Culinary Dictionary
Cooking Dictionary - M
Macadamia nut - Also known
as the Queensland nut, it is a fleshy white
nut with a coconut-like flavor. In Asia, it
is used in savory soups and stews. In the U.S.,
the macadamia is used mostly in sweets. The
nuts have an extremely high fat content.
Macaire - A potato pancake
made with seasoned potato puree.
Macaroni - A general name
for the pastas which are made into various shapes
and sizes, as spaghetti, linguini, vermicelli,
etc.; actually tubular-shaped pasta.
Macaroon - A small round
cookie that has a crisp crust and a soft interior.
Many versions bought commercially have been
thoroughly dried. These cookies may be made
from almonds, though coconut is common in the
US. The may also be flavored with coffee, chocolate,
or spices. Amaretti, from Italy, are a type
of macaroon.
Macarronada - [Spanish]
macaroni.
Mace - The outer covering
of nutmeg, reddish-orange and lacy. Used as
nutmeg or cinnamon, with nutmeg flavor.
Macedoine - [French] A mixture
of fruit or vegetables. Vegetable macedoine
are cut into small dice and used as a garnish
to meats. Fruit macedoine are cut in larger
pieces and often marinated in sugar syrup with
liqueur.
Macerate - To soak fruit
or vegetables in wine, liquor, or syrup so that
they may absorb these flavors. Salt and sugar
macerations are used to draw excess moisture
out of the food for a secondary preparation.
This is done for canning, jam and preserve making,
and to remove bitter flavors from vegetables.
Machaca - [Spanish] from
the verb machacar, which means to pound or break
something into small pieces; meat that has been
stewed, roasted or broiled, then shredded; it
is typical of Sonoran cooking.
Machacado - [Spanish] mashed;
name of a dish of scrambled eggs and shredded
dried meat.
Mache - A wild lettuce with
small round leaves that may be used for salads
or cooked and used as you would spinach. The
taste is a little less pronounced than spinach.
Mache grows wild, and can be found in the fall.
It is cultivated in France, Italy, and the US
from September to April. It is also known as
lamb's lettuce and field salad.
Madeleine - A small scalloped
or shell shaped cookie or cake made from a rich
batter similar to genoise. These may be flavored
with almonds, lemon, or cinnamon.
Madire, au - Made with Madeira
wine.
Madrilene - A clear chicken
consomme flavored with tomato juice.
Maggi Seasoning - Dark brown,
bottled sauce that resembles soy sauce; it adds
salt and depth of flavor to dishes; do not overdo
using this sauce as it will overpower the dish;
regular soy sauce may be substituted, if necessary.
Magret - The breast meat
from a mallard or Barbary duck. These ducks
are specially raised for foie gras. Their breasts
are large and have a much thinner layer of fat
than do the Peking or Long Island duckling.
Maguey - Cactus plant (Agave
americana) from which tequila, mescal and pulque
are made.
Mahi-mahi - Contrary to
popular belief, mahi-mahi is not a mammalian
dolphin. A warm-water fish with dark meat that
turns brown after cooking. Mahi-mahi is a great
alternative to swordfish.
Mais - [French] corn.
Maitre d'hotel butter -
This is the most common of all the compound
butters. It is flavored with lemon and chopped
parsley and used to garnish fish and grilled
meats. Garlic may be added, but it would then
be called escargot butter.
Maiz - [Spanish] maiz; corn.
Miaz azul - [Spanish] blue
corn.
Maizena - [Spanish] cornstarch;
a product of Mexico which comes in almond, chocolate,
cinnamon, coconut, guava, mango, pineapple and
vanilla flavors; commonly used to make Atole.
Mako shark - Fairly inexpensive
fish with ivory-pink flesh that resembles swordfish
in color and texture (but not in appearance).
Other available shark includes dusky, black
tip, silky, lemon, bull, tiger, or hammerhead
shark.
Malanga - A tuber sold in
all Latin American markets and some supermarkets;
you might find it under the name "yautia." Raw,
it has the texture of jimica, but it is not
eaten raw. It's best boiled, fried, or included
in stews -- in short treated exactly as a potato.
Peel and trim before cooking.
Manchamantel - [Spanish]
"tablecloth stainer." Usually refers to sauces
that do not wash out easily.
Manchego - [Spanish] an
aged sheep's milk cheese that is dry and crumbly;
packed in straw and weighted; usually grated
for use in quesadillas and empanadas; substitute
good Parmesan or aged white Cheddar.
Mandel - [German] almond.
Mandoline - The original
food processor, and still highly useful, the
mandoline is the easiest way to cut thin slices
of vegetables.
Mangos - [Spanish] mangoes;
one of the most popular fruits in the Southwest
and Mexico; it has a peach-like taste and flowery
aroma; the skin is pink, red, gold and green;
the flesh is deep yellow and juicy; to slice
the fruit, free it from the flat, oval pit in
large pieces. There are some two hundred varieties.
They are usually eaten ripe, as a fruit or in
salsa. Green mangoes make great salads and chutneys.
Manicotti - Rolled pancakes
(crepes), stuffed with cheese. Pasta tubes may
also be used.
Manioc - [Spanish] yuca;
cassava; see "yuca."
Mano - [Spanish] hand; implement
used to grind corn and chiles on a metate.
Manteca - [Spanish] lard;
fat; probably the most frequently used ingredient
in traditional Mexican cooking; has approximately
half the cholesterol of butter; fresh rendered
lard is best; it is usually best to substitute
vegetable shortening unless fresh lard is available.
Mantequilla - [Spanish]
butter.
Manzanas - [Spanish] apples.
Maple sugar - Made by the
evaporation of maple sap or maple syrup. Usually
pressed into fancy shapes and sold as a candy.
It is not generally used for baking or cooking.
Maple syrup - Thick and
sweet syrup used on pancakes and waffles or
as an ice cream topping. Pure maple syrup is
made by the evaporation of the sap from maple
trees. Maple-blended syrup is a mixture of maple
syrup and cane syrups, resulting in a milder
and less costly product.
Maquereau - [French] mackerel.
Marchand de vin - A dark
brown sauce made with meat and wine.
Marengo - A chicken stew
made with wine, tomatoes, and garlic. The stew
is served over toast, garnished with crayfish
and fried eggs. The modern versions of this
omit the eggs and substitute shrimp for the
crayfish. Of course, other liberties have been
taken with this recipe to include black olives,
peppers, and veal. The dish is rumored to have
been named for the dish served to General Bonaparte
after his army s defeat of the Austrians in
the battle of Marengo.
Margarine (oleo, oleomargarine)
- Comes in several forms. Regular margarine,
with 80% fat is usually interchangeable with
butter. Soft margarine is readily spreadable
even at refrigerated temperatures. Whipped margarine
has air beaten in to increase volume. Imitation
or diet margarine has greatly reduced fat content
and Half the calories, sometimes less, of regular
margarine. Margarine was first invented to replace
butter in cooking and baking. It was then made
solely of beef fat. Margarine is now made with
a variety of fats, alone or with others, along
with the addition of water, whey, yellow coloring,
and vitamins. Beef fat is still used today,
but with a higher consciousness toward a healthier
diet, it is very rare.
Marguery - A Hollandaise
sauce made with shellfish essence and wine.
Marinade - A seasoned liquid,
often containing vinegar and oil, in which food
is soaked to improve flavor.
Marinara - A spicy tomato
and garlic sauce.
Marinate - To soak meat,
vegetables or fish in seasoned liquid.
Marina - [French] Pickled,
marinated.
Mariscos - [Spanish] seafood
dishes.
Marjoram - Sometimes called
"wild oregano," it is an herb in the mint family
and is related to thyme; often confused with
and substituted for oregano; grows up to 2 feet
high with closely bunched purple and white flowers
that resemble knots; used to season game or
pork; often labeled as sweet marjoram.
Marmalade - A preserve of
citrus fruits (most commonly oranges) and sugar.
Marmite - [French] a rich
meat soup or stock; an earthenware stock pot.
Marrons - Chestnuts.
Marrons glaces - Chestnuts
preserved in syrup or candied.
Marrow - Bone substance
and gut eaten by Native Americans and pioneers.
Marzipan- a sweet confection
made from ground blanched almonds and sugar,
some of which is liquid sugar to make a soft
pliable paste. While there are no hard-and-fast
rules, Marzipan typically contains more than
60% sugar some of which is liquid sugar. Marzipan
is like edible modeling clay. It can be sculpted
into fanciful shapes, rolled to decorate cakes
or coated in chocolate to make a candy center.
It has been enjoyed in Europe since the Middle
Ages. It is believed that when the Crusaders
opened up trade routes to the Near East, they
brought the taste for this Arab sweet back to
Europe. There, almond paste and nougat candies
made their way into the Mediterranean pastry
and candy traditions, as well as in Germany,
the British Isles, and Scandinavia.
courtesy Love'n
Bake.com
Masa - [Spanish] dough;
dough of ground dried corn and flour; usually
refers to ground nixtamal; instant corn flour
tortilla mix; cornmeal dough made from dried
corn kernels that have been softened in a lime
solution, then ground; fresh frozen masa is
available in supermarkets throughout the Southwest;
comes finely ground in a dehydrated form and
can be used to make tortillas and tamales.
Masa is the plain, wet stone ground dough
made with a special corn known as Nixtamal.
Fresh masa is sold two different ways - prepared
and unprepared. Prepared masa is plain masa
which has been mixed with lard and salt only.
This type of masa yields heavy, greasy, drier
dough.
Masa Harina - Instant corn
flour, dough flour; a product developed by the
Quaker Oats Company at the request of the Mexican
government; used to make dough for tamales and
corn tortillas; uncooked corn kernels that have
been ground into flour.
Mascabado - [Spanish] brown
sugar.
Mascarpone - A rich triple
cream, fresh cheese from Italy with a texture
resembling that of solidified whipped cream.
Mask - To cover completely,
as with mayonnaise, jelly, ganache, aspic, etc.
Matafan - A thick pancake
eaten sweet as a snack, or savory as an accompaniment
to cheese. They are also made with bacon, spinach,
and potatoes.
Matelote - [French] in the
sailor's style. A fish stew made with wine.
The Alsatian version of this dish is made with
freshwater fish, Riesling wine, and thickened
with cream and egg yolks. The Normandy version
includes seafood and is flavored with cider
and Calvados. These stews are normally embellished
with pearl onions and mushrooms. Also, asauce
made with court bouillon and red wine.
Mastic - a resin that gives
a sour flavor to dishes. A shrub rarely growing
higher than 12 feet, much branched, and found
freely scattered over the Mediterranean region,
in Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, Turkey,
the Canary Islands, and Tropical Africa. The
best Mastic occurs in roundish tears about the
size of a small pea, or in flattened, irregular
pear-shape, or oblong pieces covered with a
whitish powder. They are pale yellow in color,
which darkens with age. The odor is agreeable
and the taste mild and resinous, and when chewed
it becomes soft, so that it can easily be masticated.
This characteristic enables it to be distinguished
from a resin called Sanderach, which it resembles,
but which when bitten breaks to powder.
Matjes herring - A reddish
herring that has been skinned and filleted before
being cured in a spiced sugar-vinegar brine.
Matzo, Matzoth - Thin, unleavened,
Jewish flat bread made of flour and water.
Mayonnaise - This is the
mother of all of the cold egg and oil emulsified
sauces. Commercial versions are made with inferior
oils and are far to thick for proper utilization.
A hand made version has a rich, subtle flavor
and silky texture. You should always use a neutral
oil or a good olive oil. Avoid using an extra-virgin
olive oil, which will offer too strong a flavor
for most usage.
Meat tenderizer - A food
product obtained from the papaya, which works
on the fibers of raw meat to make it tender,
regardless of kind, grade, or cut. When the
meat is cooked all tenderizing action stops.
Medallion - [French] the
"eye" of a rib lamb chop.
Mediano - [Spanish] medium
hot (to taste).
Mejillones - [Spanish] mussels.
Mejorana - [Spanish] marjoram;
wild oregano.
Melange - A mixture
Melba - The name of a popular
dessert invented by Auguste Escoffier. Poached
peach halves are served with vanilla ice cream
and topped with fresh raspberry sauce.
Melon - There are three
kinds of melons (aside from watermelon, a different
species entirely). Small melons with ridged
skin, such as the charentais, more common in
Europe; and those with a meshed rind, such as
cantaloupe; and those with a smooth rind, like
the honeydew. When looking for ripe melons,
an appetizing smell is a good sign. Shake the
melon. Loose seeds are a fairly good indication
of ripeness. Squeeze the ends, especially the
one opposite the stem; it should be fairly tender,
almost soft.
Melon - [Spanish] cantaloupe.
Membrillo - [Spanish] quince.
Menta - [Spanish] mint.
Menudo - [Spanish] tripe
and cow's foot soup or stew; fiery Mexican "hangover
cure," traditionally eaten on Saturday and Sunday;
traditional dish for New Year's Day; normally
served with lime wedges, oregano, red pepper
flakes and hot tortillas.
Mercados - [Spanish] markets.
Merienda - [Spanish] afternoon
tea following the daily siesta.
Meringue - [French] whipped
egg whites to which sugar has been added to
form a stiff paste. These are used to lighten
mousses, cakes and pastry creams. Unsweetened
versions are used to lighten forcemeats.
Mesa - [Spanish] table.
Mescal - [Spanish] liquor
distilled from fermented juice of the maguey
cactus.
Mesophilic - Cheesemaking
term which describes the temperature at which
the culture thrives. From the Greek words meso
- meaning intermediate - and philic - which
means loving. Mesophilic cultures thrive around
room temperatures.These terms describes at the
temperature the culture thrives at. Mesophilic
(from the Greek words meso - meaning intermediate
and philic - which means loving) cultures thrive
around room temperatures. Mesophilic cultures
require a temperature than thermophilic cultures.
Mesclun - A word used to
describe a mixture of a dozen or more wild and
cultivated greens. Often this mix is stretched
with herbs or flower sprigs and bitter greens.
These greens should be dressed very lightly,
with only best oil and vinegar, so that their
flavor will not be masked.
Mesquite - Hardwood tree,
the dry wood of which is used to fuel fires
in Southwestern cooking; the beans are a Native
American staple.
Metate - Old Native American
utensil, made of volcanic rock; used for grinding
corn, mesquite beans, etc.
Meuniere a la, Meuniere
- Fish or seafood sauteed and served in brown
butter. Also, with sauce of butter, lemon juice
and parsley.
Mexican chocolate - A mixture
of chocolate, almonds, sugar and sometimes cinnamon
and vanilla, ground together and formed into
octagonal tablets; Ibarra is the most common
brand in the United States; can be used in desserts,
chocolate beverages and some mole sauces; the
best substitute is to add a dash of cinnamon
to bittersweet chocolate.
Mexican mint marigold -
Also known as "sweet mace"; flavor of the leaves
is similar to tarragon with a subtle anise flavor;
both the leaves and petals can be used in sauces
and relishes and as a garnish.
Mexican oregano - Much larger
leaves and a different appearance from the oregano
most commonly found in the United States; almost
always sold dried in the United States; used
in many traditional recipes for red sauces,
moles and stews; should be toasted slightly
before using to enhance the flavor.
Mexican strawberries - Cowboy
term for red beans.
Miel - [French and Italian]
honey.
Migajas - [Spanish] crumbs.
Migajon - [Spanish] soft
inside of bread.
Migas - [Spanish] leftovers;
crumbs; a dish made of eggs scrambled with chorizo,
tortilla chips, onions, tomatoes, cheese and
chiles, it is normally eaten for breakfast;
also called huevos con tostaditos.
Mignon, Migonette - This
is a term used to describe coarsely ground pepper
used for au poivre preparations and in bouquet
garni. This is also used to describe small round
pieces of meat or poultry.
Milanese - [Italian] used
to describe foods that are dipped in egg and
bread crumbs, sometimes parmesan cheese, and
fried in butter.
Milch - [German] milk.
Mild chiles - New Mexico
or Anaheim chiles.
Milk chocolate - Most popular
form of eating chocolate in the United States
due to its mild, mellow flavor. It has only
10% chocolate liquor and usually contains about
12% milk solids. Milk chocolate has a less robust
flavor than sweet or semi-sweet chocolates.
Mille-feuilles - Small rectangular
pastries made of crisp layers of puff pastry
and pastry cream. This may also include savory
fillings of similar presentation. The word mille-feuille
means a thousand leaves.
Milnot - Milnot is canned
evaporated milk that can be whipped. It is only
marketed in a handful of states.
Milpa - [Spanish] cornfield.
Mince - [Great Britain]
Ground beef.
Mincemeat - A sweet spicy
mixture of candied and fresh fruits, wine, spices,
and beef fat. Earlier recipes for this used
beef or venison meat and beef fat. It is used
primarily as a filling for pies served during
the Christmas holiday season.
Minestrone - A thick Italian
vegetable soup with beans and pasta or rice.
This may contain any number of vegetables, but
for authenticity, meat is never added.
Minute steak - A tender
and juicy very thin steak cut from the top round,
which can be quickly saut ed, broiled or pan-broiled.
Mirabelle - [French] small
yellow plum, used as tart filling; a liqueur
made from small yellow plums.
Mirasol chiles - Mirasol
means looking at the sun; also called chile
travieso, or naughty chile; the dried pods are
used like dried red New Mexican chiles in corn
dishes, meat dishes, sauces and stews; when
fresh and green, it can be substituted for the
serrano chile mochomos - cooked or roasted meat,
shredded and fried crisp.
Mirepoix - [French] a mixture
of chopped onion, carrot, and celery used to
flavor stocks and soups. Ham or bacon are sometimes
added to a mirepoix, depending on the specific
preparation.
Mirepoix - Mixed vegetables
diced very small and cooked with diced ham,
often used as a garnish.
Mirin - [Japanese] sweet
rice vinegar. May substitute by adding a little
sugar to regular rice-wine vinegar.
Mirliton (vegetable pear)
- A vegetable resembling a pale green squash.
Mirlitons are also referred to as vegetable
pears or chayote squash. You can find them on
vines growing in Louisiana back yards. Their
delicate flavor generally absorbs the taste
of other foods they come in contact with. They
are also used as an ingredient in Caribbean
as well as Latin and Southwestern American dishes.
Mise en place - [French]
mise (to put) en (in) place (place). A French
term well-known to any professional cook. It
means "putting in place," and refers to the
many prepped ingredients that must be on hand
in order to be ready for meal service.
Miso, light or dark (red)
- Fermented soybean paste used as a basic ingredient
in many Japanese dishes.
Mocha - Flavoring of coffee
or made by combining coffee and chocolate.
Mochi - Japanese confection;
a small, round rice cake which can be eaten
with condiments such as kinako (roasted
soy bean flour), manju (sweet red bean
paste), soy sauce dip, andseaweed. Traditionally,
mochi is made by pounding steamed glutinous
rice in a large wooden mortar, called the usu,
with a wooden mallet called the kine. Mochi-tsuki
is the Japanese term for the old-style method
of pounding the steamed glutinous rice used
to make mochi.
Mode, a la - A food which
is braised; also, pies and cakes served with
a garnish of ice cream.
Mojo - [Mexican] A spicy,
rich sauce consisting of nuts, seeds, spices,
chocolate, and peppers.
Mojo de ajo - [Spanish]
soaked in garlic.
Molasses - This is a syrup
resulting from the crystallization of raw sugar
from the sap. Additional processing results
in darker and stronger tasting molasses called
black strap.
Molcajete - [Spanish] mortar
made from volcanic stone used for grinding chiles.
Mole - [Spanish] taken from
the Nahuatl word "Molli," meaning concoction;
an assortment of thick sauces used in Mexican
cooking made of chiles. These sauces are made
with one or many chiles, and flavored with cumin,
coriander, cinnamon, nuts, seeds, and chocolate.
one of the most common ingredients of mole sauce
is chocolate; one of the oldest known sauces.
Their flavor is rich, smoky, and very complex.
Some recipes are made with fresh herbs and have
a green color. Chicken, turkey, and pork are
then simmered in this sauce.
Mole negro - [Spanish] the
best known of Oaxaca's famous "seven moles."
Molinillo - [Spanish] a
wooden whisk used to whip hot chocolate; the
handle is rolled between the palms of the hands,
whipping the mixture until it is frothy.
Mollejas - [Spanish] sweetbreads.
Molletes - [Spanish] yeast
rolls flavored with anise; toasted open-faced
sandwich filled with refried beans and cheese.
Monaco, la - Served with
a green pea and caper sauce.
Monkfish - Known as the
poor man's lobster, because of its extremely
firm, meaty texture. Highly versatile. Remove
any membrane that remains on the fillet before
cooking.
Monosodium Glutamate, MSG
- A white, crystalline salt found in wheat,
beets, and soy bean products. It is used extensively
in Chinese cookery, and thought to help accentuate
the flavors of certain foods. Many people suffer
serious allergic reactions to this so widespread
use has been reduced to the commercial food
processing industry.
Mont blanc - A rich dessert
of chestnut pur e and whipped cream.
Monterey jack- Mild, buttery-flavor
cheese usually sold in blocks; melts easily;
also made with jalape os.
Montmorency - A sauce made
with cherries; also, a garnish made with artichoke
hearts.
Mora chiles - A dried chile;
a more subtle variety of smoked jalapeno than
chipotles, they have a long mesquite flavor
with tones of dried fruit; moras grandes are
a larger version of the same type of chile,
while smaller ones are often labeled "moritas."
Use chipotles as a substitute for any of these
chiles.
Morcilla - [Spanish] pork
mixed with pig's blood and spices and steamed
within the animal's stomach.
Morel mushroom - This is
a wild mushroom with a honeycomb cap and hollow
stem. These are very dirty mushrooms and must
be cleaned carefully. Morels possess a wonderful
earthy flavor, making them good candidates for
soups, sauces, and fillings. Morels are most
readily available dried.
Morello cherries - Pie cherries.
Mornay Sauce - A sauce similar
to bechamel sauce but with Gruyere cheese, sometimes
enriched with egg yolks. It is used mainly for
fish and vegetable preparations.
Mortadella - Large, lightly
smoked sausages made of pork, beef, or veal.
These are specialties of Bologna, which is where
the US version of this sausage gets its name.
Mortadella is a very smooth, pink sausage with
a subtle creamy texture. They are studded with
cubes of pork fat and peppercorns.
Mostarda di Cremona - [Spanish]
These are fruits cooked and marinated in a spicy,
mustard flavored syrup. It is a classic accompaniment
to bollito misto. These fruits are also used
in sauces for veal, and assorted stuffed pasta
fillings.
Mostaza - [Spanish] mustard.
Mouler - [French] To grind
soft food into a puree or dry food into a powder.
Moules - [French] mussels.
Mountain oysters - Roasted
calf testes eaten as a between-meal snack.
Moussaka - [Greek] A layered
dish of eggplant and lamb with tomatoes and
onions. This is all bound with bechamel sauce
and cooked au gratin.
Mousse - Sweet or savory
dishes made of ingredients which are blended
and folded together. These mixtures may be hot
or cold, and generally contain whipped egg whites
to lighten them. Cream is also used to lighten
these dishes, though when used in large quantities,
these preparations are called mousselines.
Mousseline - As described
above, these are fine purees or forcemeats that
have been lightened with whipped cream. The
term is also used to describe a hollandaise
sauce which has unsweetened whipped cream folded
into it.
Mousseron mushroom - A wild
mushroom with an off-white to beige color. The
flavor is full-bodied and the texture is fleshy
like bolets.
Moutarde - [French] mustard.
Mouton - [French] mutton.
Mozzarella - A mild white-yellow
cheese which melts easily.
Muesli - [Swiss] Dish of
raw rolled oats, coarsely grated apple, nuts
and dried fruit served with cream or whole milk.
Mulato chile - A dried chile;
in Mexican cooking it refers to the chile mulato,
a dark black-brown dried chile famous for its
use in Mole Poblano; tastes of licorice, chocolate
and dried fruit; used in many dark moles; if
unavailable, use anchos or pasillas.
Mulligatawny - A curried
chicken soup adapted by the British from India.
Originally the soup was enriched with coconut
milk and embellished with almonds and apples.
Newer versions make a lighter broth and flavor
this with curry and coconut.
Mung beans, dried - A versatile
tiny (about one-eighth inch in diameter), dried
bean is common throughout Asia. The bean or
pea is also the source of bean sprouts, also
used to make bean-thread noodles.
Muscoli - [Italian] mussels.
MUSHROOMS
Chanterelle - Meaty and fleshy texture; nutty
flavor with a hint of apricot. Best sauteed
with poulty or fish.
Chinese - Find in Oriental markets. Soak in
water before cooking. Trim the stems and save
for making soup.
Crimini - Firm, dense consistency; earthy flavor.
Best used stuffed with herbs and nuts.
Dried European - Cepe, boletus, or porcini.
Keep in a tightly sealed jar in your refrigerator.
Will keep about 1 year.
Enoki - Crisp texture, like bean sprouts; clean
and fruity flavor. Best used raw in salads and
sandwiches.
Morel - Wild mushroom with a honeycomb cap and
hollow stem. These are very dirty mushrooms
and must be cleaned carefully. Morels possess
a wonderful earthy flavor, making them good
candidates for soups, sauces, and fillings.
Morels are most readily available dried.
Oyster - Tender caps, chewy stems; slight peppery
bite. Mix into cream sauces.
Porcini - Rich and velvety texture; woodsy flavor
which is stronger when dried. Simmer in soups
and sauces.
Portobello - Thick-fleshed with sanity caps;
rich and hearty flavor. Best used for grilling,
burger-style.
Shiitake - Spongy caps, tough stems; complex
and smoky flavor. Best used in polenta or risotto.
Wood ear - Crunch and chewy texture; subtle
and mild flavor. Best used in spicy soups and
stir-fries.
Music roots - sweet potatoes;
so called because of the gaseous effect.
Mussels - Much less expensive
than clams. Look for clean, not muddy, mussels.
When steaming mussels, add a bit of saffron
for additional great flavor.
Must - a sweet, viscous
liquid that is red-yellow in color. It comes
from fresh grape must, known as "stafilopat."
In other parts of Greece it is known as "petmezi."
Mutton - The flesh of sheep
over one year old.
Muy sabrosa comida - [Spanish]
very delicious food.
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