Food and Cooking
Glossary
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Nacho
Nachos in their simplest form are usually tortilla chips covered
in melted cheese. Common additional toppings are Ground beef
or chicken, Jalape?o pepper slices, Refried beans, Salsa, Guacamole,
Sour cream, Olives. Nachos are usually made by laying out tortilla
chips on a baking dish, covering it with cheddar or jack cheese,
placing Jalapeno pepper rounds on top, and baking it in the
oven.
Nashi
Also called an Asian pear, this fruit has a flavour somewhere
between an apple and a pear, combining the shape and crispness
of an apple with the grainy texture and flavour of a pear. It's
excellent in fruit salads or served with a cheeseboard. In cooking,
use it as you would with any other apple or pear recipe.
Nam Pla
A thin brown fish sauce that's fundamental to Thai food. It's
made by fermenting small whole fish (usually anchovies) in brine
and drawing off the liquid, which is then bottled. It smells
quite fishy and tastes very salty so use it sparingly as a flavouring
and as a condiment (although cooking greatly reduces its fishiness
and simply adds a richness and depth of flavour to dishes).
Napa Cabbage
Napa cabbage is also known as Chinese cabbage or celery cabbage.
Chinese cabbage is an East Asian leaf vegetable related to the
Western cabbage. They are of the same species as the common
turnip. There are many variations on its name, spelling, and
Scientific classification. This is a common vegetable used in
Chinese cuisine.
Nasi Goreng
Nasi goreng is an Indonesian version of fried rice. (That is
what the Indonesian words literally mean). The main difference
compared to fried rice is that it is cooked with sweet soy-sauce
(kecap manis). It is often accompanied by additional items such
as a fried egg, fried chicken, satay, or keropok. When accompanied
by a fried egg it is known as nasi goreng special. The dish
is not only popular in Indonesia, but in Singapore and Malaysia.
Nasturtium
Edible flowers are great for adding colour and peppery flavour
to dishes. The nasturtium is an annual flowering plant whose
edible leaves and orange, red and yellow petals have a flavour
that's similar to watercress.
Navarin
A classic French stew of lamb or mutton with potatoes and other
root vegetables, often carrot or turnip. It's traditionally
cooked using cuts of young spring lamb and new vegetables. Fresh
peas and beans are sometimes added at the end of cooking. The
stew is skimmed of any fat on its surface and is left to cook
for a few minutes more until the vegetables are just tender.
Nibbed Almonds
These are specially prepared skinned almonds cut into pieces
about 2mm square. They're mostly used for decoration. Brown
them for a minute in a hot oven to add colour and to bring out
their true nutty flavour.
Nicoise Olive
A small dark brown or purple olives with a rich, nutty flavor
from the Provence region of France. Nicoise olives are cured
in brine and packed in olive oil.
Noisette
Beurre Noisette ('hazelnut butter', sometimes loosely translated
as 'brown butter') is frequently used in French pastry production.
Unsalted butter is melted over low heat and allowed to separate
into butterfat and milk solids. The milk solids naturally sink
to the bottom of the pan and, if left over gentle heat, will
begin to brown. As the milk solids reach a toasty hazelnut color,
the pan is removed from the heat. Beurre noisette may be used
in its liquid state, or cooled to a solid form. It imparts a
warm, nutty flavor, and is particularly included in the batters
for madeleines and financiers.
Noodles
A type of pasta made with flour and water and sometimes eggs,
cut into thin strips. The strands come in numerous shapes and
sizes and can be fresh or dried. Noodles are used extensively
in Far Eastern cuisine to accompany soups, sauces and stir-fried
dishes.
Nori
Paper-thin toasted sheets of seaweed (laver - also used in Wales,
Scotland and Ireland) used in Japanese cooking for wrapping
sushi. There are lots of different varieties - dark green is
the most common, but it also can be black, purple or dark red
and comes in varying thicknesses.
Nougat
A confection made from boiled honey and/or sugar syrup mixed
with beaten egg white, almonds and sometimes pistachios and
preserved fruit.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg is a spice from the nutmeg tree, which is native to several
Indonesian islands. Both nutmeg and mace come from the same
plant. Nutmeg is the 'nut', while mace is the surrounding lacy
'aril'. Nutmeg has a warm, spicy aroma and flavour and can be
used in sweet and savoury cooking. It's a component of the classic
béchamel sauce and is used to flavour a host of cakes,
puddings and custards. Buy nutmeg whole and grate it as you
need it. Avoid using ready-ground nutmeg, which quickly loses
its flavour.
