Welcome to the Celtnet glossary of food terms. As this recipe site has grown and the total number of recipes range across everythign from breakfast to brewing it has become obvious that a whole slew of recipe and cooking-associated terms are spread across the various pages of this site. These pages are an attempt at bringing all these recipe- and cookery-associated terms together into one place. To use this glossary simply click on the first letter of your term above or below. Alternativey why not just browse through the terms. You may well find something that surprises you!

This is the description page for Gnocchi and includes a description as well as an image, if available and a selection of recipes from this site that relates to the cookery term: Gnocchi.

Gluten is an amorphous mixture of proteins combined with starch which is found in the endosperm of some cereals, most notably wheat, rye and barley. It constitutes about 80% of the proteinaceous content of wheat and is composed of the proteins gliadin and glutenin. It's a key factor in the success in all kinds of baking because it's gluten that absorbs liquid, giving dough its elasticity and strength. The kneading process helps to develop and distribute the gluten present in the flour.

80% of all the protein in wheat and barley is made from two proteins: gliadin and glutenin. These are bound together in the starchy part of the grain, but when wheat flour is kneaded some of the glutenin molecules are released from the starch and these cross-link with one another to form gluten and it's this gluten that gives bread it's amazing properties.

The addition of yeast to bread dough causes the dough to ferment which produces bubbles of carbon dioxide. These get trapped in the strands of gluten, and the dough rises. To learn more about the way guten is important in bread making read this article on Baking bread with non-wheat constituents.

In coeliac disease, an immune-mediated reaction to a digestive breakdown product of gliadin leads to damage to the lining of the small intestine. Coeliacs must observe a lifelong gluten-free diet. There are gluten-free baked goods available and it's possible to make gluten-free breads and baked goods at home substituting, for example, rice flour for wheat flour.

Wild Greens Gnocci in Tomato Sauce

Gnocchi (the Italian word for dumplings) are are small Italian dumplings usually made from potato, flour (traditionally buckwheat flour) and egg and shaped into small ovals with a ridged pattern on one side. However, they can also be made from semolina and these are popular in Rome. One variety, gnocchi di pane, popular in the Friuli and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol regions, is made from bread crumbs.

Gnocchi are often poached and then cooked au gratin (with breadcrumbs and grated cheese) in the oven and served as a hot starter. Traditionally they are served with a cheese or tomato-based sauce and topped with freshly-grated Parmesan.

Basic White Bread
Barley Bread
French Bread
Linden Leaf Flour Bread
Baked Millet Bread

Wild Greens Gnocci in Tomato Sauce