Pecorino Italian sheep's milk cheeses, of which Romano is the best known. Used for grating.
Pepper A widely used seasoning ground from the pepper berry. Black pepper is ground from the immature berries. White pepper is ground from the mature berries with the hull removed. Also used whole in pickling.
Pesto An Italian sauce traditionally made with basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts and Romano and Parmesan cheeses. Also used to describe many variations including different nut based pestos, different herb based pestos, sun-dried tomato pesto, and black olive pesto. Pesto tastes great with pasta, pizza, bread, meats, risottos, or stirred into soups.
Pesto, low fat recipe Combine two tablespoons olive oil, one tablespoon nonfat plain yogurt, two teaspoons lemon juice, one-quarter cup Parmesan cheese, one tablespoon grated pine nuts, three garlic cloves, and one cup fresh basil leaves, firmly packed. Blend all ingredients in a blender until almost smooth.
Petit The French term for small.
Petits fours Small fancy baked goods. Petits fours secs are delicate cookies often sandwiched with preserves, ganache or praline paste. Petits fours glacés are tiny iced cakes sandwiched with preserves, ganache, or buttercream and delicately decorated. Petits fours frais are miniature pastries like fruit tarts or eclairs that are filled either with pastry cream or buttercream.
Philadelphia ice cream An ice cream made without eggs, using various combinations of milk, cream, sugar, and flavorings like fruit. Grainier in texture than custard-based ice cream. Also called uncooked ice cream.
Phyllo dough Middle-Eastern, tissue-thin pastry sheets, similar to strudel dough. Used for appetizers such as spanikopita and desserts such as baklava. Sheets of phyllo are brushed with melted butter, layered, and filled before baking. Increasingly available in the freezer section of supermarkets.
Pickapeppa sauce A sweet and sour hot pepper sauce from Jamaica.
Pico de gallo A coarse uncooked tomato salsa that means rooster's beak in Spanish. In Jalisco, Mexico, the same term refers to a relish of oranges.
Pimiento Ripe fleshy fruit of a sweet red pepper plant. Used as a garnish and mild flavor in salads, soups, or entrées.
Pine nuts The off-white fatty seed of the stone pine. Used often in Italian, Spanish, and Middle-Eastern cooking. Also known as pignolias or pinon.
Pizzelles Thin decorative Italian wafer cookies that are made in an iron similar to a waffle iron. They may be served flat or rolled into ice cream cones.
Plantain A starchy, larger relative of the banana. Used fried, or boiled and mashed, in South American, African, and West Indian cuisines.
Polenta A coarse yellow cornmeal that is a staple of Northern Italy. Steamed and served hot with various toppings, or molded, then cut into squares and fried or grilled.
Polyunsaturated fat A fat molecule that can hold two or more pairs of hydrogen atoms. Found in most vegetable oils, and usually liquid at room temperature.
Pomegranate molasses A Middle-Eastern bottled condiment made from yellow sour pomegranates cooked with sugar. Used to add a tangy flavor to savory dishes. Also called pomegranate syrup.
Poppy seed Very small black seeds of the poppy plant. Used in baking breads, rolls, cakes, and cookies, and as a garnish for noodles.
Porcini Mushrooms Dried Cepes mushrooms. Usually re-hydrated before use by soaking in boiling water. Available in most Italian markets.
Portobello Mushroom A full-grown cremini mushroom, which is related to the standard button mushroom, easily measuring 6 inches in diameter with an open, flat cap. The name was developed as part of a marketing campaign in the 1980's. Used grilled or roasted to provide an earthy meaty flavor in sandwiches, salads, or alone. Available in most grocery stores. Also called Portobella.
