All Ingredients

Frying tofu makes it a chewier and tastier. Both the Japanese and Chinese have their own ready-made versions of deep-fried tofu, and you can find them in cellophane bags and cans in Asian markets. You can also make deep-fried tofu yourself by frying thin slabs of firm tofu in hot oil.

These honey sweet translucent deglet noor dates are enjoyed in North Africa. They originated in Algeria.

This is one of the tastier winter squashes, with creamy pulp that tastes a bit like sweet potatoes. Choose squash that are heavy for their size.

This dark, heavy rum comes from Demerara River region in Guyana. It's often used to make Zombies.

This includes seven or eight ribs from the breast. These can be braised, but they're more often marinated and grilled.

Includes: Derby Sage cow's milk cheese (pictured), which is flavored with sage.

These are sweet wines that are served with (or instead of) dessert. Examples include fortified wines like port and sherry, and late harvest wines, which are made from grapes that have shriveled a bit, concentrating their sweetness. As a rule of thumb, a dessert wine should always be sweeter than the dessert it accompanies.

This is a dip or sandwich spread made with chopped ham, sour cream, and various seasonings.

These are similar to blackberries, only they're smaller.

This Indian flour is made from a blend of rice, urad dal, and chickpeas. It's used to make cakes that look like squares of cornbread, which Indians steam and garnish with grated coconut, tamarind sauces, and other seasonings.

These have a clove-like flavor. Some people may have an alergic reaction to dianthus.

These British crackers are similar to American graham crackers, only they're more crumbly and less sweet. They're often crushed into crumbs and used to make pie crusts.

Grey Poupon and French's are well-regarded brands. See the Dijon Mustard recipe posting on Recipesource.com.

You can find soft, feathery sprigs of dill leaves in markets throughout the year. Chopped dill is often paired with fish, cucumbers, potatoes, or it's added to dips, salad dressings, or cream sauces. Dill loses flavor when it's heated, so always add it to cooked dishes at the last minute. Avoid dried dill; it has very little flavor. And don't confuse dill leaves with dill seeds--though they come from the same plant, they're not good substitutes for one another.

Dill seed tastes like dill leaves, but it's much stronger. It's a common ingredient in pickles, dips, and potato salad.

These are small tubes of pasta, well suited for vegetable soups. It's also one of the shapes used to make Spaghetti-Os.

This is a small version of ditali, a tubular pasta shape. Tiny ditalini are usually served in a broth or vegetable soup, and is one of the shapes used to make Spaghetti-Os.

This commercially fished shark is enjoyed around the world.

These squat peaches have white flesh, and a very good flavor. Use them as you would ordinary peaches.

This isn't available in the United States.

These soft and semi-soft cheeses contain 60-74% butterfat, making them rich and creamy. They're not quite as decadent as tripe-crème cheeses, which have at least 75% butterfat.

This is similar to powdered sugar, only it doesn't melt as easily. Commercial bakers use this on doughnuts and other pastries.

This refers either to beer that's stored in a keg or to unpasteurized beer in bottles or cans

These comes in gold or silver.

This comes from a cactus native to Central and South America, and has a mild flavor. To eat it, either peel it or cut it in half and scoop out the white, polka-dotted pulp with a spoon. Select dragon fruit by pressing it gently. It should give just a little.

You can eat these, pods and all, just like green beans.

This is a Scottish liqueur made with Scotch, honey, and various herbs.

This German bread is made with rye flour.

These are popular additions to trail mixes. They're often treated with sulfur to improve their color and shelf life.

Turkish dried apricots are lighter in color and milder in flavor than other varieties. They're often treated with sulfur to improve their color and shelf life.

People in the Middle East usually make a drink out of this fruit leather by putting it into boiling water. During Ramadan, it's often served before and after the day-long fast. Look for it in Middle Eastern markets.

These usually come in two forms: long spears, which are very sweet and best for cooking, and chips, which are fried in oil, crunchy, and best suited for trail mixes.

Beans are low in fat and loaded with nutrients, and we'd probably eat more of them if they weren't also loaded with flatulence-producing enzymes. There are ways to enjoy beans without having to forego social appointments, however. One is to change the water from time to time while you're soaking or cooking the beans. Pouring off the water helps gets rid of the indigestible complex sugars that create gas in your intestine. It also helps to cook the beans thoroughly, until they can be easily mashed with a fork. Most bean aficionados prefer dried beans, but canned beans are also available. These don't need to be cooked, but they tend to be saltier and less flavorful than reconstituted dried beans.

These are very sweet and have an intense cantaloupe flavor.

These are used to make muffins and cakes.

These are large and sweet, and they can serve as a refreshing alternative to raisins in many recipes.

You reconstitute these by boiling them for about an hour. They're available in Italian markets, but you'll usually pay less if you get them in an Asian market.

Begin with orange, lemon, tangerine, or grapefruit peels, scrape off and discard as much of the bitter white pith as possible, and dry what's left in the sun until hard

With their flashy color and tangy flavor, dried cranberries are a good alternative to raisins in many recipes. Craisins is a well-known brand.

Look for these in Middle Eastern markets.