Cajun - A cuisine with both Southern and French influences.
See: Cajun Cuisine

Caper - Capers are unopened flower buds which come from the caper bush. They are usually pickled, and are peppery in flavor.
Recipe: Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce

Capon - A young, neutered rooster, ranging in size from 4 to 10 pounds. A very good choice for roasting or stewing.
Recipe: Capon Stewed in Wine

Caraway Seeds - An aromatic spice with a pungent, licorice flavor. Available whole or ground.
Recipes: Caraway Crescents
Creamed Brussels Sprouts

Cardamom - This spice, from the ginger family, has a sweet, ginger-like flavor. Available as seeds or ground. Recipes:
Apple Pie Spice
Cardamom Cookies
Ethiopian Spice Rub

Casserole - This is actually the name of the baking dish. Casserole recipes may include vegetables, meats, grains, or other combination of ingredients, usually bound by a thick sauce or cream soup.
Recipes:
Top 14 Chicken Casserole Recipes
Casserole Recipes, Main Dish
Casserole Recipes, Side Dish

Cayenne - A small, hot, chile pepper, usually used ground or in pepper sauces.
Recipe:
Zesty Grilled Chicken

Chili Powder - A spicy blend of ground chile peppers and spices.
Recipe: Chicken and Black Bean Chili

Chive - A relative of onion and garlic, chives have and a mild onion flavor. Available fresh and dried.

Chorizo - A highly spiced, coarsely ground pork sausage, widely used in Spanish and Mexican cooking.
Recipes:
Cheddar Soup with Green Chiles
Homemade Chorizo

Chunks - Usually bite-size pieces, about 1-inch or larger.

Chutney - A condiment which usually contains fruit or vegetables, sugar, vinegar and spices. Recipe: Green Tomato Chutney

Cilantro - A pungent, leafy herb resembling flat-leaf parsley. Cilantro is sometimes called Chinese parsley, Coriander, or Mexican parsley. It is available fresh or dried. Recipe: Fresh Salsa Recipe

Clarified butter - Unsalted butter which has been melted and skimmed of milk solids. Recipe: Shrimp Scampi

Cobbler - A baked dessert dish consisting of fruit filling covered with a sweet biscuit or piecrust dough. Recipes: Fruit Cobblers

Comino - Ground cumin seeds.
Spicy Seasoning Blend With Cumin

Compote - Combination of fresh or cooked fruits. May be served hot or chilled. Recipe: Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Conserve - Combination of fruits, cooked with sugar. Nuts and raisins are frequently added. Recipe: Blueberry Conserve

Court Bouillon - A savory bouillon made from fish stock. Court bouillon is used for poaching fish and as a base for fish sauces.

Crab boil - A mixture of herbs and spices, used to flavor the water for seafood.
Recipe: Beaufort Stew

Cracklings - Crispy cooked pieces of fatty meat, such as salt pork. Sometimes added to Southern cornbread.

Croquettes - Ground or minced cooked food, such as chicken or salmon, bound with a thick sauce, formed into patties or balls, then fried.
Recipes: Oven Fried Chicken Croquettes
Salmon Croquettes

Crush - To mash food or bruise leaves of fresh herbs to release flavors.

Cube - To cut into cubes, about 1/2- to 1-inch. Cube may also mean to tenderize meat with a tenderizing mallet or utensil which makes "cube" imprints.

Cumin - A spice frequently used in Latin American, Oriental, and Indian cooking. Cumin has a warm, salty-sweet flavor similar to caraway.
Recipe: Tandoor-Style Chicken Breasts

Cure - To preserve food--usually meat or fish--by pickling, smoking, drying, salting, or storing in a brine.
See: Drying and Curing Food

Curry Powder - A blend of up to 20 herbs and spices, curry powder is widely used in Indian cooking.
Recipe: Curried Rice Recipe

Cut in - To incorporate solid fat into dry ingredients using a pastry blender or knives.