Adzuki (ah-ZOO-kee)
beans: Small brown bean with sweet flavor. Used
in Japanese cooking, especially for bean-paste
sweets.
Agar-agar: A clear, flavorless sea vegetable.
It is freeze-dried, sold in sticks, flakes or
powder, and used like gelatin.
Alfalfa sprouts: Seeds of alfalfa, a plant
grown as animal fodder, sprouted for human
consumption. Popular on salads and in sandwiches.
Allspice: Pea-sized berries of tropical
evergreen tree, also known as Jamaica pepper. Flavor
is a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
Available whole or ground.
Amaretti (am-ah-REHT-tee): Small, crisp
Italian macaroon cookies that are often individually
wrapped in tissue paper.
Anaheim chili: Long, narrow chili closely
related to and interchangeable with the New Mexico
chili. Both are light green and have a sweet taste
with just a hint of heat. Often stuffed and used in
salsas. Available fresh or canned.
Ancho chili (AHN-cho): Dried chili 3 to 4
inches long and deep reddish-brown in color. The
flavor is sweet and fruity and can range in heat
from mild to pungent. A fresh ancho in its green
state is called a poblano.
Anasazi bean (ah-nuh-SAH-zee): Heirloom dried
legume colored with blotches of red and white. Noted
for their sweet flavor.
Arborio rice (ar-BOH-ree-oh): A short-grain
rice from Italy used to make the classic Italian
dish of risotto. Arborio's high starch content gives
the dish its characteristic creamy texture.
Arrowroot: Starchy flour from a tropical
tuber used for thickening. Usually less processed
than cornstarch. Can be substituted measure for
measure for cornstarch.
Arugula (uh-rue-gue-lah): A bitter, peppery
salad green resembling radish leaves, also called
rocket.
Asiago cheese (ah-see-ah-go): An Italian
cheese with a mild, delicate tang and a thin, supple
yellow rind. Originally ewe's milk, now usually made
of cow's. Parmesan or Romano are suitable
substitutes. |
