GLOSSARY (CULINARY TEARMS A-B)

1. Acid-—foods such as citrus juice, vinegar and wine that have a sour or sharp flavour (most foods are slightly acidic); acids have a pH of less than 7
2. ‘A la—(ah lah) French for "in the manner or style of"; used in relation to is food, it designates a style of preparation or presentation
3. Aging (1) the period during which freshly killed meat is allowed to rest so that the effects of rigor mortis dissipate; (2) the period during which freshly milled flour is allowed to rest so that it will whiten
4. Albumen—-the principal protein found in egg whites
5. Al dente Italian for "to the teeth"; used to describe ceeked feeds (usually vegetables and pasta) that are prepared firm to the bite, not soft or mushy
6. Alkali also known as a base, any substance with a pH higher than 7; baking soda is one of the few alkaline foods
7. Allemande—(ah-leh—MAHND) a sauce made by adding lemon juice and a liaison to a veloute made from veal or chicken stock; used to make several small sauces of the veloute family
8. Allumette——(al-yoo-MEHT) (1) a matchstick cut of 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch X 2 inches (3 millimeters x 3 millimeters x 5 centimeters) usually used for potatoes; (2) a strip of puff pas- try with a sweet or savory filling
9. Appetizers——also known as first courses, usually small portions of hot or cold foods intended to whet the appetite in anticipation of the more substantial courses to follow
10. Au gratin — (oh GRAH—tan) foods with a browned or crusted top; often made by browning at food with a bread-crumb, cheese and/ or sauce topping under a broiler or salamander
11. All jus—(oh zhew) roasted meats, Poultry or game served with their natural, unthickened juices
12. Au Sec (oh Sek) Cooked until nearly dry
13. Bacteria-single-celled micro- organisms, some of which can cause diseases, including food—borne diseases
14. Bain marie (1) hot—water bath used to géntly cook food or keep cooked food hot (2)- container for holding food in a water bath
15. Baking——a dry—heat cooking method in which foods are sur- rounded by hot, dry air in a closed environment; similar to roasting, the term baking is usually applied to breads, pastries, vegetables and fish
16. Baking powder-a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and one or more acids, generally cream of tartar and/ or sodium aluminum sulfate, used to leaven baked goods; it re- leases carbon dioxide gas if moisture is present in a formula. Single- acting baking powder releases . carbon dioxide gas in the presence of moisture only; double-acting baking powder releases some carbon dioxide gas upon contact with moisture, and more gas is released when heat is applied.
17. Baking soda-sodium bicarbonate, an alkaline compound that releases carbon dioxide gas when combined with an acid and moisture; used to leaven baked goods
18. Barbecue (1) to cook foods over dry heat created by the burning of hardwood or hardwood charcoals, (2) a tangy tomato- or vinegar based sauce used for grilled foods, (3) foods cooked by this method and/ or with this sauce
19. Barding-—-tying thin slices of lat, such as bacon or pork fetlock, over meats or poultry that have little to no natural fat covering in order to protect and moisten them during roasting
20. Baste—-—-to moisten foods during cooking (usually grilling, broiling or roasting) with melted far, pan drip- pings, a sauce or other liquids to prevent drying and to add flavor
21. Batter-—(l) a semi liquid mixture containing flour or other starch used to make cakes and breads. The gluten development is minimized and the liquid forms the continuous medium in which other ingredients are disbursed; generally contains more fat, sugar and liquids than a dough; (2) a semi liquid mixture of liquid and starch used to coat foods for deep-frying.
22. Béarnaise— (bare—NAYZ) a sauce made of butter and egg yolks and flavored with a reduction of vinegar, shallots, tarragon and peppercorns
23. Béchamel—-(bay—shah-MELL) a leading sauce made by thickening milk with a white roux and adding seasonings
24. Beurre blanc—(burr BLANHK) French for "white butter"; an emulsfied butter sauce made from shallots, white wine and butter
25. Beurre manié—(burr man-YAY) a combination of equal amounts by weight of flour and soft, whole
26. Beurre noir- (burr NWAR) French for "black butter"; whole butter cooked until dark brown (not black); sometimes flavored with vinegar or lemon juice
27. Beurre noisette— (burr nwah- ZEHT) French for "brown butter"; whole butter heated until it turns light brown, giving off a nutty aroma
28. Beurre rouge- (burr ROOGE) French for "red butter"; an emulsified butter sauce made from shallots, red wine and butter
29. Bisque—(bisk) a soup made from shellfish; classic versions are thickened with rice
30. Bivalves— molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels that have two bilateral shells attached at a central hinge
31. Boiling-—a moist—heat cooking method that uses convection to transfer heat from a hot (approximately 212°F/ 100 C) liquid to the food submerged in it; the turbulent waters and higher temperatures cook foods more quickly than do poaching or simmering
32. Bouchées—(boo-SHAY) small puff pastry shells that can he filled and served as bite-size hors doeuvre or petit fours
33. Blanching very briefly and partially cooking a food in boiling water or hot fat; used to assist preparation (for example, to loosen peels from vegetables), as part of a combination cooking method, to remove undesirable flavors or to prepare a food for freezing
34. Blanquette— (blahn—KEHT) a white stew made of a white sauce and meat or poultry that is simmered without first browning
35. Blending-a mixing method in which two or more ingredients are combined just until they are evenly distributed
36. Bouquet garni—-(boo-KAY gar- NEE) fresh herbs and vegetables tied into a bundle with twine and used to flavor stocks, sauces, soups and stews
37. Bouquetiere—(boo—kuh-TY EHR) a garnish (bouquet) of carefully cut and arranged fresh vegetables
38. Braising— a combination cooking method in which foods are first browned in hot fat, then covered and slowly cooked in a small amount of liquid over low heat; braising uses a combination of simmering and steaming to transfer heat from the liquid (conduction) and the air (convection) to the foods
39. Bran—the tough outer layer of a cereal grain and the part highest in fiber
40. Breading-—(l) a coating of bread or cracker crumbs, cornmeal or other dry meal applied to foods that will typically be deep—fried or pan- fried; (2) the process of applying this coating
41. Brigade——a system of staffing a kitchen so that each worker is as- signed a set of specific tasks; these tasks are often related by cooking method, equipment or the types of foods being produced
42. Brioche—(bree—OHSH) a rich yeast bread containing large amounts of eggs and butter
43. Broiling—a dry—heat cooking method in which foods are cooked by heat radiating from an overhead source
44. Broth-a flavourful liquid obtained from the long simmering of meats and/ or vegetables
45. Brown stew--u stew in which the meat is first browned in hot fat
46. Brown stock-—··-a richly coloured stock made of chicken, veal, beef or game bones and vegetables. All of which are caramelized before they are simmered in water with seasonings
47. Brunch--a late-morning to early- afternoon meal that takes the place of both breakfast and lunch; it brunch menu often offers breakfast foods as well as almost anything else
48. Brunoise; foods garnished with vegetables cut in manner
49. Cake - in American usage, refers to a broad range of pastries, including layer cakes, coffeecakes and gateaux; can refer to almost any— thing that is baked, tender, sweet and sometimes frosted
50. Calorie the unit of energy measured by the amount of heat required to raise 1000 grams of water one degree Celsius; it is also written as kilocalorie or kcal and is used as a measure of food energy

VERNON COELHO
IHM MUMBAI
2009-2010