food dictionary

A French term used for a sheet of pastry.

Spread a pastry sheet to the desired thickness. The name of the pastry sheet is called abaisse.

A type of French sausage made with the stomach and intestines of the pig and can comprise other part such as neck, breast, head or heart, and enclosed in a black skin. According to Wikipedia, andouille is French in origin, and was later brought to the United States through Louisiana by French immigrants. In the United States, the sausage is most often associated with Cajun cooking. Andouille sausages are sometimes referred to as "hot link" sausages.

A type of French sausage made with the stomach and intestines of the pig and can comprise other part such as neck, breast, head or heart, and enclosed in a black skin. According to Wikipedia, andouille is French in origin, and was later brought to the United States through Louisiana by French immigrants. In the United States, the sausage is most often associated with Cajun cooking. Andouille sausages are sometimes referred to as "hot link" sausages.

An Italian name for cold hors-d'œuvres, usually comprised of Parma ham with figs, or a cheese fondue. It usually includes marinated vegetables, fish, seafood with lemons, olives, artichoke hearts, mushroom salad, etc., all served as cocktail snacks, before the meal. Ante (before), pasto (meal).

The Argan is a spiny tree which is cultivated in the south-west of Morocco. Argan oil, extracted from the fruit of the tree, can be used, in very small quantity, in dishes with sweet-sour meat, vegetables or fruits.

Any fragrant plant used as a condiment or to add flavor. Some can be used for their leaves (basil, marjoram, tarragon, mint), some for their flower buds (caper), some for their seeds (dill, coriander, mustard), some for their fruits (juniper), some for their roots (horseradish), some for their stems (savory, wild thyme) or some for their bulbs (garlic and onion).

Mezze, or vegetable side dish, eaten throughout the Middle East.  It is made by grilling the flesh of eggplant, pureing with garlic, lemon juice, salt and olive oil (sometimes tahini).  It is know as the "poor man's caviar", its literal translation meaning "spoiled old daddy" in Lebanese.

A tray, usually with a slightly raised edge, on which you can place any kind of food, to be baked in the oven.

The action of moistening food that cooks in the oven, by spooning or brushing over the rendered fat or the cooking juices. It has to be repeated several times.

A mix of butter and flour, used to thicken soups, sauces, stews, etc., towards the end of their cooking time. You have to use equal quantities of butter and flour. Soften the butter first and then add the flour little by little until creamy and homogenous. Add small quantity to the simmering liquid, while whisking or stirring. Incorporate well before adding more. Then bring to a boil and simmer for at least 3 minutes, to allow the flour to cook.

Electric appliance used to blend, crush or liquify. There are two types of blenders, handheld and goblet.

Sicilian cold hors-d'œuvre, usually made with eggplants, celery and tomatoes., fried in olive oil and marinated.

Active component of chile peppers, which are plants in the Capsicum family.  Capsaicin is an irritant to mammals, including humans, and produce a burning sensation when in contact with tissue.

Long, two-pronged fork used to hold meat steady while it is being carved.

Large knife (between 8 and 15 inches) used to slice thin cuts of meat, including poultry, roasts, hams, and other large cooked meats. It is much thinner than a chef's knife (especially at the spine), making it perfect to carve thinner, more precise slices. It is generally shorter and wider than a slicing knife.

Also known as a cook's knife or French knife, the chef's knife is an all-purpose knife that is curved to allow the cook to rock the knife on the cutting board for a more precise cut. The broad and heavy blade also serves for chopping bone instead of the cleaver making this knife the all-purpose heavy knife for food preparation. Chef's knives are most commonly available between 6 and 12 inches, though 8 inches is the most common size.

A plant with aromatic properties, originating from central Asia, but now common throughout Europe, used as an herb.  Used in soups, sauces (notably béarnaise), and fish recipes.  it should be added at the end of the cooking since it loses its flavor after prolonged heating.

A strainer of conical shape, with a handle.

A North African ingredient, usually made with hard wheat semolina  and sometimes barley. In Tunisia, they make couscous with green wheat. It is also the name of the national dish of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.  The couscous is served with a spicy stew of chicken or meat and vegetables.

Contrary to many people's belief, curry is not a powder. This was in fact a British invention, or misrepresentation of spiced Indian dishes. From the word kari, meaning sauce, curry is not a particular dish seasoned with the same spices over and over. It is used to describe the Indian sauces served with rice or other foods. In India, the spices in kari can vary from cook to cook, in the different regions, castes and customs. The spices also tend to complement the dish with which the curry will be eaten.

Rectangular, round or oval piece of wood or plastic, used to cut, slice and chop everything from vegetables and fruits, to meats and fish.

White-skinned raddish, widely cultivated in the Far East.  You can use daikon raw or in cooked dish.  Great addition to salads when grated, or as a pickle.

Large, heavy cooking pot with close-fitting lid, made of cast-iron, used to cook over an open fire. Nowadays, it is also used to describe a pot used for cooking in the oven or on top of the stove.

Large deer, also known as a moose in North America. The meat is prepared the same way as venison, better on the medium-rare side since there is very little fat.

Result of the dispersion of one liquid (in a slow stream or tiny drops) in another liquid, with which it does not mix.  Oil-in-water emulsions are common in food. For example: vinaigrette, mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce.

Escargot is a dish of cooked snails, usually served as a first course.  Escargot is the French word for snail. Not all species are edible, but many are.

Foie gras is made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been grossly enlarged, by fattening the bird. It is usually achieved through gavage (force-feeding) corn, according to French law. However, outside of France, it is sometimes produced using natural feeding.

The production of foie gras, through gavage, is viewed by many as cruel and inhumane.  That is why the subject is so controversial.  Many countries and jurisdictions have established laws forbidding force-feeding or the sale of foie gras.

Versatile kitchen appliance that can quickly and easily chop, slice, shred, grind, and puree almost any food. Some can also help in making juice, beating cake batter, kneading dough, beating egg whites, and grinding meats and vegetables.

A Spanish soup, prepared with bread and vegetables (cucumber, onion, tomato, red bell pepper).  It is usually seasoned with olive oil and garlic, with a hint of vinegar.  This soup is served ice cold.  There are numerous variants depending on the region, but it is originally from Seville.

In a poultry, the inner parts that are edible, including the gizzard, heart, liver and kidneys, and the external giblets, including the head, neck, wingtips and feet.

In birds, it's a digestive pouch, made of a thick muscle.

The golden crust appearing on the surface of a dish when it is browned in the oven, under broil. To accomplish this, one usually adds cheese, breadcrumbs or eggs and breadcrumbs on top of the dish.

Unsmoked bacon from Italy, more precisely Umbria and Lazio, in central Italy.  It is prepared with the jowl or cheeks of a pig.  You can use guanciale in traditional Italian dishes like pasta all'amatriciana and spaghetti alla carbonara.  If guanciale is not available, the closest substitute would be pancetta. Its name is derived from guancia, Italian for cheek. Guanciale is similar to the jowl bacon of the United States.

Heart of palm, also called palm heart, is a vegetable harvested from the inner core and growing bud of certain palm trees (notably the coconut, Palmito Juçara, Açaí palm, sabal and pejibaye). It is costly because harvesting in the wild kills the tree. When harvesting the cultivated young palm, the tree is cut down and the bark is removed leaving layers of white fibers around the center core. The fibers are removed leaving the center core or heart of palm. It is attached to a slightly more fibrous cylindrical base with a larger diameter. The entire cylindrical center core and the attached base are edible. The center core is considered more of a delicacy because of its low fiber content.

Hot sauce made from the emulsion of egg yolks and clarified butter.  It is also the base for many other sauces, like the mousseline.

The honing steel is not a sharpener. A honing steel straightens the blade while a sharpener sharpens it. A honing steel is a rod made of steel, ceramic, or diamond, generally about 1 foot long, but can be longer and about ¼ to ½ inch thick. It is used to hone a knife blade after sharpening in order to restore the edge and improve its cutting ability.

Fungus which grows naturally on ears of corn (Ustilago maydis).  It is harvested and treated as a delicacy (hence its reference to being the Mexican corn truffle). The earthy and somewhat smoky fungus is used to flavor tamales, quesadillas, soups and other dishes.

French term for the dessert Floating Islands.  Very light dessert of egg whites and sugar, cooked in a bain marie, usually served with caramel.

Cooktop using induction heat.  The heat is generated directly in the cooking vessel, as opposed to being generated in the stovetop (as by electrical coils or burning gas) and then transferred to the cooking vessel.  Beneath the glass-ceramic surface of the cooktop is a magnetic field generator that controls a coil, which is the inductor.  Any magnetic metal saucapan or skillet (no aluminium, copper or glass) placed on the surface will close the magnetic field and then follows the creation of induction currents.  Through this, the content and the cooking vessel get the heat, but the rest of the cooktop remains cold.

Originally from India, the jackfruit is from a tropical tree.  it is oval and presents small protuberances.  Its skin is bluish, green, yellow or brown. The flesh is white and contains a lot of large seeds.  You can add it to stews, or bake it, and treat the seeds as you would chestnuts.

Berries from the juniper tree.  Used in cooking and in the process of wine making due to their pungent flavour.  You can use them whole or ground.  They are particularily popular in Scandinavian cooking.  It is also the main flavor in the highly aromatic brandy known as genièvre in France.  English gin, as well as many schnapps and brandies use juniper berries for their flavoring.

Also known as collard or kail.  Vegetable in the cabbage family. Dark green with large, coarse leaves.  It takes its origines in Mediterranean countries.  It is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties.  Kale is also considered to be anti-inflammatory.  Prepare it sautéed in olive oil with salt and pepper, or cook it any way you would a cabbage.

Kimchi is a Korean preparation based on Peking cabbage (with other vegetables, often white radishes, red peppers, garlicn and ginger) along with varied seasonings, and then fermented. There are many varieties of kimchi, some including as many as 87 ingredients. Kimchi is the most common side dish in Korean cuisine. It is also a main ingredient for many popular Korean dishes such as kimchi stew, kimchi soup, and kimchi fried rice.

A ladle is a type of spoon used to scoop up and serve soup or other liquids. Although designs vary, a typical ladle has a long handle terminating in a deep bowl, frequently with the bowl oriented at an angle to the handle to facilitate lifting liquid out of a pot or other vessel and conveying it to a bowl.

A small French sponge cake in the shape of a rounded shell. They are made with sugar, flour, melted butter and eggs, and are usually flavored with lemon or orange.

One who loves pork;  "little pig" in Italian

A kitchen utensil used for slicing and cutting, made of two adjustable blades.

A light and sweet mixture of stiffly whisked egg whites and sugar, which, when baked, becomes crisp and hard.  There are three different types of meringue: French, Italian and Swiss.

Food prepared Milan-style. Usually consists of slices of meat, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs mixed with Parmesan cheese. You then fry in clarified butter.

Culinary preparation from the 18th century (by the cook of Duc de Lévis-Mirepoix). It is made of diced carrots, onion and celery. It is used to enhance the flavor of meat, game and fish, in the preparation of sauces (especially espagnole sauce) and as a garnish.

A Japanese rice liquid, made with spirit, referred to as rice wine. it is used in cooking.

Soft, flat Indian bread, made from wheat flour and cooked in a tandoor oven.  This bread is common in India, as well as in many Central Asian countries, such as Pakistan and Afghanistan.  The measurments of flour, the way it is mixed, the shape and the cooking techniques change with the region.

Name given to dishes originating from the Nice region.  The most common ingredients are garlic, olives, anchovies, tomatoes and green beans.

Name of the Japanese edible seaweed.  It has been used for centuries in Japanese cooking.  There are several varieties.  It is the fine dried sheets used to wrap rice in rolled sushi, however, it can also be shredded, in flakes or powdered.

Seed of the nutmeg tree.  Originally from Indonesia, it is now widely cultivated in Asia and America.  The most commonly known variety is the nutmeg tree of the Sunda Islands.  Its flavor is spicy and it's always used grated.  You should store your nutmeg in an airtight container.  You can use nutmeg for a variety of dishes, sweet or savory.

Tropical plant cultivated as a vegetable, grown for its pods.  It contains small seeds and a mucus substance.  Okra first came from Africa or Asia, and it was introduced in America by the slaves.  It is now a typical ingredient of Caribbean cuisine.  When it is green and pulpy is when the okra is used.  The seeds are then not completely formed.  The best method to cook okra is stir-frying and deep-frying, as okra retains its texture and does not become slimy.

Two important polyunsaturated fatty acids are linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. Linoleic acid is used to build omega-6 fatty acids and alpha-linolenic acid is used to build omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids cannot be synthesized in the body and must be supplied by what we eat. They are called essential fatty acids. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are important in the normal functioning of all tissues of the body. You should make sure you include good sources of omega-3 and omega-6 each day.

Omega-6 fatty acids can be found in leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts, grains and vegetable oils (corn, safflower, soybean, cottonseed, sesame, sunflower). Most diets provide adequate amounts of omega-6. Unless you eat a diet that is extremely low in fat, it is very easy to get more than enough omega-6. Supplementation of omega-6 is usually not necessary.

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in less foods than omega-6 fatty acids. Many people have a very low intake of omega-3s. Since omega-6 fatty acids compete with omega-3 fatty acids for use in the body, it is important to take these fatty acids in the proper ratio. The World Health Organization recommends a ratio of 5:1 to 10:1 omega-6 to omega-3. While a ratio between 1:1 and 4:1 is often considered as being optimal.  Good sources of omega-3 include ground flaxseeds, oils (like flaxseed oil, linseed oil, canola oil, walnut oil, wheat germ oil and soybean oil), green leafy vegetables (like lettuce, broccoli, kale, spinach and purslane), legumes, and citrus fruits, melons, and cherries.

Herb with pungent flavor, also known as wild marjoram.  It's an important ingredient in Italian cuisine, and is grown widely there, as well as in parts of America, where its flavor is less pungent.

Italian dish, originally from Milan, it means literally "bone with a hole".  It's basically veal shanks braised in white wine, with onion and tomato.  It is generally served with gremolata (osso bucco alla gremolata), a mixture of parsley, lemon and/or orange zest and garlic.

Oxtail is the culinary name for the tail of cattle. The tail is skinned and cut into short lengths for sale.  Oxtail is a bony, gelatinous meat, and is usually slow-cooked, often stewed or braised. It is a good stock base for a soup.

Traditional Spanish rice dish garnished with vegetables, chicken and seafood.  Paella was first prepared in Valencia, and the three main ingredients are rice, saffron and olive oil.

Parchment paper, also known as baking parchment paper, is a cellulose-based paper that is used as a disposable non-stick surface intended for use in baking.

Small knife with a plain edge blade ideal for peeling and performing other small or intricate work (such as deveining a shrimp, cutting small garnishes, etc.). It is designed as an all-purpose knife, similar to a chef's knife, but smaller. Paring knives are usually between 2½ to 4 inches long.

Seeds of a plant (Chenopodium quinoa), cultivated in South America, for its leaves and seeds.

According to Wikipedia: Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthy choice for vegetarians and vegans. Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.

A small and round soufflé dish with straight sides. Usually 3-4 inches in diameter, made of ovenproof china or glass.

A rolling pin is a cylindrical utensil used to shape and flatten dough. Two styles of rolling pins are found; roller and rods. Roller types consists of a thick cylindrical roller with small handles at each end; rod type rolling pins are usually thin tapered batons. Rolling pins of different styles and materials offer advantages over another, as they are used for different tasks in cooking and baking

The amount of salt contained in a liquid.

General-purpose knife originating in Japan. Its unbolstered blade, which is typically between 5 and 8 inches long, has a flat edge and a sheepsfoot blade that curves in an angle approaching 60 degrees at the point. The top of the santoku's handle is in line with the top of the blade, giving the chef's fingers plenty of room underneath.

The word santoku loosely translates as 'three virtues' or 'three uses', a reference to the three cutting tasks the knife performs so well: slicing, dicing and mincing.

Vessel with vertical sides about the same height as their diameter, used for simmering or boiling. Saucepans generally have one long handle. Larger pots of the same shape generally have two handles close to the sides of the pot (so they can be lifted with both hands), and are called soup pots (3–12 liters). Saucepans and soup pots are measured by volume (usually 1–8 liters). While soup pots often resemble Dutch ovens, they do not have the same heat capacity. Ironically, the saucepan is not the ideal vessel to use for making sauces. It is more efficient to use saucepans with sloping sides, called Windsor pans, or saucepans with rounded sides, called sauciers. These provide quicker evaporation than straight sided pans, and make it easier to stir a sauce while reducing.

The action of adding various ingredients in certain quantities to a dish, to give it a certain taste or to increase its palatability, without changing its ingredients. Seasoning requires a precise knowledge in order to bring out the best of the dish.

Basically, kitchen scissors, though they can be used for different tasks that could be performed by a knife, like chopping herbs.

Used for sieving, draining, straining, or sifting.

Pan used for frying, searing, and browning food. It is usually a 8 to 12 inches diameter flat pan with sides that are much lower than the pan diameter and usually (though not always) flared outwards, and no lid.

Serves a similar function to a carving knife, but it is generally longer and narrower. Slicers may have plain or serrated edges. Those knives often incorporate blunted or rounded tips. Slicers are designed to precisely cut smaller and thinner slices of meat, and are more flexible in order to accomplish this task. As such, many cooks find them better suited to slicing meats.

A utility knife is between a chef's knife and paring knife in size, generally too fragile for heavier cutting tasks, and not well suited to fine tasks, the utility knife has declined in popularity. They are usually between about 4 and 7 inches in length.

The yuzu is a citrus fruit, originated from China, and now cultivated in Japan.  It looks like a small grapefruit with an unshapely green skin, which turns yellow when the fruit is ripe.  The yuzu is used in sauces, desserts and marmalade.  You can use it instead of lemon in traditional dishes.  You can find it fresh, in powder and in paste.