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Welcome to the Schwartz glossary, an A to Z guide to cookery terms. Whether it's herbs and spices, names of dishes or cooking techniques, you'll find them here, along with suggested recipes and links to more information.

• Paella
  • A rice dish originating in the mid 19th century near lake Albufera, near the eastern coast of the Spanish region of Valencia, making it the national dish of Valencia, rather than Spain. Seafood and mixed paellas are Spanish versions of the traditional Valencian paella, which traditionally contains white rice, green vegetables, meat, snails, beans, herbs and spices. Key ingredients in most paellas are Saffron and olive oil.
• Pak Choi
  • Also known as Bok Choy, this is a Chinese green cabbage with pale stalks and darker green glossy leaves. It has a distinctive flavour which resembles a cross between mild cabbage and spinach, with a slightly peppery note. Do not subject it to long cooking, it is at its best quickly braised, steamed or added to stir fries. Only young and tender pak choi should be eaten raw. Readily available in supermarkets. If you can’t find it, try Chinese leaves or cabbage.
• Pancetta
  • Dry cured pork belly, traditionally made in various regions of Italy. It is cured by salting and drying, unsmoked or smoked. Readily available already sliced in supermarkets. If you can’t find it, try prosciutto.
• Panini
  • Singularly known as a panino, panini is actually the plural of panino. However, the term panini is used commonly in the UK to refer to a panino. It is a sandwich, originating in Italy, traditionally made from a small loaf of bread, typically ciabattta. It is sliced in half lengthways and filled with ingredients such as salami, ham or cheese, then usually pressed in a grill and served hot.
• Panna cotta
  • A traditional Italian dessert made by simmering cream, milk and sugar together, then adding gelatine and allowing the dessert to cool and set. Panna cotta literally means ‘cooked cream’ in Italian. Often served with berries and fruit coulis, or sometimes with caramel or chocolate. Even more delicious if the cream and milk is flavoured with Vanilla.
• Papaya
  • Also known as paw-paws, although not to be confused with the North American paw-paw which is in fact a different species. Papayas are native to tropical South America. They generally have a deep yellow-orange skin with a salmon-pink flesh and an abundance of edible grey-black seeds in the centre. The flesh is soft and juicy, with a sweet taste similar to melon and peach. Ideal in sweet dishes such as fruit salads and pavlovas, but also delicious in savoury salads, especially Thai-style. Delicious combined with Chilli, lemon grass, lime and Ginger for savoury dishes.
• Papillote
  • Greaseproof paper on which a portion of meat, fish, fruit or vegetables and aromatic flavoured ingredients are placed for cooking. En papillote, French for ‘in parchment’, refers to the method of cooking in which the food is placed on the greaseproof paper and then the paper is folded around the food to form a parcel, before being baked in oven. The parcel holds in moisture, therefore steaming the food, an ideal cooking method for fish, chicken and vegetables.
• Pappardelle
  • Broad, flat ribbon-shaped pasta, with wavy edges, readily available dried or fresh in supermarkets. Originating from Tuscany, this pasta is delicious with meat and game dishes. If you can’t find it, try tagliatelle. ( See also Tagliatelle)
• Par-boil
  • To half boil or partially soften by boiling in water. Potatoes are par-boiled before roasting.
• Parma Ham
  • A variety of prosciutto ham, an uncooked meat from the hind leg of a pig that has been cured and then dried. Parma ham is good-quality prosciutto from Parma in Italy, from a pig that would have been fattened on a special diet of grains and whey from Parmesan cheese production. Parma ham is ready to eat and is readily available in supermarkets, already thinly sliced and vacuum-packed.
• Parmesan Cheese
  • The term ‘Parmesan Cheese’ originates from the cheese known as Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is a member of the grana family of cheese and made exclusively in the area of Parmigiano-Reggiano in Italy. If it is genuine it will be branded with the name stamped on the crust. Grana refers to a class of hard, mature cheeses, made from cow’s milk, from Italy, which have a granular texture and are often used for grating. Another well-known grana cheese is grana-padano. Parmesan cheese is often wrongly used to describe all cheeses of the grana family. Be careful when buying products labelled Parmesan cheese. Pre-grated ‘Parmesan cheese’ is usually a mixture of several different types of hard cheese and may not even include Parmigiano-Reggiano; it will have very little taste. Fresh shaved Parmesan is now readily available in supermarkets and is usually true Parmigiano-Reggiano. Wedges of Parmigiano-Reggiano can also be widely bought and you can freshly grate or shave it yourself. If you can’t find Parmigiano-Reggiano, try grana-padano, which is made near Parmigiano-Reggiano in the Po valley in Northern Italy. Another similar cheese is pecorino romano, it is made in the same way but is made from sheep’s milk instead, it is made primarily in the Lazio region around Rome.
• Passata
  • Ripe tomatoes, that have been puréed and sieved to remove the seeds and skins, it is an invaluable ingredient in soups and sauces that require a more concentrated tomato flavour. Readily available bottled or in cartons, it can be smooth or pulpy.
• Pesto
  • Originating in Genoa in northern Italy, pesto is a sauce named after the term ‘pesta’, meaning to pound or crush. Typically made from crushed Basil, Garlic, parmesan cheese, pine nuts and olive oil, it is now commercially available in green (original) and red (sun-dried tomato or red bell pepper) varieties. Delicious as a dressing for pasta or gnocchi, this versatile sauce is also great to stir through risottos and soups, to stuff chicken or fish, tossed with mozzarella for salads or to spread over grilled ciabatta.
• Physalis
  • Also known as a cape gooseberry, due to its early cultivation in the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. A member of the nightshade family, physalis is actually related to the tomato, aubergine, bell pepper and potato. The small, orange-gold berry is encased in a papery, beige-coloured husk and has a mildly, tart flavour. Peel back the husk and eat raw, or use as a pretty garnish for deserts.
• Pine Nuts
  • Also known as pine kernels, pine nuts are the seeds found in the pine cones of many different species of pine trees. The cones are left to dry and open so that the hundred or so nuts become accessible; they are removed from the cone still in their brittle, red-brown hulls. The hulls are removed to reveal the tiny, thin creamy-coloured kernels. They have a sweet, creamy flavour and texture and are used in Mediterranean cuisine. They are essential in Italian pesto sauce, where they are ground to a paste with parmesan cheese, Garlic, olive oil and Basil. Delicious lightly toasted in the oven, they are great with pasta and salads.
• Pitta Bread
  • A flat, oval-shaped bread made using a conventional yeasted dough, Arabic in origin, and associated with Greek, Turkish and Middle-Eastern cuisine. The flatness of the bread is the result of the cooking method – usually baked in an extremely hot clay oven until they have puffed up to create the familiar hollow pocket. Readily available in different shapes and sizes, bought pitta breads will keep for a few days, but are also ideal for freezing. They are delicious stuffed with salad, meats and vegetables.
• Pomegranate Molasses
  • A delicious and thick syrup made from reducing pomegranate juice, a key ingredient in Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. It has a tart, yet sweet flavour and adds sharpness to dishes in a similar way to lemon juice or tamarind. Available in supermarkets, it can be used straight from the bottle and is great with chicken, duck and lamb. Try adding it to marinades and dressings, or simply using as a glaze. If you can’t find it, try balsamic syrup. (See also Balsamic Syrup)
• Potted
  • A traditional British form of food preservation, usually for shrimps or prawns, whereby the food is placed in a pot and sealed with a layer of fat to preserve it. Potted shrimp originates from Lancaster, where the shrimp is flavoured with Mace or Nutmeg butter and set in a small pot, it is typically served with bread.
• Puy Lentils
  • A coveted cooking oil in the kitchen, olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat, which has been found to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Pure olive oil has been refined and blended to remove impurities and has a much lighter flavour than extra-virgin olive oil. It is suitable for cooking. (See also Extra-virgin Olive Oil)