| Term | Definition
|
|---|
| a la mode | A French term meaning "in the mode of", describing
how a dish is prepared. Americanized to mean
ice cream with your pie.
|
| acini de pepe | Italian for "peppercorns", these are tiny peppercorn-shaped pasta.
|
| Aioli | A strongly flavored garlic mayonnaise, often with other herbs added, from the Provence region of southern France. It often accompanies meat, fish or vegetables.
|
| al dente | An Italian term, usually referring to pasta, used
to describe the texture of slight resistence
when bitten. The meaning of the phrase is
"to the tooth." Dentists, perhaps, mean something
else.
|
| Albacore | A variety of tuna fish, with white meat and a
high fat content.
|
| Albumen | Egg whites.
|
| alfredo | A rich sauce of butter, cream, grated parmesean cheese and black pepper most commonly served over fettuccine.
|
| almond paste | Made of ground blanched almonds, sugar and glycerin or other liquid. Almond extract is sometimes added for more intense almond flavor. Almond paste is less sweet and slightly coarser than marzipan.
Used in a variety of confections, it is available in most supermarkets.
|
| Amaranth | An annual plant. Greens have a slightly sweet
flavor and can be cooked or served in salads.
Seeds can be ground into flour or used as cereal.
Found in Caribbean and Asian markets.
Considered nutritious and high-protein.
|
| Anaheim chile | One of the most common fresh chiles available
in the U.S. Long, narrow, green, and usually
mild. Named after Anaheim, California. No
further relation to the Angels.
|
| Ancho chile | Dried poblano chile. Deep reddish brown color,
3 to 4 inches long. Considered the sweetest of
dried chiles.
|
| angel hair pasta | Very thin strand-style pasta.
|
| Angelica | A sweet herb grown in Europe. Member of the
parsley family, with pale green stalks.
|
| Anglaise | A French term for boiled or poached food, meaning
"English style." Also used for breaded and fried
foods.
|
| Appellation | A designated wine growing area, as defined under
local laws. Somewhat standardized across many
countries.
|
| Applejack | A brandy made from apple cider.
|
| Arborio rice | Short, fat, starchy rice. Usually used to make
risotto.
|
| armagnac | A fine French brandy which, like cognac, is aged in oak for up to 40 years. It is from the town of Gascony near Bordeaux.
|
| Arroz | Spanish word for rice. Arroz con pollo, for
example, is a dish made with rice and chicken.
|
| Artichoke | The globe artichoke is the bud of a large plant in the thistle family with tough petal shaped leaves.
When properly cooked, break off the leaves one by one, dip in butter or sauce, and draw the base of the leaf through your teeth scraping off the pulp and discarding the rest of the leaf.
At the center, scrape off the tiny leaves and fuzz and then continue to dip the heart of the choke in sauce and eat.
The Jerusalem artichoke is not a true artichoke but a tuber resembling a ginger root. These may be used peeled or unpeeled, raw as an addition to salads, or steamed or boiled as a side dish.
|
| Arugula | A bitter and aromatic salad green. Good source
of iron and vitamins A and C.
|
| au lait | A French term meaning "with milk."
|
| Aurore sauce | A pink sauce made by combining bechamel (white)
sauce with tomato puree.
|
| Babka | A Polish sweet bread made with rum, almonds,
raisins, and orange peel.
|
| Bagna cauda | An Italian appetizer dip made with olive oil,
butter, garlic, and anchovies. Usually served
with raw vegetables.
|
| 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.
|
| Basmati rice | A long-grain, nutty flavored rice. Originally
grown in the Himalayan foothills in India.
|
| 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.
|
| Beau Monde Seasoning | A commercial seasoning blend containing salt, dextrose, onion, celery seed and tricalcium phosphate (as marketed under the Spice Islands label) designed to enhance the flavor of most foods except sweets.
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