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C

CAPERS: Unopened flower buds of a Mediterranean plant. Capers look like tiny wrinkled peas, and they're usually pickled in vinegar brine. Sharp and tangy, they're used to flavor salad dressings, sauces and condiments.

CARAMELIZE: Melt sugar slowly over low heat until it becomes a golden brown, caramel-flavored syrup. Or sprinkle granulated, powdered or brown sugar on top of a food, then place it under a broiler until the sugar is melted and caramelized.

CARDAMOM: An expensive spice with an exotic flavour. Can be purchased in pod, seed or ground form.

CAYENNE PEPPER: Very hot spice made from dried grounf pods of chilli peppers.

CHICKEN:

• BREAST: Has skin and bone intact.
   
• BREAST FILLET: Breast halved, skinned and boned.
   
• DRUMSTICK: Leg with skin intact.
   
• THIGH: Has skin and bone intact.

CHICKPEAS: Also called garbanzos or channa; irregularly round, sandy-coloured legumes used extensively in Caribbean, Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern cooking.

CHILL: Place food in the refrigerator until it's thoroughly cold.

CHILLI:

• PEPPERS: Also known as chillies, chiles and hot peppers; available in many different types and sizes. Use rubber gloves when seeding and chopping fresh chilli peppers, as they can burn your skin. Removing seeds and membranes reduces the heat level.
   
• POWDER: Made from ground chilli peppers, it can be used as a substitute for fresh chilli peppers in the proportion of 1/2 teaspoon ground chilli powder to one medium chopped fresh chilli pepper.
   
• SAUCE: We used a hot Chinese variety made of chilli peppers, salt and vinegar; use sparingly, increasing amounts to taste.
   
• SWEET CHILLI SAUCE: A comparatively mild, but spicy sauce made from red chilli peppers, sugar, garlic and vinegar.

CHILIES: A family of more than two hundred varieties, chilies are used in cooking around the world. Available fresh and dried in red, green, yellow and purple. Chilies range in length from 1/4 inch to 12 inches. Beware of the ribs and seeds - they're actually hotter than the outside flesh because they contain concentrated amounts of an oil, capsaicin, which gives chilies their kick but can irritate and burn the eyes, nose and skin. Wear rubber gloves while handling chilies and wash your hands thoroughly with soap (to break down the oils) afterward. Don't cut chilies under running water because the irritating oils can become airborne.

• ANAHEIM CHILIES: Slim chilies in various shades of green, between 5 and 8 inches long, mildly hot. Available in cans labeled whole or diced milk green chilies, they get their name from the California city that opened a chili pepper cannery.
   
• ANCHO CHILIES: Dried, ripened poblano chilies.
   
• CASCABEL CHILIES: Medium hot, with a distinctive nutty flavor. Dark, blood-red in color, they're plum shaped and about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. In Spanish, cascabel means "little round bell" or "rattle," referring to the sound they make when shaken. These chilies are also known as chili bola.
   
• CHIPOTLE CHILIES: Smoked, dried jalapeño chilies. Buy them loose in the dried form, pickled or canned in abodo sauce. Chipotle chilies are often used in sauces.
   
• FRESNO CHILIES: Tapered chili that's light green when young, red when mature. Shaped like an Anaheim chili, but with all the heat of a jalapeño. Fresno chilies are often used in guacamole.
   
• HABANERO CHILIES: Orange when ripe, it's the fire engine of the chili family. Considered the hottest of all chilies, it looks like a little lantern. Handle with care so the oils don't burn you.
   
• HUNGARIAN WAX CHILIES: Large - up to five inches long - yellow chili, mild to medium hot. Also known as banana peppers or yellow wax chilies. They're often pickled.
   
• JALAPEÑO CHILIES: A jade green or red chili, two to three inches long, that packs a heat wallop. The smallest ones are the hottest. Called escabeche when pickled, chipotle when dried and smoked. Jalapeños are a favorite for nachos, salsas and other sauces.
   
• POBLANO CHILIES: Dark green and slightly flat with a pointed tip, mild to hot. Best known for their use in chiles rellenos. When dried, they're called ancho chilies.
   
• SERRANO CHILIES: Range in color from bright green to scarlet, among the hottest chilies. Look for them fresh, canned, dried or pickled.

CHIVES: A herb with a subtle onion flavour.

CHOCOLATE: Cocoa beans are shelled, roasted and ground to make a thick paste called chocolate liquor, the base for all chocolate. Cocoa butter is the fat or oil from the cocoa bean. Chocolate liquor is processed to make the many varieties of chocolate below. Not all chocolate is the same and quality varies, so follow package directions when melting.

• BAKING COCOA: Dried chocolate liquor, with the cocoa butter removed, is ground into unsweetened cocoa. Baking cocoa isn't a direct substitute for cocoa drink mixes that contain added powdered milk and sugar.
   
• SEMISWEET, BITTERSWEET, SWEET AND MILK CHOCOLATE: Contains from 10 to 35 percent chocolate liquor, varying amounts of cocoa butter, sugar and, for some, milk and flavorings. Available in bars and chips for baking or eating.
   
• UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE: Contains 50 to 58 percent cocoa butter. Bitter in flavor, it's used primarily in baking.
   
• WHITE CHOCOLATE (WHITE BAKING BAR): It is not true chocolate because it doesn't contain cocoa or chocolate liquor. Made from cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids and vanilla. Often called white baking chips or vanilla baking bar.

CHOP: Cut food into coarse or fine irregular-shaped pieces, using a knife, food chopped, blender or food processor.

CINNAMON: A spice obtained from the dried inner bark of the cinnamon tree.

CLOVES: The dried flower buds of a tropical tree; can be used whole or in ground form.

COAT: Cover food evenly with crumbs or sauce. See also Bread.

COCONUT: The firm, creamy white meat of the coconut, the fruit of the coconut palm. It's available shredded or flaked in cans of plastic bags and usually comes sweetened. Unsweetened coconut may be found in specialty or gourmet food stores or in Asian and Indian grocery stores.

• CREAM: Available in tins and cartons; as a rule, the proportions are two parts coconut to one part water.
   
• DESICCATED: Unsweetened, concentrated, dried, shredded coconut flesh.
   
• MILK: Pure, unsweetened coconut milk available in tins and cartons.
   
• WHOLE FRESH: Choose a coconut that is heavy for its size; shake to make certain it contains liquid. This liquid should not be confused with coconut milk.

COFFEE: Use brewed coffee or instant coffee granules as an ingredient.

COOL: Allow hot food to stand at room temperature until it reaches a desired temperature. Placing hot food on a wire rack will help it cool more quickly. Occasional stirring will help a mixture cool more quickly and evenly.

CORE: Remove the center of a fruit (apple, pear, pineapple). Cores contain small seeds (apple, pear) or are woody (pineapple).

CORIANDER: Also known as cilantro or Chinese parsley; a bright-green leafy herb with a pungent flavour. Often stirred into a dish just before serving for maximum impact.

CORNFLOUR: A thickening agent that is also known as cornstarch.

CORNSTARCH: A thickener for soups, sauces and desserts that comes from a portion of the corn kernel. It makes clear sauces, not opaque like those thickened with flour. To substitute all-purpose flour in a sauce, use half as much cornstarch.

CORN SYRUP: Clear, thick liquid made from corn sugar mixed with acid. It doesn't crystallize and is especially good for pecan pie, frostings, fruit sauces and jams. Dark ang light corn syrup are interchangeable.

COVER: Place a cover, lid, plastic wrap or aluminum foil over a container of food.

CRAB MEAT: Flesh of fresh crabs. Use tinned if fresh is unavailable.

CREAM: Cream is the smooth, rich dairy product that naturally separated from whole milk (typically milk is homogenized to prevent this natural separation from occuring). Cream is churned to make butter and buttermilk; it's also pasteurized and processed into several forms:

• HALF-AND-HALF: A blend of milk and cream, contains 10 to 12 percent butterfat. It won't whip, but you can use it in place of whipping or heavy cream in many recipes.
   
• SOUR CREAM: Commercially cultured with lactic acid to give it a tangy flavor. Regular sour cream is 18 to 20 percent butterfat. Reduced-fat sour cream is made from half-and-half and can be substituted for regular sour cream in most recipes. Fat-free sour cream has all the fat removed and may not be successful in all recipes that call for regular sour cream.
   
• WHIPPING OR HEAVY CREAM: The richest cream available in the United States, it has 36 to 40 percent butterfat. It doubles in volume when whipped.

CREAM OF TARTAR: After wine is made, the acid left in the wine barrels is processed into cream of tartar. Add cream of tartar to egg whites in the beginning stages of beating for more stability and volume.

CRISP-TENDER: Description of doneness for vegetables cooked so they retain some of their crisp texture.

CRUSH: Press into very fine particles; for example, crushing a clove of garlic with a chef's knife or garlic press.

CUBE: Cut food into small irregular pieces, using a kitchen scissors or knife. Or cut a large food into smaller pieces (broiler-fryer chicken).

CUMIN: A warm, pungent spice used mainly in savoury dishes; available as seeds or in ground form.

CURAÇAO: An orange-flavoured liqueur.

CURRY POWDER: A mixture in powdered form of coriander, chili peppers, cumin, fennel, cinnamon, fenugreek and turmeric in varying proportions.