CULINARY INFO
Food Glossery Pt I

The following is a brief glossary of numerous foodstuffs and some dishes that you have either already come across or soon will. If you have any questions, comments or there is something missing that you would like to know about, please email me and I'll do my best to help.

Abalone: A mollusc, related to a sea snail, similar in flavour to a clam. It may be cooked by various methods and is best suited to very long or very short cooking times. Also called "Awabi" in Japanese cuisine and "Loco" in South American cuisine. It has been over-harvested and is very expensive when available. A small amount is being commercial raised.

Achar: Very spice relish from the cuisine of India and the Caribbean Islands. Achar may be made from fruits or vegetables.

Acidulated Water: A mixture of water and a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice, used to purify or prevent discolouration in meats and vegetables.

Adobado: Paste or sauce made from chillies, vinegar, and other seasonings. Used as a seasoning for meats.

Azuki Beans: Small reddish brown beans.

Agnolotti: A small half-moon shaped ravioli.

Aiguillette: Long, thin slices of poultry breast or some other meats

Ail: French word for "garlic".

Aioli: A cold egg and oil emulsion with olive oil and garlic. Many variations of this sauce are made. See the definition under rouille.

Ajo: Spanish word for "garlic

Al Carbon: Spanish term for a dish relating to grilled or containing meat.

Al Dente: A term, meaning "to the teeth", used to describe the correct degree of cooking for pasta and vegetables. This is not exactly a procedure, but a sensory evaluation for deciding when the food is finished cooking. Pasta should retain a slight resistance when biting into it, but should not have a hard centre.

Al Forno: Italian term describing a dish cooked in the oven.

Al Pastor: A term used in Spanish and Italian referring to a dish cooked in the style of shepherd cooking, usually over a grill or spit.

Albumen: The protein of egg whites.

Alfredo: A pasta sauce originally consisting of butter, cream, and the finest parmesan cheese available.

Almond Paste: A sweet paste made from finely ground blanched almonds mixed with powdered sugar and enough glucose or syrup to bind it together.

Amchoor: Sour, unripe mangoes that are dried and sold in slices and powder. Its primary use is in Indian cooking, giving foods a sweet/sour flavour.

A dip made of pureed anchovies mixed with garlic and olive oil. Raw vegetables and bread are served with this dip.

Andouille: A sausage made from the stomach and the intestines of pork. The sausage is dried and smoked, then boiled or steamed to finish cooking. Andouille sausage is used regularly in Creole cooking, but it is popular in French cooking as well. The Creole version of this sausage is much spicier than those made in France.

Angelica: Stalks from these plants are candied and used primarily in pastry making. Angelica is also used to flavour liqueurs.

Annatto Seed: Also called achiote seed, these seeds are used as a food colouring and a spice in cooking from Latin America and Southeast Asia.

Antipasto: The Italian word for snacks served before a meal. These are dishes to peak one's appetite, not quench it. This may consist of one or more dishes of all types of food. Common elements of an antipasto table are cured meats and salamis, olives, marinated vegetables, and cheese

Arrowroot: This is a starch similar in appearance and qualities as cornstarch, but will leave the colour of the food unchanged and sauces with a gloss finish.

Arroz: Spanish term for "rice".

Artichoke: A name shared by three unrelated plants: the globe artichoke, Jerusalem artichoke and Chinese (or Japanese) artichoke. Considered the true artichoke, the globe artichoke it is the bud of a large plant from the thistle family and has tough, petal shaped leaves.

Asafoetida: A spice used in India and the Middle East for cooking or as a condiment to be sprinkled over food after it has been cooked. It has a bitter taste and a pungent aroma similar to garlic and truffles.

Aspic: A jelly made from stock, fumet, wine, or fruit juices used to mould dishes. These preparations are often elaborately decorated for use on buffets. Both savoury and sweet foods are set in aspic. Cubes of aspic are a common garnish to fine pâtés and foie gras

Aubergine: The French word for eggplant.

Aurore: This is a term associated with sauces that have tomato puree or concassé added to it.

Baba: A small cake made from enriched yeast dough, often flavoured with candied fruits, and soaked with a rum or Kirsch syrup after baking. This dough is also used to make the larger savarin.

Baekenhofe: An Alsatian stew made of pork, lamb, and beef layered with potatoes and onions. The meat is first marinated in wine and herbs for a minimum of 24 hours, then assembled and baked in a paste sealed casserole until the meat is buttery tender. The juices are reduced and the top is browned under the broiler. Crisp bacon and fried leeks are used to garnish this dish.

Meaning "warm bath", this is a dip made of anchovies, olive oil, and garlic. Unlike the French anchoiade, this is served warm and is not emulsified. Bread and raw vegetables are served with this dip

Baked Alaska: A dessert comprised of sponge cake topped with ice cream and covered with meringue. The dessert is then placed in a hot oven to brown the meringue before the ice cream can melt.

Baking Powder: A leavening agent combining an acid with bicarbonate of soda to form the gas which enables baked products to rise. The chemical reaction between the acid and the soda produces carbon dioxide to leaven the product. The most common form of baking powder is the double acting variety, which produces gas upon mixing and again at high temperatures. Always store this tightly covered.

 Baking Soda: A leavening agent which is used as an essential ingredient in baking powder. When used alone as a leavener, recipes must include some type of acid to neutralise the resulting sodium carbonate in the finished product. Buttermilk, yoghurt, sour cream, and citrus juice are adequate acid to use. You may also use baking soda to help neutralise the acid in recipes that call for large amounts of fruit

Baklava: A very sweet dessert made of layers of flaky pastry filled with a mixture of ground nuts and sugar. The pastry is sliced, baked, and brushed with a honey syrup flavoured with lemon or rosewater.

Ballottine: A dish in which forcemeat is stuffed back into the boneless carcass from which the forcemeat was made. This may include fish, poultry, game birds, or even some cuts of meat. The mixture is wrapped in muslin and poached or braised. These dishes may be served hot or cold

Balsamic Vinegar: A wonderfully fragrant vinegar made from the juice of Trebbiano grapes. The juice is then heated and aged in wooden barrels, evaporating and concentrating in flavour. The resulting vinegar is deep rich brown with a sweet and sour flavour.

Barquette: A small oval shaped pastry shell with either sweet or savoury fillings.

Basquaise: Food prepared in the style of Basque which often includes tomatoes and sweet or hot red peppers

Bavarian Cream (Bavarois) :A cream made with pastry cream lightened with whipped cream and stabilised with gelatine. This cream may then be poured into moulds, or used as a filling for cakes or pastries. Bavarian cream is often flavoured with fruit purees or alcohol

Béarnaise :This is the most notable of all the hollandaise sauce variations. It is made with a wine and vinegar reduction flavoured with tarragon. This sauce makes a good companion to grilled meats and fish.

Béchamel: A white mother sauce made from roux, milk and a studded onion

Beignet: French word for fritter

Belle Helene: Best known as the name of a dessert with poached pears, ice cream, and chocolate sauce. It is also a term used in French cookery as a name for a garnish to grilled meat

Benne Seeds: An African term for sesame seeds

Beurre Blanc: An emulsified sauce made of a wine or vinegar reduction blended with softened butter. This may be flavoured in many ways, for fish, vegetables, and poultry dishes. This is a very tricky sauce and does not hold for long periods of time. Because of this, modern versions add a touch of cream to stabilise the sauce for longer periods of time

Biscotti: Dry Italian cookies flavoured with almonds, chocolate, or anise seed, used for dunking in coffee and sweet dessert wine.

Bisque: A shellfish based soup, that was traditionally thickened by crumbling in water crackers or biscuits; from whence it derived its name

Bistella: See pastilla for a definition

Blintz: A stuffed crepe or thin pancake. The filling is usually made of a fresh cheese or cottage cheese, and often topped with fresh fruit or fruit preserves

Blinis: A small pancake made of buckwheat flour and leavened with yeast. These pancakes are often brushed with large amounts of melted butter and served with caviar and sour cream.

Boletus: A family of wild mushrooms known for their rich taste and meaty texture. Porcinis and cepes are two members of this family of mushroom.

Bollito Misto: An Italian stew consisting of various cuts of meat, including zampone, boiled in a rich broth with vegetables. The whole dish is served with cornichons, pickled onions and a variation of chutney called mostarda di Cremona. These are whole or large pieces of fruit cooked in a spicy mustard flavoured syrup. Other common sauces are salsa verde and mayonnaise

Bordelaise: This is a term primarily used to describe a brown sauce that includes shallots and red wine. Some versions of this sauce include slices of bone marrow added at the end of cooking. Fish dishes with this name will be cooked with white Bordeaux wine

Borscht: A rich soup from Eastern Europe containing beets or cabbage. Other ingredients may include potatoes, beans, meat or sausage. The best known of these soups is a cold version based on beets and served with sour cream, but hot versions are very common

Bouchée: Bite sized puff pastry cases, usually filled with a savoury filling and served as a canapé or savoury. (See vol au vent also)

Boudin: Smooth sausages of two types. Boudin blanc contain veal, pork, and chicken. Boudin noir are made with blood and rice or potatoes. The latter type are popular in European and Creole cooking

Bouillabaisse: A rich fish stew from Provence, southern France. A charter for which has been arranged stating that all that sign it promise to follow the traditional recipe.

Bourguignon: Foods cooked in the style of Burgundy. This includes red wine, mushrooms, pearl onions, and bacon.

Bourride: Another fish stew from southern France. Here the broth, in which large pieces of fish are poached, is strained and thickened with aioli. The two are then served together in shallow bowls with bread or croutons.

Bran: The outer husk of grains such as wheat, containing a high percentage of fibre. White flours have the bran removed. Whole wheat flours may contain all or part of the bran

Brandade: A puree of salt cod mixed with olive oil and potatoes. Another version of brandade is covered with Gruyere cheese and browned in the oven. Both are served with

Bresaola: A cured and dried beef fillet from Italy with a more delicate texture but stronger flavour than that of prosciutto. A Swiss version of this is called bunderfleisch. This style is pressed into a rectangular shape and has a bit drier texture than bresaola. Both are served thinly sliced with bread and fruit or pickled vegetables.

Brioche: A very rich bread with butter and eggs. Brioche is baked in many shapes though the brioche e tete is best known. The dough can be flavoured with nuts or candied fruit, as well as herbs and spices. It may also be used to wrap foods like coulibiac. Slices of toasted brioche are the perfect companion to foie gras and gravlax

Brochette: Skewers of meat, fish, or vegetables that are grilled over a flame and simply served, also the skewer itself.

Bruschetta: Grilled slices of bread brushed with olive oil and fresh garlic. This was the original garlic bread.

Bucatini: Long, narrow tubes of pasta usually served with a hearty meat sauce

Buffet: An array of hot and cold foods, often elaborately garnished

Bulgur: Cracked wheat made from the whole kernel that has been cooked and dried. Most commonly used in breads and tabouleh salad.

Butter-Cultured: Cultured butter is butter churned from cultured cream (creme frâiche). Most butter produced in the U.S. before 1920 was cultured butter, but in the 20's, the U.S. Government guaranteed the sale of every pound of butter produced, so quality became a non-issue and sweet cream butter prevailed.

Buttermilk: Originally a by-product of butter making, buttermilk is commercially produced by adding lactic acid culture to skimmed or partially skimmed milk.

Calabacita: A variety of summer squash found in Latin American and Mexican cooking.

Calamari: The Italian word for squid.

Caldo Verde: A Portuguese soup made from a sharp flavoured cabbage, potatoes, broth, and olive oil. Sausage is then cooked in the soup.

Calzone: A half-moon shaped pizza turnover, often served with sauce over the top rather than inside.

Cannelloni: An Italian dish made of sheets or tubes of pasta filled with meat, cheese or fish, sauced and baked au gratin. Variations of this use thin pancakes, called crespelle, which are similar to crepes and are filled and cooked in the same manner as the pasta.

Cannoli: A crisp pastry tube filled with sweetened ricotta cheese, chocolate chips, and candied fruit. Cinnamon and vanilla are common flavourings for this cheese

Caper: The pickled bud of a plant which is used in sauces and as condiments for smoked fish and nicoise salad.

Capicolla: A coarse Italian pork sausage. Usually highly seasoned, this sausage is served cold, thinly sliced, as for prosciutto.

Capon: A castrated chicken that is savoured for its delicate taste and texture. Once castrated, the chicken would become fattened, yielding tender, juicy flesh. This method of raising chickens is not practised much any more, since most chickens are butchered at a young age and still very tender

Caponata: Best known as a spread or cold salad containing eggplant, celery, tomatoes, raisins, and pine nuts seasoned with vinegar and olive oil. Modern variations will add other vegetables such as zucchini and season it with fresh herbs.

Carbonara: An ultra-rich pasta sauce consisting of pancetta, eggs, and parmesan cheese. Actually less of a sauce than a preparation, hot pasta is tossed with the rendered pancetta fat, the eggs, and then the cheese. Crisp pancetta and black pepper are tossed into the pasta just before serving.

Cardoon: A vegetable from the artichoke family that looks like celery. Cardoons may be eaten raw or cooked and served like any vegetable.

Carob: The seed from the carob tree which is dried, ground, and used primarily as a substitute for chocolate.

Carpaccio: An Italian dish made of paper thin slices of beef dressed with olive oil and parmesan cheese. Slices of raw white truffles are an excellent partner to this dish.

Cassoulet: A dish from southwest France consisting of white beans and an assortment of meats like confit, lamb, pork, and Toulouse sausage. The dish is enriched with large amounts of duck fat and is baked until the top is brown and crispy. Variations of this dish include seafood and lentils. This dish is very substantial and needs nothing else to be served with it but a bitter green salad to cut through the richness.

Caul Fat: The stomach lining of pork which is used in place of backfat for pates and to encase crepinettes.

Caviar: These are the eggs of sturgeon that have been salted and cured. Grading for caviar is determined by the size and colour of the roe and the species of the sturgeon. Beluga caviar, which is the most expensive of the three types of caviar, are dark grey in colour and are the largest eggs.

Ossetra caviar are light to medium brown and are smaller grains than beluga.

Sevruga caviar are the smallest grains, the firmest in texture and are also grey in colour. Pressed caviar is made of softer, lower quality eggs and have a stronger, fishier flavour.

The term malossol is used to describe the amount of salt used in the initial curing process. The roe from other fish such as salmon, lumpfish, and whitefish are not considered caviars, regardless of their label. They should be addressed as roe. Caviar should be served as simply as possible. Traditional accompaniments, inspired by the Russians, are sour cream, blinis, and ice cold vodka. Lemon and minced onion are often served with caviar, but their flavours will only detract from the pure delicate flavour of the caviar.

Celeriac: The root of a type of celery with a firm texture and a clean, sweet flavour of celery

Cepes: A wild mushroom of the boletus family known for their full flavour and meaty texture.

Cha: The Indian name for tea, often served with milk and sugar.

Chanterelle: A wild mushroom with a golden colour and a funnel-shaped cap. The whole mushroom is edible and is savoured for its exquisite flavour and firm texture when cooked.

Chantilly: This is a name for sweetened whipped cream flavoured with vanilla. The term may also be used to describe sauces that have had whipped cream folded into them. This includes both sweet and savoury sauces.

Chapattis: A whole wheat Indian flat-bread that can be grilled or dry fried

Charcuterie: The French word for the variety of pork preparations that are cured, smoked, or processed. This includes sausages, hams, pates, and rillettes. This term may also imply the shop in which these products are sold and the butchers who produce it.

Charlotte: The name for two different desserts. The first preparation is made of slices of bread which are lined in a mould, filled with fruit, and baked until the bread acquires a golden colour and crisp texture. The second version, similar to the first, lines a mould with cake or lady fingers and is filled with a Bavarian cream. These may also be filled with whipped cream or even a fruit mousse. More elaborate versions layer the cake with jam, then slices of this cake is used to line the mould.

Charmoula: A sauce and marinade used in Middle Eastern cooking made of stewed onions flavoured with vinegar, honey and a spice mixture called "rasel hanout". This is a complex spice mixture containing cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, cumin and sometimes paprika and coriander. This sauce is used on meat and fish and can even be adjusted to make a unique vinaigrette.

Chateaubriand: The head of the beef tenderloin

Chaud-Froid: Meat or fish that has been poached or roasted, chilled and served cold, masked with a thick sauce and glazed with aspic. The whole preparation was once quite popular and used consistently on elaborate buffets.

Chayote: A pear shaped squash, used in Latin American cooking, with a taste of zucchini. Chayote may be eaten raw or cooked as you would any summer squash.

Cherimoya: Also called the custard apple, this is a tropical fruit with a creamy texture and sweet pineapple flavour.

Chervil: A mild-flavoured member of the parsley family, this aromatic herb has curly, dark green leaves with an elusive anise flavour. Though most chervil is cultivated for its leaves alone, the root is edible and was, in fact, enjoyed by early Greeks and Romans. Today it's available dried but has the best flavour when fresh. Both forms can be found in most supermarkets. It can be used like parsley but its delicate flavour can be diminished when boiled.

Chevre: The French word for goat, generally referring to goat's milk cheeses.

Chiboust: A custard made originally as the filling for the gâteau Saint-Honor, consisting of pastry cream lightened with Italian meringue and stabilised with gelatine.

Chicharron: Crispy fried pigskin used in Mexican cooking for salads, fillings and snacks.

Chiffonade: A very fine julienne of vegetables usually associated with leafy herbs, lettuces, or greens.

Chilaquiles: A family style Mexican dish of refried corn tortillas simmered in a sauce of tomatoes, chillies, and garlic. This is a highly seasoned dish, often served as a brunch or lunch dish with eggs or grilled meats.

Chipotle: A dried and smoked jalapeno which can be found dried or reconstituted and sold in tomato sauce. These chillies are extremely hot and caution should be taken when using them in cooking.

Chive: Related to the onion and leek, this fragrant herb has slender, vivid green, hollow stems. Chives have a mild onion flavour and are available fresh year-round. They are a good source of vitamin A and also contain a fair amount of potassium and calcium.

Chorizo: A spicy pork sausage from all Hispanic countries, ranging in seasoning from mild and sweet to fiercely hot. Hotter versions come from areas of Spain and Portugal. Mexican versions contain a large variety of chillies and have a mealier texture and more complex flavour. Some of them even use fresh herbs giving it a green colour. Portugal makes a cousin to this sausage called the linguisa, that is smoked and much hotter.

Choron: A variation of Béarnaise sauce with tomato puree or concassé added.

Choucroute: An Alsatian speciality consisting of sauerkraut that is simmered with assorted fresh and smoked meats and sausages. This is a grand dish served on huge platters so that diners may witness all of the components displayed at one time. The kraut is first washed, then seasoned with garlic, caraway seeds, and white wine. The meats are layered in the casserole with the kraut and cooked until all the meat is tender and the flavours have blended together. Pork sausages, smoked pork shanks and shoulders, and fresh pork loin are all used. A variation of this, though not actually called a choucroute, is a whole pheasant cooked in sauerkraut with champagne. There are other recipes that consist of solely fish in with the sauerkraut. This can be quite delicious if properly prepared.

Chutney: The name for a large range of sauces or relishes used in East Indian cooking. Fresh chutneys have a bright, clean flavour and are usually thin, smooth sauces. Cilantro, mint, and tamarind are common in fresh chutney. Cooked chutneys have a deeper, broader flavour.

Cioppino: A rich fish stew from San Francisco made with shrimp, clams, mussels, crabs, and any available fish. The broth is flavoured with tomato, white wine, garlic, and chilli flakes. This stew needs no other courses served but a simple green salad and a lot of sourdough bread.

Civet: A French stew usually containing game, though duck and goose are used. The meat is marinated in red wine for long periods of time, then stewed with pearl onions and bacon. The sauce was traditionally thickened with blood, but that is a method not used much any more.

Clafoutis: A dessert of fruit, originally cherries, covered with a thick batter and baked until puffy. The dessert can be served hot or cold.

Clotted Cream: This speciality of Devonshire, England (which is why it is also known as Devon cream) is made by gently heating rich, unpasteurised milk until a semisolid layer of cream forms on the surface. After cooling the thickened cream is removed. It can be spread on bread or spooned atop fresh fruit or desserts. The traditional English "cream tea" consists of clotted cream and jam served with scones and tea. Clotted cream can be refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to four days.

Cock-a-Leekie: A thick Scottish soup made with chicken, leeks, and barley. Modern versions have lightened up this soup by using a chicken broth garnished with leeks and barley.

Cocoa Powder: This is the dried powder formed from chocolate liquor after the cocoa butter content has been reduced. This mixture is then dried and ground into a fine powder. Dutch process cocoa has been treated with alkali to give a darker appearance and less bitter taste. Breakfast cocoa has sugar, milk solids, and other flavourings added to it.

Coconut Milk: This is not the liquid that is found in the centre of coconuts, but a thick liquid made by steeping fresh grated coconut in hot water. The hot water helps to extract the fat from the coconut meat, which carries so much of this flavour.

Coeur à la Crème: Meaning "the heart of the cream", this is a soft cheese dessert where the mixture is drained in a mould to help it set. The cheese is then turned out onto a platter and served with fruit and bread.

Collard Greens: One of a variety of "greens" with a firm leaf and sharp flavour.

Colombo: A West Indian stew seasoned with a spice mixture of the same name. This is similar to curry powder, containing coriander, chillies, cinnamon, nutmeg, saffron, and garlic. The stew may contain pork, chicken, or fish. Vegetables are cooked in the stew and rice and beans are served on the side.

Concassé: The term for chopping a vegetable coarsely. This is used most often when referring to chopped tomatoes.

Conchiglie: Large shell shaped pasta noodles. These are often stuffed and baked au gratin. Small shells are called conchigliette.

Confit: This is a preparation for meat to preserve it for long periods of time when fresh meat would be scarce. The meat is first salted to remove moisture. It is then cooked at the barest of simmers, submerged in fat, until the meat is buttery tender. After the meat is cooled, it is stored in crocks and covered with the fat to prevent exposure to air. The whole crock is stored to help age the meat. During this ageing period the meat develops a new flavour, completely different from its original state. When ready to eat, the meat is fried in a skillet or grilled until the skin is crisp and the meat is warmed through. Duck confit was once served with potatoes fried in the same duck fat as the confit. This practice is less popular now, but good companions to the confit are lentils or bitter green salads to balance the richness of the meat. Fatty meats such as duck, goose, and pork work best in confit. Confit is an indispensable component in cassoulet.

Confiture: The term for fruit preserves. This term is used loosely now to encompass vegetables which are cooked long and slowly to produce a sweetened flavour.

Consommé: A clarified broth or stock

Coppa: The loin or shoulder of pork that is cured, cooked and dried. It is served thinly sliced for antipasti or on sandwiches or pizza.

Coq au Vin: A chicken stew flavoured with red wine, bacon, mushrooms, and pearl onions.

Corn Syrup: Dextrose, maltose, or glucose obtained by converting starch with acids. This syrup is used in baking, primarily to prevent the crystallisation of sugar.

Cotechino: A fresh pork sausage with a very fine consistency and delicate flavour. It contains a small amount of ground pork rind, coteca in Italian, thus giving it the name. It is a large sausage, about 3"X 9", used in stews and pasta e fagioli.

Coulibiac: A Russian pie made with alternating layers of salmon, hard cooked eggs, rice, mushroom duxelle, and vesiga. Vesiga is the spinal marrow of sturgeon and has all but disappeared from commercial markets. The dough used to wrap the pie can be pate brisée, puff pastry, or brioche dough. Crepes are often layered in the bottom of the pie

Coulis: A puree of fruit or vegetables, used as a sauce or flavouring agent to other sauces or soups. As sauces, they are thinned down just enough to reach the proper consistency, but not so much as to alter the intense flavour of the puree.

Couscous: A pasta made from semolina (which itself is a flour made from Durum wheat).The name couscous also refers to the famous Maghreb dish in which semolina or cracked wheat is steamed in the perforated top part of a special pot called a couscoussiere, while chunks of meat (usually chicken or lamb), various vegetables, chickpeas and raisins simmer in the bottom part. The cooked semolina is heaped onto a large platter, with the meats and vegetables placed on top. Diners use chunks of bread to scoop the couscous from the platter.

Courgette: The French word for zucchini

Court-Bouillon: A well-seasoned cooking liquor, sometimes made with broth, used to poach fish and shellfish. Court-bouillons mainly consist of wine, water, herbs, and onion. Vinegar is sometimes added to the bouillon to help set the fish and enhance its white colour. Truite au bleu is a perfect example of this technique.

Couscous: Large grains of semolina flour that are steamed until tender and sauced with a rich meat, fish, or vegetable stew.

Crackling: Crispy pieces of skin remaining after the fat is rendered. Commonly made from pork, duck, and goose it is used in salads, stuffings, and seasonings.

Cream: This is the portion of milk that rises to the top when milk has not been homogenised. Cream is defined by its varying amounts of butterfat content. Half and half cream is a mixture of milk and cream, resulting in a butterfat content of 12%. Sour cream and light cream have a butterfat content of 18-20%. Heavy cream will have no less than 30% butterfat, averages around 36%, and will go as high as 40%.

Creme Anglaise: This is a custard made of milk and eggs. It is used both as a sauce for desserts and as a base for mousses.

Creme Patisserie: This is a thick pastry cream made of milk, eggs, and flour. Other versions of this use all or a portion of cornstarch.

Creme Frâiche: A naturally thickened cultured fresh cream that has a sharp, tangy flavour and rich texture. This is an expensive item to buy, but a good substitute can be made by mixing heavy cream with uncultured buttermilk and allowed to stand, well covered, in a tepid place until thickened.

Crepe: A very thin pancake used for sweet and savoury fillings.

Crepaze: A cake made of crepes layered with vegetables, cheese, or ham. The cake is then baked to blend the flavours and help set it so that it may be cut into wedges

Crepinette: A small sausage patty wrapped in caul fat. They are filled with ground pork, veal, or poultry and fried or grilled. Some are shaped into balls. You may also use cooked meat or vegetables to flavour a forcemeat in the crepinette.

Crespelle: An Italian pancake, similar to a crépe, used in place of pasta in preparations of dishes like manicotti and cannelloni.

Croquembouche: A grand dessert made up of profiteroles that are dipped in caramel and assembled into a large pyramid shape. The whole dessert is then elaborately decorated with spun sugar. The word literally means crunch in the mouth (French)

Croque-Monsieur: The French version of a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with Gruyere cheese.

Croquette: A thick patty made up of cooked foods. These patties or balls are panéed and deep or shallow

Crostini: Toasted bread slices which are brushed with olive oil and served with tomatoes, pumate, cheese, chicken liver mousse, bean puree, or tapenade. These are the Italian version of canapés.

Croute: A slice of bread cut to shape and toasted or fried; used as a base for canapés

Crouton: Bread that is cut into smaller pieces and toasted or fried until crisp. This includes cubes for salads and for soups, the old name was sippets

Crudite: A selection of raw vegetables served with a dip.

Culatello: The heart of the prosciutto.

Cumberland Sauce: An English sauce used for ham, game, and pâtés. The sauce is made of currant jelly mixed with lemon and orange juice and port wine

Curry Powder: This is a mix of spices that we have come to know as being Indian in origin, yet is English. The Indians make up their ‘curry powder’ as needed from a mixture of herbs and spices. They may be mild with spices like cumin, fennel, and coriander; or heated up a bit with chillies and pepper; or fragrant with cinnamon and saffron. All of these are considered curry powders and all of them have distinctly different applications.

Cuttlefish: A cousin to the squid, that is also prized for its ink sac as well as its flesh

Dacquoise: A cake made of nut meringues layered with whipped cream or butter cream. The nut meringue disks are also referred to as dacquoise.

Daikon: A large oriental white fleshed radish with a sweet, fresh flavour. Can be as fat as a football but is usually 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Use raw in salads, shredded as a garnish or cook in a variety of ways including stir-fry. Used for vegetable carvings.

Dal: This is the Indian term for all varieties of dried beans, split peas, and lentils. There are many different varieties of dal, all of which have a specific use in Indian cooking.

Dashi: A Japanese fish stock made with dried bonito and kombu seaweed. This is used for soups, sauces, and marinades.

Daube: A stew consisting of a single piece of meat such as a shoulder or joint. The meat is stewed in a rich, wine laden broth with herbs and vegetables. The broth is then thickened, reduced and served with the slices of meat and accompanying vegetables.

Dauphine: The name for little puffs made of potato puree, that are mixed with choux paste and deep fried.

Dauphinoise: The name of a potato gratin with lots of cream and garlic, all topped with Gruyere cheese.

Demi-Glace: A rich brown sauce comprised of Espagnole sauce, which is further enriched with veal stock and wine and reduced to proper consistency. This is a very long procedure and requires constant skimming. A quick version of this involves reducing brown veal stock to which has been added mirepoix, tomato paste, wine, and brown roux. The latter recipe saves time, but never reaches the intensity of flavour as does the former method

Devon Cream: Please see Clotted Cream

Dijonnaise: This is a name given to dishes that contain Dijon mustard or are served with a sauce that contains the mustard.

Dim Sum: A selection of small dishes served for snacks and lunch in China. These dishes include a wide selection of fried and steamed dumplings, as well as, various other sweet and savoury items.

Ditalini: Short pasta tubes.

Dolmas: A cold hors d'oeuvre made of grape leaves stuffed with cooked rice, lamb, and onion. They are marinated with olive oil and lemon. A Greek dish

Duchess: The name for a basic potato purée that is enriched with butter and egg yolk. When piped into decorative shapes and browned in the oven they are called duchesse potato

Durian: A large fruit from Southeast Asia that has a creamy, gelatinous texture and a nauseating smell similar to that of stinky feet. The flesh is savoured by many from this area, but outsiders find it a difficult flavour to become accustomed.

Duxelle: Finely chopped mushrooms that are cooked in butter with shallots and wine. When cooked dry, duxelle make a good filling for omelets, fish, and meat. They may also be moistened with wine or broth and served as a sauce. Duxelle are also flavoured with fresh herbs and brandy or Madeira.

Egg Threads: Lightly beaten eggs that are poured slowly into a hot broth, creating irregular shaped threads used to garnish soups

Empanada: A small savoury pie from Spain and South America. Fillings may be made of meat, seafood, or vegetables. The fillings can be seasoned in many ways. Those from around Spain are flavoured with peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Those from South America have a sweet/sour undertone from the addition of raisins and green olives. Crusts may be made from bread dough or flaky dough like pate brisée and puff pastry.

Entrecote: A steak cut from the rib section of beef. It is boneless and has a very thin layer of fat. Though steaks cut from the loin ends of the rib are a finer quality steak, the whole rib may be used for entrecote. The term is sometimes used referring to a strip steak. This is not an accurate description. This cut of beef is called the faux-filet or contre-filet.

Escabeche: A highly seasoned marinade used to flavour and preserve food. Fish and chicken are the most common foods used for escabeche. First the meat is fried and placed in a dish large enough to hold all of the food in one layer. Then a marinade made of onions, peppers, vinegar, and spices is poured over the food while hot. The whole dish is then allowed to rest overnight and served cold.

Escalope: A thinly sliced food similar to a scaloppine, mainly used to describe meat.

Espagnole Sauce: This is the foundation of all of the brown sauces. A number of modifications have been made of this sauce since its conception. The sauce is simmered with a mirepoix, bouquet garni, and wine. The long, slow cooking help to purify and concentrate its flavour. It is finally strained through very fine muslin. Demi-glace is structured around a fine espagnole sauce.

Falafel: A Middle Eastern speciality consisting of small, deep-fried croquettes or balls made of highly spiced, ground chickpeas. They're generally tucked inside pita bread, sandwich style, but can also be served as appetisers. A yoghurt or tahini-based sauce is often served with felafel

Farfalle: Bowtie shaped pasta

Fava Bean: This tan, rather flat bean resembles a very large lima bean. It comes in a large pod which, unless very young, is inedible. Fava beans can be purchased dried, cooked in cans and, infrequently, fresh. If you find fresh fava beans, choose those with pods that aren't bulging with beans, which indicates age. Fava beans have a very tough skin, which should be removed by blanching before cooking. They're very popular in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes. They can be cooked in a variety of ways and are often used in soups. Also called faba bean, broad bean and horse bean.

Feijoa: A fruit grown in New Zealand with a thin green skin and a flavour reminiscent of strawberry, banana, and pineapple, a autumn fruit.

Feijoada Completa: A Brazilian dish very similar to cassoulet, made with black beans. Sausage, bacon, ham, and various cuts of pork are cooked in with the beans. The traditional accompaniments are plain white rice, cooked greens, fresh orange slices, and a very hot sauce, similar to pico de gallo, called molho carioca. Toasted cassava flour is used as a condiment, to be added by each diner. This too is a very substantial dish and needs little else to accompany it

Fenugreek: A very hard seed grown in the Middle East, which is used as a spice. Its dominant flavour and aroma is recognisable in commercial curry powders.

Fettuccine: Flat narrow pasta noodles less than wide and a bit thicker than tagliatelle.

Ficelle: The French word for string. This is a term used in cooking to describe foods that have been tied to a string and cooked in a broth. This was a practice in villages when a communal pot was used to cook food. The string was used in order to allow the owners to identify and recover their piece of meat. This is generally applied to tough cuts of meat that require long periods of cooking. Yet, some restaurants are using the term to describe a more tender cut of meat that is poached in a rich broth. Beef fillet and duck breasts are two good choices for this type of preparation.

Financier: A small cake or cookie that is made with ground nuts and whipped egg whites. These are soft like sponge cake, and have a rich flavour of nuts.

Fines Herbes: A mixture of chopped fresh herbs consisting of tarragon, parsley, chervil and chives. Dried herbs may also be used, but their delicacy is lost.

Finnan Haddie: The Scottish name for smoked haddock.

Five Spice Powder: A dry spice mix used in Chinese cooking consisting of cinnamon, star anise, pepper, clove, and fennel.

Flan: This is a term that may be used to describe two different preparations. The first use of this word is describes an open top tart that is filled with pastry cream and topped with fruit. Flan is used in Spanish and Mexican cooking to describe an egg custard that is baked in a large shallow dish, and flavoured with caramel. The dish is inverted when served and the excess caramel is used as a sauce for the flan. The flan may be flavoured with orange, anise, cinnamon, or liqueur.

Fleuron: A small crescent shaped pastry made of puff dough that is used to garnish fish dishes and soups.

Florentine: This is used to describe foods that are cooked in the style of Florence. The word is most commonly associated with dishes containing spinach and sometimes a cream sauce. Steak cooked ala Florentine is a large T-bone steak, rubbed with olive oil and garlic, grilled and served with fresh lemon on the side.

Flour: This is the finely ground grain of wheat, corn, rice, oat, rye, or barley. Unless specified, this term refers to wheat flour. Flour is milled from a variety of wheats containing different amounts of protein. The different levels of protein give each flour unique qualities. All-purpose flour is the most commonly used, especially by the domestic market. This flour is milled from both hard and soft wheats, giving it the strength needed in bread baking, but leaving it tender enough for cakes and pastries. Bread flour has a higher protein content so that it may withstand the constant expansion of the cell walls during proofing and baking. Cake flour is milled from soft wheat, thus containing a very low protein content and preventing the development of gluten. Pastry flour is of relatively low protein content, containing just enough to help stabilise the products during leavening. Whole wheat flours are milled from the whole kernel, thus giving it a higher fibre content and a substantial protein content. Semolina is milled from hard durum wheat, being used mainly for commercial baking and pasta production.

Focaccio: An Italian flat-bread made with pizza or bread dough, that can be baked plain or topped with onions, zucchini, eggplant, cheese, or whatever you choose, always contains olives and finished by sprinkling rock salt

Foie Gras: This literally means goose liver, but the term is used to describe the fattened liver of both duck and geese. The birds are force fed a rich mixture to help expedite this process. These livers are praised for their delicate flavour and rich, buttery texture. The largest production of commercial foie gras is done in France and Israel. But fresh foie gras is now available from breeders in the NZ. These foie gras are very fine specimens, but a very high price goes along with them. Foie gras is prepared in a vast number of ways, though one should remember to keep these as simple as possible to avoid masking the flavour of this treasure.

Fondant: This is an icing made of sugar syrup and glucose, which is cooked to a specific temperature and then kneaded to a smooth, soft paste. This paste can then be coloured or flavoured and used as an icing for cakes and petit fours.

Fondue: There are several different types of fondue, the most notable of which is cheese fondue. This is a Swiss speciality in which cheese is melted with wine, eggs, and seasonings and served with bread and fresh vegetables. Fondue Bourguignon is a pot of hot oil into which the diners will cook strips of meat and dip them into an array of sauces on the table. Similar to this is fondue Chinois where the hot oil is replaced by a rich chicken or meat broth. The meat, and fish too, are then cooked in this stock and dipped in sauces. The Japanese have a dish called shabu shabu, which is similar to this type of fondue. Named for the swishing sound that the meat makes in the broth, this dish is also served with vegetables and noodles in to be eaten along with the meat. A chocolate fondue is a chocolate bath, flavoured with liqueur and eaten with bread and fruit, like fresh berries. These are all dishes eaten as much for their social qualities as their culinary grandeur. Their popularity in the US has diminished over the last 15 years, only being seen in ski resorts and at private dinner parties.

Fonduta: An Italian style fondue made of Fontina cheese and served over toast or polenta. Exceptional with truffles.

Fougasse: A flat-bread from France that was once served sweetened with sugar and orange water. It is now more commonly seen as a bread eaten with savoury dishes. In this case, the dough is brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with herbs or salt before baking.

Foyot: This is a variation of a béarnaise sauce with the addition of a well reduced meat glaze.

Frangipane: A pastry cream made of butter, eggs, flour, and finely ground almonds or macaroons. Modern versions will use a combination of cornstarch and flour. The nuts must be very finely ground for this to be successful. This type of raw cream is baked in the pastry shell or crépe. Frangipane is also the name for a type of panada used in making forcemeats.

Fricassée: A stew prepared without the initial browning of the meat. Though chicken is the most common form of this type of stew, fish, vegetables, and other meats are prepared in this manner.

Frite: Food that has been dipped in batter and deep or shallow fried. These may consist of vegetables, meat, fish, shellfish, or fruit. The food may be dipped in the batter or mixed with the batter and dropped into the hot fat to form little balls. Japanese tempura fried foods are a type of fritter, though this term is not applied to it.

Frittata: An Italian open-faced omelette.

Fritto Misto: An Italian mixed fried platter, similar to the Japanese tempura platter. A mixture of vegetables, meat, and fish are dipped in a light batter and quickly deep fried to prevent a saturation of grease into the food.

Fruit Pectin: A substance found naturally in fruits such as apples, quince, and all citrus fruits. Pectin's ability to gel liquids makes it a key ingredient in jelly and jam making. You can purchase pectin in powder or liquid form, or use high pectin fruits in the recipe.

Fugu: Japanese for swellfish; globefish; blowfish; balloonfish; puffer. Fugu is caught in winter only, and it is eaten as chiri-nabe (hotpot) or fugu-sushi (raw fugu, sliced paper-thin). Only licensed fugu chefs are allowed to prepare this fish in Japan, since it contains a deadly poison.

Fumet: An aromatic broth made for use in soups and sauces. The flavour of a fumet is usually concentrated on one item, though multiple ingredients may be used. The stock is then reduced to concentrate this flavour. Fish and vegetable broths are more commonly called fumets, but meat may also be used.

Fusilli: Spiral shaped pasta. Some versions are shaped like a spring. Other versions are shaped like a twisted spiral.

Galanga: A root spice related to ginger, which has a musky flavour reminiscent of saffron. It is found dried whole or in slices, and also in powder.

Galantine: A pate-like dish made of the skin of a small animal, most often chicken or duck, which is stuffed with a forcemeat of this animal. Additional strips of meat, blanched vegetables, and truffles are also layered with the forcemeat. This is then wrapped or tied and poached in broth, may be served hot or cold.

Gallette: This is French for pancake, usually sweet, made of batters, doughs, or potatoes. Brioche-type dough or puff pastry are often used. Small short butter cookies were once also called gallettes. The term has now been stretched to include preparations made of vegetables or fish. Different from a croquette, these cakes are not breaded.

Garam Masala: This is an Indian ‘curry ‘mixture with a more complex flavour and aroma. The mixture in India is always made fresh, never purchased pre-ground. The mixture may include cumin, fennel, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, saffron, pepper, chillies, and caraway. These spice mixtures vary greatly between cooks and different dishes. Garam Masala is also used as a condiment, being added to a dish at the end of cooking. It literally translates as ‘hot mixture’

Gazpacho: A cold vegetable soup served throughout all of the Spanish countries. The most common version is one made with a coarse puree of fresh tomatoes flavoured with vinegar and olive oil, embellished with diced raw vegetables like onions, cucumbers, and peppers. A light gazpacho is made with a puree of cucumber, and served with an array of garnishes for the diner to choose from. Roasted almonds, avocados, and croutons are common garnishes.

Gelatine: A protein produced from animals, used to gel liquids. It is found in granular and sheet form.

Gelato: An Italian frozen dessert, whose popularity has overwhelmed the US, is made of whole milk and eggs. This gives it richness without flavours becoming masked by the fat from cream. The flavours are very intense and the texture is soft and silky.

Genoese: A very rich sponge cake made with eggs and butter. This may be eaten as is with whipped cream or fruit, but also used as the foundation for many other cake preparations.

Ghee: The Indian name for cooking fat. Most commonly used is clarified butter made from the milk of buffaloes and yaks. In regions where milk is unobtainable, mustard and sesame oil are used.

Glace de viande: A highly reduced stock used as an essence in flavouring sauces and enriching soups and stews. Veal glace is used for all meat preparations and stands up the best to the long reduction required. Fish and shellfish glaces are used, but their flavour can become dirty tasting and bitter from too long of a reduction.

Gluten: The protein found in wheat flours.

Gnocchi: These are small dumplings made with flour, potatoes, and eggs. Other versions include spinach, semolina, sweet potatoes, chopped herbs, and parmesan or ricotta cheese. Once the gnocchi are made they are cooked in boiling water, and then sauced or tossed with melted butter. Some recipes call for cooking the gnocchi in broth. Gnocchi is also the name of a pasta with a similar shape.

Gougere: A savoury pastry made of choux paste flavoured with cheese. This may be made in individual puffs or piped into a ring of puffs, which is served with a pool of sauce in the centre of the ring.

Goulash: A Hungarian soup/stew made with beef and liberally seasoned with paprika. Some versions add gremolata at the very end of cooking or sprinkled over the top.

Granita: A coarse fruit ice similar to sorbet, without the meringue, which is often flavoured with liqueurs.

Gratin: Dishes cooked in the oven which form a crust on the surface. This is expedited by placing the dish under the broiler. Breadcrumbs and cheese are often sprinkled on top of these dishes to help form the crust.

Gravlax: A Scandinavian dish of whole salmon fillets that have been cured with salt, sugar, and pepper, then flavoured with dill. The salmon is then sliced paper thin and traditionally served with pumpernickel bread, sour cream, capers, onion, and lemon. Other spellings for this are gravadlax, gravlachs and gravlox.

Grecque: Foods that are prepared in the style of Greece. This is usually used for dishes with lemon, garlic, and olive oil. But the addition of tomatoes, peppers, and fennel often allows a dish to be called … la Grecque.

Gremolata: A mixture of chopped parsley, garlic, and lemon peel. This is added to stews at the end of their cooking time to add a pungency to the dish. Used in some recipes for osso buco a la Milanese, and Hungarian goulash.

Grissini: Italian bread sticks.

Gruyere: A moderate-fat cow's-milk cheese with a rich, sweet, nutty flavour that is prized for both out-of-hand eating and cooking. It's usually aged for 10 to 12 months and has a golden brown rind and a firm, pale-yellow interior with well-spaced medium-size holes.

Guacamole: A dip made of mashed avocados seasoned with onions, tomatoes, chillies, and cilantro. This is mostly eaten as a dip for fried corn chips, but it is also very good with raw vegetables. You may also use it as a filling for burritos and tacos.

Gumbo: A thick soup/stew made with meat or seafood served over plain white rice, must have okra as a component.

Harissa: A spice mixture used as both a condiment and a seasoning. Harissa contains chillies which are ground with cumin, garlic, coriander, and olive oil. It becomes a thick paste that is used as is in cooking or diluted with oil or stock to be used as a condiment.

Hoi Sin Sauce: A rich, dark, sweet barbecue sauce used in Chinese cooking for marinades and basting. Hoi Sin sauce is easily recognisable in Mu Shu pork and Peking duck. The sauce is made from soybean flour, chillies, red beans, and many other spices.

Hollandaise Sauce: This is the most basic of the egg and oil emulsified sauces. The only flavouring is fresh lemon juice or a good vinegar. This sauce must be kept warm, as excessive heat will cause it to break. Because this is kept warm, it is not safe to keep it for long periods of time and should never be reused from another meal period.

Horn of Plenty Mushroom: This is a wild mushroom with a hollow, funnel-shaped cap and is dark grey or black in colour. Because of this, it also has the name trumpet of death. This mushroom is somewhat stringy, but has a robust flavour and may be used to flavour sauces, soups, or any other mushroom preparation.

Hyssop: Any of various herbs belonging to the mint family with aromatic, dark green leaves that have a slightly bitter, minty flavour. Hyssop adds intrigue to salads, fruit dishes, soups and stews. It is also used to flavour certain liqueurs such as Chartreuse.

Infusion: An infusion is the flavour that's extracted from any ingredient such as tea leaves, herbs or fruit by steeping them in a liquid such as water, oil or vinegar.

Involtini: Thin slices of meat or fish which are stuffed and rolled. They may then be sautéed, grilled, or baked.

Jambalaya: A Creole version of paella, though more highly spiced. The only consistent ingredients among all of the Jambalaya recipes are rice, tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Ingredients used for Jambalaya are ham, oysters, chicken, Andouille sausage, duck, shrimp, and game birds.

Jerusalem Artichoke: A tuber, also called sunchoke, with a very firm flesh and a flavour reminiscent of globe artichokes. These are used as a vegetable, in soups, or cooked and served in salads. Not a true artichoke.

Jicama: A large bulbous root vegetable with a thin brown skin and white crunchy flesh. Its sweet, nutty flavour is good both raw and cooked. It is a fair source for vitamin C and potassium.

Jus: A rich, lightly reduced stock used as a sauce for roasted meats. Many of these are started by deglazing the roasting pan, then reduced to achieve the rich flavour desired.

Jus lie: A jus that has been slightly thickened with cornstarch or flour.