Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [427]
Store chocolate, tightly wrapped, in a cool, dark place. It can “bloom”—that is, develop a white coating on its surface from the cocoa butter falling out of suspension. A product of careless storage, the bloom will not affect a chocolate used for melting but will have seriously compromised one intended for eating.
Chorizo. This seasoned pork sausage is popular in Mexican and Spanish cooking. Mexican chorizo, or “Mexican-style chorizo,” is fresh; it must be cooked thoroughly before use. Spanish chorizo is cured, usually smoked, and can be used as is.
Chutney. This jamlike, savory, East Indian condiment is made from a variety of fruits. The most common variety available in supermarkets is mango chutney; but often these bottlings are pale imitations of true Indian chutneys, which can range from sweet to fiery, depending on preference. If you can, buy chutney from an East Indian market or from one of the outlets listed in the source guide.
Coarse-Grained Sea Salt. See Salt.
Cocoa Nibs. The quintessence of chocolate, these are coarsely ground, roasted cocoa beans. Store them sealed at room temperature for up to 9 months.
Cocoa Powder. To make cocoa powder, the cocoa butter is extracted from cocoa; the resulting solids (called “chocolate liquor”) are dried, then ground. Unsweetened cocoa powder (the only kind called for in this book) is available in two forms: regular (sometimes called “natural”) and Dutch process, which has been treated with an alkali to aid its ability to dissolve and to neutralize chocolate’s natural acidity. A well-stocked pantry has both; if we have a preference, we indicate it in the recipe.
Coconut. Coconut flakes are available in two forms: (1) sweetened, sold in the baking aisle of most supermarkets, and (2) unsweetened or “desiccated,” usually available at health food markets or at some gourmet stores in the bulk food section. Neither should be substituted for the other; a good pantry has both. To store, seal tightly in plastic bags for up to 6 months.
Coconut Milk. Made from cooking coconut flesh in water, then straining out the solids, this “milk” is thick and luxurious. From the can, coconut milk should be stirred before being added to a batter.
Light coconut milk is actually the second pressing of the same solids used for regular coconut milk, much of the fat having already been pressed out.
Cream of coconut is a sweetened concoction used for frozen drinks; it is not called for in this book and should not be substituted for coconut milk.
Confectioners’ Sugar. Also called “powdered sugar” or “icing sugar,” this sugar is ground finer than the standard granulated variety, with cornstarch added so the pulverized crystals do not clump.
Cornichons. French gherkins, these tiny pickles have a strong, vinegary bite. Never substitute bread-and-butter pickles.
Cornmeal. Commercial cornmeal is most often steel-ground, the hull and germ having been removed from the kernels; stone-ground cornmeal is usually a whole-grain product and is certainly more nutritious, if harder to dissolve in sauces and the like. Use either for these recipes, but use only yellow cornmeal unless otherwise indicated (not the more esoteric blue, purple, or white varieties) and use only fine or medium grinds (not the coarse ground, more common for making polenta).
Cream of Tartar. More accurately called “potassium bitartare,” this acid is naturally found in grapes and is a by-product of winemaking, often scraped out of the casks. It stabilizes egg whites when beaten and makes some sugar mixtures creamy. It also changes the acidity of some cake batters to make them fluffier.
Crystallized Ginger. See Ginger.
Curry Powder. A mélange of up to twenty spices, no two brands are the same. Most bottled curry powders are yellow