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AIOLI
a cold egg and oil emulsion with olive oil and garlic.
ALFREDO
(al-FRAY-doh)
A rich sauce of butter, grated parmesan cheese, heavy cream and plentiful
grindings of black pepper. Roman restaurateur Alfredo di Lello is credited
with creating this dish in the 1920s.
A
LA CARTE
a menu term signifying that each item is priced seperately.
AU
JUS (oh-ZHOO)
A French phrase describing meat served with its own natural juices,
commonly used with beef
AVOCADO
Native to the tropics and subtropics, this rich fruit is known for its
lush, buttery texture and mild, faintly nutlike flavor. The
two most widely marketed avocado varieties are the pebbly textured,
almost black Haas and the green Fuerte, which has a thin, smooth skin.
BAGEL
(BAY-guhl)
A doughnut-shaped yeast roll with a dense, chewy texture and shiny crust.
Bagels are boiled in water before they're baked. The water bath reduces
starch and creates a chewy crust.
BALSAMIC VINEGAR
Made
from white Trebbiano grape juice, gets its dark color and pungent sweetness
from aging in barrels of various woods and in graduating sizes over
a period of years.
BASIL
called the "royal herb" by ancient Greeks,
this annual is a member of the mint family. Fresh basil has a pungent
flavor that some describe as a cross between licorice and cloves. It's
a key herb in Mediterranean cooking, essential to delicious Italian
Pesto, and becoming more and more popular in American cuisine.
BLACKENED
A cooking technique
made famous by New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme by which meat or fish
is cooked in a cast-iron skillet that's been heated until almost red
hot. The food is customarily rubbed with a cajun spice mixture before
being cooked. The extra hot skillet combined with the seasoning rub
gives food an extra crispy crust.
BLUE
CRAB
Named because of
its blue claws and oval, dark blue-green shell, the blue crab is found
along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. It is marketed in both its hard-
and soft-shell stages.
BOULE
French
for "ball", referring culinarily to a round loaf of white
bread.
BORSCHT
A beet soup served hot or cold, usually with sour cream.
BROCCOLI
This
emerald-green vegetable comes in tight clusters of tiny buds that sit
on sout, edible stems. It is available year-round, with a peak season
from October through April. Look for broccoli with a deep, stern color
-- green or green with purple; the buds should be tightly closed and
the leaves crisp. Broccoli, a member of the cruciferous family is an
excellent source of vitamins A and C, as well as riboflavin, calcium
and iron.
BROIL
To
cook food directly under or above the heat source. Food can be broiled
in an oven directly under the gas or electric heat source, or on a barbecue
grill, directly over charcoal or other heat source.
BRUSCHETTA
(broo-SKEH-tah; broo-SHEH-tah)
From the Italian bruscare meaning "to roast over coals," this
traditional garlic bread is made by rubbing slices of toasted bread
with garlic cloves, then drizzling the bread with extra-virgin olive
oil. The bread is salted and peppered, then heated and served warm.
BRUNOIS
cutting
of vegetables into very small dice (2mm x 2mm x 2mm)
BUFFALO
WINGS
Buffalo,
New York's, Anchor Bar originated this dish of deep-fried chicken wings
served in a spicy hot sauce and accompanied by blue-cheese dressing.
CAESAR SALAD
A
salad consisting of greens (classically, romaine lettuce) tossed with
a garlic vinaigrette dressing (made with Worcestershire sauce and lemon
juice), grated Parmesan cheese, croutons, a coddles egg and sometimes
anchovies. It is said to have been created in 1924 by Italian chef Caesar
Cardini, who owned a restaurant in Tujuana, Mexico.
CAPERS
The flower bud of a bush native to the
Mediterranean and parts of Asia. The small buds are picked, sun-dried
and then pickled in a vinegar brine. Capers should be rinsed before
using to remove excess salt. The pungent flavor of capers lends piquancy
to many sauces and condiments; they're also used as a garnish for meat
and vegetable dishes.
CAVATAPPI
Short, ridged, spiral macaroni.
CHARBROIL
to broil on a rack over hot charcoal.
CHESTNUT
there are many varieties of chestnut and the tress are
common through Europe, Asia, and the Uniter States. Once peeled of their
hard, dark brown outer shells and bitter skin, chestnuts can be roasted,
boiled, pureed, preserved and candied. These nuts ar eused in desserts
or as a main dish accompaniment.
CHIPOTLE
CHILE (chih-POHT-lay)
This hot chile is actually a dried, smoked jalapeno. It has wrinkled,
dark brown skin and a smoky, sweet, almost chocolaty flavor.
CHORIZO
a type of sausage.
COBB
SALAD
Hollywood's Brown Derby Restaurant made this salad famous. It consists
of finely chopped chicken or turkey, bacon, hard-cooked eggs, tomatoes,
avocado, scallions, watercress, cheddar cheese and lettuce tossed with
a vinaigrette dressing and topped with an ample portion
of crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese.
CROSTINI
(kroh-STEE-nee)
Meaning
"little toasts" in Italian, crostini are small, thin slices
of toasted bread, which are usually brushed with olive oil.
FOCACCIA
(foh-KAH-chee-ah)
This Italian bread begins by being shaped into a large, flat round that
is liberally brushed or drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt.
GENOA
SALAMI
a highly seasoned sausage of pork and beef either dried
or fresh
GALANGAL
a rhizone with a hot, ginger-peppery flavor, galangal
is used pimerily as a seasoning.
GARLIC
a
member of the lily family, garlic is a cousin to leeks, chives, onions
and shallots
HOLLANDAISE
SAUCE
this smooth, rich, creamy sauce is generally used to
embellish vegetables, fish and eggs dishes, such as the classic eggs
benedict. It's made with butter, egg yolks and lemon juice, usually
in a double boiler to prevent overheating, and served warm.
JALAPENO
CHILE (hah-lah-PEH-nyoh)
Named after Jalapa, the capital of Veracruz, Mexico, these smooth, dark
green (scarlet red when ripe) chiles range from hot to very hot.
JAMBALAYA
a versatile dish that conbines cooked rice with a variety
of ingredients including tomatoes, onion, green peppers and almost any
kind of meat and poultry or shellfish.
JULIENNE
(joo-lee-EHN; zhoo-LYEHN)
Foods that have been cut into thin, matchstick strips.
KIELBASA
(kihl-BAH-sah; keel-BAH-sah)
Also called kielbasy or Polish sausage, this smoked sausage is usually
made of pork, though beef can also be added.
LINGUINE
(lihn-GWEE-nee)
Italian for "little tongues", linguine are long, narrow, flat
noodles sometimes referred to as "flat spaghetti".
MARGARITA
(mahr-gah-REE-tah)
A cocktail made with tequila, an orange-flavored liqueur (usually Triple
Sec) and lime juice. The rim of the glass is traditionally dipped in
lime juice, then coarse salt. A margarita may be served straight up
or on the rocks. It can also be blended with ice into a slushy consistency.
MARINADE (MEHR-ih-nayd)
A seasoned liquid in which foods such as meat, fish and vegetables are
soaked (marinated) in order to absorb flavor and, in some instances,
to be tenderized. Most marinades contain an acid (lemon juice, vinegar
or wine) and herbs or spices.
MARINARA
SAUCE (mah-ree-NAHR-uh)
A highly seasoned Italian tomato sauce made with onions, garlic and
oregano.
MESQUITE
(meh-SKEET)
A low-slung hardwood tree that grows wild throughout the southwestern
United States and northern Mexico. Used in barbecuing and smoking foods,
mesquite wood gives off a slightly sweet smoke.
PANINI
(pah-NEE-nee), pl.
Italian for "roll" or "biscuit".
PANKO
(PAHN-koh)
Bread crumbs used in Japanese cooking for coating fried foods. They
are coarser than those normally used in the United States and create
a deliciously crunchy crust. Panko is sold in Asian markets.
PANSOTTI
italian for "pot bellied," culinarily describing
triangular-shaped stuffed pasta with pink edges.
PENNE
(PEN-nay)
Large, straight tubes of macaroni cut along the diagonal.
PETIT
SIRAH
This
wine has a rich, dark purple color with aromas of cola, blueberry, blackberry
and vanilla. Flavors combine with well-integrated tannins to produce
a medium-bodied supple wine. Ready to drink now, this wine will compliment
bar-be-queued ribs or hearty pasta dishes.
PINE
NUT
this high-fat nut comes from several varieties of pine
trees. It's torpedo shaped and has a light, delicate flavor
POACHING
to cook food gently in liquid just below the boiling
point when the liquid's surface is beginning to shoe some quivering
movement.
PRIME
RIB
The term prime rib is often incorrectly used as a label
for what is actually a Rib Roast. In cooking, the term prime actually
refers to the highest USDA beef grade. It's only given to the finest
beef, hallmarked by even marbling and a creamy layer of fat. Very little
prime beef makes it past the better hotels and restaurants or prestige
butchers. The best grade of beef generally found in supermarkets is
USDA Choice. Therefore, although prime rib is how rib roast is often
labeled, chances are that it's USDA Choice beef.
PROVOLONE
CHEESE (proh-voh-LOH-nee)
This southern Italian cow's milk-cheese has a firm texture and a mild,
smoky flavor. It has a golden brown rind and comes in various forms.
As the cheese ripens, the color becomes a richer yellow and the flavor
more pronounced.
PUMPERNICKEL
(PUHM-puhr-nihk-uhl)
A coarse dark bread with a slightly sour taste. Pumpernickel is usually
made of a high portion of rye flour and a small amount of wheat flour.
Molasses is often used to add both color and flavor.
RÉMOULADE
SAUCE (ray-muh-LAHD)
This classic French sauce is made by combining mayonnaise (usually homemade)
with mustard, capers and chopped gherkins, herbs and anchovies. It is
served chilled as an accompaniment to cold meat, fish and shellfish.
REUBEN
SANDWICH (ROO-behn)
Reportedly originally named or its creator, Arthur Reuben (owner of
New York's once-famous and now-defunct Reuben's delicatessen), this
sandwich is made with generous layers of corned beef, Swiss cheese and
sauerkraut on sourdough rye bread. Reuben is said to have created the
original version for Annette Seelos, the leading lady in a Charlie Chaplin
film being shot in 1914.
RICE
VINEGAR
There
are Japanese as well as Chinese rice vinegars, both made from fermented
rice, and both slightly milder than most Western vinegars.
ROAST
To oven-cook food in an uncovered pan. The food is exposed
to high heat which produces a well-browned surface and seals in the
juices. Reasonably tender pieces of meat or poultry should be used for
roasting. Food that is going to be roasted for a long time may be barded
to prevent drying out.
ROMAINE
LETTUCE
(roy-MAYN)
Romaine's elongated head has dark green outer leaves that lighten to
pale celadon in the center. The leaves are crisp and slightly bitter
and the crunchy midrib is particularly succulent. Romaine is the lettuce
choice for CAESAR salads.
SAUERKRAUT
(SOW-uhr-krowt)
Although sauerkraut -- German for "sour cabbage" -- is thought
of a s a German invention, Chinese laborers building the Great Wall
of China over 2000 years ago ate it as standard fare. Chinese sauerkraut,
made from shredded cabbage fermented in Rice Wine, eventually found
its way to Europe, where the Germans and Alsations adopted it as a favorite.
Today's sauerkraut is made by combining shredded cabbage, salt and sometimes
spices, and allowing the mixture to ferment.
SAUTÉ
to quickly brown vegetables or meat in a small amount
of fat.
SEA
BASS
A
term used to describeany of various saltwater fish, most of which aren't
members of the Bass family. Sea bass can be found whole and in steaks
or fillets. In general, the flesh is lean to moderately fat and is suitable
for almost any method of cooking including baking, broiling, poching
and sautéing.
SHALLOTS
(SHAL-uht;
shuh-LOT)
The name of this onion-family member comes from Ascalon, an ancient
Palestinian city where the shallot is thought to have originated. Shallots
are more like garlic than onions, with a head composed of multiple cloves,
each covered with a thin, papery skin.
SIRLOIN
a cut of meat and especially of beef from the part of
the hindquarter just in front of the round
SOURDOUGH
BREAD
A
bread with a slightly sour, tangy flavor created by using a special
Yeast Starter as the leavener.
TAGLIATELLE
A dish
made with narrow strips of pasta.
TARRAGON (TEHR-uh-gon;
TEHR-uh-guhn)
Narrow, pointed, dark green leaves distinguish this perennial aromatic
herb known for its distinctive aniselike flavor.
TILAPIA
(tuh-LAH-pee-up)
An important food fish in Africa for eons, tilapia are aquacultured
around the world from Asia, to South America, to the United States and
Canada. The lowfat flesh of the tilapia is white (sometimes tinged with
pink), sweet and fine-textured. It's suitable for baking, broiling,
grilling and steaming.
VINAIGRETTE
(vihn-uh-GREHT)
One of the five "mother sauces," vinaigrette is a basic oil-and-vinegar
combination, generally used to dress salad greens and other cold vegetable,
meat or fish dishes. In its simplest form, vinaigrette consists of oil,
vinegar (usually 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar), salt and pepper. More
elaborate variations can include any of various ingredients such as
spices, herbs, shallots, onions, mustard, etc.
WATER
CHESTNUTS
The
edible tuber of a water plant indigenous to Southeast Asia. The water
chestnut's brownish-black skin resembles that of a true chestnut, but
its flesh is white, crunchy and juicy. The flavor is bland with a hint
of sweetness. Water chestnuts are very popular in Asian cooking, especially
stir-fried dishes where the crunchy texture is a standout.
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