Foodie Word of the Day

Culatello [koo-lah-TEHL-oh]

A lean, rosy red, raw Italian ham that has been cured and soaked in wine during aging. Considered superior, culatello has a clean, delicate flavor. It is often served as part of an Antipasto platter or Charcuterie.

Foodie Word of the Day

Mojo [moe-HOE]



Mojo is the name, or abbreviated name, of several types of sauces, varying in spiciness, that originated in the Canary Islands. It is predominantly either a red (most common), green or orange sauce.

The basic recipe consists of olive oil, large amounts of garlic, paprika, and cumin. Flavorings such as vinegar, lemon, orange or lime juice may be added.

Similar sauces, also known as mojo, are also popular in Cuba and throughout the islands of the Caribbean, Hispanic or non-Hispanic, due to heavy Canarian emigration to the Caribbean, and have even influenced some barbecue sauces in the Deep South region of the United States, particularly the states of Florida, Texas, and Louisiana. The flavor can be made of almost everything, from tomato or pepper to avocado.

In Cuban cooking mojo applies to any sauce that is made with garlic, olive oil and a citrus juice, traditionally sour orange juice. It is commonly used to flavor the cassava tuber and is also used to marinate roast pork.

In Puerto Rico mojo is a herb sauce of finely chopped cilantro or parsley with garlic, black pepper, onions, olive oil and sometimes vinegar or lemon. Its commonly used on the island as a dip for tostones, cassave and sometimes mashed with mofongo.

Foodie Word of the Day

Horchata [hor-CHAH-tah]

Extremely popular in Spain and Mexico, horchata are Drinks made by steeping nuts, grains or chufa in water. Usually sweetened with sugar and sometimes spiced with cinnamon. Horchatas are generally served cold or at room temperature. Horchata de arroz is the most popular in the US made with rice.
Horchata, together with Tamarindo and Jamaica (Hibiscus Tea), are the three typical drink flavors of Mexican aguas frescas.

Some Hispanic bars in Southern California use horchata as a mixer in a cocktail known as a Rice Rocket. The drink is made of 2 parts horchata, 1 part coconut-flavored rum and a dash of Goldschläger over ice.

Foodie Word of the Day

Crème Fraîche [krehm FRESH]

Crème fraîche is a soured cream containing about 28% milk fat. It is slightly soured with bacterial culture, but is less sour, and thicker, than sour cream with a rich and velvety texture. This matured cream has a nutty, slightly sour taste produced by culturing pasteurized cream with a special bacteria.

Crème fraîche can be made at home by adding a small amount of cultured buttermilk or sour cream to normal heavy cream, and allowing it to stand for several hours at room temperature until the bacterial cultures act on the cream.

It is used in both savory and sweet dishes and makes a wonderful topping for fresh berries, cobblers and puddings. It can also be whipped, along with a little sugar, and used in place of whipped heavy cream.

Hilton Foodie Word of the Day

Broccolini [brahk-uh-LEE-nee]

A green vegetable not unlike broccoli with small florets and long, thin stalks. Although often misidentified as young broccoli, it is a cross between broccoli and kai-lan, Chinese broccoli. Broccolini's flavor is sweet, with notes of both broccoli and asparagus. The entire vegetable is consumable, including the occasional yellow flower. Rather delicate, common cooking methods include sautéing, steaming, boiling, and stir frying.

Broccolini is a registered trademark of Mann Packing Company, Inc. Its generic name is baby broccoli and is also known by the names Asparation, Asparations, Bimi, and Tender Stem.

Foodie Word of the Day

Haricot Vert [ah-ree-koh VEHR]

The French term for “Green String Bean” which have long, slender pods with intense color and flavor. They vary from standard green beans as they have no “strings” to remove, so only the ends need trimming when cleaning them.

Campechana [cahmp-uh-CHAWN-uh]

Mexican seafood cocktail usually made of oysters, baby octopus, mussels, shrimp, squid and scallops. The seafood mix is prepared in its broth with vegetable juice, lime juice, ketchup, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, avocado and cilantro.


Try one from our new summer menus!

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