Culinary Dictionary

Abaisse – A piece of dough rolled to required size.

Abattis – Winglets, giblets of poultry.

Abricot – Apricot.

Achar/Achard - pickles and salt relishes used in the cooking of India

Acetomel - A mixture of honey and vinegar that produces sweet-sour syrup. Traditionally used to preserve
fruits.

Achira - South American plant used as arrowroot.

Acid Rinse - a bath of acidulated water used to prevent discoloration of peeled fruits and vegetables that
brown when exposed to air.

Acidulated Water - cold water with vinegar, lemon or lime juice added.

Adjust - in cooking, the term means the cook must taste before serving, and add seasonings to suit his or her
own sense of what the right flavor is.

After taste - Taste which returns to the mouth after ingestion of certain foods and beverages.

Agiter – To stir.

Ala – In the style of.

A la carte – A list of food items each priced separately.

A la mode – In the fashion.

Al dente – firm, to the bite.

Anglais – English style, (bland-plain cooked food).

Antipasto – Italian cold appetizer.

Aromates – Herbs, spices and flavorings.

Arrowroot – Starch obtained from arrowroot plant, used to thicken.

Aspic – A clear jelly made from the concentrated liquid in which meat, poultry or fish was cooked.

Au bleu – A term to describe the cooking method. Cooking live fish in court bouillon.

Au four – In the oven.

Au jus – Natural juice.

Baking Powder -A leavening agent of which the most common is double-acting baking powder, called so
because it reacts first with liquids and secondly, with the heat during baking. A good substitute for 1 teaspoon
of baking powder is 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar. Periodically, check the
expiration date on your can as baking powder loses its leavening power over time.

Baking Soda - A leavening agent, activated by interacting with something acid. Liquid ingredients like sour milk,
sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt, molasses, and lemon juice help baking soda produce the gases which in turn
make a batter rise. The batter should be baked as soon as possible after the liquid has interacted with the
baking soda.

Bain-Marie – A double boiler used for cooking.

Barder – To cover meats with fat during cooking process.

Baste – To moisten the meat in the oven, to avoid over drying.

Batter – A liquid dough, usually thin enough to pour.

Bechamel – Basic milk sauce (white). One of the 5 mother sauces.

Bisque – A thick cream soup made from shell fish.

Blanc – White.

Blanchir – To blanch; to partially cook by immersion in water briefly, and shocking in ice water (50/50).

Bleu – Blue, applies to very rare cooked meats
.
Blind Bake - To bake a pie crust without the filling. Metal weights or dried beans are usually used to keep the
pastry from bubbling.

Boullion – Reduced meat stock.

Bouquet garni – Thyme, bay leaves, celery, parsley and leek tied together and used to flavor stocks and soups.

Braiser – to braise - A method of cooking by which food (usually tougher cuts of meat, large poultry, or
vegetables like cabbage, chicory, and artichokes) is first browned in fat, then cooked, tightly covered, in a small
amount of liquid at low heat for a lengthy period of time. The long, slow cooking develops flavor and tenderizes
foods by gently breaking down their fibers. Braising can be done on top of the range or in the oven.

Bread Flour -Bread flour contains a higher level of gluten, a protein that provides the structure and elasticity
necessary for yeast dough.

Brine - A salt water solution used for preserving foods.

Brochette – Cubes of meat on a skewer; broiled.

Bronoise – Vegetables cut into fine, small dice, made from julienne.

Bulgar - a wheat product sold whole or cracked. It can be used in many of the same ways as rice. When
cooked, it has a nut like flavor and a slightly chewy texture.

Butterfly - To split a piece of food down the center, cutting almost through. The halves are fanned open and
laid flat to cook or fry. The fan resembles a butterfly.

Cake Flour - Flour that's milled from soft wheat with a lower protein and gluten content than other flours. It has
a fine uniform texture, well suited to lighter baked goods which do not need strong structure.

Candy Thermometer - Usually a large glass mercury thermometer that measures temperatures from about 40
degrees F to 400 degrees F. A frame or clip allows it to stand or hang in a pan during cooking.

Canapes – Pieces of toasted bread, garnished and served as appetizers.

Caramel – Melted sugar to the brown stage.

Caramelize – To cook, to release natural sugars, or until reaching the brown color.

Carcasse – Bone structure with out the meat.

Cartouche – A greased round of paper used to cover meats during the cooking process.

Casserole – A fireproof dish, or food prepared in a casserole dish.

Cayenne – A hot red pepper.

Champignon – Mushroom.

Chantrelles - Mushroom.

Chantilly – Whipped cream sweetened with sugar.

Chateaubriand – Double steak cut from the beef tender loin.

Chiffonnade – A ribbon like cut of leafy vegetables

Chinoise – A cone shaped strainer or sieve.

Clouter – Onion studded with cloves.

Compote – Stewed fruit.

Concasser – to chop roughly.

Coq au vin – Chicken that is cooked in wine sauce.

Corser – To flavor and enrich.

Cote – a cut of meat, a piece of meat attached to the rib.

Court-Bouillon – A poaching liquid used to cook fish.

Croquette – Breaded, deep fried.

Croutons – Toasted pieces of bread.

Daikon - a Japanese radish.

Damson - a type of plum best used in cooking or for jams and jellies.

Darne – A thick steak of salmon.

Decant - to pour a liquid, generally wine, from one container to another. Red wine is decanted to remove the
sediment deposited during the aging process.

Dash - a seasoning measure indicating a scant 1/8 teaspoon or less.

Dashi - a clear fish stock which is the basis of Japanese dishes.

Date - the fruit of a palm tree (phoenix dactylifera) native to the Middle East and Mediterranean region; most
varieties are long and ovoid (some are more spherical) with a thin papery skin that is green, becoming yellow,
golden brown, black or mahogany red when ripe, extremely sweet flesh with a light brown color, chewy texture
and a single, long, narrow seed; eaten fresh or dried.

Daubiere - a cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid used for braising.

Deep-Fat-Frying - to cook in hot fat (about 360 degrees) that is deep enough for food to float - usually a
minimum of 3 inches.

Deglaze - to pour hot stock, wine, or water on the degreased sediment left in the roasting or frying pan in which
meat has cooked. The purpose of deglazing is to dissolve the caramelized juices of meats dropped during the
cooking process. This process is the secret of rich gravies, and a vital step in making good casseroles and soups.

Degrease - to skim the fat from the top of a liquid such as a sauce or stock.

Dehydration - a process that removes the water content from food.

Deglaser – Deglaze , to remove trussing twine after cooking process. To clean pan with water or any liquid using
heat and a wooden spoon.

Demi-glace – Half Glaze. Made from a mother sauce.

Diced- One of the classic cuts, there are 3.

Dissolve - to mix a dry substance with liquid until the dry substance becomes a part of the solution.

Dredge – To coat food with flour.

Du Jour – Of the day.

Duxelle – Chopped shallots and mushrooms cooked in butter.

Emince - Cut fine, or sliced thin.

Emulsify - The process of combining ingredients like water and oil with a binder. The blended product is an
emulsion. These blended combinations can last from a few minutes to a few days depending on the ingredients.
Mustard and egg yolks are two common emulsifiers.

Escalope - A very thinly sliced food, can be meat, fish, or vegetables.

En papillote – Technique of cooking in parchment paper.

Entrée – The main course.

Escargot – Edible snail.

Escalope - A very thinly sliced food, can be meat, fish, or vegetables.

Espanole – Basic brown sauce.

Evaporated Milk - A preserved milk that has much of the water content removed via evaporation. It is similar to
condensed milk, although not as sweet.