Cabrito - [Spanish] unweaned goat; suckling goat; kid goat; usually split and spit roasted whole; considered a delicacy in Mexico and the Southwest; a favorite dish in northern Mexico, especially at Easter.

Cacahuates - [Spanish] peanuts.

Cactus - The pads and fruits of the Opuntia cactus are cooked and eaten.

Cactus paddle - In the southwest and Mexico, the large, flat, fleshy, oval green pads of the nopal cactus are prepared as a vegetable. When cooked, pieces have the color and translucence of cooked bell pepper, but they are also viscid, like okra. The flavor is something between a bell pepper and artichoke or asparagus or okra.

Cafй - [Spanish] coffee.

Cafй Brulot - Spices and other ingredients flamed with brandy or some other spirits to which hot coffee is added.

Cafe Noir - Black coffee.

Caguama - [Spanish] sea turtle.

Cajeta - [Spanish] originally a little wooden box made to hold sweets; burned milk; goat's milk caramel; goat's milk that has been mixed with sugar and cooked into a brown paste; dessert, usually of fruit or milk, cooked with sugar until thick.

Cake cooler - Wire rack.

Cake tin - Baking pan.

Cal - dolomitic lime; slaked lime; mineral added to corn when making nixtamal masa to loosen the kernels' skins.

Calabacita - [Spanish] squash; zucchini. A variety of summer squash found in Latin American and Mexican cooking.

Calabaza - [Spanish] pumpkin. This pumpkin-like winter squash, usually sold in slices or hunks in markets catering to Central and South Americans. Also known as West Indian pumpkin, calabaza is quite frequently better than pumpkin when cooked in the same way.

Calamares - [Spanish] squid.

Calamari - Italian and [Spanish] squid.

Calamata olives - Purple-black Greek olives of generally high quality. Also spelled kalamata olives.

Caldero - [Spanish] heavy kettle.

Caldillo - [Spanish] little soup; thick stew with beef and chiles; commonly served in El Paso and Juarez.

Caldo (caldillo) - [Spanish] broth, stock or clear soup.

Caldo de cerdo - [Spanish] pork broth.

Caldo Verde - A Portuguese soup made from a sharp flavored cabbage, potatoes, broth, and olive oil. Sausage is then cooked in the soup.

Calf fries - [Spanish] ranch treat of quick-fried calf scrotum; also called mountain oysters.

Callo de hacha - [Spanish] pinna clam.

Calzone - [Italian} "trousers." A half-moon shaped pizza turnover, often served with sauce over the top rather than inside.

Camarуnes (camarуn) - [Spanish] shrimps; shrimp.

Camote - [Spanish] yam; sweet potato.

Campechana - [Spanish] blend or mixture.

Canadian bacon - The large rib-eye muscle of the pork loin, cured and smoked. It is boneless and more lean than streaky bacon, making it a good ham substitute for those watching their fat intake.

Canapй - [French] plain or toasted bread or crackers topped with a savory mixture. Usually served as appetizers, with cocktails, snacks or for lunch. They may be served hot or cold, they are often elaborately garnished.

Canard - [French] duck.

Candied - Cooked in sugar or syrup until transparent and well-coated.

Candied ginger - Found in Asian markets.

Candy thermometer - Cooking tool comprised of a large glass mercury thermometer that measures temperatures from about 40F to 400F. A frame or clip allows it to stand or hang in a pan during cooking for accurate temperature measurement.

Cane syrup - A sweet, dark brown, very thick sugar cane syrup, tasting something like dark brown sugar.

Canela - [Spanish] cinnamon; Ceylon cinnamon; lighter in color and more subtle in flavor than cinnamon sold in the United States; dried inner bark of the "Cinnamomum zeylanicum: tree, which was brought to Mexico from Sri Lanka; canela sticks have a rough, torn appearance, and its soft surface grinds easily in spice mills and blenders.

Caneton - [French] duckling.

Canned cowboy - Canned milk - a term from the American West.

Cannellini beans - [Italian] large, creamy white bean often included in Italian cooking. Also known as Northern beans, this legume makes an excellent vegetarian substitute for both fish and chicken due to its rich texture.

Cannelloni - [Italian] large tubular-shaped noodles usually served stuffed. An Italian dish made of sheets or tubes of pasta filled with meat, cheese or fish, sauced and baked au gratin. Variations of this use thin pancakes, called crespelle, which are similar to crepes and are filled and cooked in the same manner as the pasta.

Cannoli - [Italian] a crisp pastry tube filled with sweetened ricotta cheese, chocolate chips, and candied fruit. Cinnamon and vanilla are common flavorings for this cheese mixture.

Canola oil - This neutral is your best choice for cooking because it is inexpensive, extremely low in saturated fats, has a high burning point, and does not detract from the flavor of food with which it is combined.

Cantina - [Spanish] bar.

Capeado - [Spanish] covered with batter and fried.

Capers - Pickled hyssop buds which is used in sauces and as condiments for smoked fish and nicoise salad. Sold packed in vinegar or in salt. Small pickled flower of a shrub though to have originated in the Sahara Desert or in the Orient; Mexican capers are large; Italian capers may be substituted.

Capicolla - A coarse Italian pork sausage. Usually highly seasoned, this sausage is served cold, thinly sliced, as for prosciutto.

Capirotada - [Spanish] bread pudding; usually served during Lent and Holy Week (Easter).

Capon - A castrated rooster that is savored for its delicate taste and texture. Once castrated, the chicken would become fattened, yielding tender, juicy flesh. This method of raising chickens is not practiced much anymore, since most chickens are butchered at a young age and still very tender.

Caponata - [Italian] Best known as a spread or cold salad containing eggplant, celery, tomatoes, raisins, and pine nuts seasoned with vinegar and olive oil. Modern variations will add other vegetables such as zucchini and season it with fresh herbs.

Capons - Castrated cocks, weighing 6 to 7 pounds or more, these birds are especially desirable for roasting when a large bird is in order.

Capsicum - The family name for sweet and hot peppers. Large pepper with a slightly sweet flavor. Also called a pepper, or sweet pepper. Available in green (most common), red and yellow.

Carambola (star fruit) - Originally from Indonesia, this is one of the most recent tropical imports, now grown in Florida and found in most supermarkets. It has yellow, near-translucent skin (which is tough but edible), and slices take the shape of a star. Best eaten raw, but also takes well to grilling.

Caramelize - To slowly dissolve sugar (granulated or brown) in water, then heat the resulting syrup until it turns caramel-brown in color. Caramelized sugar is sometimes called burnt sugar.

Caraway seed - Curved, anise-like seed popular in German and Austrian cooking. Caraway is a member of the parsley family. Seeds are used as topping on breads and savory pastries, and as accompaniments to cabbage and goulash. Caraway seed is also utilized in preparing some cheeses and liqueurs.

Carbуn - [Spanish] charcoal.

Carbonade - Braised or grilled, or sometimes stewed meat.

Carbonara - An ultra-rich pasta sauce consisting of pancetta, eggs, and parmesan cheese. Actually less of a sauce than a preparation, hot pasta is tossed with the rendered pancetta fat, the eggs, and then the cheese. Crisp pancetta and black pepper are tossed into the pasta just before serving.

Cardamom - Aromatic seeds used for baking, flavoring coffee and exotic Scandinavian and Indian dishes. Excellent when freshly ground. Botanical name - Elettaria cardamomum.

Cardinal - Fish dishes which have sauces made with lobster fumet and are garnished with lobster meat.

Cardoon - Cardoons are the thick, fleshy stalks of a plant in the thistle family very similar to artichokes. It looks like very large, coarse, matte-gray celery. Popular in Italy, France and South America. Cardoons may be eaten raw or cooked and served like any vegetable.

Caribe chiles - Flaked red chiles.

Carne - In Italian and Spanish meaning meat.

Carne adovada - [Spanish] meat cured in red chile sauce; traditional New Mexican dish.

Carne asada - [Spanish] marinated, broiled meat; in Sonora, Mexico means a picnic or cookout where meat is broiled.

Carne de res - [Spanish] beef.

Carne mechada - [Spanish] pot roast.

Carne seca - [Spanish] dried beef or jerky; was a trail food utilized on the range.

Carnitas - [Spanish] little pieces of meat; small chunks of pork which have been seasoned, slow-cooked, and fried crisp in their own fat; it is a traditional taco and enchilada filling.

Carob - The seed from the carob tree which is dried, ground, and used primarily as a substitute for chocolate.

Carpaccio - An Italian dish (usually served as an appetizer), made of paper thin slices of beef dressed with olive oil and parmesan cheese. Slices of raw white truffles are an excellent partner to this dish.

Cascabel chiles - [Spanish] Little rattler; jingle bells; sleigh bells; small, round, hot chiles that rattle when shaken; measure about 1 1/2 to 2 inches across and have smooth skins; woodsy chile with tones of hazelnut, citrus and tobacco, gives off a wonderful aroma when roasted; great in stews, soups, salsas, salad dressing and vinaigrettes; blend well with apples, pears and other fruits and with spices such as star anise, canela and cinnamon; бrbol chiles may be substituted.

Casserole - [French] A meat, fish and/or vegetable dish which is cooked and served in the same pot.

Cassoulet - A dish from southwest France consisting