Broccoli

Broccoli Pronounce it: brok-o-lee Like cabbage and cauliflower, broccoli is a brassica and is sometimes known by its Italian name, calebrese. It has tight clusters of deep green buds and thick, edible stems and was…


Sauté

Sauté

Sauté Pronounce it: saw-tay A French term used to describe a method for cooking foods in a shallow pan using high heat. The food is cooked in the pan uncovered, in a small quantity of…


Albariño

Albariño Pronounce it: al-bar-een-yoh Spain’s seafood white In Spain, Albariño is one of wine’s new kids on the block. Twenty years ago it was little known – it was only in 1986 that the Rias…


Butternut squash

Butternut squash Pronounce it: buttah-nut skwash Butternut squash is one of the most popular varieties of winter squash or pumpkins. That is, types that are long keepers rather than short, such as summer’s courgettes. All squash are native to…


Quince

Quince

Quince Pronounce it: kwin-s The two different shapes – apple and pear in which quinces grow are an obvious clue to the fruits to which they are related. When ripe, they are very fragrant, with…


Angelica

Angelica Pronounce it: an-gell-ik-ah This sweet ‘herb of the angels’ is a member of the parsley family and was once thought to be a remedy against witchcraft, poison and plague. Its pale green, celery-like stalks…


Caramel

Caramel Pronounce it: ca-ra-mel This is white, granulated sugar melted until it browns, after which it sets clear and hard when it cools. A richly coloured caramel adds delicious, contrasting degrees of deeper flavour and…


Gamay

Gamay Pronounce it: gam-ay Made for summer The third Thursday in November is Beaujolais Nouveau day, when the young wine from the recent vintage is released, just a matter of weeks old. Every wine producing…


Paprika

Paprika

Paprika Pronounce it: pa-preek-ah A spice that’s central to Hungarian cuisine, paprika is made by drying a particular type of sweet pepper, then grinding them to a fine, rich red powder. Its flavour varies from…


Mustard

Mushroom

Mustard Pronounce it: muss-tard A condiment made by mixing the ground seeds of the mustard plant with a combination of ingredients usually including water, vinegar and flour. There are three varieties of mustard plant: black,…