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Glossary Selection

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Oyster mushrooms

Oyster mushroomsThe Oyster mushroom, or Pleurotus ostreatus, is a common mushroom prized for its edibility and lack of confusing look-alikes with its fan-shaped cap.

Oysters

OystersThe name oyster is used for a number of different groups of mollusks which grow for the most part in marine or brackish water. Inside a usually highly calcified shell is a soft body. The gills filter plankton from the water. Strong adductor muscles are used to hold the shell closed.

Oysters are highly prized as food, both raw and cooked

Oranges

Oranges are oval to sphere-shaped fruits with leathery, porous skin. Their color ranges from orange to red-orange. Oranges may be confused with other citrus fruits, such as grapefruits and tangerines. However, grapefruits are usually much larger and more yellow than oranges, and tangerines have a more flattened sphere shape than oranges.

Oaxaca Cheese

Oaxaca CheeseOaxaca Cheese is a white, semi-hard cheese from Mexican origin, similar to un-aged Monterey jack. Due to its excellent melting qualities, asadero is frequently used as the base for queso blanco (literally white cheese), a dip popular in Mexican restaurants.

It is named after the state of Oaxaca, where it was first made. The production process is complicated and involves stretching the cheese into long ribbons and rolling it up like a ball of yarn. It's also known as quesillo, thread cheese when shaped like a ball, and asadero cheese when shaped like a brick.

Oatmeal

OatmealOatmeal is a product made by processing oats.

In North America, oatmeal means any crushed oats, rolled oats, or cut oats used in recipes such as oatmeal cookies. The porridge made from this is also called oatmeal or oatmeal cereal. However in other parts of the English-speaking world, oatmeal means coarsely ground oats (cf cornmeal, wheatmeal, peasemeal, etc.).

In Scotland, oatmeal is created by grinding oats into a coarse powder. Various grades are available depending on the thoroughness of the grinding, including Coarse, Pin(head) and Fine oatmeal. The main uses are: as an ingredient in baking; in the manufacture of bannocks or oatcakes; as a stuffing for poultry; as a coating for Caboc cheese; as the main ingredient of the Scottish dish, skirlie, or its chip-shop counterpart, the mealy pudding. Occasionally it may be boiled as porridge or gruel. However rolled oats or crushed oats are normally used for this purpose nowadays, since they generally cost less.

Kahlua

KahlĂșa is a famous Mexican coffee liqueur. It is heavy and sweet, with a very distinct taste of Mexican coffee, which gives it a dark brown colour.

Alcohol content: formerly 26.5%, recently lowered to 20% in most markets to be more compatible with liquor laws in many areas. In 2003 a higher-priced premium product called KahlĂșa Especial became available in the United States after previously being offered only in the Duty-Free market. Made with Arabica coffee beans, it has an alcohol content of 35% with lower viscosity and sweetness.

Kale

KaleKale is a form of cabbage (Brassica oleracea Acephala Group) in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms. Tender kale greens can provide an intense addition to salads, particularly when combined with other such strongly-flavored ingredients such as dry-roasted peanuts, tamari-roasted almonds, or red pepper flakes.

Kidney beans

Kidney beansThe kidney bean is a medium-sized variety of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) with dark red skin. The kidney bean is also known as the red bean, although this usage can cause confusion with the azuki bean.

Kefalotyri cheese

Kefalotyri cheeseKefalotyri was already well known and respected by the time of Byzantine era. The name comes probably from Greek word kefalo that means hat. This hard, pale golden, yellow cheese has a tang flavor and a sharp aroma, reminiscent of Italian Pecorino Romano. Harder and saltier than Kasseri, Kefalotyri is generally served grated over cooked dishes. The color varies from white to yellow, depending on the mixture of milk. Kefalotyri is described as a male or first cheese to indicate that it is made with full-cream milk. The cheese ripens in two to three months and has a fat content of 40 - 55 per cent.

Kiwifruits

Kiwifruitsalso known as Chinese gooseberries, have fuzzy brown skins and sweet, juicy, bright green flesh with a flavor reminiscent of melon and berries. Ripe fruits yield gently to fingertip pressure. Firm fruits can be ripened in the refrigerator. Kiwifruits should be peeled before use; the seeds are edible.