a la Carte- (French) Each menu item is priced separately: Foods prepared to order.

a la Mode- (French) Refers to ice cream on top of pie

Al Dente - Refers to pasta and some vegetables cooked to a barely tender consistency.

Antipasto - A dish of cold meats, hors d´oeuvres and vegetables, which is served before an Italian meal.

Au Gratin - Foods with baked in cheese

au Jus - Food, usually roasted meat, served in its natural juices.

Bearnaise - A variation of hollandaise sauce. It's made with wine and vinegar and flavored with tarragon.

Bechamel - A creamy white sauce which is made by adding a hot liquid to a roux or white sauce.

Bisque - A creamy soup, usually refers to a creamed soup made with seafood.
Blanch - To briefly plunge food into boiling water, and then into cold water to stop the cooking process.

Braise - A method of cooking by which food is first browned in fat, then cooked, tightly covered, in a small amount of liquid at low heat for a lengthy period of time.

Brine - A salt water solution used for preserving foods

Bruschetta - Grilled slices of bread brushed with olive oil and fresh garlic.

Buffet - A vast array of hot and cold foods - refers to line of foods ready to be served (usually self served)

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. ex - butterfly shrimp.

Capers - Pickled buds from a caper bush, used in sauces and as condiments. It's used in many Greek and other East European dishes

Capon - A castrated rooster that makes a good roasting bird. It ranges in size from four to ten pounds and has plenty of breast and thigh meat. Its size makes it an ideal choice for serving eight to twelve. Buying capon may prove to be difficult; try to special order it from your butcher.

Caramelize - Under intense dry heat, as in roasting or sautéing, the natural sugars change to a golden brown color. This is called caramelization.

Chateaubriand - A thick slice of beef carved from the center of the tenderloin, grilled or sautéed and sauced.

Chipotle - Smoked dried jalapeno chiles. The distinctive smoky heat of chipotles is used to flavor Southwestern and Mexican dishes. They are sold both dried and in cans, in a vinegary sauce called adobo. Most big supermarkets carry them, but a Latin-American market is your best bet.

Chorizo - Highly seasoned hog link sausage.

Chowder - A milk based soup, usually containing seafood.

Chutney - An Indian relish made with fruits, vegetables and spices.

Cobbler - A baked fruit dish, usually topped with pastry and served with whipped cream or ice cream.

Compote - Spiced fruit cooked in syrup.

Concassée - roughly chopped or pounded food, usually refers concassée made from chopped tomatoes.

Consomme - A clarified broth used in sauces and soups.

Cream - Beating butter or shortening either alone or with added sugar, until it's light and fluffy.

Cream of Tartar - The common name for potassium bitartare, a by-product of wine-making. Its is a major ingredient in baking powder and is used to stabilize beaten egg whites.

Croquette - A thick patty made up of finely chopped, diced or ground poultry, fish, or meat and vegetables. The patties are breaded then fried, sauteed or sometimes baked.

Croustade - Pastry shells filled with meat or chicken.

Croutons - Bread cubes which have been dried, toasted or fried.

Curd - The coagulated substance produced when milk is soured.

Deglaze - A process of adding a liquid such as wine, vinegar or stock to a hot pan to collect the bits of food left on the pan during cooking. Deglazing is most common with sautéed and roasted foods.

Devein - To remove the dark brown or black vein running down the back of a shrimp. In smaller shrimp, the vein can be eaten, but in large shrimp, the vein should be removed.

Dijonnaise - This is a name given to dishes that contain a sauce mixed with mustard.

Drawn Butter - Butter that has been melted over low heat allowing the solids to go the bottom.

Dredge - To lightly coat food with dry ingredients like flour, cornmeal, or bread crumbs...the usual preparation for frying.

Dress - To prepare poultry for cooking. Could also refer to adding dressing to a salad

Farina - Farina is a coarsely ground flour made from of hard wheat. Farina is used in breakfast cereals.

Fettuccine - Long, flat pasta meaning "Small Ribbons". Perfect for heavier sauces, like cheese, meat and tomato sauces. For variety, try breaking in half and putting in soups, or use for a salad

Finnan Haddie - Smoked haddock

Flan - A pastry tart, filled with cream and topped with fruit. Flan is used in Spanish and Mexican cooking to describe an egg custard that is baked in a shallow dish, and flavored with caramel.

Flambe - To add alcohol to a dish, then ignite it to sear the outside of the food.

Fondue - A sauce of cheese into which cubes of bread or other bite size foods are dipped. Can also a chocolate based sauce into which pieces of fruit are dipped just before eating.

Fricassee - A stew prepared without first browning of the meat. Chicken is the most common form of this type of stew.

Frittata - An open-faced Italian omelet.

Fritter - Food that has been mixed with a batter and deep fried or sauteed. Fritters may be made with vegetables, fruit, or sometimes meat or shellfish.

Fusilli - Literally means "Twisted Spaghetti". This long, spiraled shaped pasta can be topped with any sauce, broken in half and added to soups, or turned into a beautiful salad. Fusilli also bakes well in casseroles.

Garbanzo Beans - Medium size, round, beige, firm beans with a nutty flavor, also known as chickpeas. A popular salad bar ingredient; also used in Mexican foods and a main ingredient in hummus - a Middle Eastern favorite.

Gazpacho - A Spanish cold vegetable soup. It's usually made with tomatoes an other diced raw vegetables. A light gazpacho is made with cucumbers and served with avocadoes, croutons and other garnishes.

Glaze - A greatly reduced stock. Or...A light glossy coating added to foods, anything from melted chocolate to thin icings covering pastries or cakes.

Gnocchi - Small dumplings made from flour, potatoes, eggs; sometimes with parmesan, ricotta cheese, and herbs added. Gnocchi are cooked in boiling water and tossed with melted butter or served in sauce. Gnocchi is also the name of a small round or shell shaped hollow pasta.

Gratin - A savory dish baked or broiled so its topping forms a golden crust.

Grits - Cornmeal and hominy grits are made from mature white or sometimes yellow corn from which the bran and wheat germ have been removed. Hominy are kernels of corn broken into particles. Grits are grains of hominy broken into smaller uniform particles. Grits are a Southern breakfast tradition.

Guacamole - Mashed avocadoes seasoned with onions, tomatoes, chiles, and cilantro, mostly served as a dip with tortilla chips. It's sometimes served with burritos and tacos, taco salads and other Mexican dishes.

Gumbo - A thick soup, usually containing a mixture of poultry, meat, or seafood and vegetables.

Hoisin Sauce - A Chinese cooking sauce made from soybean flour, red beans, chiles and various spices; used for marinades and as a basting sauce.

Hummus - Hummus is made from cooked chickpeas, and various combinations of sesame, garlic, dill, and other spices and seasonings. It's typically served as a dip with crackers or vegetables, as a sandwich spread, or as a vegetable topping.

Jalapeno - A small green chile pepper that is mildly hot. They are named after Jalapa, the capital of Veracruz. Serrano peppers are a good substitute when there are no jalapenos on hand.

Jasmine Rice - A fragrant long grain rice from Thailand that is distinctly aromatic, soft and sticky when cooked. The length of each grain four to five times its width.

Julienne - Foods that are cut into very thin, match-stick like strips.

Jus - A lightly reduced stock used as a sauce for roasted meats.

Kosher - Foods that are prepared in accordance with Orthodox Jewish law.

Larding - Salt pork strips inserted into meat with a special needle. Used to add flavor and moisture to meat.

Lardons - Julienne of bacon. Strips of salt pork used for larding.

Leeks - A member of the onion family which does not form a bulb. Leeks are a thick stalk that resemble a large green onion without a bulb. Select Leeks that are about 1" thick with clean, bruise-free white bases and fresh green tops. Leeks are frequently used as an ingredient in soup or sautéed and served as a side dish.

Macerate - Soaking vegetables in salt, sugar or syrup to remove a bitter taste before canning or using in a recipe.

Marinate - To let food stand in a mixture called a marinade - a liquid, dry rub, or a paste before cooking. Some marinades are for added flavor. Marinades that contain an acid such as lemon, wine, or vinegar are for tenderizing and some marinades are meant to do both.

Mascarpone Cheese - An Italian cream cheese most often used in desserts.

Miso - A paste made from fermented soybeans used in Japanese cooking, mostly in soups and sauces.

Mochi - A Japanese food made from pounded brown rice. It's sold refrigerated, in flat squares. Mochi can be broiled.

Molasses - A syrup made from natural sugarcane juices, clarified, reduced, and blended. To produce table sugar, raw sugar is processed into refined sugar. The remaining syrup is the sweetest molasses. Additional processing results in darker and stronger tasting molasses called black strap.

Mole - Thick Mexican cooking sauces made with chiles and flavored with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, herbs, and other ingredients.

Mousse - Sweet, light whipped dessert mixtures usually made from cream and flavored with fruit or chocolate.

Napa Cabbage - This oval-shaped broad-leafed head has very crisp, pale green crinkled leaves and a sweet, delicate flavor. It is used extensively in stir-fried dishes and soups, and absorbs flavors beautifully.

Nicoise - Italian dishes made with tomatoes; Nicoise olives, garlic, beans, anchovies, etc, prepared "Nice" style. Salad Nicoise is made with potatoes, olives, beans, and a vinaigrette dressing.

Nougat - A confection made from sugar and honey, sometimes mixed with fruit and/or nuts.

Nutella - A commercial brand of a creamy paste made of chocolate and hazelnuts. Nutella is used in making candy, flavored milk, and in spreads

Olive Oil - Grades of olive oil are determined by the method of extraction and the acid content. Extra virgin is the finest olive oil, with a 1% acid content. Superfine has a 1.5% acid content, fine has a 3%. Virgin olive oil, from the first pressing of the olives with no further refinement, has a 4% acid content.

Paella - A Spanish dish containing rice, shellfish, chicken and ham.

Pancetta - An Italian cured meat made from the belly (pancia) of the big (the same cut used for bacon). It is salted but lightly spiced, but not smoked. You can buy it at Italian delis

Pannetone - An Italian cake traditionally served at Christmas time. It's made from dough that's studded with raisins, candied fruit, and pistachios

Pate - Very finely chopped meat, poultry, or liver which has been baked and is served cold, often as a spread.

Penne - Small smooth pasta tubes. Pasta tubes with ridges are penne rigati, also known as mostaciolli. Manicotti are large pasta tubes.

Pesto - A tasty pasta sauce made with olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic, and fresh basil; It sometimes contains nuts and other herbs.

Poach - To gently cook food in water or a broth, just below the boiling point.

Polenta - Coarsely ground yellow cornmeal, cooked and flavored with onions, garlic, and cheese. Polenta is sometimes served as an Italian mush, with soups or stews. It's also spooned into a greased baking pan; allowed to set; then sliced, sauted, and topped with cheese and tomato sauce.

Praline - A confection containing nuts, made from a syrup.

Proscuitto - The Italian word for ham, used in the names of raw hams coming from Italy, in particular Proscuitto di Parma and Proscuitto di San Daniele.

Puree -To press through a sieve or process in a blender to a smooth consistency. 

Quesadilla - A corn empanada filled with meat and deep fried. Quesadillas served in many restaurants are simply made with flour tortillas, filled with cheese, folded over and cooked.

Quiche - A dish that is a light custard mixture of eggs, cheese and sometimes a meat or vegetable fillings, baked in a pastry shell.

Radicchio - A salad green with red and white leaves; varieties range from mild to bitter.

Ragout - A stew made from poultry, meat, fish, or vegetables cut into pieces seasoned with herbs and spices and cooked in a thick liquid.

Ricer - A kitchen gadget that looks like a large garlic press. Also called a potato ricer, it forces cooked foods such as potatoes or turnips through tiny holes.

Risotto - An Italian rice and cheese dish served as either a main course or as a side dish.

Roasted Garlic - Process: Cut the top third of the garlic head off and discard it. Drizzle the remainder with olive oil and put it in aluminum foil. Bake in a 400° F oven until edges of the garlic are caramelized (about 40 min.).

Roulades - Slices of meat or pastry, stuffed with cheese.

Roux - A mixture of flour and fat such as butter or margerine, used to thicken sauces, gravies, soups, and stews.

Salt - Table salt - Sodium chloride plus iodine plus an anti-caking agent to make it free-flowing.

Samosas - Indian deep fried dumplings stuffed with curried vegetables. The most common fillings are potatoes or cauliflower with peas.

Scone - A lightly sweetened English pastry, similar to but more dense than biscuits; Scones usually contain raisins or currants.

Semolina Flour - A coarsely ground flour made from durum wheat, which is the hardest wheat variety. It has the highest protein of all flours. It's the best flour for making pasta because it retains its shape and firmness and doesn't become mushy or sticky while cooking.

Sesame Oil - Used extensively in Japanese and Chinese cuisine, this highly aromatic and richly flavored oil ranges in hue from golden to dark brown. It is sometimes used as a cooking oil, but most often is used as a seasoning accent in stir-fries, dressings, sauces and marinades.

Shallots - An onion variety that produces clusters of bulbs. Their flavor is slightly less intense than that of onions. Shallots are excellent for pickling.

Simmer - To slowly cook a liquid at just below the boiling point.

Skim - To remove fat and other substances from the surface of cooked or cooking liquids.

Shallots - Shallots are part of the onion family, with mild, garlic-tasting roots.

Season - To coat a pan or other metal cooking surface with oil and then heat it. This prevents sticking by sealing tiny pits on the surface.

Smorgasbord - A commonly used term for a buffet of many dishes served as a single course or a complete meal. Smorgasbord is actually a Swedish word for a buffet that would include such foods as pickled herring, marinated vegetables, smoked and cured salmon, and other appetizers.

Spatzle - A coarse German noodle made from flour, eggs, oil, and water. Spatzle are cooked, then fried in butter. They may also be sprinkled with herbs or grated cheese.

Steam - To cook foods in a perforated container suspended over boiling water.

Stew - A long cooking method in a covered pot using liquid. A stew is a one dish meal produced by cooking a combination of meat, fish or poultry and vegetables by this method.

Stir Fry - To rapidly saute or fry while stirring chopped meat, poultry or fresh vegetables over high heat.

Stock - A broth from cooking meats, fish, shellfish, and vegetables, the basis for soup making.

Tahini - An oily paste made from ground sesame seeds. A sweetened dark variety also exists. It can be found in health food stores and the ethnic section of most grocery stores.

Tamarind Paste - A vitamin-rich, tangy, prune like pulp from the pods of a tropical Asian tree. It is used as a seasoning in curries and chutneys or made into drinks, jams, or sorbets. 

Tart - A covered or uncovered pastry shell filled with fruit.

Tartare - A term used to describe a seasoned paper thin raw steak dish called steak tartare. Also, Tartare sauce is a mayonnaise based sauce frequently served with seafood.

Tofu - Tofu, or soy bean curd, is a soft cheese-like food with a naturally mild flavor.

Tiramiso - An Italian dessert made of sponge cake, typically soaked with an espresso syrup and layered with a sweet cheese and chocolate sauce.

Ugli - A citrus fruit hybrid created from a grapefruit and a tangerine.

 
Vermicelli - This pasta literally means "Little Worms". It is slightly thinner than Spaghetti and looks like fine strands. Angel hair pasta is a very fine form of vermicelli. Vermicelli is good topped with any sauce, or as a salad or stir-fry ingredient. It is versatile enough to also be used in certain puddings and souffles. Variations include Chinese vermicelli (made with soya flour) and Far Eastern vermicelli (made with rice flour).

Vichyssoise - A chilled soup, commonly made with potatoes and leeks. Some recipes also use zucchini, apples, and carrots.
 
Vinaigrette - A dressing made with oil and vinegar, commonly used on salads. Vinaigrettes may also contain mustard, citrus juices or wine.

Vindaloo - The spiciest of all curry dishes.

Wasabi - Japanese horseradish, a root that is dried and ground to a fine powder. The powder is reconstituted and used with soy sauce as a dipping sauce for sushi and sashimi.

Welsh Rarebit - A cheese sauce made with ale and seasoned with mustard, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. It's traditionally served on toast, sometimes with bacon bits. It can also be used as fondue.

Whipping Cream - Also called heavy cream. Fat content is around 40 percent; Will double in volume when whipped.

Yeast - A leavening agent used in doughs and batters.