Welcome to The Mad Logophile. Here, we explore words; their origins, evolution, usage. Words are alive; they are born, they change and, sometimes, they die. They are our principal tool for communicating with one another. There are over one million words in the English language yet only an estimated 171,476 words are in common current use. As a logophile, I enjoy discovering new words, using them and learning about their origins. Please join in.
Unfortunately I am still recovering from my auto accident. I apologize for reheating this old diary. It seemed apropos for the holidays. I don't know about you, but I do a lot of cooking (and eating) this time of year. So, grab a glass of vino and maybe some nice cheese and fruit and enjoy!
Rather than talking about certain foods and dishes, I am going to concentrate on terms for the preparation of food. I mean, we all know what beef stroganoff is, but we may not know how it is prepared. Cooking terms are predominantly French because the French were the first great food explorers, who created most of the ways we cook and serve food.
● A la is French for in the manner of or in the style of or according to. In cooking, this phrase designates the style of preparation or a particular garnish. Examples include a la Broche (prepared on a skewer over a flame), a la Creole (prepared with tomatoes, green peppers and onions), a la Plancha (grilled on a metal plate) and a la Royale (in the royal style; typically a velouté sauce with truffles).
● Abaisée is a French term that describes puff pastry that has been rolled very thin or sponge cake that has been cut very thin for dessert preparation.
● To add acid (lemon juice or vinegar) to a culinary preparation is to acidify it. This is done to make a dish slightly acid, sour, or piquant.
● An Ade is a fruit drink made by combining water with sugar, boiling until the sugar dissolves, then adding a citrus juice and ice
● To aerate (also, sift) is to pass dry ingredients through a fine-mesh sifter so large pieces can be removed. The process also incorporates air to make ingredients like flour, lighter.
● Al denté describes foods, especially pasta, cooked only until soft enough to eat, but not overdone. The Italian translation is to the teeth.
● Al forno is an Italian term to describe a dish that is oven baked or oven roasted.
● Amandine refers to dishes garnished with almonds. Often spelled Almondine.
● Au is a French term that has the same meaning as a la. Examples include au beurre (made with or in butter), au gratin (a layer of bread crumbs and/or grated cheese on top), au jus (served in its own natural juices) and au poivre (cooked with pepper).
● A bain-marie is (1) a hot water bath that is used to keep food warm on the top of a stove (or to cook custards and baked eggs in the oven without curdling or cracking), (2) a cooking utensil; a fairly large pan (or tray) which is partly filled with water. The food to be cooked is placed in another container which is placed in the water.
● Bake blind is the technique used for baking an unfilled pastry shell. The pastry shell is first pricked with a fork to prevent puffing, covered with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and then weighted with rice or beans. It is then baked for about 10 to 15 minutes.
● Barbecuing is a long, slow, indirect, low-heat method that uses smoldering logs, charcoal, or wood chunks to smoke-cook the food. Indirect means that the heat source is located away from the food to be cooked. Barbecuing and grilling are two different techniques.
● The practice of surrounding or enveloping meat with pork fat is to barder. The fat keeps the meat moist while it cooks.
● To baste is to spoon, brush or pour drippings or liquid over a food before or during cooking in order to prevent drying. It also adds flavor and glazes the dish.
● Blackened is a cooking technique where meat or fish is seasoned with a Cajun spice mixture and then cooked in a cast-iron skillet that has been heated almost red-hot. This technique gives the food an extra crispy crust and sears in the juices.
● Blanching is to briefly plunge food into boiling water and then into cold water. Blanching allows you to cook vegetables completely, then cool them quickly for use (in salads, for example). It is also used to loosen skins of fruits and vegetables or to prepare them for more cooking by another method. To scald shelled nuts until the thin outer skins are sufficiently loosened so as to remove easily is blanching as well.
● To bloom is to soften gelatin in cool liquid before using it. Blooming gelatin is an integral step to ensure the smooth texture of the finished product. To bloom, sprinkle the powdered gelatin into a liquid and let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes. Then, when you heat the mixture, the gelatin will dissolve evenly. Blooming is also the term for the gray film, streaks, or blotches that appear on the surface of chocolate when the cocoa butter separates and forms crystals (usually as a result of storing in too warm a place).
● Bonne femme is a French phrase indicating that a dish has been cooked simply (usually with only vegetables and stock).
● Braising is a slow-cooking method for tough cuts of meat or poultry. The meat is cooked slowly in a small amount of liquid in a covered pan. Stews and pot roasts are commonly prepared this way.
● A bouquet-garni is a bunch of herbs tied together as a bouquet or in a cheese cloth bag. They are used for cooking in a dish to season it, particularly a soup or stew. Tying it makes for easy removal when the dish is done
● Brining or salting is a way of increasing the moisture holding capacity of meat. This results in a moister product when it is cooked. Most brines are mostly water and salt — traditionally, 3/4 pound of salt per gallon of water. My favorite, Alton Brown, swears by brining the Thanksgiving turkey.
● Brochette are small portions of meat, chicken liver, or seafood that is cooked on a skewer (usually sautéed or grilled). Also known as kabob, a la broche, or shish ka bob. It is derived from the word broche, meaning, pointed tool.
● Bourguignonne, in the name of a dish, means it was cooked with burgundy wine.
● To split food (usually meat, fish, or poultry) down the center is to butterfly it. It is cut almost, but not completely, through. The two halves are then opened flat to resemble a butterfly. This is often the first step when preparing a roast that is to be stuffed and rolled.
● Cacciatore is an Italian term for sauteed chicken baked with a highly seasoned tomato sauce, diced mushrooms, chives, basil and oregano.
● Caprese refers to the style of Capri. A Caprese sauce is usually made from lightly cooked tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and mozzarella. A Caprese salad consists of fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese sprinkled with olive oil.
● To caramelize is (1) to heat sugar until it liquefies and becomes a clear caramel syrup ranging in color from golden to dark brown, (2) cooking meats or vegetables until the natural sugars in them break down and turn light brown (such as onions).
● Carbonara in Italian means coal and alla carbonara means in the manner of the coal miners. Most of the ingredients for an alla Carbonara dish could easily be carried by charcoal makers traveling to the forests of the Abruzzi to get wood, and the rest could be bought or found along the way. This style is marked by an abundant use of black pepper.
● Carpaccio means very thin slices of meat, fish, and/or vegetables.
● The word casserole is derived from the Old French word casse and means a frying pan or saucepan. A casserole is (1) an ovenproof or flameproof dish or pan that has a tight lid, (2) a stew or ragout consisting of meat and vegetables, which are put in a casserole dish at the same time and cooked by stewing.
● Seafood prepared in citrus juice instead of heat is called ceviche or seviche. This preparation technique was created in Central and South America.
● The word chantilly in a dish indicates the use of whipped cream.
● Charlotte means dish of custard. Charlotte is (1) a round mold used to make a charlotte dessert, (2) the molded dessert that is composed of a filling surrounded by ladyfingers or bread.
● Chasseur Sauce is a hunter-style brown sauce consisting of mushrooms, shallots, and white wine (sometimes tomatoes and parsley). It is most often served with game and other meats. Chasseur is French for hunter.
● Chiffonade is a French word from the word chiffon which means rag. In culinary terms, a chiffonade (1) describes a way of cutting herbs and lettuces into thin strips or shreds, which look a bit like rags, (2) a dish consisting of a mixture of green vegetables (such as spinach, lettuce, and sorrel) which are shredded or cut finely into ribbons. It is used to form a bed for dishes or as a garnish for soups.
● Choux derives from the French word for cabbage. It describes a layered pastry, as the layers were thought to resemble the leaves of cabbage. It is made from smooth dough consisting of flour, water, salt, butter, eggs, and sometimes sugar. It is used for cream puffs, eclairs, beignets, and other dishes requiring a puff pastry.
● To clear a liquid of all solid particles using a special cooking process is to clarify. To clarify butter means to melt it and pour off the clear top layer from the milky residue at the bottom of the pan. The resulting clear liquid can be used at a higher cooking temperature and will not go rancid as quickly as unclarified butter.
● The curdling or clumping of protein (usually eggs) due to the application of heat or acid (like lemon juice or vinegar) is coagulation. It is usually used in making sauces and custards. Normally, the proteins in the egg yolk will begin to coagulate at 160 degrees F. A sauce or custard can be coagulated by adding egg and heating.
● To coddle is to cook food slowly in water just below the boiling point.
● Compote refers to (1) a chilled dish of fresh or dried fruit that has been slowly cooked in sugar syrup. The syrup may also contain alcohol or liqueur and spices. Slow cooking is important for the fruit to retain its shape, (2) a deep, stemmed dish used to hold fruit, nuts, or candy.
● Compound butter is also known as finishing butter, flavoring butter or beurre composé. It is butter that has been flavored by blending softened butter together with various ingredients. These can be savory or sweet. It is commonly used to flavor vegetables, soups and casseroles.
● Concassé or concasser is a French term for roughly chopping food with a knife or breaking it by pounding in a mortar. The term is frequently used to refer to coarsely chopped fresh tomatoes.
● In the process of conduction, heat is transferred directly from one molecule to another. The cooking time will depend upon how well your cooking vessel conducts heat. Conduction also takes place throughout the food itself, cooking it from the outside to the inside. Convection is the spread of heat by a flow of hot air, steam, or liquid. Convection ovens are traditional gas or electric ovens equipped with a fan, which circulates the hot oven air around the food.
● Confit is a way of preserving meat (usually pork, goose or duck). The meat or poultry is salted and then slowly cooked in its own rendered fat. The resulting confit is then packed in crocks and sealed with more fat. Confit can be refrigerated up to 6 months.
● Coulis is (1) a type of a thick sauce which derives its body from pureed fruits or vegetables, (2) some thick soups made with crayfish, lobster, prawns, and other crustaceans, the word being employed where bisque has formerly been used.
● Creaming incorporates air into the butter, margarine, or vegetable shortening to give the cake a light, fine-grained texture. Creaming is best done at a medium speed using room-temperature butter. Beating too fast causes loss of volume and a cake that's too dense.
● Cremé is the French word for cream. It refers to (1) a puree of vegetables, (2) a custard pudding, (3) the cream-like foam on top of a well-made espresso and (4) those liqueurs that have an unusual amount of sweetness.
● To seal a double crusted pie by pinching the edges together is to crimp. Crimping also refers to a method of cooking fish; gash a freshly caught fish on both sides of the body at intervals of about one and one-half inches. The fish is then plunged into ice-cold water for about one hour. This is done to keep the flesh firm and to retain the original flavor.
● Crisp means (1) to make something crisp by immersing in cold water or refrigerating (used particularly with greens), (2) to crisp foods by heating in the oven, (3) fruit topped with a crumbly mixture of butter, sugar, flour and, sometimes, nuts.
● Crouté is the French culinary name for round or oval pieces of stale bread fried in fat. They are used as a foundation upon which fish, meat, and vegetables dishes are served either as hors d' oeuvres, canapés, or for garnish. It also refers to thin slices of stale crusty bread which are added to some soups at the time of serving.
● To dissolve the remaining bits of sautéed or roasted food in (a pan or pot) by adding a liquid and heating, is called deglazing.
● Demi-glacé is French term meaning half-glaze. It consists of equal proportions of brown stock and brown sauce that has been reduced by half until it can coat a spoon.
● A term describing food that is dark, rich, chocolate, spicily piquant or stimulating is deviled. Such a dish is highly seasoned, chopped, ground and served hot or cold. Many foods, including eggs and crab, are served deviled.
● To place a scoop or spoonful of a semi-liquid food, such as whipped cream, on top of another food is to dollop. This also refers to the scoop or spoonful of food, as in a dollop of whipped cream.
● Dolmades comes from the Turkish word dolma which means stuffed food. Usually it refers to grape leaves or cabbage leave that are stuffed with a meat and rice mixture. It also can describe any cigar-shaped food.
● To dredge is to lightly coat food that is going to be fried with flour, breadcrumbs, or cornmeal. The coating helps to brown the food and provides a crunchy surface. Foods dredged in flour, dipped in egg then dredged again are said to be breaded.
● An egg wash is a mixture of beaten eggs (either whole eggs, yolks, or whites) and a liquid such as milk or water. It is used to coat baked goods before or during baking to give them a sheen and a GBD crust.
● To emulsify means to bind together two liquid ingredients that normally do not combine smoothly (such as water and fat). It is accomplished by slowly adding one ingredient to the other while mixing rapidly.
● En crouté is a French term that refers to baked food encased in a bread or pastry crust.
● En papilotté is a technique of cooking foods in their own juices by sealing them in a bag. Cooking them in their own juices, rather than adding water as in steaming, re-enforces flavors rather than diluting them. Traditionally the food is enclosed with parchment paper, but can be cooked enclosed in aluminum-foil bags.
● To cut into into thin slices or bake in a white sauce with a topping of crumbs is enscallop or scalloped.
● Espagnole or Brown sauce, is a base from which many other sauces are made. It consists of a liquid thickened with a roux. For a brown sauce, the roux is cooked much longer than normal; it must be stirred over low heat until it acquires a nut-brown cast that intensifies the color and flavor of the sauce.
● Etouffeé literally means smothered. This method involves smothering the meat in a blanket of chopped vegetables and cooking it over a low flame in a tightly covered pan.
● To serve something en flambe is to set it aflame, usually with brandy, rum or liqueur. Flambeau is to serve flaming bits on a skewer.
● If you see a dish described as florentine, you know that spinach is present in it.
● To fold is to mix, using a gentle motion beginning vertically down through the mixture, continuing across the bottom of the bowl and ending with an upward and over movement. It is used when ingredients are aerated to prevent breaking the air bubbles.
● Fond is a classic French culinary term for the browned caramelized and concentrated bits that remains in the pan after cooking meat. The fond is what you are after when you deglaze a pan for flavoring sauces and making gravies.
● Fondant is an icing made by boiling sugar and water to the point of crystallization then whipping it into a creamy mass. It is rolled out flat and used to cover cakes. It can also be used much as a clay, to mold figures or decorations for a cake.
● Francaise means in the French style
● French Fries is short for frenched and fried potatoes. The English call them chips, a word which has a similar meaning (a chipped piece of wood). They are known as pommes de terre in France and fritures or frietkoets in Belgium.
● Fricassee refers to pieces of chicken, lamb, or veal stewed in liquid and served in a sauce made from the same liquid.
● Fusion cooking incorporates ingredients and/or methods from at least two different ethnic/regional cooking styles. Arguably, it originally combined western and Oriental culinary styles. Tex-Mex is considered by many to be the original fusion cookery. But it can't be argued that fusion now encompasses all ethnic cuisines.
● A garnish is a decorative edible accompaniment added to a finished dish. It is entirely for decoration. Common garnishes include a sprig of mint or parsley or a slice of lemon. A garnish may be eaten but that is not its purpose. A garniture, on the other hand, becomes part of the dish and is eaten with it.
● According to my man Alton Brown, GBD stands for Golden-brown & delicious. When cooking most food, this is the state we're looking for.
● Giardiniera, in Italian, means garden style. It is a mixed pickled vegetable assortment that usually includes cauliflower, carrot, celery or fennel, and hot or sweet peppers. Generally used as a condiment on sandwiches or antipasto plates.
● Glacé is (1) ice or ice cream, (2) icing or frosting used on a cake or (3) a cut of meat that has been glazed in a hot oven by constantly basting the meat with its own juices.
● Glacé de viande is a very high end bouillon cube made by reducing unsalted meat stock. The stock is boiled down to about 20% of its original volume or until it is thick and syrupy. It is very concentrated and a little bit goes a long way.
● To glaze is to enhance a food product for taste or eye appeal by adding a glossy coat. Glazing can be done by basting the food with a syrupy liquid while it is cooking or by covering it with a sauce and placing briefly under the broiler. Glazing is also coating pastries and cakes with an icing.
● Small thin strips of fried food are called goujon. Originally this term was used for fish, but now is additionally used to refer to chicken cut and cooked in this style.
● Gremolata is an Italian garnish consisting of minced parsley, lemon peel, and garlic. It adds a fresh flavor to dishes and is traditionally sprinkled over meat dishes like osso bucco. Etymologically speaking, the word means ground or chopped, as in the preparation of the ingredients.
● Food that is prepared in an elegant or elaborate manner is known as haute cuisine, the very finest food available. The French word haute translates as high or superior. So this phrase literally means high cooking or high-class cooking. The rich sauces, fine ingredients and exquisite taste of haute cuisine typifies classic French cooking.
● Hors d'oeuvres describes small items of food or light courses served before or outside of (hors) the main dishes of a meal (oeuvres) which are intended to stimulate the appetite. The terms hors d'oeuvres and appetizers are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference: hors d'oeuvres are typically finger food served before a meal, while appetizers appear as the first course served at the table.
● Icing is a term often interchangeable with frosting. Which term you use depends on where you live. In America it usually describes the sugar-and-water mixture used to decorate and cover cakes. It may also contain other ingredients and flavorings.
● To infuse means to steep an aromatic ingredient in hot liquid until the flavor has been extracted and absorbed by the liquid. Teas are infusions. Milk or cream can also be infused with flavor before being used in custards or sauces.
● To inject a food (usually beef) with tiny needles in order to tenderize it is called jaccart.
● Jardiniere is a garnish for meat dishes, generally consisting of carrots, celery, turnips, and sometimes peas.
● Jerk is a term used for an island style of barbecue that includes marinating the meat in a pesto-like mixture of herbs, spices, and very hot peppers. The mix includes a blend of chilies, allspice, thyme, and lime juice or rum.
● To julienne is to cut food into thin sticks, also called matchsticks. Food is cut with a knife or mandoline into even slices, then into strips.
● Kae-Sa-Luk (also known as Thai Carving) is the Thai art of carving fruit and vegetables into intricate flower shapes. The purpose of fruit and vegetable carving is to make food more attractive, more appetizing, and also easier to eat.
● To kipper means to cure fish by cleaning, salting and drying or smoking. The fish (usually herring or salmon) is butterflied, cured in brine and then smoked.
● The word kosher means fit or proper in Hebrew. It refers to food that is proper for the Jewish people to consume as set out in the laws of Kashrut (the kosher dietary laws) in the Old Testament.
● Lard is the layer of fat located along the back and underneath the skin of the hog. Butchers remove it during the slaughtering process and preserve it in salt. It is used to prepare various kinds of sauces and soups, to cook vegetables and legumes, or to bard beef or poultry. To remove excess salt, lard should be blanched and then cooled under cold running water. Larding is inserting strips of salt pork into meat by using a larding needle and drawing the strip of salt pork through the meat.
● Leaveners are agents that are added to doughs and batters to increase the volume and lighten the texture. The most common ones are baking soda, baking powder, and yeast.
● A dish made in the lyonnaise style means is was prepared and is served with onions.
● Marinade is a Spanish word meaning to pickle in brine. Marinades used nowadays are a strongly-flavored liquid in which meat or fish is steeped before cooking. The idea is for the meat to take on the flavor of the marinade.
● A medallion is a skinless, boneless round piece of meat which is usually cut from the loin. The meat is tied with a string to help it retain its round shape during cooking.
● A dish served meuniere is pan fried with butter, lemon juice and chopped parsley.
● Those mints or candies that appear with the check as a thank you are called mignardise.
● When a recipe calls for mirepoix , it is referring to a standard ratio of onions, carrots and celery used in classical cooking; 50% onion, 25% carrots, and 25% celery. Sometimes ham or bacon is added for more flavor. This is often used in the making of stocks and soups. It also makes a good bed on which to braise meats.
● Mise en Place refers to having all the ingredients necessary for a dish prepared and ready to combine up to the point of cooking. Mise en place makes the actual process of cooking more efficient and helps prevent the cook from making mistakes or discovering missing ingredients at a crucial moment. When you see someone on a cooking show using small dishes with each ingredient pre-measured and within reach, you are seeing mise en place.
● A monkey dish is a small or tiny round bowl or saucer used in the restaurant industry for side dishes. The dish is also called a fruit dish. The name may come from the little hat that a hurdy gurdy man's monkey wore.
● Mortar and pestles are used to grind or crush. The mortar is the bowl and the pestle, the tool that grinds. Crushing releases the oils of herbs, seeds and pods. The Mexican term for a mortar and pestle is molcajete; they are made of volcanic rock. The suribachi is the earthenware bowl and the surikogi the wooden pestle in Japanese culinary tradition.
● Mother Sauces (also called Grand Sauces) are the five most basic sauces that every cook should master. These are Béchamel (white sauce), Velouté (blonde sauce), Espagnole (brown sauce), Hollandaise (butter sauce) and tomato (red sauce). I can make 4 of these, what about you?
● Nappé is a French word that means to completely coat food with a light, thin, even layer of sauce or a jelly.
● When a recipe calls for a non-reactive cookware, use clay, copper, enamel, glass, plastic, or stainless steel; all materials that do not react chemically with foods. The most common non-reactive cookware is stainless-steel. Since it does not conduct or retain heat well, it frequently has aluminum or copper bonded to the bottom or a core of aluminum between layers of stainless steel.
● Nouvelle cuisine is a French term meaning new cooking. It refers to a culinary style that began in the late 1950s and moved away from the traditional rich, heavy style of classic French cuisine toward fresher, lighter food served in smaller portions. French cuisine today is basically a combination of traditional and nouvelle.
● A nutraceutical is any food that is enhanced with nutrients, vitamins, or herbal supplements.
● Pickling is the preserving of food in an acid (usually vinegar). The acid environment prevents undesirable bacteria growth.
● Rice cooked in chicken stock with minced onions and seasonings is cooked in the pilaf style. The word is derived from the Persian (now Iranian) word pilaw meaning a rice dish.
● A pizza peel (or pizza shovel) is a long-handled, wide wooden or metal spatula-like implement that slides quickly and easily under the pizza. It keeps hands safely out of the oven and makes moving the pizza easier. My husband loves to make pizza and he would never think of using anything else to move one.
● To poach is to cook in gently simmering (not boiling) water.
● To proof is to let yeast dough rise by setting it in a warm, moist place of at least 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
● To mark the surface of grilled or broiled food with a crisscross pattern of lines is to quadriller . The lines are produced by contact with very hot single grill bars or very hot skewers.
● In French quatre epices means four spices. It is a mixture of ground spices usually consisting of pepper, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
● As the name implies, quick breads can be made quickly and easily. Because the leavening agent is either baking powder, baking soda, or steam, there is no rising time required.
● Ragout is a French word which means stew, usually one made of meat or poultry and which is thick. In recent years, this word has become a restaurant menu marketing term which describes just about any mixture that is somewhat soupy or stew like.
● Rennet is a natural enzyme used to curdle milk when making cheese. It can be obtained from certain plants or by extracting from cow stomach.
● A roux is a mixture of equal amounts of fat (butter, meat drippings, lard) and flour. These are cooked together at the very start of the recipe before any liquid is added. A roux is used as a basis for thickening sauces.
● Sachet d’ Epices means bag of spices and consists of whole peppercorns, parsley stems, bay leaves, whole thyme leaves, and fresh garlic wrapped in a bag of cheesecloth and suspended in the pot.
● Salt-rising bread is a bread relies on the fermentation of warm milk or water, flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt to give it rising power.
● Sauce is a French word that means a relish. Sauces are liquid or semi-liquid foods devised to make other foods look, smell, and taste better.
● To sauté is to employ a technique of cooking a food quickly in oil and/or butter over high heat.
● To scald means (1) to dip into boiling water, (2) to heat milk to just below the boiling point, (3) to dip fruits, vegetables, or nuts in boiling water to facilitate removal of the skin or shell.
● When you score (in cooking, anyway) you (1) cut narrow gashes in fat to prevent the meat from curling when cooked. (2) cut narrow crisscross lines on the fat of a ham or a roast. (3) cut even shallow lines in cucumbers with a fork or scoring knife for decorations.
● The Scoville unit is the measure of the heat of a chile pepper. Created in 1912 by Wilbur Scoville, these units rank from 0 to 300,000. The hottest pepper is the habañero, the "coolest" is the bell pepper.
● Scrod is not a type of fish. The term originated in the Boston area to describe the catch of the day. It is used as a general label for small members of the cod family; pollack, haddock, hake, and whiting.
● The browning (caramelizing) of a food surface at high heat is searing. Only a little fat is used when searing. this technique brings out the flavor and creates a fond at the bottom of the pan which is used for making sauces.
● To season is to (1) add flavor to foods by adding herbs and spices, (2) coat the cooking surface of a new pot or pan with vegetable oil and then heat. This smooths out the surface of a pan, particularly cast-iron, and prevents foods from sticking.
● To simmer is to cook a food submerged in liquid just below a boil (about 180 degrees F.). A simmering liquid has bubbles floating slowly from the bottom to the surface.
● A solution of sugar and water is called a simple syrup. The mixture is boiled over high heat until the desired consistency is reached. Most simple syrups contain a ratio of one cup water to two cups of sugar.
● A slurry is a mixture of a starch and cold water. Either cornstarch, arrowroot, potato starch, rice flour, or regular flour makes up the starch. Proportion is one (1) part starch with two (2) parts cold liquid.
● The smoking point is the point when a fat such as butter or oil smokes and lets off an acrid odor. This is not a good thing, as it will ruin the flavor of the dish.
● A Smorgasbord is a Swedish buffet of many dishes served as hors d'oeuvres or a full meal. These are served throughout Scandinavia and the Soviet Union. Commonly found on the menu are pickled herring, marinated vegetables, smoked and cured salmon and sturgeon, and a selection of canapés. The American version is just a plain-old buffet, no matter what the sign may say.
● Sofrito is a term for a blend of seasonings and vegetables used to flavor many Puerto Rican and Cuban recipes. It is not only a common seasoning, but it is also frequently served at the table as a condiment.
● Souffle is taken from the French word souffler, meaning to blow or puff up. It is a light, foamy dish featuring egg whites which are folded into a sauce of egg yolks, milk, and sometimes flour. The air in the egg whites expands in the heat of the oven, making the soufflé light and puffy.
● The word soup was originally sop and it literally described dipping a slice of bread into a broth. Potage was a word for the contents of the soup. Today, soup means any combination of meat, fish or vegetables, cooked in liquid. It may be thin (consommé), thick (gumbo), smooth (bisque), or chunky (chowder). Most soups are served hot, but some (vichyssoise and fruit soups) are served cold.
● Spatchcocking describes a French technique of butterflying a whole chicken by removing the backbone so you can open it up flat and cook it over direct heat. Because the chicken cooks over hot coals, this process cuts the grilling time almost in half and helps keep the meat moist.
● A springform pan has sides and a bottom that can be removed. This pan has a latch on the side that can be opened to remove the rim after the cake is cool. They are available in a number of sizes, 9- and 10-inch being the most common. They are the best pan for cheesecakes and tortes.
● Steaming retains flavor, shape, texture, and nutrients better than boiling or poaching. Steaming is usually done in a steamer or on a rack over boiling water. In this method, steam is the heat conductor. If it is under pressure (as in a pressure steamer), the temperature can get extremely hot.
● To soak herbs, spices, raisins, etc. in a hot liquid to extract or intensify the flavors is to steep them.
● Stewing is a way to tenderize tough pieces of meat. In this method, meat and vegetables are slowly simmered in liquid for a substantial period of time. In this way the meat not only becomes tender but all the ingredients blend together.
● stir-frying is a technique that cooks quickly over high heat. There are 3 thing to remember about stir-frying: (1) be prepared (have ingredients cut into small pieces and marinated), (2) be organized so that everything needed is read and waiting; and (3) be vigilant. Adjusting the volume of heat and the timing of adding ingredients may be (probably will be, in fact) required.
● Despite what the fast food industry would like you to believe, supreme describes removal of (1) the flesh sections of citrus fruit from the membranes, (2) the wing and breast of the chicken or game bird, (3) or a fish fillet.
● To cook vegetables in fat over gentle heat so they become soft is to sweat them. Covering the pan will cause them to keep a much of their natural moisture.
● Syllabub is dessert of softly whipped cream flavored with wine, sweetened cider or brandy.
● When tartare follows the word steak, expect a dish consisting of raw ground or finely chopped beef and mixed with spices and topped with a raw egg and bits of raw onion.
● To slowly bring up the temperature of a cold or room temperature ingredient by adding small amounts of a hot or boiling liquid is to temper it. Adding the hot liquid gradually, prevents the cool ingredient from cooking or setting. The tempered mixture can then be added back to hot liquid for further cooking. Tempering is also the term for bringing chocolate to a state in which it has snap, shine, and no streaks.
● Tempura is a Japanese method of preparing deep-fried foods. In this technique, food is cut into bite-sized pieces and then dipped in a batter made of egg yolks, flour, oil and water. They are then dropped into boiling oil until GBD.
● Another Japanese cooking method is Teppanyaki. This style is the bread-and-butter (so to speak) of the Benihana restaurant chain. It combines traditional grilling with western beef cuts along with other meats and vegetables. Diners sit around a large metal griddle and watch as their entertainer/chef chops, flips, and cooks their food to order.
● Tian is a French word describing a shallow, earthenware casserole, and the food that it contains. The original tian is a Provencal dish of gratined mixed vegetables.
● To truss is to secure food (usually poultry or game) with string, pins, or skewers so that it maintains a compact shape during cooking. Trussing allows for easier basting.
● A tube pan is a round pan with deep sides and a hollow center. It is used for baking cakes, especially angel food cake and sponge cake. The hollow center, or tube, promotes even baking for the center of the cake.
● A recent addition to the culinary vocabulary, umami is the Japanese word for delicious or savory and is a fifth element of taste. The source of umami is glutamate, found in foods like mushrooms, aged meats and cheeses, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, soy sauce, bonito flakes, and kelp.
● Vegetable oil describes oils made from plant sources such as vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Most vegetable oils are high in polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat but low in saturated fat. Some commonly used vegetable oils are corn, soybean, canola and olive. Vegetable shortening is vegetable oil that is hydrogenated so it will be a solid fat. It has no added water, milk fat, or other solids and is nearly flavorless.
● A sauce made with vinegar or a combination of vinegar, oil, and seasonings is a vinaigrette.
● Vol-au-vent is French for flying in the wind, and is the name of a classic French puff pastry shell. The name refers to the pastry's lightness. The shell usually has a cup with a lid and can be filled with a cream-sauce mixture with meat or vegetables.
● White confectionery coating is the technical name for white chocolate. According to the FDA, white chocolate cannot legally be called chocolate because it contains no cocoa powder. True chocolate consists of cocoa butter and cocoa solids. White chocolate contains no cocoa solids. Some white confectionery coatings don't even contain cocoa butter, so be sure to read the label.
● When you see XXX, XXXX, 10X or similar on a box of confectioners' sugar, it is an indicator of how many times it has been ground. The higher the number of X's the finer the grind.
● Yeast is a microscopic, single-cell organism that produces alcohol and carbon dioxide as it grows and ferments. The carbon dioxide bubbles get trapped in the gluten strands of bread, causing it to rise. The most commonly available form is active dry yeast. In this form, the yeast is dehydrated so is dormant due to the lack of moisture. Yeast should be activated in water heated to approximately 110° Farenheit.
Now that we have a working vocabulary of cooking terms, let's look at some dishes and foods. I will try to list interesting and/or lesser-known foods. By all means, add more in the comments!
● Adobo sauce is a thick, dark red sauce native to Mexico. It's made from ground chiles mixed with spices and vinegar. Canned chipotle peppers (smoked-dried jalapenos) are usually packed in adobo sauce.
● Anasazi beans were first discovered on an archaeological dig in the Southwest. They are speckled red and white and taste rather sweet. They are a good addition to chili, salads and salsas.
● Akutaq, or Eskimo Ice Cream, is not ice cream as we know it. It is a concoction of reindeer fat, seal oil, freshly fallen snow, fresh berries, and sometimes ground fish. Air is whipped into the mixture so that it slowly cools into foam. It is eaten as a desert, a meal, a snack, or a spread. Akutaq is a traditional food for special occasions like funerals, potlatches, first hunt, and other celebrations. Today it is made with Crisco shortening instead of fat and sometimes raisins or sugar are added.
● Andouille is a Cajun smoked sausage made from pork butt, shank, and a small amount of pork fat. It is then seasoned with salt, cracked black pepper, and garlic. The sausage is then slowly smoked over pecan wood and sugar cane.
● Arepas are similar to an English muffins but made from corn flour. It is considered the national dish of Venezuela. The commonest way to serve them is to split them open, remove some of the steaming moist corn meal, and then stuff them with ingredients such as chopped meat, avocado and cheese.
● Arugula is a delicate salad green that is related to mustard. When the leaves are young, they are tender and nutty, with a subtle peppery flavor. Oh, what am I telling you elitists that you don't already know, you arugla-eaters, you!
● Azuki beans are small and red with a sweet flavor and soft texture and are used widely in Japanese cooking. They are usually boiled, mashed and sweetened for use as red bean paste, which is used in desserts. The red beans are said to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits when scattered about the house at New Year.
● Made from the white Trebbianno grapes and produced in Modena, Italy balsamic vinegar gets its pungent sweetness from aging for several years in wood barrels. This maturation process takes from 6 to 25 years in a series of barrels made from a variety of woods. It is used to dress salads and enrich stews, soups and sauces.
● Balti is an Indian dish. It is a meat curry, but is cooked like a stir-fry. The spices used to flavor the dish is a combination of seeds; coriander, cardamom, cumin, black mustard, fennel, wild onion, and fenugreek.
● Beef Wellington is a choice fillet of beef that is covered with liver paté and sliced mushrooms. The meat is then placed in a case of puff pastry and baked in a hot oven.
● A New Orleans specialty, the beignet is a fried, piece of yeast dough, fried, then sprinkled with sugar or coated with icing. It is like a sweet, square doughnut minus the hole.
● Bocconcini means a mouthful and describes small nuggets of fresh mozzarella. They are usually sold packed in whey.
● Bottarga is a special delicacy of the islands of Sardinia and Sicily. Mullet (or tuna) eggs are being extracted, left in their protective sacs, washed and purified, salted, rinsed and laid to dry. The aging process takes four to five months. It is served simply, with spaghetti, olive oil, chopped garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes.
● Broccolrabe is a green vegetable that can be bitter unless harvested young. It looks like broccoli but has skinnier stalks. The leaves, stems and florets are eaten. It is excellent sautéed with garlic and olive oil and served over pasta. Also known as Italian Broccoli, rabe or rapini.
● Bubble and Squeak is an English dish made of equal parts mashed potatoes and chopped cooked cabbage. These are mixed together and fried until well browned. The dish sometimes includes chopped boiled beef. The name is said to come from the sounds it makes as it cooks. In Ireland, this is known as colcannon and is served in a fluffy pile with a well of melted butter in the center, so that you can dip each forkful into the butter before eating it.
● Bulgogi, popularly known as Korean barbecue, is marinated strips of meat cooked over charcoal on a grill. It is often prepared at the table on small grills and accompanied by kimchi )spicy pickled cabbage). In Korean, bulgogi translates as fire meat.
● Capicollo is a seasoned cured meat made from pork neck. Coppa is Italian for unseasoned cured meat, and collo means neck. It's usually thinly sliced for antipasto.
● The cardoon is a vegetable that is very popular in France, Italy, and Spain. It resembles a bunch of wide flat celery and is silvery-gray. Once the tough outer ribs are removed, cardoon can be boiled, braised, or baked. It is said to taste like a cross between an artichoke and celery.
● Cassata is a spectacular Sicilian dessert of ricotta, candied fruit, pistachios, sugar, chocolate, liqueur-soaked sponge cake and green pistachio icing. Cassatella is a smaller, domed and frosted version.
● Chakalaka is a very hot and spicy South African vegetable relish/sauce/salad that includes tomatoes, garlic, chile peppers, grated carrots, and grated cabbage with beans or diced cauliflower. Preparing chakalaka very much depends on what you have available. A traditional dish from the black community, it is now popular in the urban areas as a side dish at barbeques.
● The heart-shaped cherimoya is sometimes called a custard apple, which describes its appearance and texture. The taste, however, combines the flavors of pineapple, mango, banana, and papaya.
● Clotted Cream is traditionally served with tea and scones. It is a 55% (or higher) milkfat product made by heating shallow pans of milk to about 82° C. and holding them at this temperature for about an hour. The yellow wrinkled cream crust that forms is then
skimmed off. It is also known as Devonshire cream. Sounds gross but it's amazingly delicious!
● Copha is a solid fat that is derived from the coconut. It is used primarily in recipes where it is melted and combined with other ingredients and left to set.
● Couscous is the separated grain of the wheat plant. When dried and milled, it becomes semolina flour, from which pasta is made. But as a grain, it makes a terrific rice substitute. It has the advantage of being more flavorful and quicker to make than rice.The large-grain couscous has grains about the size of peppercorns, while regular couscous is very similar to Cream of Wheat in size.
● Creme Fraiche is a tangy French thickened cream, (pronounced krehm-FRESH) which is similar in taste and texture to sour cream. In France, pasteurization is not required, so the cream contains bacteria that thickens it naturally. Unlike sour cream, crème fraîche is used in sauces and soups because it can be boiled without breaking.
● Cuitlacoche is also called corn mushroom, maize mushroom, Mexican truffle, and corn smut. It is a corn fungus that occasionally grows on sweet corn during the rainy season, causing kernels to swell. It is very popular Mexican delicacy and considered a gourmet rage in the United States. Its earthy, smoke-like flavor is reminiscent of mushrooms and it is used in a similar manner.
● Emrelletes are peeled seedless grapes, which have been tinted green and flavored with creme de menthe. They are used for garnishing fruit cups, salads, and the like.
● Escargot is, yes, snails. They can be terrestrial, freshwater or marine. Escargot is the common name for the land gastropod. The edible snails of France have a single shell that is tan and white, and 1 to 2 inches diameter.
● A Middle Eastern snack that is popular in America, falafel is considered the national dish of Egypt. A traditional falafel sandwich consists of six ground, deep-fried chickpea balls stuffed into pita bread along with finely cut up tomatoes, cucumbers, and tahini sauce. Not used in the shower, despite what Bill O'Reilly thinks.
● Feijoa is a waxy green fruit that you may know as a Pineapple Guava. It comes from subtropical regions. They are either eaten raw or made into jellies, sauces & chutneys.
● Galia melons resemble a small cantaloupe. They have a light golden-yellow skin when ripe. Their flesh is lime green and tastes much like a sweet honeydew melon.
● Ghee is clarified butter with all of the water and solids removed. It will not scorch or burn and can be cooked at higher temperatures than any oil. Since the milk solids are removed, it will last in the fridge for a long time! Ghee can be used in place of butter but has a nutty more intense flavor.
● Gravlax is a Scandinavian dish of cured salmon in a sugar, salt, and dill mixture. It is sliced paper thin and served on dark bread with a dill and mustard sauce. Gravlax literally means buried; in the middle ages salted fish was buried in the ground or under snow to preserve it.
● Grits is usually a breakfast item in the US Southern region. It's made from corn that has been soaked in lye and the casing removed (aka Hominy). The lye is rinsed out very well and the corn is left to harden. Then the swollen hominy is ground up to the texture of tiny pellets. When boiled with water, milk and butter it becomes a cereal similar to cream of wheat.
● Harissa is a paste of chilis and garlic used to enhance North African food. It is fairly popular in other parts of the Mideast, and is probably of Berber origin.
● Hoisin is a thick reddish brown, sweet and spicy sauce made from soybeans, garlic, chilies, and various spices. It's used as a condiment and flavoring agent in Chinese cooking.
● Hushpuppies, also known as corn dodgers, are deep-fried cornmeal dumplings. They are especially popular throughout the South.
● Indian Tacos were originally known as Navajo Tacos, but since other tribes have adopted them, they obtained the universal name. Indian Tacos are a combination of beans or ground beef, chopped lettuce, sliced tomato, shredded cheddar cheese, and optional green chile. These sit atop a plate-sized round of crispy Navajo or Indian Fry Bread. No plates or silverware are needed; you just top the fry bread with your desired fillings, roll it up, and enjoy.
● Known as the Mexican potato, jicama is a large root vegetable that's bulb-shaped with thin brown skin. It's found in most produce sections of larger grocery stores. Jicama's crunchy texture is similar to a water chestnut, but the taste is nutty and sweet.
● Kalamata olives are native to Greece but popular in America. These almond-shaped olives have a dark eggplant color and a pungent, fruity flavor. They are often split before being packing in oil or vinegar to allow the marinade to soak into the flesh.
● Key limes are about the size of golf balls. The fruits are pale yellow-green and the juice is yellow and very tart. It is grown in Florida, the Keys and other tropical places in the Caribbean. Popularly used in Key Lime Pie and in a Sunset Key, a cocktail made with amaretto.
● Kobe beef is considered the most exclusive beef in the world. It comes from the ancient province of Tajima (Kobe is the capitol). This beef comes from an ancient stock of cattle called kuroge wagyu (black haired Japanese cattle). Their diets are strictly controlled and during the final fattening process, cattle are fed hefty quantities of sake and beer mash. In addition, each animal gets a daily massage. The theory is that mellow, relaxed cows make good beef. And I can tell you, it does!
● The word lamington means layers of beaten gold. It is an Australian dessert made of little cubes of sponge cake, dipped in chocolate, then rolled in coconut. Often a add of layer raspberry or plum jam is added. They are served with tea in the afternoon.
● Malanga is the Spanish-Caribbean word for Taro root (or a close relative of Taro.) It is prepared by either boiling and mashing like potatoes, or slicing and frying into chips. It is also used in soups as a thickening agent. Taro is, of course, the basis of the Hawai'ian staple, poi.
● Maquechoux is a dish that the Cajun people of Louisiana got from the Native American tribes of southwest Louisiana. It is a vegetable dish which features fresh corn and can be varied by adding chicken, or crawfish.
● Masa is a paste made by soaking maize in lime and then grinding it up. Masa harina is the flour made by drying and powdering the result. It is used in Mexican cooking for items such as corn tortillas and tamales. The literal meaning is dough flour.
● Mascarpone is a rich, silky Italian cream cheese made with 60% to 75% milk fat. Its mild flavor works well in desserts such as tiramisu, or as a filling for ravioli.
● Miso is a fermented paste of grain and soybeans. It has the consistency of peanut butter, and comes in a wide variety of flavors and colors. Mix it with a little water before combining with other foods so that it will blend easily. Miso adds flavor to sauces, soups, and marinades. But it is high in sodium, so don't add salt or soy sauce to a recipe until tasting first.
● Muffuletta is an Italian sandwich that consists of a 10" round loaf of bread filled with Italian salami, olive salad, cheese, Italian ham, and freshly minced garlic. They key ingredient is the olive salad which gives the sandwich its special flavor. A true muffuletta Sandwich must always be served at room temperature, never toasted!
● Nutella is a thick smooth paste made from chocolate and hazelnuts. It is very popular in Europe and the UK. It can be spread on plain cookies, bread, toast, pancakes, or just eaten from the jar.
● Osso bucco is an Italian dish comprised of crosscut slices veal shanks braised with vegetables, aromatics, and stock. Osso Buco means literally bone with a hole.
● The dessert known as pavlova was invented in New Zealand. The main ingredients are sugar and egg white, forming both the crisp meringue outside and the soft marshmallow inside. Pavlovas are commonly topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit, especially kiwi fruit, passion fruit or strawberries.
● Pocky sticks are long, skinny wheat crackers dipped in various flavored toppings. These include chocolate, strawberry, milk/tea swirl, cinnamon, almond crunch and melon. Sometimes, the sticks and topping are in separate sections so the snacker can dip as desired.
● The pummelo is an exotic large citrus fruit, and is an ancestor of the common grapefruit. Pummelo is the largest of the citrus fruits, ranging from cantaloupe-size to as large as a 25-pound watermelon. They have a very thick, soft rind which is green to yellow and bumpy. The flesh is pinkish to rose. Used as you would grapefruit sections, for jams, jellies, marmalades and syrups.
● If you ask my husband and daughter, prosciutto is Italy's gift to the food world. It is mainly produced in the cities of Parma and San Daniele and the argument is eternal over whose is better. The actual production is a secret. The ham is seasoned and salt-cured (but not smoked), then it's air-dried, pressed, and sold thinly sliced. It's often eaten with fruit and cheese as an antipasto.
● Puttanesca is a pasta sauce made of tomatoes, onions, black olives, capers, anchovies, and chile flakes. Often, the ingredients are left raw, allowing the heat of the pasta to bring out the flavors. The name is derived from the Italian word for prostitute because these ladies are said to have created the dish.
● Queso Fresco is a mild, white Mexican cheese, similar in flavor and texture to feta. It doesn't melt but softens when heated. It's usually crumbled on top of dishes like tamales and tacos.
● Quinoa was once the staple food of the Incas and has just started to catch on in the U.S. It is a very small ivory-colored grain, which you can purchase in grain or flour form. It cooks like rice, but in half the time and expands much more. You must rinse the quinoa before cooking to remove the bitter taste.
● The Runza sandwich (aka Bierocks) are a bread pocket with a filling of beef, cabbage or sauerkraut, onions, and seasonings. They are baked in various shapes. The Official Nebraska Runza is always baked in a rectangular shape, and the Bierocks of Kansas are baked in the shape of a bun.
● Sashimi is sliced raw fish that is usually served with daikon radish, pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce. It is usually the first course in a Japanese meal. Because it's served raw, only the freshest and highest-quality fish should be used for sashimi.
● Scungilli is a mollusk similar to, found in more temperate waters than, the conch. It has a darker meat and stronger flavor, and is less sweet. This is more properly known as whelk. They are usually served removed from their shell and steamed.
● Tahini is much like peanut butter but is made from crushed sesame seeds. It can be used as a sandwich spread, or mixed with other seasonings such as garlic and onion or cayenne pepper for a tasty dip or salad dressing. Tahini is a key ingredient in hummus, the traditional Middle Eastern chickpea spread.
● Tamarind are the fruit of a tree native to Asia and North Africa. The large brown pods contain small seeds and sweet-sour pulp. This pulp is a common flavoring in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines and is used much like lemon juice.
● Terasi is a pungent shrimp paste. Used in very small quantities, it may be crushed with spices, grilled or fried before adding to other ingredients. Also known as balachan , kapi and ngapi.
● Becoming a popular dish at Thanksgiving, turducken is a de-boned chicken inside a de-boned duck inside a de-boned turkey, with three kinds of stuffing layered between the meats. From the outside it looks like a turkey, but when you cut through it, you see a series of rings making up the three birds and stuffing.
● Vegemite is a thick brown paste made mostly from yeast extract. Most commonly spread thinly on toast or sandwiches. The taste is mostly salt plus yeast. Despite the occasional rumor, neither this nor its relative Marmite contains any meat.
● Often confused with sweet potatoes yams are actually a tropical tuber that contain more sugar and moisture. Colors vary from white to purple to dark brown, and sizes range from tiny to huge. They can be difficult to find in the U.S., but if found, select those with unwrinkled skin.
● Yukon Gold potatoes are a relatively new variety found in markets. They have a moist smooth texture and are great for mashed potatoes. The skin and flesh of a Yukon Gold ranges from buttery yellow to gold.
● Zabaglione is a frothy Italian dessert made of egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine. This mixture is whipped in a double boiler until light and is served immediately as a sauce with fresh berries or over cake, ice cream, or pastry. Different spirits such as amaretto or brandy, can be substituted for the wine. The French call this Sabayon.
So, that's the list for today. I hope you've learned something new; perhaps a different technique or an interesting food you'd like to try. I know there are regional delicacies that you are just dying to tell everyone about so let's hear it!
I'm sure I will be able to get a new diary on phrases and sayings done in 2 weeks. I sure hope so. Gosh, it seems everyone is in re-runs!!! ;-)