rice, should be refrigerated to prevent rancidity. Rice is always eaten cooked and can be served hot, at room temperature, or cold.
arborio rice An Italian short-grain, highly absorbent, starchy white rice used in risottos. Look for arborio rice in the ethnic section of the supermarket or in Italian specialty shops.
basmati rice Grown in the foothills of the Himalayas, with slender, long grains that are aged for as much as a year before being sold. Its nutty flavor, sweet fragrance, and smooth texture make it an appealing choice. Brown basmati rice is available in natural food stores and white basmati is often found in well-stocked supermarkets. Texmati and calmati are hybrids grown in Texas, California, and Arkansas. RiceTex recently failed in its attempt to patent a genetically engineered variety of basmati rice.
black rice (oryza sativa) With a dark bran covering a milky white endosperm, black rice comes in several varieties. Some brands, like Lundberg Family Farms, combine both a mahogany rice and black japonica. Black rice is available in Asian and specialty markets and natural foods stores.
black thai rice Semi-polished kernels that are moist, sticky, purple-colored, and pleasantly sweet when cooked, making it good for use in desserts. It is sometimes called black sticky rice. Look for it in cloth sacks or burlap-textured plastic in Asian markets and in supermarkets that have extensive ethnic sections.
brown rice An excellent rice with a chewy texture and full-bodied flavor, brown rice has only the hull removed—the bran and germ are retained, adding nutrients and the light brown hue. Available in long-grain, medium-grain, and short-grain varieties: the shorter the grain, the smaller, plumper, and moister the cooked rice kernels will be. Long-grain is good when a slightly dry, fluffy rice is preferred. Medium and short-grain are perfect for Asian dishes eaten with chopsticks.
carnaroli rice One of the choice, oval, short-grain white rices classified as “superfino,” used for risotto. It has a hard-grained, glass-like exterior, is resistant to rapid liquid absorption, and produces a creamy risotto. Other risotto rices are arborio, vialone nano, and baldo. The very best risotto rice is grown in Italy’s Piedmont and Veneto regions.
jasmine rice A creamy, Thai long-grain rice with a distinctive aromatic fragrance. It can be found in Asian markets or in the international section of well-stocked supermarkets.
sushi rice A short-grain, slightly glutinous white rice perfect for making sushi and available in the Asian section of well-stocked supermarkets and in Asian specialty shops.
sweet sticky rice An Asian rice that goes by many names: glutinous rice, sticky rice, sweet rice, sweet glutinous rice. It has plump, white grains that become translucent when cooked and is mostly used in Asian sweets. It is available in Asian markets.
wehani rice Developed by Lundberg organic growers in California, this is a long-grain, unpolished, bronze-brown rice with a sweet, nutty flavor and chewy texture. It can be cooked mixed with other types of brown rice, since the water-rice ratio for cooking and the cooking times are the same.
white rice Also known as polished rice because it has been processed to remove both its hull and bran. “Enriched” white rice has thiamine, niacin, and iron added to it. It is sold in long-grain, medium-grain, and short-grain varieties.
wild rice Not a rice, but the slim seeds of an aquatic grass related to the rice plant. Hand-harvested wild crops and cultivated wild rice paddies are both sources of wild rice, but cultivated paddies may be treated with pesticides. This rice is pricey, so we often combine it with other rice or grains. Look for organic wild rice in naturals foods stores.
ricotta salata A hard, salty, dry cheese made from sheep’s milk. Despite its name, it is not related to ricotta cheese, but is grated like Pecorino Romano as a topping.
risotto Plump, short- or medium-grain rice, such as arborio or carnaroli rice, makes the best risotto. Look for packages marked “ai pestelli,” which means it was hulled with a mortar and pestle. This leaves a powdery starch on the rice which contributes to a creamy texture. A good domestic rice is a California-grown Cal-Riso, which resembles arborio rice but is faster cooking. See this page for additional interesting information.
saffron Stiff, short, reddish-orange threads that are the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus. Crumbled into saucy dishes near the end of cooking, it imparts a bright yellow color and distinctive flavor. It is popular in Spanish, Portuguese, and Provençal cooking. Saffron is expensive, but no other spice can really replace it. Although turmeric also imparts a yellow-orange color, it is very different and is not a substitute for saffron.
savoy cabbage A round green cabbage with ruffled leaves, a sweet flavor, and delicate texture. Wrap cut heads in plastic and store in the crisper bin of the refrigerator.
seaweed Literally tons of seaweed or sea vegetables exist. For some interesting lore and fascinating facts see this page and this page. Here are a few we use most often at Moosewood:
hijiki or hiziki Belonging to the brown algae family Phaeophyta, hijiki has thin, black strands that resemble vermicelli. After soaking, the strands expand up to five times their original size. High in iron, phosphorus, calcium, and protein, hijiki adds an assertive sea flavor to dishes.
kombu or kelp Long dark green leaves high in calcium, glutamic acid, potassium, iodine, calcium, trace minerals, and vitamins A, B-complex, and C. It is gathered off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan, and is usually sold cut into segments or folded. Use it for soup stock, a vegetable side dish, or a wrapper. Kombu’s flavor is near the surface, so don’t rinse it—instead, wipe it gently with a damp cloth. For easiest cutting, use scissors. Look for it in natural and specialty foods stores and Japanese groceries.
nori A marine algae harvested and processed in Japan, Korea, and the northwestern United States. It comes in packages of thin, flat, dark green, slightly salty sheets and is available both toasted and untoasted. It is the wrapper of choice for nori rolls and sushi rolls and can also make a lovely garnish when shredded on salad and rice dishes.
wakame This member of the Alaria family of sea kelp is only available dried in the United States. In Japan, it’s eaten most often fresh in season. Soak dried wakame for about 20 minutes in lukewarm water until its leaves unfurl; then chop it into soups or salads.
seitan When the starch is removed from wheat through a lengthy process involving water and kneading, the gluten remains. This wheat gluten is called seitan, a low-fat and high-protein chewy meat substitute that readily absorbs flavors. Most commercial seitan is wheat gluten that has been boiled and then sautéed in flavorings such as soy sauce and ginger. It is available in sealed packages and canned, both plain and seasoned (with an ever-widening selection of seasonings) and, once opened, will keep refrigerated for about a week.
semolina A granular, milled product of durum wheat, consisting almost entirely of endosperm particles, used to make couscous.
shiitake See Mushrooms.
sour cream Baked goods made with sour cream have a particularly tender, light crumb because of the presence of lactic acid, a by-product of the beneficial bacteria present in sour cream cultures. Conventional sour cream has a butterfat content of 18 to 20%, light sour cream about 10%, and, of course, nonfat is 0%. Nonfat sour cream is creamy due to the inclusion of thickeners and starches.
soybeans More than 1,000 varieties of soybeans of yellow, green, red, black, white, and mottled hues are cultivated worldwide. Soybeans are used in an extensive array of food products: soy sauce, tofu, textured vegetable protein, miso, soy milk, soy oil, sprouts, tempeh, fermented black beans, and snacks. They are 38% protein, the highest of any legume, and are low in fat and carbohydrates. See this page for cooking instructions.
soy margarine Shedd’s Willow Run is our margarine of choice for our vegan desserts and savory pastries. Unlike many margarines on the market, Willow Run is made with essential natural ingredients free of artificial stabilizers, thickeners, and preservatives. Willow Run contains liquid soybean oil and partially hydrogenated soybean oil, water, salt, soy flour, soy lecithin, beta carotene (for color), and vitamin A.
soy milk (soy drinks) Made primarily from soybeans, water, and salt, and often sweetened with rice syrup or barley malt, soy milk is a thick dairyless beverage that can be used in place of regular milk in sauces, soups, desserts, and on cereal. Soymilk is 45% fat (compared to 51% in regular milk) and all of the fat is polyunsaturated. Soy milk is also available in low-fat and flavored varieties. It can be found in natural foods stores and many supermarkets.
soy sauce The best-tasting, most pure soy sauces are made from four ingredients only: soybeans, water, wheat, and salt—and some wheat-free brands also exist. We recommend avoiding diluted sauces that have caramel coloring, sweetening, and/or preservatives. Soy sauces vary in strength and saltiness, so taste yours before adding it to a dish. Soy sauce is widely available in Asian groceries and supermarkets. See Tamari.
squash The fruits of various vinelike, tendril-bearing plants of the genus Curcurbita. A tremendous variety of squash grows all over the world, many depending upon certain climates and soil conditions. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors and can be baked, simmered, or in some cases eaten raw. Many (such as acorn, buttercup, crook-neck) derive their names from descriptions of their shapes. Here are a few we use at Moosewood:
buttercup squash A winter squash shaped like an oversized teacup. It has thick, dark green skin and sweet, moist, orange flesh. Stored in dark, dry, cool conditions, it can last most of the winter.
butternut squash A dense, club-shaped, thin-skinned winter squash with subdued light orange skin and bright yellowish orange flesh. Its sweet flavor adds natural sugar to soups and stews. It is good plain or with a dab of butter.
chayote Originated on Mayan and Aztec farms. Its mild taste is a cross between a cucumber and zucchini, but it is prized for its aroma, texture, and ability to absorb flavors. This gourd-like food can replace summer squash, raw or cooked or scooped out and stuffed. Its crisp, fresh taste makes a lively addition to salads and stews. Jamaicans use it like apples in pies, and in New Orleans it is called mirliton. Firmer than other squash, its cooking time is longer.
delicata squash A tube-shaped, sweet and creamy winter squash with streaks of orange or white on its green skin. It’s great in soups or stews and makes a delicious shell for stuffing. It’s not always necessary to peel the thin skin of this squash, especially when it’s going to be cubed and simmered in a stew or soup.
spaghetti squash A unique winter squash that will baffle the uninitiated. To prepare, place the whole squash in a pot with water to cover and bring to a boil; then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until tender when pierced. Drain and cool. When it can be handled, cut it in half, lengthwise, remove the seeds, and scoop out the spaghetti-like strands. Keep warm and serve the “spaghetti” with your favorite tomato sauce, herbed butter, or pesto. Store like other winter squash—in a cool, dry location with good air circulation between the squash.
summer squash Thin-skinned with light ivory to tan- or golden-hued flesh. They cook quickly and can be eaten raw, steamed, blanched, sautéed, or baked. Some common types are crook-neck, yellow squash, pattypan, and zucchini. Although a recipe may call for a particular summer squash, any kind that you have on hand or prefer will do fine.
winter squash A wide variety of green- and orange-skinned gourds that make excellent shells for stuffing and have sweet flesh good for soups, sautés, stews, and pie fillings. Winter squash are best freshly harvested in autumn. Some of the most easy to use types include acorn, buttercup, butternut, delicata, small pumpkins, and turban squash. Avoid overly large specimens, which are usually bland and pulpy. Scoop out and discard the stringy center mass and seeds before cooking. Or save pumpkinseeds and dry-roast and lightly salt them for a really delicious, nutritious snack.
zucchini A mild-tasting summer squash. The most common variety has a green, subtly speckled skin, although some are gold, gray, and even black! Choose zucchini 4 to 8 inches long: Longer ones are likely to be tough, seedy, and tasteless. Seeding zucchini before adding them to a stew will help maintain their texture.
stock See Vegetable Stock.
sun-dried tomatoes These Italian specialty items are now spreading rapidly to supermarkets all across the United States as their tart-sweet, salty flavor and chewy texture gain popularity. They pop up at deli counters—in salads, in fillings, and even in bagels—as well as in prepared foods. We recommend plain dried tomatoes without sulfites over the pricier, higher-fat ones packed in oil. Soak dried tomatoes in boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes until softened before chopping and adding to a dish.
tabasco sauce One of the most widely known and used brands of hot pepper sauce and a constant pantry item in the Moosewood kitchen. It’s made with vinegar, red chiles, and salt, and a few serious squirts will add quite a bit of spicy hotness to a dish. Other excellent hot pepper sauces abound, so use any you like in our recipes.
tahini (sesame tahini) Made from unroasted hulled sesame seeds, this thick, smooth, spreadable, creamy beige paste is widely used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, North African, and Asian cuisine. It’s popular in salad dressings combined with yogurt or fresh lemon juice and can add a wonderful nutty flavor and richness to soups, stews, burgers, and noodles. Don’t confuse it with its thicker, heavier, stronger-tasting, and much darker brown relatives, sesame paste and sesame butter.
tamari Originally, tamari was the word used to describe the rich, salty liquid residue from making miso. The word is now often used interchangeably with soy sauce, and most tamari sauces on the market are unrelated to the original tamari. Tamari sauces can be stronger than the average soy sauce, so you may want to use less tamari in a recipe than the called-for amount of soy sauce.
tamarind Made from the pods of a tropical tree and used to flavor Indian and East African dishes, tamarind comes in concentrate, paste, pulp, and fresh pod form. The concentrate is a tart brown paste that usually comes in jars. Dissolve it in water before stirring into a curry or sauce or add it directly to a simmering soup or stew. If using pulp, mash and soak it and use the soaking liquid. Look for tamarind in Indian and Asian markets.
tarragon Fresh tarragon has a beguiling licorice taste that is wonderful in a vinaigrette, on grilled fish, or as the star of a piquant sauce. It also combines well in the proverbial French fine herbes, a blend of tarragon, parsley, chives, and chervil.
tea Green, black, oolong, and flavored teas all come from the small leaves and delicate white flower buds of the evergreen Camellia sinensis, which can vary in height from 5-meter bushes to 20-meter trees. Camellia sinensis, although highly adaptive to differing conditions, thrives most luxuriantly surrounded by misty clouds at high elevations where the mornings are cool and the days hot and humid. The distinct flavor and aroma of each variety is determined by the time of day the leaves are picked and the methods of picking, processing, manufacturing, and storage. It is said that an expert tea “sommelier” or taster can tell the height of the plant, time of day picked, and even the weather on harvest day!
Tea leaves readily absorb flavors and aromas from fruit, spices, and flowers. In China, many teas are scented with flowers including orchids, jasmine, rose petals, honeysuckle, bergamot, magnolia, and gardenia. Tea in Arabia is most often flavored with mint, while tea in India and parts of northeast Africa is usually combined with spices. To create flavors such as vanilla, caramel, banana, or apricot, the leaves are sprayed with granules or liquid flavors before the final step in processing.
Organic teas are strictly controlled by international certification organizations that require three years of inspections, tests, and visits before final certification. We recommend Ambootia, Seeyok, Makaibai, and Banaspaty brands as well as organic tea from Assam. Tea that is labeled “fair trade” indicates that the pickers and factory workers share in the profits and have better working conditions, pensions, and health care.
thai basil (ocimum sanctum, holy basil) A member of the mint family with serrated dark reddish-green leaves, tiny deep purple flower stalks, and a sharper flavor than regular basil. It’s delightful as a minced fresh herb in Southeast Asian dishes. If your supermarket doesn’t carry it, look for seed packets and cultivate it in your garden or a sunny window.
tofu (bean curd) A high-protein soy product with a creamy, soft, cheese-like texture. It is sold in cakes that can vary in weight from about 10 to 16 ounces and is often water-packed. Fresh tofu is available both refrigerated and in vacuum-packaging at room temperature. At home, store fresh tofu and opened vacuum-packed varieties in a container of water in the refrigerator, change the water daily, and use within a week.
firm tofu A denser texture than either soft or silken varieties, good to use in dishes where you want cubes or triangles of the tofu to remain intact after baking, sautéeing, or stir-frying. Firm tofu is also best to use when making fillings for stuffed vegetables or when freezing the tofu.
frozen tofu Can be grated in a food processor to make a crumbly, dense, chewy product good for stuffings, soups, and stews. Place a cake or cakes of firm tofu on a tray, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for at least 6 hours. Defrost in the refrigerator or other cool place and then squeeze out the water as you would a sponge. Use immediately; defrosted frozen tofu is highly perishable.
silken tofu (japanese-style tofu) Made with a higher ratio of soybeans to water than regular tofu, giving it a higher protein and fat content. With its mild flavor and delicately silky texture, it performs well in dairyless desserts, drinks, and dressings where it absorbs the surrounding dominant flavors and produces a thick, smooth, velvety purée. “Lite” silken tofu with a reduced fat content is also available.
soft tofu A texture that falls between that of the firm and silken varieties. It is excellent cubed and simmered in brothy soups and stews and blended into sauces, dips, spreads, and thick purées. Soft and silken tofus are best for desserts because of their custard-like consistency.
tofu-kan (five-spice bean curd) The brand name of Moosewood’s locally made baked, seasoned tofu. With its spiced and slightly smoky flavor and chewy, dense texture, it’s perfect in soups, salads, sandwiches, sautés, and fillings. It is quite similar to Chinese five-spice bean curd, which is named for the five-spice powder used in seasoning. Look for these ready-to-slice-and-eat products in natural foods stores and Asian markets.
tomatillos (mexican green tomatoes, tomatitos verdes) Tomatillos resemble plum-sized green tomatoes with tissue-thin husks and smooth but sticky skin. Their tart, lemony flavor makes them a favorite in Mexican and southwestern United States cuisine. Look for dry, firm fruit with clean, tight husks in the produce section of the supermarket. Tomatillos are high in vitamins C and and will keep refrigerated for 2 to 4 weeks. To prepare ahead for cooked dishes, husk, stem, and simmer the tomatillos until soft; then drain, cool, and freeze until ready to use.
tortillas These thin, unleavened flatbreads are made most simply from water mixed with wheat flour or corn flour. They commonly range from 4½ to 11 inches in diameter; packaged corn tortillas in the United States are usually on the smaller end of that range and the wheat ones on the larger end. Tortillas become pliable when heated and make great wraps for sandwiches, burritos, quesadillas, and enchiladas. Look for brands with no added fat or preservatives in the dairy case or frozen food aisle of the supermarket. See this page–this page for heating directions and recipes.
tree ears See Mushrooms.
turnips White, beet-shaped, potassium-rich root vegetables tinged with fuchsia-purple coloring near their crowns. Raw turnips are quite pungent and excellent for pickling. When cooked, they become juicy and earthy-flavored but can range in assertiveness from mild and sweet to powerful and slightly bitter. If you’re uncertain how you feel about turnips, we suggest using tender young turnips, which have a milder, more balanced flavor. But don’t shy away from eventually trying mature ones; for some, a strong turnip taste really hits the spot.
Select smooth firm vegetables with unsprouted tops and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
vegetable oil When a recipe calls for vegetable oil, we use bland vegetable oils, such as canola, soy, or safflower, all without preservatives. For more information, see Oils.
vegetable stock A broth made by simmering vegetables in water until they release their flavors and nutrients. A real enhancement to soups, stews, and sauces, stock adds far more depth and interest than plain water and is the perfect way to use any unattractive vegetables, forgotten but not yet rotten. Most vegetables are fine candidates for stock, but avoid using the assertive cabbage family (broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, kohlrabi) as well as the two nightshades eggplant and bell peppers, which can make stock bitter. Take into account vegetables that bleed color, such as beets, red cabbage, and greens. If using the stock to make a dairy soup, don’t add large amounts of acidic fruits or vegetables such as tomatoes that might curdle the soup. Learn to tailor your stock for the dish you plan to make by adding complementary seasonings. For some of Moosewood’s favorite vegetable stocks.
A good stock should have the characteristic flavor of its major ingredient: For example, the classic Japanese broth, dashi, should have the rich, aromatic flavor of seaweed. Vegetarian stocks tend to be golden-hued, mild, and sweet. The ratio of ingredients to water will determine the strength of the broth. Simmer gently until the stock has the desired full-bodied flavor.
vinaigrette Derived from French, vinaigrette is actually the word for a small, ornamental bottle or box for holding aromatic vinegar or smelling salts. Vinaigrette sauce is defined as a tart mixture of oil, vinegar, and seasonings usually served cold with salads. In present usage, most people just say “vinaigrette” to refer to the sauce and not the container.
vinegar When airborne bacteria called acetobacter combine with the oxygen in alcohol, acetic acid and water are formed, and from this chemical reaction we get vinegar. Vinegar can be made from the sugar in many fruits, grains, and natural sweeteners and has been used for centuries—the earliest written record dates back to 5000 B.C. The Babylnians made vinegar from dates, the Asians from rice, the southern Europeans from grapes, and the early American colonists from apples. In the mid-1600s the French commercialized the production of wine vinegar, and in Italy the finest balsamic vinegar is regarded as a national treasure.
balsamic vinegar Dark, syrupy, and complexly flavored, balsamic vinegar is a favorite for salads, sauces, vinaigrettes, and marinades and is particularly good with fruit, cheese, and mushrooms.
champagne vinegar A delicate flavor and a slightly lower acidity than other wine vinegars, perfect for making herb and fruit vinegars.
cider vinegar A traditional North American vinegar made from apple cider and used as an all-purpose flavoring in cooking and salad dressings.
distilled white vinegar Clear-colored with a crisp bite, good for pickling and general household use. It is made from dilute distilled alcohol.
fruit vinegars Usually made from wine or champagne vinegars that have been combined with macerated fruit and then filtered. They’re delicious in vinaigrettes and sauces.
malt vinegar Made from fermented malted barley. Malt vinegar is England’s national vinegar and is used for pickling and as a condiment, especially on fish and chips.
rice vinegar This slightly sweet, mild vinegar made in China and Japan from rice wine has a lower acidity than most other vinegars.
sherry vinegar A medium brown, slightly sweet, aromatic vinegar from Spain, delicious when paired in dressings with nut oils.
wine vinegar Red wine vinegar is excellent in robust mustard vinaigrettes and in combination with shallots, garlic, and strong herbs such as rosemary, oregano, and thyme. White wine vinegar is perfect with less assertive herbs such as tarragon, basil, chives, and cilantro.
wakame See Seaweed.
wasabi The name for a light green powder made from a particular radish root native to Japan. When mixed with water in a 1:1 ratio and used as a condiment for sushi or nori rolls, it has the spicy, sinus-clearing effect often experienced with horseradish and pungent mustards. Mix only as much as you plan to use immediately, since the flavor fades with time. We don’t recommend the premade paste, because all brands we’ve seen have additives.
water chestnuts Named for their chestnut-colored outer skin, water chestnuts are fleshy underwater stems cultivated throughout China and Southeast Asia. Their flesh is mild, crisp, sweet, and crunchy. While the canned ones available in the United States are well-preserved and tasty, the true fresh item is a rare delicacy. Canned water chestnuts should be rinsed and then briefly cooked.
wheatberries Whole grains of wheat with only the hulls removed. Most are ground into flour or processed to make bread, pasta, cereal, bulghur, and cracked wheat, but they can also be purchased whole and cooked like barley. They have a unique, slightly sweet, nutty flavor. Look for wheatberries in natural foods stores and the natural foods section of supermarkets.
wonton wrappers Wontons are the earliest recorded stuffed food, historically documented in the Tang period (A.D. 618 to 907), and still going strong. Today both fresh and frozen packaged wonton wrappers come in varying thicknesses and shapes. They are easy to use, fairly sturdy, and readily form a tight seal when moistened. Once filled, the wontons can be boiled or deep-fried for about 5 minutes and they’re ready to eat. Uncooked, well-wrapped wontons will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw before frying or just drop them frozen into simmering liquid.
worcestershire sauce, vegetarian The classic Worcestershire sauce contains sardines, but there are several excellent vegetarian versions available, which taste almost identical to the original sauce. We especially like the Wizard’s Vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce produced in California. It’s a zesty, savory condiment that is good for dressings, sauces, and grilling.
yeast One of the oldest leavenings for baked goods, yeast is a live organism that feeds on starch and sugar and produces carbon dioxide, which causes breads, cakes, and pastries to rise. Yeast is available fresh and dried: Fresh, or compound, yeast will keep for up to 2 weeks if properly chilled; dried or powdered yeast can last for up to a year. One ¼-ounce package (about 2¼ teaspoons) of dried yeast granules is equivalent to a standard 3/5-ounce cake of fresh yeast. Store all yeast refrigerated.
Fast rising yeast, also called rapid acting yeast, is a different strain that does not need to be proofed and reduces rising time by about half. Some bakers say the taste and texture of baked goods may suffer from a fast rise; some recipes call for a long rise to develop flavor.
yogurt Cultured with live, beneficial bacteria, yogurt is a familiar dairy product made from whole, low-fat, or skim milk. Like many “soured” dairy products, it creates a more tender crumb in baked goods. It is an excellent lower-fat alternative to sour cream and makes a wonderful, velvety base for dressings, sauces, and spreads.
yogurt cheese Soft and creamy, yogurt cheese is easily made at home. When prepared with nonfat or low-fat yogurt, it can serve as a lighter replacement for cream cheese or sour cream.
To make yogurt cheese in the traditional manner, line a colander with overlapping paper coffee filters or several layers of cheesecloth. Place the colander in a large bowl. Spoon in 2 quarts of yogurt and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. After 3 or 4 hours or overnight, discard the liquid collected in the bowl. The yogurt will thicken to a consistency similar to soft cream cheese will yield from 3 to 5 cups.
For our quick yogurt cheese method, reduce the amount of yogurt to 1 to 1½ quarts. Set up the yogurt to drain as in the traditional method, but place a plate and a heavy object such as a can on top of the covered yogurt. Refrigerate for 2 hours. The weighting will speed the process and produce 3 to 5 cups of yogurt cheese.
zest Grated citrus peel, most often lemon, lime, or orange. Make zest at home by finely grating around the outermost surface of the fruit’s rind. Don’t grate long in one spot, because deeper near the white pith the rind becomes very bitter and undesirable. Many cooking supply stores carry specially designed sharp graters with tiny holes for zesting that make the task quick and enjoyable. Freshly grated peel is superior to the bottled zest found in the spice section of the supermarket.