Ingredient Catalog

Dry white wine is made by fermenting grape juice until almost no residual sugar remains, which gives it a fresh, crisp, acidic taste. In cooking it is added to sauces, risotto, fish, poultry and seafood dishes, and used to deglaze the pan.

Honey is a natural sweet product that bees make from flower nectar. It is used as a sweetener in baking, drinks and marinades, and in sauces, where it adds caramel notes and a soft, sticky body.

A vanilla pod is the dried fruit of the tropical vanilla orchid, filled with many tiny aromatic seeds. It is split with a knife and the seeds are scraped out into custards, batters, ice cream and syrups for a warm, sweet aroma.

Peaches are juicy summer fruits with velvety skin, sweet flesh and a large stone. They are eaten fresh, added to desserts, baked goods and salads, and are also roasted, grilled and canned.

Sugar is a crystalline sweetener produced from sugar beet or sugar cane. Besides adding sweetness, it drives caramelization, supports the structure of baked goods and acts as a preservative in jams and preserves.

Water is the basis of most cooking processes: it is used for boiling, stewing, mixing dough and making broths. Its hardness and taste noticeably affect the result, so filtered water is often used for dough, coffee and tea.

Butter is milk fat churned from cream, with a rich flavour and tender texture. It is used for frying over moderate heat, in doughs and creams, and is stirred into finished sauces and purees for smoothness and shine.

Onion is a bulb with dense, juicy layers, pungent when raw and sweet once fried. It is a basic aromatic vegetable: soups, sauces, sofrito, stews and many main courses start with it.

Green salad is a general name for tender leafy vegetables such as lettuce that are eaten raw. They are washed, dried and dressed just before serving, used as a salad base and as a bed for appetizers.

Green peas are the young, sweet seeds of the pea plant, used fresh, frozen or canned. They are added to soups, side dishes, stews, salads and purees after a brief boil or reheating.

Grated ginger is fresh ginger root grated on a fine grater to a pulp along with its juice. It goes into marinades, sauces, dressings, baking and drinks that need a hot freshness and a citrus-spicy aroma.

Grated Parmesan is an aged hard Italian cheese shredded into fine flakes. It brings a salty, nutty umami flavour and is sprinkled over pasta, risotto, soups and bakes, and stirred into sauces for body.

A chicken egg is a versatile product with an edible white and yolk that behave differently when heated. Eggs are boiled, fried and baked, and used to bind mince, leaven batter, emulsify sauces and make custards.

Mustard is a pungent condiment made from ground mustard seeds, water, vinegar and spices. It is served with meat and sausages, added to dressings, marinades and sauces, and used as an emulsifier to keep a dressing from splitting.

Ground black pepper is the milled dried fruit of the pepper vine, the most universal hot spice. It is added to almost any savoury dish, and is best ground right before use for maximum aroma.