C

Cannellini
Bone-colored oval beans most commonly used in the Italian dish "pasta e fagioli." Their
creamy texture makes them ideal for purees, dips and creamy soups.

Canola Oil
Expressed from rape seeds, this light oil is substantially lower in saturated fats than any other
oil and also contains Omega-3 fatty acids. Virtually tasteless, this is a good oil choice for
baking and salad dressings, but kind of bland for sauteing.

Capers
Little pickled flower buds, most commonly used in Mediterranean cooking. Salty and briny in
taste, they really pack a whollop of taste in sauces and salads. If they taste too strong of you,
simply rinse lightly before use.

Caraway Seeds
Traditionally used in rye bread, caraway seeds have a distinctive, hearty taste, making them
ideal for seasoning savory stews and other vegetable dishes. Their pungent taste is quite
strong, so use sparingly.  

Carob
Renowned as a substitute for chocolate by natural foods enthusiasts, carob truly doesn't taste
much like chocolate, so true devotees are rarely fooled. Carob is not commonly used in
powdered form, which is made from grinding roasted, tropical pods. Its natural sweet taste
and dark, rich color is what gained it its reputation as a sub for chocolate.  

Cashews
A tropical nut quite high in fat with a rich, luscious flavor for creams and nut milks.

Chervil
An aromatic herb that tastes quite like tarragon, with lacy, fern-like leaves. It tastes best when
used fresh.

Chestnuts
Their rich texture and taste belies the fact that chestnuts are in fact quite low in fat, making
them an ideal ingredient in many recipes. Fresh chestnuts are at their peak in the fall and are
a wonderful addition to soups, stews, vegetable dishes and their natural sweet taste makes
them a great dessert ingredient. Dried chestnuts are available year-round, and with pre-
soaking, achieve as creamy and sweet a taste and texture as their fresh counterparts.

Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
Creamy beige round beans with a wonderful nutty taste and creamy texture when cooked.
Traditionally used when making humus, a creamy spread, combining chickpeas with olive
oil, lemon juice and a bit of garlic. Also wonderful as a bean dish combined with sweet
vegetables or corn, as well as in soups and stews.

Chili Peppers
Available fresh and dried, these peppers range from mildly spicy to blazing hot. Remember
that the real "heat"`comes from the seeds, so removing them reduces the "fire." I recommend
you wear rubber gloves when removing seeds so the oil from them doesn't get on your
hands--and then into your eyes when you rub them. It takes several hours, even with washing,
to remove this oil, so trust me on this one. Ancho, chipotles and jalapenos are the most
common varieties used in cooking today.  
 
Chili Powder
A powdered blend of ground chili peppers, ranging from mild and hot, combined with oregano,
cumin, garlic and salt. Add it slowly to dishes, adjusting the spicy taste as you go along, so
your dish doesn't get too hot.  
 
Chocolate
Do I really need to define chocolate? I suppose not, but perhaps I should define its rare
appearances in this book. Energetically, chocolate is highly stimulating and agitating, giving
the consumer a great high followed by a very depressing crash of blood sugar. Chocolate also
loves stealing minerals from our organs and cells, forcing them to pull minerals from our
blood for nourishment, causing everything from cravings to overeating. I reserve the use of
chocolate for very special occasions.

Corn
Native to South America, corn has been used for over 10,000 years. It has become the staple
grain for the entire North American continent. Today, corn is cultivated worldwide, and is one
of the most popular grains used in cooking.
Corn requires hot summer sun and rain to flourish and grows quickly, actually producing
itself. Eaten by itself, the popular corn on the cob has practically limitless other culinary
uses--flour, meal, grits, tortillas, corn syrup, corn oil, bourbon and popcorn (form one variety
of the grain).

Corn Grits
A cracked form of dried corn. Corn grits make a great polenta, creamy breakfast cereal or
texturizer for soups.

Corn Oil
A golden-colored oil with a rich, buttery taste, ideally suited to whole grain baking. Its full-
bodied texture and light taste give baked goods a moist crumb.

Cornmeal
Dried field corn ground into a coarse flour. Used to make creamier polentas, this flour is most
commonly used in cornbreads, tortillas and corn chips.

Couscous
A staple of North Africa, this rolled durum wheat product has been stripped of its bran and
germ, made into a thick paste, steamed and then dried in the form of small granules. It cooks
quite quickly and its starchy texture makes it a great ingredient for loaves and soups.