| Term | Definition
|
|---|
| Bagoong | An Asian fish sauce from the Philippines. It is
a salty liquid from salted, cured, and fermented
fish or shrimp. Used to flavor many Asian dishes.
|
| baste | To brush food as it cooks with butter, meat
drippings, or stock. Basting keeps baked or
roasted foods moist.
|
| beard to tail | For crustaceans such as shrimp or lobster, once the head and body have been removed what is left is cut "beard to tail" or top to bottom on the underside to extract the meat.
|
| bechamel sauce | A French white sauce made with milk and a roux
of butter and flour. A thin sauce is made
with 1 tbsp each butter and flour to 1 cup of
milk. For medium sauce, use 2 tbsp each, and
for a thick sauce, use 3 tbsp each.
|
| beef tartare | Finely chopped, high quality beef, seasoned with
salt, pepper, and herbs, and served raw.
|
| bell pepper | The best known of American sweet peppers it belongs to the Capsicum family like the chile pepper but is mild, sweet flavored and crisp.
Though most often bright green, there are also red, yellow, orange, purple and brown varieties. They may be used in cooking or eaten raw, with seeds and stems removed.
|
| beni shoga | Ginger root pickled with sweet vinegar and colored
red. Often served with sushi in thin slices.
Also known as gari.
|
| berbere | Ethiopian spice blend used in stews and soups.
|
| besan | Indian flour made from ground, dried chickpeas.
Used as a thickener, and in doughs and noodles.
Highly nutritious.
|
| beurre blanc | French sauce, meaning "white butter". Made with
wine, vinegar, and shallots reduced over heat,
into which butter is whisked until the sauce is
thick.
|
| bitters | Bitter flavored distillation of herbs, bark,
roots, and plants. Used in cocktails and cooking.
The most popular brand is Angostura bitters.
|
| blanch | A cooking technique of placing food into boiling
water for a short time, then in cold water to
stop cooking.
|
| blanquette | A French term for creamy stew made of veal, chicken, or lamb, mushrooms and whole small white onions.
|
| blintz | A very thin pancake, rolled around a filling and
sauteed until golden brown.
|
| bockwurst | A German sausage made with ground veal and herbs.
|
| bone | When used as a cooking verb, it means to remove
the bones.
|
| borscht | A Russian or Polish soup made with beef stock,
beets, and other vegetables or meat. Traditionally
topped with sour cream. Served hot or cold.
|
| boudin | Boudin blanc is a French sausage made with chicken, pork, fat, eggs, cream, bread crumbs and seasonings.
In Louisiana it is made with pork, rice and onions.
|
| bouillon | A strained broth made by cooking any vegetable,
meat, seafood, or poultry in water. Used for
soups and sauces.
|
| bouquet | Refers to the fragrance of wine.
|
| braise | A cooking technique of browning meat, then slow
cooking in a tightly covered container with a
small amount of liquid.
|
| brown sugar | Granulated or white sugar combined with molasses giving it a soft texture. Dark brown sugar has a heavier molasses flavor and light brown sugar, a more delicate taste.
|
| bubble and squeak | An English side dish made with mashed potatoes
and cooked cabbage, mixed together and fried.
|
| bulger | Steamed, dried, and crushed wheat kernels. Used
in Middle-Eastern dishes like Tabbouleh.
|
| Bundt pan | A round baking pan with a tube in the middle and
fluted sides. Bundt was a trademarked name,
but now the term is generic.
|
| butterfly | A preparation technique of splitting an item
down the center, nearly completely through,
so the halves can be opened and laid flat,
looking like a butterfly (though a meaty, dead
one.)
|
| Byrrh | French drink of combined red wine and quinine
water.
|
| Caesar salad | Famous salad first made by Caesar Cardini in
Tijuana, Mexico. Romaine lettuce and croutons
are tossed with garlic, olive oil, lemon
juice, anchovy, egg, and Worcestershire sauce.
An editor favorite is to substitute crisp chopped
celery for the croutons.
|
| caldo verde | A Portugese soup made with kale, potatoes, and
liguica sausage.
|
| cambric tea | An American beverage of milk, water, sugar, and
tea, served hot.
|
| Next page... |
