Gourmet Glossary: C

Caerphilly: A mild, crumbly, moist, and slightly sour cows’ milk cheese.

Calvados: A spirit made from distilled cider, in France.

Canapés: Small savory appetizers served with drinks.

Cape Gooseberries: A small round fruit.

Capers: Small pickled flower buds used as a flavoring.

Capon: A castrated cockerel, no longer legal in many countries.

Capsicum: Generic name for the pepper family .

Caramelize: Heating sugar to the point where it melts and sets later to a hard glaze. Or, cooking fruit or vegetables until natural sugars are released and it becomes brown.

Cardamom: A small pungent seed pod used as a flavoring.

Cardoon: A large winter and spring vegetable, related to the artichoke, very popular with the Victorians.

Carob: A sweet fruit pod used in baking.

Cashew: A nut eaten dried, roasted and salted as a snack or in salads.

Casserole: An ovenproof cooking container with a lid, also the dish cooked in it.

Caul Fat: A lacy fatty membrane from the internal organs of an animal, often used for wrapping pâtés.

Caviar: The salted and matured eggs or roe of sturgeon fish, Beluga is most expensive, followed by Oscietra and Sevruga.

Cavolo Nero: A strong flavored cabbage, with dark green leaves

Cayenne Pepper: A hot ground spice used for flavoring.

Celeriac: A large root vegetable.

Celery Seeds: Dried celery seeds of, used in bread making, egg and fish dishes and Bloody Marys.

Chantilly Cream: Whipped cream sweetened and flavored with vanilla.

Charcuterie: The term for pork meat or offal products, including cured and cooked meats.

Charlotte: A waxy, small, yellow potato, used in salads.

Chicon: A single bulb of chicory.

Chiffonade: Vegetables or herbs cut into fine strips.

Chinois: A conical strainer.

Chipolata: A small pork or beef sausage with special flavorings.

Chutney: A piquant spiced relish of fruit of vegetables, can be cooked or uncooked.

Choux Pastry: A light, double-cooked pastry used for cakes and buns.

Chowder: A thick, chunky seafood soup.

Chuck: A cut of beef used for casseroles and stews.

Chump: A cut of lamb or pork.

Chutney: A spicy relish, often preserved.

Cilantro: The American name for coriander.

Cinnamon: A sweet spice bark used as a flavuring.

Clarified Butter: Butter that has been heated and strained and all impurities removed, cooks at a higher temperature without burning.

Clotted Cream: Thick, baked cream, from Cornwall or Devon, UK.

Cloves: A sweet, pungent, spice used as a flavoring.

Coconut: The fruit of the coconut palm, used in both sweet and savory dishes.

Cod: A sea fish with flaky, white flesh.

Collar: A cut of pork.

Compote: Stewed or baked sweetened fruit.

Concass: To roughly chop.

Consomé: A clear soup.

Coral: Orange shellfish roe.

Cordial: A thick liquid, often fruit flavored, usually intended for dilution as a drink.

Coriander: A herb used as a flavoring or garnish. Americans call it cilantro.

Cornbread: Bread made from cornmeal flour.

Cornflour: A starch extract used to thicken sauces.

Corn Syrup: Very sweet syrup similar to golden syrup.

Coulis: A thick, smooth sauce made from fruit or vegetables.

Court-bouillon: An aromatic, spiced stock used for cooking fish and shellfish

Crab Apple: A small sour wild apple.

Cream of Tartar: A potassium salt of tartaric acid, used in baking powder, as well as in self-raising flour, in combination with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).

Creaming: Mixing ingredients together until they become fluffy like whipped cream.

Crème Anglaise: The French name for custard.

Crème Brûlée: An egg custard dessert with a hard caramel topping.

Crème Fraîche: A sharp flavored thick cream made from pasteurized milk.

Crêpe: Thin French pancake.

Croquette: Chopped meat or vegetables bound with a sauce, crumbed and fried into a crisp, brown cylindrical shape

Croûtons: Small cubes of crispy, fried bread used as a garnish.

Crudités: Thinly sliced or grated raw vegetables.

Cumberland Sauce: A cold sauce, served with ham, sausages and pâté.

Curd: The solid residue of coagulated milk that is separated from liquid whey after acidification in cheese making.

Curry Powder: A mixture of spices used as a flavoring.

Custard: A thick, sweet milk based sauce, served hot or cold with desserts.