A rice wine with a mildly sweet flavor sake is a cornerstone of Japanese cooking. In addition to providing flavor it helps to decrease fishy flavors tenderize food and provide

This grayishgreen herb from the Mediterranean has a pungent robust flavor which is traditionally combined with pork rosemary thyme and other assertive flavors in stuffing and sausages. Sage possesses many

The dried orange stigmas of the purple crocus . Approximately a quarter of a million stigmas must be handpicked to make one pound of saffron. At $2000 a pound it

Made by reacting red wine with bacteria the result is a sour liquid acetic acid. Wine vinegars have the highest acidity with levels of about 6.5 percent. Poor quality ones

Although a relative of broccoli this assertively bitter green bears little resemblance to its cousin. Its edible parts consist of leaf stalk and miniature florets creating a myriad of textures

This beetcolored Italian chicory is available yearround. Boasting a bitter flavor it is most commonly served raw in salads. Radicchio is also delicious grilled sauteed or braised as a side

While not a true cereal grain it is used like one in the kitchen. Indigenous to South America Quinoa was revered by the Inca Indians. It has the most protein

A dark brown variety of common mushroom that is very large meaty and intensely flavored. Served whole these mushrooms make an impressive entrée but are equally good sliced grilled or

An eggshaped fleshy variety of tomato generally available all year round. They are often used to make tomato paste because of their favorable flesh to seeds ratio and their robust

A relative of the kidney bean pintos have a pale pinkish beige background with streaks of reddishbrown. This South American native is named for the Spanish word for painted. Pinto