LIST OF ESSENTIAL KITCHEN ITEMS

Cooking is an art and many excel in it. but for the fresher's in the kitchen it is necessary to familiarise themselves with the rare ingredients. Here is a list of few kitchen needs that will enchance the taste, flavour, consistency &the appearance of the dish.

 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 white

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.