Definitions @ Cooks.com
| - Cabbage, Cole Family
- The cabbage (or Cole) group of plants is one of the largest families of vegetables, and was reputed by the Romans to have healthful benefits and considerable therapeutic qualities.
Cabbage is related to broccoli, rappini, kale, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, kohlrabi, and many newly popularized microgreens, often of Asian or Italian origin, which are aggregated to constitute "Spring Mix" types of prepackaged salads.
| - Cabernet
- A type of red grape.
It is also the term used to refer to a fruity red wine which is made from Cabernet grapes; lighter in flavor than Burgundy, but stronger than Claret.
| - Café au Lait
- A coffee specialty of French origin, which consists of equal parts coffee and steamed milk.
| - Cake Tests Done
- The best way to judge whether a cake has completed baking is not to rely on the length of cooking time but rather to test to see if it is done. This can be done using a cake tester, turkey trussing pins, a thin knitting needle or a sharp thin knife (the knife causes the most damage - something to consider if the cake won't be frosted).
Most ovens have the ability to see what is happening by looking through a glass door. This is preferred over opening the oven to check, as the drop in temperature caused by opening the oven door can cause a cake to fall, or at the least, make the cake dry because it will require more cooking time due to the fact that the oven had to reach baking temperature again. As the cake bakes, it changes its appearance; the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan slightly, and the top domes. If the center of the cake is still lighter in color than the rest, there is still more baking time required. When the center is the same color as the rest of the cake, it's time to use the cake tester method to do a final check. If the cake tester when inserted in the center of the cake, then removed, emerges uncoated with cake batter (clean), then the cake is done. If there are large clumps of batter, then the cake requires more baking. Some cakes, such as cheesecakes and some fruit cakes, will always have a slight residue on the cake tester. When pressed lightly in the center, the cake will be slightly springy, if done.
| - Canning Crowder Peas or Blackeye Peas
- Canning Crowder Peas or Blackeye Peas (not green peas).
You can use either raw pack or hot pack. You'll get 1 quart canned from about 2 1/4 pounds peas (still in their shells). While you're filling the jars, bring the water in the pressure cooker to a simmer (not boil) and put the empty jars in to heat. Raw pack: Wash peas before shelling. Shell, and wash a second time. Fill jars with raw peas loosely, without packing. Cover with boiling water. Then finish as below. Hot pack: Cover peas with water in a large pan. Boil for 3 minutes. Fill jars with peas then fill jar with liquid from boiling. Then finish as below. Hot or Cold Pack: Leave one inch of headspace. Add 1/2 tsp salt for a pint jar or 1 tsp salt to a quart jar. Remove air bubbles with a plastic knife or bubble wand. Wipe rim of jar with a damp paper towel. Adjust lids. Place cover on pressure cooker and allow to vent for 10 minutes before closing petcock or adding weight. Don't begin counting time until pressure is achieved (ie, weight will rock/jiggle or gauge indicates 10 lbs pressure. Process pints for 40 minutes, quarts 50 minutes at 10 lbs pressure. Please note: adding the salt is optional. Don't forget to adjust for your altitude.
| - CANNING
- CANNING is the process of preserving sterile foods in sealed cans or jars. The aim in canning is to prevent the growth of micro-organisms, and to do this the process known as sterilizing--that is, the destroying of bacteria and other micro-organisms by means of heat is used. Canning theories are different now from what they were in former times. For example, home cooks formerly made heavy, rich preserves of available fruits because it was thought that sugar must be used in large quantities in order to keep or prevent them from spoiling. While it is true that the sugar assisted, science has since proven that sterilizing is all that is required, so that now only the amount of sugar desired for sweetness may be used.
| - Caramel
- Sugar cooked until it is dark brown and sticky and used to coat molds for puddings and custards or to form the base of an egg custard.
| - CARVING A ROAST TURKEY
- To carve a turkey, cut the strings and remove the skewers that were used in trussing.
With the neck end in the right hand, insert the fork firmly into the lower part of the breast, and do not remove it until finished carving. (B), in the diagram, shows where the fork goes into the turkey. The legs and wings should be easily separated from the body by cutting through the joints next the body. Next, disjoint the parts cut off at the middle joint. The breast should be sliced evenly by cutting downward and from (B) to (C), laying the slices to one side of the platter. (A) is where the stuffing can be removed if the turkey has been stuffed.
| - Casserole
- A casserole is a cooking vessel, usually shallow and with a tight-fitting cover, in which meat, fish, poultry, game and vegetables are cooked slowly and frequently over a long period of time. As a method of cooking, it is one of the oldest known.
The generic term "casserole" is also used to describe a meal which is prepared in a casserole dish (as described above).
| - Cassis
- A cordial (alcoholic beverage) made from blackcurrants, brandy and sugar.
| - Chicory
- Chicory, also called succory and endive. The young root is used as a vegetable, and the leaves as a salad. The roots are transplanted to a dark place for bleaching, and the fresh growth of leaves produces the well-known Barbe de Capucin, a salad much used in France. The mature root roasted and ground produces the chicory used to adulterate coffee.
| - Chowder
- A hearty, tasty, thick soup made from a variety of foodstuffs and often with a milk base. Clam, corn and catfish are popular chowder staples in North America.
| - Cinnamon
- A sweet-smelling powder made from the inner bark of a species of laurel. This shrub grows wild at Java and Ceylon, but is cultivated in the East and West Indies. Cinnamon has been in use from the remotest antiquity, is mentioned in the Old Testament by a name which is derived from the Hebrew qinnamon = a reed or cane, almost the same as that which it still bears in most languages.
| - Citric Acid
- This acid is used in small quantities for boiled sugar goods; it imparts body, and prevents the sugar from getting moist. It is obtained from the lemon and lime, but is also obtained from other acid fruits, such as sour cherries, Seville oranges, raspberries, currants, etc. Commercially it is obtainable in clear crystals or white powder.
| - Clove
- An aromatic spice. The plant (a tree) is indigenous to the Molucca Islands; generally used for flavoring soups, stocks, meats, ragouts, and sweets. The Dutch make a delicious marmalade from green cloves.
Cloves are the unopened flower buds of a small evergreen shrub resembling the bay or laurel, which is much cultivated in tropical regions of America. The buds are gathered while still green, smoked by wood fire and then dried in the sun.
| - Coconut
- A very large brown hard-shelled nutlike fruit from a tall tropical tree having hard white flesh and a hollow center filled with a milky juice. The coconut palm grows abundantly in the East Indies. From the coarse hair which surrounds and protects the outside of the coconut, matting is made. The nut is grated and added to curries, pastry, and confectionery. Dessicated coconut is a useful preparation.
| - Colcannon
- A vegetable pie - i.e. mashed potatoes and boiled cabbage, previously fried in butter or dripping and baked. Originally a Scottish dish, corrupted from Kailcannon.
Recipe: Colcannon.
| - Compôte
- Fruits stewed in syrup, also a brown stew of small birds.
| - Cooked Mayonnaise
- In a double boiler, heat 1 cup of vinegar to a boil, adding 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (more or less, to taste), one teaspoon salt, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and 2 teaspoons of mustard, with three tablespoons of olive oil or melted butter.
While this mixture is heating, beat three egg yolks well, add a 1 1/2 teaspoons of flour. Whisk this into the heated vinegar, etc., and let cook until thick, stirring constantly and never letting it boil. Remove and cool. This will keep for 4-5 days in refrigerator.
| - Cordon Bleu
- An ancient culinary distinction to very skilful female cooks who passed an examination under the French Government, 1578-1830. It consisted of a medal suspended on a dark blue ribbon. The history of its adoption is traced to the time of Henry II., Charles II. and Louis XV. of France.
| - Corn Flour
- Corn flour is a product ground from corn or maize and sifted until it is as fine as wheat flour. In some countries, such as the UK, it is the term used for cornstarch.
| - Cornstarch
- Cornstarch is one of the most easily digested of all starches. It is often used to thicken the liquid in fruit pies, sauces, chowders, and in the preparation of puddings.
While cooked flour will produce a gravy which is opaque, cornstarch thickens with a translucent quality which is particularly desirable in fruit pies and desserts, and is also extensively used in Asian cuisines. 1 tablespoon corn starch will thicken 2 cups liquid, or replaces 2 tablespoons flour. To use cornstarch as a thickener, combine with cold water, stirring in thoroughly, then add to hot or nearly boiling liquid. Stir constantly during the boiling to prevent lumps from forming.
| - Cranberry, Cranberries
 A small red berry which grows on a vine close to the ground in sandy soil and often in cranberry bogs. Cranberries are harvested once in the Autumn and dry picked fresh berries are marketed whole for use in baking and for the making of cranberry sauce and jellies. The remainder of the crop (about 95%) are pressed to make cranberry juice, made into canned cranberry sauce, dehydrated to make sweetened dried cranberries, or processed into nutraceuticals and many other products.Cranberries are high in Vitamin C and phytonutrients. Cranberries contain flavonoids, which act as potent antioxidants. Many other potentially beneficial and healthful properties that cranberries may have to offer are being researched by agricultural concerns, food companies and pharmaceutical institutions.
| - Croutons
- Thin slices of bread cut into shapes and fried or tasted, used for garnishing dishes.
| - Cucumber
- A vegetable used for salads, garnishing, and pickles, but in the East it is largely consumed as a staple article of food.
| - Curacao
- Take a quarter of a pound of the thin rind of Seville oranges, and pour over it a pint of boiling water; when cool, add 2 quarts of brandy or rectified spirits of wine, and let it remain for ten or twelve days, stirring it every day. Make a clarified syrup of 2 pounds of finely sifted sugar and 1 pint of water; add this to the brandy. etc.
Line a funnel with a piece of muslin or clean cotton cloth, and line the cloth with a clean paper coffee filter. Let the juice pass through two or three times until it is clear. This will require a little patience. Put it into small jelly jars or bottles and seal. Put away for 12 days. This will make around 3 quarts of curacao. Curacao imparts an agreeable flavor to cream and to punch, and is an excellent liquor.
| - Curry Powder
- To make curry powder, mix 1 oz. ginger, 1 oz. mustard, 1 oz. pepper, 3 oz. coriander seed, 3 oz. turmeric, 1-4 oz. cayenne pepper, 1-2 oz. cardamom seed, 1-2 oz. cumin seed, 1-2 oz. cinnamon. Have these ingredients finely ground, sift together and keep in an airtight bottle. A sprinkling of this can be used to season stews, gravies and soups.
| - Curry
- An East Indian preparation made of hot seeds, spices, and dried herbs.
| - Custard
- A concoction made of milk, eggs and sugar, with salt and some flavoring added. A custard is a nutritious and easily digested dessert, especially good for children and the sick.
Custards may be baked, as in a custard pie, or boiled or steamed, as in a custard pudding or to be used as a filling in desserts.
| - Custard
- A cooked mixture of eggs and milk with sugar and flavoring sometimes added (a vanilla bean is often used to flavor the custard while it cooks).
There are two basic kinds of custard – stirred and baked. Custards may also be steamed to become pudding like. Steamed custards are usually cooked in a mold over boiling water, and are not stirred. Custards may be cooked by baking in a water bath or on top of the stove, most often in a double boiler (a cooking pan over a second pan of boiling water). The important thing to remember when cooking custards, is that they should be cooked over a gentle, steady heat. Overcooking may cause the custard to curdle; undercooking will cause it not to set up. Cook boiled custards to a temperature of 180-185°F.
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