A hearty cuisine based on French and southern influences; signature ingredients include spices, dark roux, pork fat, filé powder, green peppers, onions, and celery. Jambalaya is a traditional Cajun dish.

A unit of measure of food energy. It is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C.

Smoked eye of the pork loin. Referred to as peameal or back bacon in Canada, Canadian bacon is leaner than slab bacon and purchased precooked.

An hors d’oeuvre consisting of a small piece of bread or toast, often cut in a decorative shape, garnished with a savory spread or topping.

The process of browning sugar in the presence of heat. The caramelization of sugar occurs between 320° and 360°F/160° and 182°C.

One of the basic nutrients used by the body as a source of energy. Types are simple (sugars) and complex (starches and fibers).

A colorless, tasteless, edible gas obtained through fermentation or from the combination of soda and acid, which acts to leaven baked goods.

The heat retained in cooked foods that allows them to continue cooking even after removal from the cooking medium. Especially important to roasted foods.

A synthetic or natural membrane (if natural, usually pig or sheep intestines) used to enclose sausage forcemeat.

A lidded cooking vessel, used in the oven; usually round with two handles. Also, food cooked in a casserole, often bound with a sauce and topped with cheese or bread crumbs.