Ingredients
Chicken broth is commonly used in soups and stews as the liquid. It is made by simmering chicken bones with water, vegetables and seasonings. The thin broth is a golden color with a savory taste that has hints of chicken, vegetables and salt. Chicken broth can be used for many dishes aside from soup.
Botanically speaking the tomato is a fruit, but in the culinary world it is used almost strictly as a vegetable. Tomatoes are a nightshade plant that grow on tall, thick sturdy stalks. There are many varieties of tomato, but the most common type is round and red. It has a thin skin that covers its extremely juicy and soft flesh. The center contains seeds wrapped in a gelatinous film. The tomato is sour with a hint of sweetness. It can be sliced into rounds and wedges or diced into small chunks and is eaten raw or cooked.
The tomatillo is nightshade vegetable with a papery green husk around its small globe shaped body. The tomatillo plant grows on stalks that are reminiscent of the tomato plant, but unrelated and much thinner. Underneath the papery husk, the tomatillo has a smooth and almost waxy, light green skin. The flesh of the tomatillo is white-green. It is soft yet firm and crisp, almost like a soft apple studded with tiny pale seeds. The flavor is tart, but not overly so and has a hint of sweetness. This vegetable is commonly used to make salsas and other sauces.
Dark chocolate is a made from cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter and natural additives, such as lecithin and vanilla. The percentage on a chocolate bar describes the amount of cacao in the chocolate. Higher percentages of chocolate will be more bitter and strong than a lower percentage. When biting into chocolate the texture is hard, but melts easily when it is exposed to warmth. Chocolate is dark brown and sweet, with an earthy and nutty quality, that can border on bitter. Chocolate is often sold in bars, blocks and as chocolate chips.
The onion is a bulb vegetable, meaning its bulb and not its leaves are eaten. Onions come in many varieties, including white, yellow and red. Shallots are small and mild onions. Vidalias are sweet, while red onions are strong and sharp. The onion is usually round and has a thin dry skin around its juicy layers. This skin depends in the color of the onion, as does the flesh. The flesh, or body of the onion is made of multiple round layers, that get smaller towards the center. The flavor of onions are sharp and sweet when raw, with an astringent taste. When cooked, these flavors mellow and the sweetness emerges. Onion are a very common flavoring and ingredient for many savory dishes.
French bread rolls are used as a side at meals and for sandwiches. The yeasted bread is round, the size of a small fist and has a hard, golden crust and a soft and airy interior. The French roll is nutty, mildly sweet and versatile and can be served room temp or warmed.
Corn tortillas are made from corn flour water and occasional sparse seasonings, such as lime or salt to accentuate the flavor. Tortillas are flat and about 1mm in height, though some handmade varieties are thicker and roughly 4mm. They are round and often 6 inches in diameter with a yellow or white color, depending on the type of corn kernel that the flour is made from. Corn tortillas fall apart easier than wheat tortillas, this is because corn is a gluten free grain and wheat has gluten, which holds a bread product together. Corn tortillas have a pleasant taste that is sweet, slightly nutty and tastes like corn. Corn tortillas are a common staple at meals in Central and South America.
The peanut is not a nut, but a member of the pea family. Peanuts are called groundnuts, as they are a legume. Peanuts grow on vine and have a firm and easy to crack shell. This shell is grey and indented with a gently curved, or straight and lumpy form. Inside the shell are the peanuts, with thin brown skin and tan/light brown bodies. Peanuts are small and oblong; slightly bigger than a pistachio. The flavor is unusual and nutty with a hint of sweetness. Peanuts can be roasted and salted, or used in a number of international dishes. They are a popular American snack.
Raisins are made from dried grapes. Usually they are made from red grapes and occasionally they are made from green grapes. Raisins are small and roughly the size of a cooked black bean. They are wrinkly and dark purple with a shiny exterior. The texture is chewy, sticky and soft. The flavor is sweet and fruity. Raisins pair well with sweet and savory foods.
Sugar comes from sugar cane and sugar beets. The sugar is extracted from the juice of both plants and refined into the granulated substance known as sugar. Sucrose, the sweet substance of sugar is a combination of glucose and fructose. White sugar is composed of tiny white, dry granules. The flavor is sweet and neutral. Brown sugar is brown and has more moisture, with a richer flavor that hints at molasses. Sugar is used in both sweet and savory foods.
The ancho pepper is a dried poblano pepper and only takes on the name of ancho, once dried. The poblano stay on the vine until it is red. It is oblong and 3-4 inches in length with seeds and flesh that are hot and spicy. Once dried the poblano becomes the ancho and has a crispy and dry texture that can be ground or rehydrated. The ancho is dark reddish in color and has a strong heat that is great for sauces and salsas.
Chipotle peppers are in fact, smoked and dried red jalapeno peppers. The pepper gains a dark red color that is almost brown, and because they are always dried, the chipotle has a crispy, crunchy texture, until ground into powder, or reconstituted with liquid. The flavor is earthy, smoky, and hot. Chipotle peppers are popular in the Southwestern US and in Mexico, which makes them a common ingredient in Tex-Mex cuisine.
Garlic is used in cuisines around the world and is extremely popular for its depth of flavor. The garlic bulb forms underneath the soil and is harvested once it reaches maturity. The bulb typically has thin, dry, white and flaky skin, surrounding the individual cloves. Often there are 10-12 cloves to a bulb/head of garlic. The cloves are cream colored with a strong smell and flavor that is spicy and sharp. Garlic takes on a nutty flavor in addition, when cooked. It is used in countless dishes, sauces, breads and more.
Lard is the fat from a pig. It is used in cooking and baking and very popular to Southern cuisine in the U.S., though it is used in many cuisines. The flavor is umami and rich. Lard is white and semi-soft when cold and softens into a pale golden color when heated. Its is high in saturated fats and adds a full flavor to any dish.
Cumin is a spice used in many cuisines around the world. The seed which cumin is ground from, has a thin and long body with tapered ends. Cumin is just a few millimeters in length and has a light brown or tan tone, which can look a bit grey. The flavor is spicy, earthy and nutty.
Ground cinnamon is a fine aromatic powder made from the bark of the cinnamon tree, also known as cassia; another variety. The bark is peeled from the tree, dried and ground into the warm brown powder that is known as cinnamon. The flavor is spicy, warm and sweet and savory at the same time. It is extremely popular in many cuisines and common in American desserts.
Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
Dried chili peppers are a spicy fruit, yes a fruit and not a vegetable. These peppers come in a variety of shape and colors. Some are thin and tapered, others or fat and tapered, while yet some are round, wrinkled or oblong. Colors range from yellow, orange, red and green, some even look almost black. All chili peppers have a thin skin and thin flesh, with seeds in their centers. Some chili peppers, such as the Anaheim are very mild, while the Carolina Reaper is one of the hottest peppers in the world. Dried chilies come whole, as a powder, or sold as chili flakes. Dried chili is used in sauces, pastes and main dishes, to add heat and flavor.
Thyme is an herb used in various cuisines for its gently sharp and cool pungency. A minty edge is present in its flavor. It grows on thin stalks and has very small tapered green leaves with a hint of white at the edges. The herb is often dried and takes on a muted green color. It goes well in soups and with meats, grains and vegetables.
Allspice is a spice made from the dried berries of the pimenta dioica plant; a member of the myrtle family. Allspice is ground into a powder that is a dark rich brown color and used to flavor baked good and added to some savory dishes. The flavor is similar to a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and a hint of black pepper.
Cloves are the buds of the Syzygium aromaticum tree. They are dried and can be used whole or ground as a spice. Cloves have a strong, sweet and peppery flavor that can be used in both sweet and savory dishes.
