Blanch
Blanch Pronounce it: bla-anch The process of plunging ingredients – usually vegetables and fruit – into boiling water briefly, then draining and refreshing them in cold water in order to stop the cooking process. Blanching…
Glossary
Cinnamon
Cinnamon Pronounce it: sin-ah-mun A fragrant spice which comes from the inner bark of a tropical tree. When dried, it curls into quills that are used to add a warm, distinctive flavour and aroma to…
Chianti
Chianti Pronounce it: key-anti An area in Italy’s Tuscany region and name of one of Italy’s most famous red wines. The main grape in Chianti is the Sangiovese, and flavours can include cherries, raspberries, plums…
Sourdough
Sourdough Pronounce it: sow–er-doh Sourdough is a method of leavening bread, based on uncooked bread dough (known as ‘mother dough’ or ‘sourdough starter’) that has soured and been populated by natural air-borne yeasts. It’s likely to…
Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo Pronounce it: nebby-oh-low Terrific Italian hunk Nebbiolo is the James Dean of the Italian wine industry – the moody, brooding teenager that turns into a fine, elegant wine if only it is given the…
Kidney beans
Kidney beans Pronounce it: kid-nee beenz Native to the Americas, kidney beans are so called because of their shape and come in very many sizes and colours, from ivory-white to blood-red and black. Although differing a…
Plum
Plum Pronounce it: pl-um The juiciest fruit in the stone fruit family, plums come in many different varieties, some sweet, some slightly more tart. All plums however have certain characteristics in common, with smooth, richly…
Linseed (also flaxseed)
Linseed (also flaxseed) Pronounce it: lin-seed Linseed is the small, reddish-brown or golden-yellow seed of the common flax plant, linum usitatissimum, exactly the same plant as is used to grow the fibre from which true…
Rapeseed oil
Rapeseed oil If you want a light alternative to other cooking oils, rapeseed is a great choice and has experienced a surge in popularity since around 2008. It’s produced from the bright yellow rape plant…
Pepper
Pepper Pronounce it: pep-iz Also known as capsicums, bell peppers, sweet peppers or by their colours, for example red and yellow peppers. These are a non-hot member of a large family that varies enormously in size,…