All Ingredients

This Japanese tofu is soft and creamy and it's the preferred tofu for shakes, dips, custards, puddings, and dressings. It's available either fresh in tubs or in aseptic packages that don't need refrigeration. When working with silken tofu, it's a good idea to make a dish ahead of time so as to allow the tofu to absorb other flavors. Don't freeze it.

These are thick, round rice noodles that are usually homemade.

This is a mixture of sugar and water that's brought to a boil and simmered for about five minutes so that the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes syrupy. When it cools, it's used to make mixed drinks, liqueurs, baked goods, sorbets, sauces, and many other things. The thickness of the syrup depends upon the ratio of sugar to water used. Many simple syrup recipes call for equal parts sugar and water. For a thinner syrup, combine two parts water with one part sugar. Rock candy syrup, a heavy syrup used to make some liqueurs and mixed drinks, is made with two parts sugar and one part water.

This is the upper half of a leg of lamb, and it makes a tender, but bony roast. Many people ask the butcher to bone this cut, then either roll and tie it or butterfly it.

Skates are delicious, but many people are put off by their bizarre looks. Only the wings are edible. Like their shark relatives, skates have cartilage and tough, sandpapery skin. One way to loosen the skin is to poach them briefly in a mixture of three parts water, one part vinegar. After you peel off the skin, the wing can be further poached, or baked or fried.

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

You can buy almonds already sliced, or do it yourself using a food processor fitted with a slicing disk. It's best to toast the sliced almonds before using them. Just spread them on a baking sheet and put them in a 350° oven until they're light brown, about five to ten minutes.

Sliced ham is moister than other kinds of ham, which makes it far more perishable. Store it in the refrigerator and use it within a few of days after buying it.

These large tomatoes are best for sandwiches and grilling. Varieties include the beefstake tomato and oxheart tomato. The red varieties tend to be more acidic than the yellow.

You can buy slivered almonds in the baking supplies section of most supermarkets. To sliver a blanched almond yourself, use a paring knife to cut it lengthwise into several small sticks.

This liqueur is made by steeping sloe berries in gin. Gordon's is a well-regarded brand.

This is bright orange and moderately crunchy.

This is very hard to find in the United States, but some Eastern European markets carry it.

This is a smoked variation of German bratwurst.

This is the smoked version of the Dutch Gouda cow's milk cheese.

These are sometimes thrown into Southern stews to lend a smoky flavor.

The jowl (which is pronounced "jole" in the South) is the hog's cheek. It's often cut into pieces and used to flavor stews, collard greens, and bean dishes.

These are great for flavoring stews and soups.

These are often used to flavor bean dishes.

These come in cans packed in oil. Northern Europeans like them on hearty bread.

This is delicious in salads. Look for it in upscale delis.

This is yeast that's been smoked, giving it a bacon-like flavor. It's used to flavor other dishes. Don't confuse it with active forms of yeast, like the kinds bakers, brewers, and winemakers use. If you eat them, active yeasts will continue to grow in your intestine, robbing your body of valuable nutrients.

With most beans, you eat only the seeds, usually after they've been dried. But you can eat snap beans pod and all. Until a century ago, the pods had tough strings that cooks had to pull off before cooking (hence the name "string beans") but the snap beans you'll find in markets today are almost all stringless. To learn about different varieties of snap beans, click here.

This is an East Coast version of the king crab.

You eat these whole, pod and all. They're often stir-fried very briefly (no more than a minute), but they're also good raw. They're easy to prepare, just wash and trim the ends. Some people string them as well, but that's not necessary. Select crisp, flat snow peas that snap when you break them.

Look for these in Asian markets.

These chewy Japanese noodles are popular at soup counters in Tokyo. They're made with a blend of wheat and buckwheat flours, the more buckwheat the better. They're often sold fresh (called nama soba) in Japan, but foreigners usually have to settle for dried. Soba comes in different widths and flavors, including green cha soba = chasoba, which is flavored with green tea, and yamaimo soba, flavored with yams. Cook them for about 3 minutes.

Sobrasada is a raw Spanish pork sausage. It's similar to Spanish chorizo, only heavier on the paprika and garlic.

Cheeses in this category are often spread on bread or crackers to be served as snacks. They're usually not used for cooking. Most soft cheeses should be used within a few days of purchase--they spoil faster than firmer cheeses.

This is the Chinese version of Japan's silken tofu. Like silken tofu, it's good for making shakes, dips, custards, puddings, and dressings. Look for plastic tubs with cakes of tofu in the refrigerated sections of supermarkets and health food stores. Don't freeze this kind of tofu.

These are softer than hard wheat berries.

The rinds of these cheeses are exposed to mold, which moves into the pâte as they ripen. As they do, they become softer and maybe even slightly runny. It's important to eat soft-ripened cheeses when they're perfectly ripe--if under-ripe, they're pasty and bland, if overripe, they become runny and ammoniated. To fully appreciate their subtle and complex flavors, be sure to bring them to room temperature before serving them. These are great table cheeses, and they're often served with bread, crackers, or fruit. They're not usually cooked. Most are covered with a felt-like white mold which is edible, but not to everyone's taste. This category includes Brie, Camembert, Toma, Coulommiers, Chaource, and Brillat-Savarin.

steamer Includes: Highly regarded Maine steamers and Long Island steamers, and less esteemed Maryland steamers.

Softneck garlics do not have the main stem in the bulb and are the type commonly sold in stores. They are milder and last longer. Softneck garlics include purple stripe, green garlic, Italian garlic, California garlic and others.

Includes gray sole, petrale sole, English sole, Dover sole, and Rex sole.