The sturgeon is a large fish, up to 60 kg (132 lb) in weight, found in the Caspian, Black Sea, Mediterranean and the western Atlantic. The flesh is firm and white to pink and is baked, grilled or smoked. In Russia and Iran the roe is processed into caviar. The roe can amount to a third of the body weight of the female.
A brittlegill. An edible species fairly common in beechwoods and mixed woods. Just make sure any species you collect don't have a volval sac at the base of the stem which would put them in the deadly Amanita group. Should have a mild taste - some are peppery or bitter , but not poisonous. One of a great range in a great variety of colours, but the white gills and stem, and the yellow cap tending to ochre give it away. I thank Andrew Wright and Jonathan Revett for their help in identifying this mushroom.
Compound butters are made from softened butter mixed with aromatics or herbs, or with a flavour complimentary to the central dish with which they will be served. This might, for example, mean mixing it with garlic or tarragon, or with an essence derived from crayfish or lobster. Usually they are pounded, sieved to remove any inedible matter, and then rolled into a sausage shape and chilled. The roll is then sliced. Sometimes the butter is heated as in beurre noisette or beurre noir. There are many such butters. Most are listed under their French name.
Tomato paste, or tomato concentrate, consists of tomatoes that have been cooked for several hours, strained and reduced to a thick, rich concentrate. It is generally fairly sweet. Tomato puree consists of tomatoes that have been cooked briefly and strained, resulting in a thick liquid. Tomato sauce is a somewhat thinner tomato puree, and may include seasonings and other flavorings so that it is ready to be used in other dishes or as a base for other sauces. I am indebted to Ochef.com for this information.
A cylindrical loaf baked in a special ridged tin so that it is marked, like a caterpillar with short segments, all down its length for ease of slicing.
