Liquids Category

This light and mild vinegar is a good choice if you're want to dress delicately flavored salads or vegetables. Mix it with nut or truffle oil to make a sublime vinaigrette.

This elegant white varietal wine is crisp and dry, and great with seafood, poultry, ham, egg dishes, salads, and any dish with a rich cream sauce. California Chardonnays are often excellent.

This excellent herbal liqueur is said to contain over 125 ingredients. It comes in two colors: green Chartreuse and the sweeter and less potent yellow Chartreuse.

This is a village in Provence that's known for its excellent red wines, which are blended from as many as 13 grape varieties. These wines tend to be pricey.

This is a grape variety that's often blended with others to make inexpensive white jug wines and domestic Chablis. It's relatively inexpensive and goes well with salads, seafood, poultry, ham, and spicy foods.

This is a chocolate and cherry flavored liqueur. It's often mixed with milk.

There are many varieties of cherry liqueurs, including the chocolate-flavored Chéri Suisse, Cherry Heering = Peter Heering, crème de cerise, Cherry Rocher, Kirschenliqueur, Cherry Grand Marnier = Cherry Marnier, and Maraschino liqueur.

A lot of cheap domestic red wines go by this name, but the real thing comes from Tuscany and has a seal of authenticity on the neck. Italian Chianti is a hearty wine that's great with Italian food

One chicken bouillon cube weighs 0.14 ounce and with water makes one cup of broth.

The best Chinese black vinegars are produced in the province of Chinkiang (or Chekiang or Zhejiang--there are many spellings). Black vinegar is more assertive than white rice vinegar, and it's often used in stir-fries, shark's fin soup, and as a dipping sauce. Gold Plum is a well-regarded brand.

There are many well-regarded brands of chocolate liqueur, including Godiva, Truffles, Mozart, and Hagen Daz. Some liqueurs combine chocolate with other flavors, like Cheri Suisse, Vandermint, and Tiramisu.

Made from fermented apples, this fruity vinegar is inexpensive and tangy. While it's not the best choice for vinaigrettes or delicate sauces, it works well in chutneys, hearty stews, and marinades. It's also used to make pickles, though it will darken light-colored fruits and vegetables.

This is a Mexican orange liqueur.

See the Making Your Own Devonshire or Clotted Cream or Mock Devonshire Clotted Cream postings on RecipeSource.com.

Don't confuse this with cream of coconut.

This is available in liquid form (in cans or aseptic containers), frozen, and as a powder. Don't confuse coconut milk with coconut water, which is the liquid found in the center of a fresh coconut, or with the sweetened cream of coconut powder used in mixed drinks. Varieties: Light (or "lite") coconut milk has less fat and about a quarter of the calories of the regular version, but doesn't taste nearly as rich. You can reduce the fat (and calories) in a can of regular coconut milk by letting it settle, and then skimming and discarding some of the thick coconut cream off the top. Lighten what's left even more by diluting it with water or chicken broth. Where to find it: Asian foods section of many supermarkets.

This is white rum flavored with coconut. Malibu Rum and CocoRibe are well-known brands.

Hawaiians like to pour this syrup on pancakes, but it's also used in several mixed drinks. To make your own: See the recipe for coconut syrup posted on kitchenmixes.com.

This is a somewhat harsh and potent vinegar that's common in the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and southern India.

This is the liquid found inside a coconut.

Coffee-flavored liqueurs are used to make Black and White Russians and other mixed drinks. Popular brands include Mexico's Kahlúa and the rum-based Tía Maria from Jamaica. See the (Substitute for) Kahlua recipe posting on SOAR, or the Tia Maria recipe posted by Bar-None.

The very best cognacs are labeled VVSOP, Napoleon, Vieille Reserve, Grand Reserve, Royal, or Vieux. Next in the rankings are cognacs labeled Extra Old (XO), Extra, or Hors D'Age. After that comes VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale), Reserve, or VO. Next come cognacs with VS or *** on their labels. Connoisseurs also check for the cru, or place where the cognac was made. The best crus are Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne.

This is an orange liqueur that’s not as well regarded as Grand Marnier, but considered a step above curaçao and triple sec.

This is a sweetened blend of sparkling wines. It's cheap and tastes like it.

You should never cook with a wine you wouldn't drink, but some "cooking wines" sold at stores violate this maxim. Avoid them and instead cook with inexpensive, but drinkable, table wines. Avoid putting wine in aluminum or iron pans for prolonged periods.

This is a thick, sweet syrup that's popular in America, but hard to find in other countries. Unlike other sweeteners, corn syrup doesn't crystallize and turn grainy when it's cold, so it's a good choice for frostings, fudge sauces, and candies. Baked goods made with corn syrup are moister and stay fresher longer than those made with sugar. There are two types: dark corn syrup is dark brown and has a slight molasses flavor, while light corn syrup is almost clear and has a more delicate flavor. The two can be used interchangeably in many recipes. Karo is a well-known brand. Store corn syrup at room temperature.

Like Bourbon, corn whiskey is made from corn, but it's not nearly as elegant and smooth as its pricier relative. It's a bit hard to find, but some brands--like Platte Valley, Virginia Lightning and Turkey Mountain--are still being produced. Whiskey should be served at room temperature.