Glossary

A B C D EF GH I J K LM N O PQR ST X Y Z
Achiote or Annatto Rusty red dried seed which colors cooking oil a bright orange and imparts a delicate flavor.
Agar-agar Also known as kanten. Available as strips or flakes. It is a seaweed. We use it in flake form. It should not be stirred until it has softened in cool liquid and then brought slowly to a simmer. Don't boil. Once it simmers, stir occasionally until it appears to have dissolved. Agar-Agar "sets up" at room temperature. It is an excellent substitute for gelatin (an animal product).
Arame In Japanese, it means "the rough maiden". It is a social plant that grows in association with two other seaweeds, hiziki and ecklonia.
Arrowroot Maranta arundinacea, delicate starch used to thicken gravies and desserts, derived from a West Indian water plant. Interchangeable with potato starch and corn starch. Though more expensive, it is considered to be more nutritous by some and to give more "clear and limpid" results according to Julia Child.
Barley Malt A grain syrup made from sprouting barley, then toasting and grinding it. This means of reducing a complex carbohydrate to a simple sugar results in a subtle sweetener.
Beach Plums Prunus martima, a small wild tree which grows on the sea shores of the Northeast.
Brown Rice You will find several kinds in your health food store. In our opinion Lundberg short grain is an especially delicious, quality brown rice.
Cardamom The tastiest cardamom comes in green pods available in Indian markets.
Carob A powder or fine flour ground from the carob pod or locust bean. It is naturally sweet, low in fat and has no caffeine. It has a dark brown flavor and substitutes for chocolate, but lacks the characteristic bitterness of chocolate.
Cavatelli A shell shaped pasta with a good texture, available in some Italian markets.
Chili paste with Garlic A very pungent and spicy paste available in small jars in Chinese markets. Must be refrigerated after opening.
Cilantro Name for a pungent herb. Coriandrum sativum available in Hispanic markets. Chinese parsley is the name for it in Asian stores.
Daikon Japanese white radish ("great root"), easily grown in home gardens. Freshly grated it is considered to have digestive enzymes useful in the consumption of oily foods.
Dashi Japanese cooking stock made with kombu and dried bonito (fish) flakes. We omit the fish flakes and find the kombu adequate.
Date Sugar Ground dried dates, available in health food stores, a substitute in this granulated form for brown sugar, especially for streusels.
Dende Oil Palm oil used in Africa and Bahia, the northeastern part of Brazil. Yellow colored and strong flavored.
Elderberry Jam This is our preferred jam, gathered from the wild or cultivated. Strong flavored fruits are delightful in soup or as jam.
Fennel This plant resembles a plump celery and has an anise or licorice flavor. Feathery leaves are an herb for seasoning. The stalk requires an ice water soak before it is sliced thin as an appetizer. Or it may be cooked.
Fides Very fine noodles used in Middle Eastern pilafs. Vermicelli is too thick to use as a substitute. Fides is the Greek word; Shehrieh is the Syrian for this noodle.
Filberts Cultivated hazelnuts.
Filo Tissue paper thin pastry sheets used extensively in Middle Eastern cooking. Usually brushed with melted butter, it can be brushed with oil instead. Filo must be dealt with quickly or it dries out and becomes too brittle to shape. Held between two sheets of waxed paper and under a dampened towel, it will retain its flexibility. Look for brands with no additives.
Garam Masala A mixture of roasted and ground spices used in Indian cooking.
Hoisin A savory Chinese sauce made from beans and garlic. Purchase it in an Asian market in cans. Once opened, transfer it to a jar and store in refrigerator. This pungent sauce needs dilution in cooking or before use as a dip.
Hungarian Paprika Besides "Spanish" paprika used more to color food than to season it, there is Hungarian paprika. Canned paprika called "Szegel" has excellent flavor. Or purchase loose paprika, choosing "sharp" or "medium rose" or a mixture.
Koji Japanese word for "starter". This is usually the mold named Aspergillis oryzae, used in making miso, amasake, sake, etc.
Kombu A sea weed of the Laminaria family, which is the base for the Japanese cooking stock called Dashi. Kombu contains glutamic acid, a natural flavor enhancer, MSG is an artificial imitator of kombu. To preserve flavor, wipe clean of white powdery substance, don't wash.
Lecithin A natural extract of the fatty part of soybean. It contains vitamins and minerals and emulsifies fats (keeps them dispersed).
Manioc Meal A grainy flour-like meal made from cassava root. When toasted it is called farofa.
Masa Harina Corn flour.
Pappadums Wafers made from a variety of legumes, sometimes with the addition of pepper or garlic. Purchase at an Indian grocery, cut in half, and deep fat fry.
Paprika See Hungarian paprika.
Pesto Finely chopped fresh basil, garlic and olive oil. Traditionally includes nuts, such as pignoli or walnuts. We use a food processor to make ours during basil season (summer) and freeze.
Plantain These are related to bananas. But must be cooked before eating. Like bananas they are sweeter when ripe. Press gently to see whether they seem soft. They are difficult to peel, slice sections vertically through to do so. Available in Hispanic markets.
Potato Starch A thickener, interchangeable with cornstarch. See Arrowroot.
Queso Blanco White Cheese available in Hispanic markets, this delicious cheese is best for use in Mexican dishes, such as enchiladas. Mozzarella can be substituted if necessary.
Rice Wine Vinegar Available in Asian markets; it is milder and sweeter than Western types.
Sesame Oil Buy the strong flavored kind in an Asian market, not the type for sale in health food stores for recipes in our cook books. Expensive, but a little goes a long way. The smell creates instant salivation.
Shehrieh See Fides.
Shiitake Lentinus edodes, the Golden Oak Mushroom, is now being cultivated in this country. It is also available dried. Its flavor is exceptional.
Shiro Miso White miso is really light yellow. It is considered a Summer miso in Japan. Fermented for a shorter time, it is sweeter and less salty than red or brown misos.
Shoyu Soy sauce brewed from soybeans, salt, wheat, and water. This traditional soy sauce has been called tamari until recently, to differentiate it from the chemicalized supermarket soy sauces. True tamari contains no wheat and is a byproduct of miso making. In our earlier book we call it tamari, in the later books we call it shoyu.
Summer Savory Satureia tuberosus. A delectable annual herb which should self sow after the first year you start it. Winter savory is a perennial with similar, but not as good a flavor.
Sunchokes Helianthus tuberosus. A native American perennial sunflower, less showy than garden varieties which grow to ten feet tall. These plants are too invasive for your vegetable garden and would require a plot of their own. Dig the tubers, which grow in a circle around the root, after the first frost and store in the refrigerator. Sunchokes contain Insulin and are therefore supposed to be for diabetics.
Tapioca These pearl shaped paste rounds are made from cassava root, as is manioc.
Tahini Middle Eastern name foe sesame paste. Health food sesame butter is different and not a substitute. Chinese cuisine also employs sesame paste, also different in flavor from tahini. Use the right one for the respective recipe.
Tamari In The Political Palate we used the term tamari, in our other books we refer to it as shoyu. See Shoyu.
Tamarind A fruit used as a souring agent. It has its own dark wonderful flavor, however. It can usually be bought as seeds pressed into one pound bricks in Italian and Hispanic markets.
Tofu Soy bean curd. Tofu is made from soy milk and then turned into curds and whey just as Western cheeses are made, except that the latter are usually coagulated by means of rennet, which is extracted from animals. Tofu is curdled by means of a "salt"; either calcium sulfate (gypsum) used in China or Nigari, bittern, derived from the sea (magnesium chloride, plus other salts and trace elements). Or less desirably, tofu can be coagulated with lemon juice or vinegar. Tofu making kits are available for home use at most health food stores. The sweetest Tofu is that which you make yourself.
Tomatillos Originally used by the Aztecs and called Miltomat. It is Physalis ixocarpa; relatives are Chinese lanterns, cape-gooseberries and ground cherries. Available fresh from Latin American markets, this vegetable is specifically Mexican. Fresh tomatillos are decidedly superior to the canned for sauces.