Food and Cooking
Glossary
R
Radish
The radish is a root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family. The
most popular part for eating is the napiform taproot, although
the entire plant is edible and the tops can be used as a leaf
vegetable. The skin comes in a variety of colours. Most commonly
known is the round, red-skinned variety. Other varieties may
have a pink, white or grey-black skin. A large, round yellow-skinned
variety has a subtle taste of lemon.
Radicchio
A member of the chicory family sometimes known as red chicory,
radicchio has distinctive pink-red leaves with white veins and
a bitter peppery taste. It's generally used in salads mixed
with other salad leaves.
Ragout
A French stew of meat, poultry, fish or vegetables. 'Ragout'
(ragù in Italian) is French for stew but the term can
also refer to a sauce.
Raita
Raita is an Indian condiment based on yogurt. The yogurt is
mixed with diced cucumber, cumin, garlic, mint, cayenne pepper,
as well as other vegetables if desired. The mixture is served
chilled. Raita has a cooling effect on the palate which makes
it particularly useful as an accompaniment to hot curries.
Rambutan
A relation of the lychee, but slightly bigger in size, this
exotic fruit has a brown leathery skin with soft red spines
and a white, translucent flesh that resembles the lychee in
taste and texture.
Ramen
Ramen is the Japanese name for a type of noodle or the soup
dish containing these noodles. Ramen is now manifested as a
form of instant noodles and is prevalent in Japan, East Asia
(including China and Korea), North America and Europe. Ramen
has been firmly integrated into the Japanese culinary landscape,
and many regional variations exist.
Ras-el-hanout
A Moroccan dried-spice mixture. The mixture can be used in couscous,
rice, meat and vegetable dishes; as with garam masala, the mixture
of spices in ras-el-hanout depends on the maker and the spices
available, but may include a wide variety of spices, such as
cardamom, cayenne, aniseed, nutmeg, mace, ginger, galangal and
dried ground rosebuds.
Ratafia Biscuits
Light biscuits made with almond essence, very similar to the
Italian amaretti biscuit but usually smaller and a little darker
in colour. They can be used in trifles or crumbled into puddings
or served after dinner with coffee.
Ratatouille
A rich vegetable Provençal stew, made from aubergines,
courgettes, sweet peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic simmered
in olive oil with herbs. It can be eaten hot or cold, as a main
course or served as an accompaniment to meat dishes. It also
makes a good filling for other vegetables or a stuffing for
chicken.
Ravioli
Small, square pasta cases that are stuffed with meat, cheese
or vegetables, then cooked in a pan of boiling water and served
with tomato or other flavoured sauces and, often, grated cheese.
Reduction
In cooking, reduction is the process of thickening a liquid
mixture such as a soup or sauce by evaporation. A reduced stock
is called a consommé.
Red Snapper
The prized white meat of the red snapper is firm in texture,
low in fat, mild and delicate in flavor. A meaty, all-purpose
fish with edible skin. Almost anything goes with this popular,
versatile fish. Whole red snapper is excellent baked and stuffed,
or poached and glazed (salmon- style). Fillets can be steamed,
broiled, roasted, pan-fried, or (with a fish basket) grilled.
Chunks can be added to stews and chowders (leave the skin on
for a colorful touch). Not all snapper is red snapper--be wary
of fish market labels, which can be ambiguous. Look for whole
fish with deep red fins and red backs fading into pinkish-silver
bellies; check for healthy red gills (the fish should look alive).
Choose fillets with red skin left on, as skinned fillets can
easily come from other (less premium) kinds of snapper. White
meat should be moist and reflective, free of gaping and drying.
Relish
A relish is a cooked or pickled sauce, usually made with vegetables
or fruits, generally used as a condiment. It can be smooth or
chunky, sweet or savory, hot or mild.
Rennet
An extract from the stomach of cows or sheep, used to curdle
milk for cheese-making. A vegetarian alternative to rennet is
used in making vegetarian cheese. Vegetarian cheeses are becoming
more widely available and there are now vegetarian alternatives
to most kinds of cheese.
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is now grown in many areas, primarily for its fleshy
petioles, commonly known as rhubarb sticks. In temperate climate
rhubarb is one of the first food plants to be ready for harvest,
usually in April/May. The petioles can be cooked in a variety
of ways. Stewed, they yield a tart sauce that can be eaten with
sugar or used as filling for pies, tarts, and crumbles. This
common use led to the German slang term for rhubarb, piestengel
or "pie plant." Rhubarb is also used to make wine.
Rice Flour
Rice flour is made from ground raw rice and is used to make
rice noodles and some pancakes, such as south Indian appams.
It can be used to thicken soups and stews, as well as providing
an alternative to wheat flour in cakes and biscuits. It's gluten-free
so can’t be used to make yeasted loaves of bread.
Rice Vinegar
Wine vinegar made from rice used in Chinese and Japanese cookery.
Rice vinegar, whether of the red or black variety, tends have
a mild taste and is relatively low in acidity. If you can't
find rice vinegar, use wine vinegar but dilute with water, using
three parts vinegar to one part water (unless you're making
sushi, in which case you'd need to use rice vinegar to get the
desired result).
Rice Wine
An essential ingredient in Chinese cooking and other oriental
cuisines. Rice wine is made by fermenting freshly steamed glutinous
rice with yeast and spring water. It's relatively low in alcohol
and, as well as being drunk, it's used in cooking and in marinades
and glazes. Rice wine is widely available in Asian markets and
some supermarkets, often labelled as Shaoxing wine.
Ricotta
A soft Italian curd cheese made from whey which is drained and
then lightly cooked. It's light and creamy with a slightly grainy
texture. It has a delicate flavour and is quite low in fat,
making it a good substitute for mascarpone. Ricotta can be used
on its own or in sweet and savoury dishes. It's used in many
Italian dishes, especially as a stuffing for ravioli or in pastries
such as cannoli.
Rigatoni
Large ribbed pasta tubes cut straight across (rather than diagonally
like penne). Rigatoni is a good pasta to serve with fairly thick
creamy or tomato-based sauces, as its shape holds the sauce
well. It's also good for using in pasta bakes. Penne makes a
good substitute.
Risotto
Risotto is a traditional Italian dish made with rice. It represents
one of the noblest and at the same time one of the most common
ways of cooking rice in Italy. It originated in Northwestern
Italy, specifically Eastern Piedmont and Western Lombardy, where
rice paddies are abundant. It is one of the pillars of Torinese
and Milanese cuisine. When risotto is cooked, the dry rice is
always fried briefly in oil before the broth is added. Other
dishes exist that are similar, but they should not be called
"risotto" if the rice is not toasted. Recipes include
"Risotto alla Milanese," made with beef stock and
saffron, which is traditionally served with osso buco (a stew
made from veal bones) and "Risotto al Barolo," made
with fine red wine, but thousands of variations exist, both
with vegetables and meat, as well as risottos made with various
other wines, cheeses, or even fruits. Risotto Negro is a specialty
of the Veneto region, made with cuttlefish cooked with their
ink-sacs.
Rissole
Savoury little patties made from chopped meat or fish mixed
with breadcrumbs, shaped into balls or cakes and shallow-fried.
Rock Salt
Salt crystals derived from the huge seams of impacted salt that
have formed below dried-out, underground saline lakes. The crystals
are quite large and hard so are best used in a salt mill.
Rogan Josh
A spicy, rich red lamb stew from India. It literally translates
as 'red meat juices' and traditionally gets its rich red colour
from crushed dried red chillies. Use braising steak or shoulder
of lamb for the best flavour.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a most versatile herb with a flavour that complements
a wide variety of dishes and ingredients. Native to the Mediterranean,
its bittersweet green leaves look similar to pine needles. The
plant is an evergreen shrub, so the leaves are available fresh
all year round.
Rosewater
A flavoured water made by steeping rose petals in water, rosewater
has been used as a flavouring for centuries in Middle Eastern,
Indian and Turkish cooking. It can be added to jellies and syrups,
and it's often sprinkled over cakes and milky puddings.
Rouille
A pungent Provençal sauce often served with fish stews
such as bouillabaisse, made from a garlic and olive oil emulsion
pounded with chillies and breadcrumbs.
Roux
A roux is a mixture of equal quantities of melted butter and
flour that is cooked in a pan and used as the base for thickening
sauces such as white sauce and béchamel.
Rump
A tender cut of beef from the lower back of the cow, sold as
roasting joints and steaks. It's slightly less tender than sirloin
but still only needs quick cooking. Rump steaks can be grilled
or fried and accompanied with a sauce such as peppercorn or
red wine sauce. It's also good for stir-fries and kebabs.
