cook's glossary

Burgundy-leaved lettuce with white ribs and slightly bitter flavour.

Dried sweet grape.

a creamy salad dressing that consists of oil, sugar, vinegar, egg yolk, garlic, and salt

Packaged sheets of frozen puff pastry, available from supermarkets.

Probably the most popular curry paste; a hot blend of different flavours that complements the richness of pork, duck and seafood. Also works well in marinades and sauces.

Large reef fish with firm, delicately flavoured white flesh. Suited to steaming, baking and pan-frying.

A preserve made from redcurrants, used as a glaze for desserts and meats or in sauces.

Pinto beans, cooked twice - soaked and boiled, then mashed and fried, traditionally in lard. Also called by their Mexican name, frijoles refritos, they are available in cans.

ARBORIO small, round-grain rice well suited to absorb a large amount of liquid; especially suitable for risottos.
BASMATI a white, fragrant long-grain rice; should be washed several times before cooking
JASMINE fragrant long-grain rice; white rice can be substitued but will not taste the same
KOSHIHIKARI grown in Australia from Japanese seed, is perfect for sushi and is available in supermarkets
NISHIKI is equally good for sushi. Grown in California, it's found here in Asian food stores
PAPER an edible, translucent paper made from dough or water combined with the pith of an Asian shrub called the rice-paper plant (or rice-paper tree).
WHITE LONG-GRAIN elongated grain, remains separate when cooked

shamaji used to spread, cut through and turn sushi rice; wet it first to avoid the rice sticking to it