Freshwater catfish. A relatively flavourless fish with slightly slimy skin and a broad flat head with whiskers.
Catmint or catnip is a plant of the nepeta family which can have a profound effect on cats, hence its name. It can also be used as a tisane or infusion which can have a slightly numbing or sleep-inducing result.
Catriona is a yellow-skinned second early potato. It has creamy-coloured, well-flavoured flesh with floury texture. Bake, roast or steam.
An ancient variety of green, dual-purpose apple grown at Lyveden New Bield when owned by Sir Thomas Tresham who died in 1605. It was noted in 1629 and looks a bit like a cat's head in profile. This apple cooks to a purée. It is a late-season apple which is harvested from early October in South-East England, is stored and is at its best between October and January.
Ketchup. A highly spiced pickle made from tomatoes, green walnuts or mushrooms from the East Indies. Available commercially.
Pearl or bulrush millet. Pearl millet. After rice and wheat this is the most important grain crop of India. It is used to make flour which is often used in the making of poppadums. Two types of millet are available, bulrush or bajra bajra (pearl millet - Pennisetum typhoideum) and finger millet (Eleusine coracana).
Caul fat is a lace-like membrane of fat which surrounds pigs' stomachs and intestines and has the appearance of a net or spider's web. It is often wrapped around other ingredients to form them into a rissole or sausage.
A cauliflower is "Nothing but a cabbage with a college education" according to Mark Twain. It is a cabbage with a domed collection of, generally, creamy white curds, which should be firm and compact. There are green flowered varieties available such as Romanesco and Alverde. There is also a purple-headed variety called Cape broccoli. Unlike many fruits and vegetables, larger cauliflowers have more flavour than small ones.
Cauliflower coated in sauce Mornay (béchamel or white sauce with cheese), topped with cheese and then baked in the oven until bubbling and golden. When I lived in Greece, cauliflower cheese was the dish I longed for. Friends coming from England would bring cauliflowers and cheddar cheese and I would trade wild artichokes for local milk to make this most wonderful of dishes.
