Food Dictionary

Recipe Terms

Chop: Cut food into small pieces.
Dice : Cut food into small cubes.

Slice: Cut food into broad slices.
Shred: Cut food into very thin longitudinal.

Cream: Combine margarine and sugar with a wooden spoon.
Blend: Mix until smooth.

Rub In: Combine fat and flour with fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Scald: To heat just below boiling point.

Saute: To fry gently until transparent.
Glaze: Brush surface of food with egg or milk to improve the appearance.

Roux: A combination of melted fat and flour cooked for a short time.
Blanche: To plunge food into boiling water to remove the skin.

Garnish: To make a savoury dish look attractive.
Decorate: To make a sweet dish look attractive

Arrabbiata

Literally "angry" in Italian; in this case referring to a spicy tomato sauce.

Bechamel

Also known as "white sauce", this basic sauce, one of the mother sauces of French cuisine, is usually made today by whisking scalded milk gradually into a white flour-butter roux. It is named from its inventor, Louis de B['e]chamel.

Chowder

A thick, chunky seafood soup from North America, of which clam chowder is the best known. The word chowder comes from the French 'chaudière' - a heavy, three-legged iron cauldron in which fishermen made stews fresh from their day's catch.

Croustade

A shell, as of pastry or toasted bread, with a savory filling, as of mushrooms

Béarnaise Sauce

A classic reduction of wine, vinegar, tarragon and shallots, finished with egg yolks and butter.

Niçoise

Dishes typical of cuisine from the Nice, France, region, where garlic, black olives, anchovies and tomatoes are nearly always part of the mix.

Tapenade

Tapenade is a rich, soft paste usually spread on bread. It is made of anchovies, olives, capers, mustard, basil and parsley. It can also be used in pasta dishes as well as casseroles or starters such as crostini.

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