Miscellaneous Category

Pickling recipes sometimes call for alum to give pickles extra crunch.

Available at some Chinese markets. The white nests are cleaner and more expensive than the black ones.

This thickener is very popular among people with gluten allergies. Look for it in health food stores.

Recipes for ale and mead often call for this.

Japanese cooks soak these gourd strips in water, then use them to tie sushi or other food packets. They're also sometimes cooked and used as an ingredient in sushi. Look for them in Japanese markets.

Derived from soy beans or egg yolks, nutrient-rich lecithin is a wonder ingredient. It's used in cooking as an emulsifier, preservative, lubricant, and moisturizer. It's a healthful substitute for fat in baked goods, adding moisture and improving texture. Bakers use it as a dough enhancer because it helps give yeast breads more of a rise. It comes either granulated or as a liquid.

You can make malt powder by allowing whole grains to sprout briefly, drying them, and then grinding them into a powder. Commercial malt powders are usually made with barley, and they're used extensively by commercial bakers. There are two main types of malt powder: diastatic and non-diastatic. Diastatic malt contains active enzymes which help break starch down into sugar. The extra sugar feeds the yeast in the dough, helping the bread to rise, and also gives the bread a browner crust. It's often used to make crusty breads. Non-diastatic malt doesn't have active enzymes, but it gives baked goods better flavor and a shinier, browner crust. It's used in everything from bagels to croissants to breakfast cereals. Don't confuse malt powder with malted milk powder, which also contains powdered milk and wheat flour and is used to make beverages. Look for malt powder in health food stores or baking supply stores.

It's usually sold in the form of small crystals, which you'll need to grind into a powder. Look for it in Middle Eastern markets.

Various ingredients can be used to tenderize meat. These include vinegar, baking soda, beer or commercial products. Meat can also be tenderized using a mallet.

This is what's left over after sake has been pressed from the fermented rice mash. The Japanese marinate fish and meats in it to improve flavor and texture. It's available either in doughy sheets, or as a thick mush.

This is sometimes used in curing rubs for meats. Look for it in drug stores.

Don't cook with the slaked lime found in hardware stores.

This has been touted has a healthful alternative to non-nutritive artificial sweeteners. It's quite sweet, but has a bitter aftertaste. Look for it in health food stores.

Includes: Marmite, Vegemite, and Promite.

Vesiga is the spinal cord of a European sturgeon. It is considered a delicacy in Russia. Coulibiac is a Russian dish that features vesiga.

Two brands are Whip It and Whipping Cream Aid.

These are balls of brewer's yeast that are sold in Asian markets. They're used to make wine.

Derived from corn sugar, xanthan gum is used as a thickener, stabilizer, and emulsifier.

Yam cakes are made by combining yams, dried prawns and rice flower. Then shaping it and steaming it.