All Ingredients

When first opened, sparkling wine becomes effervescent as bubbles of carbon dioxide gas escape from the liquid. It was first produced by Dom Pérignon in the 17th century, who cried out after sampling it, "Come quickly. I am drinking stars!" Champagne is perhaps the finest example of sparkling wine, and is named for the region in France where it's produced. The brand Dom Pérignon is considered to be the finest champagne. Sparkling wine and champagne are rated by their relative sweetness. The driest is brut, followed by extra dry, sec, and the sweetest of all, demi-sec. Sparkling wines are used to toast special occasions like weddings and the New Year, but they're also served before meals. They're especially nice with caviar.

This is a cross between the McIntosh and Pippin apples. It's a good all-purpose apple.

Spelt has been around for thousands of years, but it's recently enjoying a resurgence in popularity. It's believed to be a relative of wheat, and it tastes like a mild version of it. Though it contains gluten, it's tolerated by many people who are allergic to gluten.

Spelt has a nutty flavor, similar to that of wheat. Though it contains gluten, it's often tolerated by people with wheat allergies.

Like rolled oats, spelt flakes are commonly cooked to make a hot breakfast cereal.

Spelt flour contains gluten, but it's tolerated by many people with gluten allergies. If making bread with spelt flour, don't knead it for as long as you would a wheat bread--its gluten isn't as durable as that in wheat. Freeze any spelt flour that you're not planning to use right away.

Spelt contains gluten, but it's tolerated by many people with gluten allergies.

This category includes spiced rum, Goldschläger and kümmel.

This is white or dark rum that's been sweetened and flavored with vanilla and spices.

Spinach is packed with nutrients, and it's quite versatile. You can toss it raw into salads, or cook it briefly to make a side dish or soup. Of the two main varieties, smooth leaf spinach = flat leaf spinach = salad spinach is more delicate and better suited to salads than curly leaf spinach. Look for spinach with small, narrow stems--they're younger and more tender. And always use fresh spinach if you can; it's much more palatable than frozen or canned spinach.

In the United States, you're more likely to find these in an aquarium that in a supermarket, but Southeast Asians consider them a delicacy.

These are spring-shaped lengths of Italian pasta. They're good with chunky sauces, or in pasta salads. A larger version is called spirali.

An off center lid can reduce splatter.

Like sponges, these cakes have lots of air pockets, which are made by beating egg whites and folding them into the batter. Angel food cakes are similar, but they're made without egg yolks, while sponge cakes are made with whites and yolks. A sponge cake will keep its shape better if you cut it with a serrated knife.

These tiny fish are similar to anchovies and sardines, and often sold in cans. You're supposed to eat the whole thing, including the head and tail.

Some people use the name spring onion as a synonym for green onion, while others use it to refer to a green onion with a partially formed bulb.

This is a mix of different young salad greens. Commercial mixes usually include arugula, mizuna, tat soi, frisee, oakleaf, red chard, radicchio, mustard greens, and radicchio.

These pans are great for baking delicate desserts that are prone to falling apart when removed from the pan. The rim loosens from the bottom when the clamp is opened. This pan has two bottoms, so that it can serve as both a tube pan (pictured) and a layer cake pan.

These are small candies that are sprinkled on cakes and cookies.

This is unrefined barley, used for making barley sprouts. Don't try to cook with it--it's got a very thick hull.

Sprouts spring from newly germinated peas and beans. They won't add much in the way of nutrients--or calories--to your diet, but they're tasty and inexpensive. There are many varieties, ranging from mild and crunchy mung bean sprouts to spicy and delicate radish sprouts. Raw sprouts are great in salads and sandwiches, and the sturdier varieties can also be stir-fried briefly.

This is Italian sparkling wine. Asti spumante is a well-known sparkling wine produced in Asti, Italy.

This is honey that's blended with pieces of the comb so that it spreads more easily. It's more popular in Europe than in America

These make exquisite garnishes, but they can also be stuffed with fillings and fried, or else sautéed very briefly and put into omelettes or quesadillas. The best source of the blossoms is a garden, but non-gardeners can sometimes find them in farmers' markets or specialty markets. They don't store well, so try to use the blossoms soon after you get them.

The seeds of various squashes, like pumpkin and acorn squash, make terrific snacks. To prepare, wash the seeds, then blot them dry, and mix them with salt and butter. Spread the seeds on a baking tray and bake them in a preheated 325° oven for about 15 minutes.

This is a hot sauce used as a condiment by Thais and Vietnamese.

Warning: aluminum, copper, and iron cookware can react with acids in foods and alter their flavor and color.

Asian cooks use star anise to give a licorice flavor to savory dishes, particularly those with pork and poultry. It's available whole or ground. Use it sparingly--a little goes a long way.