A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
zabaglione: an Italian custard made with egg yolks and wine or juices, which are beaten vigorously over hot water to form a rich, creamy dessert. The custard can then be poured into glasses and chilled to be eaten later, or eaten warm with fresh fruit. Masala is the most common wine used, though any sweet wine such as Madeira, Champagne, or Sauterne may be used.
zakuski: the Russian version of tapas involving a lot of food and vodka.
zampone: a speciality of the town of Modena in northern Italy, this consists of a hollowed and stuffed pig’s trotter which is poached and served as a part of a traditional bollito misto.
zest: thin outer layer of citrus fruits containing the aromatic citrus oil. It is usually thinly pared with a vegetable peeler, or grated with a zester or grater to separate it from the bitter white pith underneath.
zuccotto: this is an Italian form of charlotte royale. In this dessert, triangles of sponge cake are placed in a bowl to form a shell for the filling. The filling consists of stiffly whipped cream which is studded with toasted almonds, hazelnuts, chocolate chips, and candied fruit. A final layer of cake is placed over this, and when well set, the dessert is inverted onto a platter to form a large dome, reminiscent of Florence’s Duomo.
zucchini: also known as courgette.
zuppa inglese: literally translated as English soup,” this Italian dish is, in fact, a refrigerated dessert similar to the British favourite, trifle. It’s made with rum sprinkled slices of sponge cake layered with a rich custard or whipped cream (or both) and candied fruit or toasted almonds (or both).