Cooking is an art and many excel in it. but for the freshers it is necessary to know rare ingredients which will enhance the fragrance,consistency, colour &over all quality of the dish in accordance with taste. Here is a list : ARROWROOT: starch obtained from the root of the tropical Maranta plant. Used for thickening, in milk, puddings, as a diet for invalids etc. ANISEED: the seed of anise used in cooking especially for flavouring. BAY LEAF: an evergreen Mediterranean shrub, with leaves that are used in cookery. (mostly dried leaf used) BOUQUET GARNI: bunch of herbs tied together; parsley stalks, thyme, bay leaf, etc, or, bunch of vegetables; leeks, celery, carrots. BREAD CRUMBS: a small fragment of bread BUTTER PASTE: butter and flour kneaded together. Used as a thickening. CANAPE: small slice of bread cut into various shapes, plain, toasted or fried, spread and garnished, served as an appetizer or cocktail snack CARAMEL COLOUR: burnt sugar dissolved in water used for colouring liquids. Commonly known as “monkey” or black jack” CARDAMON: the seeds of SE Asian plant, used as a spice. CINNAMON: a spice made from the dried bark of an Asian tree. CLOVE: the dried flower bud of a tropical tree, used as a spice CONDIMENTS: a substance such as salt or mustard, used to flavour food. CONSOMME’: a clear soup made with concentrated stock. CROUTON: small cubes of fried bread for soups, bread cut in heart or other fancy shapes used for garnishing all kinds of dishes CUISINE: style of cooking, especially as typical of a country or region CULINARY: related to cooking. FRITURE: frying fat, also the name of the food fried in fat. ICING SUGAR: finely powdered sugar used to make icing JULIENNE: vegetables or other food cut into fine shreds MARGARINE: a butter substitute made from vegetable oils or animal fats. MAYONNAISE: a thick creamy dressing made from egg yolks, oil, and vinegar. NUT MEG: a spice obtained from the seed of a tropical tree. PANACHE: mixed, multi coloured, mixed ice, cream or jelly in a mould, mixed fruit or vegetables. POPPY SEEDS: a plant with bright red, pink or orange flowers and small black seeds. The seeds are used in cooking. SPICE: a strong tasting vegetable substance used to flavour food. Colouring, hot & fragrant are the three groups of spices. Paprika, saffron, turmeric are colouring spices. Pepper, chilli, cayenne, mustard are hot spices. Cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, coriander, caraway, ginger &mace are the fragrant spices. SOUFFLE: a light, spongy dish made by mixing egg yolks and another ingredient such as cheese or fruit with stiffly beaten egg whites STOCK: water in which vegetables have been slowly simmered TAPIOCA: starch obtained from the root of the cassava plant which grows in the tropics. It is marketed as flaked, pearl and granulated tapioca and in the form of flour. VINEGAR: a sour liquid made from wine, beer, or cider, used as seasoning or for pickling. ZESTE: the outside skin of lemons, oranges etc. peeled off finely.
