All Ingredients

Includes: self-rising cake flour These substitutions will perform better if you also do this: (1) Mix the batter as little as possible. (2) Separate eggs, beat the whites, and fold them into the batter.

These are popular in Hispanic countries and throughout the Caribbean. They're large, so markets often cut them up before selling them.

This spicy dry Italian salami is made out of pork and hot chile peppers.

These look like rings of squid ("calamari" in Italian). They're great with sauces.

Calasparra rice like bomba rice is very absorbent and often used in paella.

This is a large, Spanish variety of green onion.

These are highly prized for their sweet flavor.

The more potent California bay leaf is highly prized due to the complexity of its flavor.

These are dried Anaheim chiles, and very mild.

This small pear is the same size as a Seckel pear, but it's not as juicy and sweet.

These huge leaves are about a foot and a half long, and they're a popular vegetable among Pacific islanders and some Asians. Many Western cooks steer clear of them, though, since they must be cooked for at least 45 minutes to an hour to rid them of calcium oxalate, a toxin that irritates the throat if swallowed.

Cooking these beautiful beans in lots of water helps keep them from losing their distinctive coloring.

This German cow's milk cheese combines the moist, rich creaminess of Camembert with the sharpness of blue Gorgonzola. It's one of the mildest blue cheeses.

This popular soft-ripened cow's milk cheese is buttery rich and wonderful to spread on hot French bread. The name's not protected, so there are lots of Camemberts of varying quality on the market. Try to get a French raw milk Camembert--our pasteurized domestic versions are bland in comparison. Use within a few days after purchasing. For best flavor, serve at room temperature.

This firm, mildly tart apple is quite versatile. Use Cameos in pies, applesauce, salads, or just eat them out of hand.

This popular Italian bitters is often mixed with soda, ice, and a twist of lemon and served as an apéritif.

Canadian bacon tastes like ham and is much leaner than American bacon. It's made from pork loin that's been smoked and cured. Note that Irish bacon is also sometimes called back bacon.

These blended whiskies have a lighter body than those made in the United States. Crown Royal and Canadian Club are popular brands. Canadians follow the British convention of spelling whisky without an "e." Whiskey should be served at room temperature.

These are popular in Japan, where they're often served as tempura.

These tend to vary in quality, so unless you're good at selecting melons, stick with more idiot-proof varieties like the honeydew or cantaloupe. Canaries should, at a minimum, have bright yellow rinds. They're in season in the fall.

These are used to make decorative flower stems on cakes.

A French specialty, these are whole chestnuts that are candied in a sugar syrup. They're used to make various desserts.

Candied ginger is ginger that is stored in a sugary syrup, but the name is also sometimes used for crystallized ginger, which is ginger that's been cooked in syrup, then dried out and rolled in sugar. The two are often used interchangeably.

Candlenuts must be cooked before eating, since they're highly toxic when raw. Ground candlenuts are often used to thicken Malaysian and Indonesian curries. They're so oily that natives string them together and use them as candles. Look for them in Southeast Asian markets.

These are broken up candy canes used as a topping on cookies and cakes.