Glossary
Brioche
Brioche is a type of French bread generally known as a Viennoiserie, which means it is a baked good made from a leavened yeast dough enriched with butter and eggs. Brioche comes in all shapes and sizes.
Bomba Rice
Bomba rice is a short-grain variety of rice (Oryza sativa L.), primarily cultivated in the eastern parts of Spain. It is commonly used in paella and other dishes in Valencian cuisine.
Challah
Challah is a bread that is part of Jewish tradition, and is kosher to eat with all meals—so it is not made with butter.
Clarified Butter
Clarified butter is pure butterfat, minus the water and milk proteins found in normal butter, which means it has a much higher smoke point, imparts a richer flavour and, when used in baking, helps to brown more easily. It also has a longer shelf life than butter & can stay unrefrigerated for longer periods before turning rancid.
Demerara Sugar
Golden brown sugar has a light, delicate flavour without the heavy molasses notes of darker brown sugars. Regular brown sugar is dark and moist and is used for tasks where you want more of a molasses kick. Demerara sugar is darker still, with large crystals that give it a crunchy texture.
Gourmand Awards
The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards was founded by Edouard Cointreau in 1995. It takes place yearly in Paris. Overall, prizes are awarded in more than 40 categories for cookbooks and 18 for beverage books. The objective of the prize is the good food of all nations to promote international understanding and thus to achieve a greater awareness of good, diverse and healthy food and drink worldwide.
Kalamata Olives
Kalamata olives, of the Kalamon variety, are named after the region where they are produced. Known for their oval shape, dark purple color, and intense flavor, Kalamata olives are hand-picked to avoid bruising. Their optimal harvest time is late fall, while other varieties are usually picked earlier, which explains why they are still green. It is all about balance. If the olives are too green, the fruits, along with the olive oil produced, will taste bitter. If they are too black, the quality will be lost.
Paellera
Paella takes its name from the paellera, the utensil in which it is cooked, a flat round pan with two handles. Paella is traditionally eaten from the pan.
Panettone
Panetonne is a sweet Italian bread that originated in Milan. It is studded with dried fruits and orange peel and is traditionally enjoyed over the Christmas Holidays.
Saïm
Or pork lard, is condidered to be quite a healthy fat due to its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Pork lard can be substituted for butter in baking or as a fat to fry in. To make saïm, ask your butcher for some leaf lard. This is the best fat and is found around the pig’s kidneys. Slice into little pieces and place in a heavy-based saucepan with some water and cook over a low heat for 1-2 hours until all the crackling has sunk to the bottom. Strain through a fine seive, coffee filter or cheesecloth to separate the crackling from the rendered fat. Pour the lard into a glass jar and store in the fridge.