All Ingredients

ugli fruit, Jamaican tangelo, uniq fruit
ugli fruit
This grapefruit-mandarin cross looks like a grapefruit in an ill-fitting suit. It's sweet and juicy, though, and simple to eat since the peel comes off easily and the fruit pulls apart into tidy segments that are virtually seedless. Americans pronounce the name "ugly," but in Jamaica, where it's grown, it's pronounced "HOO-glee." Some marketers have tried calling it "Uniq fruit®," but the name hasn't caught on much. Ugli fruit are available from December through April. Most specimens are much uglier than the one pictured here, but don't let that deter you. Select fruits that are heavy for their size, and that give a little when you press them.
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umeboshi vinegar, pickled plum vinegar, plum vinegar, ume plum vinegar
umeboshi vinegar
This Japanese vinegar is quite salty, and it has a distinctive, slightly fruity flavor. It's typically used in dips and salad dressings.
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unhulled buckwheat groats
unhulled buckwheat groats
These are used for making sprouts.
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unsweetened chocolate, baking chocolate, bitter chocolate, chocolate liquor
unsweetened chocolate
What kid hasn't sneaked a bar of this out of the kitchen, only to discover that unadulterated chocolate is bitter and unpalatable. Some cooks prefer to use it over sweetened chocolate because it gives them better control of the sweetness and flavor of the product.
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UnTurkey
A seitan-based turkey.
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urad dal, black gram, black lentil, kali dal
urad dal
These lentil-like beans have black skins covering creamy white interiors. Whole urad dal derive their strong, earthy flavor from the black skins and are often used in curries. Split urad dal retain the skins and also have a strong flavor. Skinned and split urad dal are creamy white and somewhat bland.
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urad dal flour
This is made from urad dal, a type of Indian lentil. The flour is used to make pappadums and breads.
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urad dal, skinned and split, skinned and split black lentils, white lentils
urad dal, skinned and split
These are black lentils (or urad dal) that have been split and skinned. They're much milder than unskinned.
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urad dal, split, chilke urad, split black lentils
urad dal, split
These are black lentils (or urad dal) that have been split but not skinned. They're not as mild as white lentils, which have been split and skinned.
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urfa biber
urfa biber
This is a dried ground chili pepper used in Turkey on meat dishes. It is medium spicy and has a smoky flavor.
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Urgelia cheese, Queso de l'Alt Urgell y la Cerdanya
Urgelia cheese
This creamy Spanish cheese is a member of the washed rind (a.k.a. stinky) cheese family, but it's mild and subtle.
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use less
For many recipes using less of an ingredient, like sugar, is a good option.
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V-8 Juice
V-8 Juice
To make your own: See the Mitch's V-6 Vegetable Juice Cocktail Recipe posted on Fabulousfoods.com.
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Vache Qui Rit, La Vache Qui Rit, Laughing Cow
Vache Qui Rit
This French cheese comes in wedges or squares.
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Vacherin
Vacherin
This is a cheese-lover's cheese, with a complex nutty flavor. It's a good melting cheese that's often used to make fondues. Try heating it a bit and serving it with crusty French bread.
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Vacherin Fribourgeois
Vacherin Fribourgeois
Vecherin Fribourgeois is a swiss cow's milk cheese often made from raw milk.
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vacuum stopper, wine saver
vacuum stopper
Wine, once exposed to air, turns vinegary. This stopper has a pump that removes much of the air from the bottle and allows you to keep opened bottles of wine a bit longer.
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val dal, split lablab beans
val dal
These are skinned and split lablab beans. They're available in Indian markets.
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Valdeon
Valdeon
This Spanish blue cheese is pungent enough to be interesting without being overpowering. It is usually made with cow’s milk but can be made from mixture of cow, sheep and goat milk. It's a good snacking cheese for adventurous guests.
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Valdiguie
This is a relative of the Pinot Noir grape, and it makes a red wine that goes well with hearty meat-based dishes. Don't confuse it with Gamay or Gamay Beaujolais.
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Vandermint
Vandermint
This liqueur is flavored with chocolate and mint.
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vanilla bean, vanilla pod
vanilla bean
Vanilla is used to flavor everything from baked goods to ice cream. Most recipes call for vanilla extract, but some argue that vanilla beans lend a more potent flavor. Select beans that are shiny, moist, and pliable--dried out beans aren't nearly as potent. If a recipe calls for just for the seeds, split the bean open and scrape the seeds out, and save the outer pod to flavor sugar or hot drinks.
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vanilla essence
vanilla essence
This has two meanings. In Britain, vanilla essence is the same as America's imitation vanilla extract. Elsewhere, vanilla essence may mean a highly concentrated and pricey form of pure vanilla extract.
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vanilla extract, natural vanilla extract, pure vanilla extract
vanilla extract
Vanilla extract is made from vanilla beans that have been steeped in alcohol. It's widely used throughout the world to flavor desserts, like baked goods, ice cream, beverages, and custards, but some chefs use it as a secret ingredient in savory dishes as well. Pure extracts made with vanilla from the Bourbon Islands, which include Madagascar, is especially well-regarded. Mexican vanilla extract is also excellent, and even more potent, but it's sometimes adulterated with a dangerous food additive that's banned by the FDA. Look for vanilla extract among the baking supplies in your supermarket.
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vanilla extract, imitation, artificial vanilla extract
vanilla extract, imitation
This inexpensive substitute for pure vanilla extract is made with synthetic vanillin and other flavorings. Many brands are quite good, since chemists know how to produce an exact copy of natural vanillin, the dominant flavor in vanilla. The problem is that vanillin isn't the only flavor component in vanilla, so even the best imitation vanilla extracts aren't quite as full-flavored and complex as the real deal. Food gurus are always saying that cooks should never, ever use imitation vanilla extract, but at least one taste test has shown that many people prefer a high quality imitation vanilla extract to pure extract. Avoid imitation vanilla from Mexico--it may contain a toxic food additive.
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vanilla powder
vanilla powder
This alcohol-free powder is made from vanilla beans that have been dried and pulverized. Unlike vanilla extract, it doesn't evaporate when heated, so it's well suited to making custards and other cooked desserts. It's also good for making dry mixes and for sprinkling onto drinks and dishes. Some brands have sweeteners added. Look for it in larger supermarkets and specialty shops.
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vanilla wafer
vanilla wafer
These vanilla cookies can be eaten as they are, but cooks often pound them into crumbs and use them to make pie crusts.
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vanilla wafer crumbs
vanilla wafer crumbs
These are often used to make pie crusts. To make them, place vanilla wafers in a heavy plastic bag, seal, then crush the wafers with a rolling pin.
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vanilla-flavored liqueurs
Examples include spiced rum, Tuaca, Licor 43, and crème de vanille.
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varak, gold leaf, vark
varak
Indians use these ultra-thin sheets of gold leaf to decorate dishes. Look for it in Indian groceries and cake decorating stores.
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varnishkes
varnishkes
These are egg noodles used in Jewish dishes like kugel.
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Vasterboten cheese
Vasterboten cheese
This hard cow's milk cheese has a strong flavor and is popular in Sweden.
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veal arm roast
This includes the arm bone and some of the ribs. A steak cut from the arm roast is called a veal arm steak. The roast is often braised, roasted, or used a pot roast.
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veal arm steak
The veal arm steak looks a lot like a veal round steak cut from the back leg in that both cuts contain round bones, but the arm steak isn't as tender.
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veal blade roast
This cut includes the shoulder blade bone and a fair amount of connective tissue, so it's cheaper than other veal roasts. Once boned, it has a nice large opening that can be stuffed before roasting. A steak cut from a blade roast is called a veal blade steak.
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veal blade steak
This is cut from a veal blade roast.
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veal breast cuts, veal breast
veal breast cuts
The breast includes the lower end of the ribs, along with some fairly lean meat.
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veal breast roast
You can get this either with or without bones. A common way to serve this is to cut open a pocket between the ribs and the meat and stuff it before roasting.
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veal cube steak
This is a relatively tough cut of meat that the butcher tenderizes by turning it almost into hamburger.
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veal cutlet, veal escalopes, veal leg cutlet, veal scallop, veal scallopini
veal cutlet
These are very lean and thin boneless slices taken from different muscles in the leg. Better butchers cut them to order, since they dry out quickly in the display case, and then they sometimes pound them to make them even thinner. They're most commonly used to make scaloppini, schnitzels, and escalopes.
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veal heart, calf heart
veal heart
Veal heart is tender and delicate enough to be grilled or sautéed, though it becomes tough if overcooked. You can also cook it slowly using moist heat.
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