Agnolotti
Italian for "priests' caps," describing small, crescent-shaped stuffed
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Aïoli
A garlic flavoured mayonnaise which is a specialty of the south of France where it is normally served with fish.
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Al Dente
An Italian term meaning "to the tooth" used to describe pasta, rice or vegetables that have been cooked so that they still slightly firm when bitten into.
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Amaretti
Sweet biscuits that are flavoured with almonds or apricot kernels.
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Antipasti/Antipasto
Literally meaning "before the pasta," this Italian term refers to hot or cold hors d'oeuvre. An assortment of antipasti could include appetizers such as cheese, smoked meats, olives, fish and marinated vegetables.
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Arrabbiata
An Italian term that means 'angry' or hot. Arrabbiata is commonly used to describe a hot chilli pasta sauce. The term can also be used to describe a cooking method such as pan frying meat with lots of spices.
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Arrowroot
The arrowroot is a tropical tuber. The rootstalks are dried and ground into a very fine powder which is used to thicken sauces (similar to Cornflour.) Arrowroot is absolutely tasteless and becomes clear when cooked.
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Aspic
It's the transparent jelly in which cold fish, poultry and meat are sometimes served. It's used as a garnish to glaze and protect fish and other food from drying out.
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Assiette
A French term for a dish of mixed cold meats
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Au Gratin
A dish that is covered with cheese, bechamel sauce or buttered breadcrumbs and baked.
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Blanch
To plunge food (usually vegetables and fruits) into boiling water briefly, then into cold water to stop the cooking process as a way to losen the skin so that it is easier to peel (eg. Tomatoes)
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Blini
Russian small, yeast-raised buckwheat pancakes that are cooked in the oven and are traditionally served with sour cream and caviar or smoked salmon.
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Bouillabaisse
A French provencal fish stew. This dish can contain many ingedients including fish, shellfish, onions, tomatoes, white wine, olive oil, garlic, saffron, dried orange rind and herbs.
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Bouquet Garni
A bunch of herbs tied together so that they can easily be removed after cooking. Herbs commonly used include flat leaf parsley, basil, thyme and bay leaves. It is used to flavor soups, stews and broths.
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Bourguignonne
The French term for "as prepared in Burgundy," Meat (usually beef, as in boeuf bourguignonne ) is braised in red wine and usually garnished with small mushrooms and white onions.
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Braise
To cook slowly in a covered pan or in a casserole dish with a small quantitiy of liquid. The slow cooking develops flavor and tenderises foods by gently breaking down their fibers. A tight-fitting lid prevents the liquid from evaporating.
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Brandade
A pounded mixture of salt cod olive oil, garlic, milk and cream. This flavorful puree is served with croutes and often garnished with chopped black truffles.
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Cacciatore
Italian for "hunter" this is a method of cooking for chicken, hare or rabbit and is combined with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, various herbs and spices and white wine. Chicken cacciatore is the most popular dish.
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Canapé
Decorative small slices of bread that are toasted or fried in butter topped with a variety of ingredients. They can be served hot or cold and can be eaten in one bite. They are often served with pre dinner drinks. The word "canapé" is French for "couch."
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Candied Fruit
Fruit that has been immersed in sugar syrup several times until the sugar is absorbed. The fruit loses most of its water content, becomes thicker and can be stored for a long time.
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Caramelise
To heat sugar until it liquefies and becomes a clear syrup ranging in color from golden to dark brown. Granulated or brown sugar can also be sprinkled on top of food and placed under a heat source, such as a broiler, until the sugar melts and caramelises
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Carpaccio
Italian in origin, carpaccio consists of thin shavings of raw beef fillet which may be drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice or served with a mayonnaise or mustard sauce.
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Celeriac
Celeriac tastes like a cross between a strong celery and parsley.
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Chèvre Cheese
French for "goat," chèvre is a pure white goat's-milk cheese with a delightfully tart flavor that easily distinguishes it from other cheeses.
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Confit
This specialty of Gascony, France, is derived from an ancient method of preserving meat (usually goose, duck or pork) whereby it is salted and slowly cooked in its own fat.
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Did you know...
Almonds are a member of the peach family.
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Did you know...
Apple is made of 25% air which is why they float
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Did you know...
Apples, onions, and potatoes all have the same taste? Try the test: Pinch your nose and take a bite out of each
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Did you know...
Avocado has the highest protein and oil content of all fruits, but most of this is the healthier unsaturated type
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Did you know...
375ml of beer has fewer calories than two slices of bread and contains no fat
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Did you know...
Birds eat half their own body weight in food each day! So, why do people say that a poor eater "eats like a bird"?
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Did you know...
Black-eyed peas are really beans
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Did you know...
Bubbles in Guiness beer sink to the bottom
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Did you know...
Butter and margarine are similar in calories, the difference is that butter is higher in saturated fats, while margarine generally has more unsaturated fats
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Did you know...
Cabbage is 91% water
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Did you know...
Capers are the unopened green flower buds of a wild and cultivated bush which is related to the cabbage family
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Did you know...
Capsaicin, which makes hot peppers "hot" to the human mouth, is best neutralized by casein, the main protein found in milk
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Did you know...
Carrots were originally purple in colour, changing in the 17th Century to orange with newer varieties
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Did you know...
Celery requires more calories to eat and digest than it contains
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Did you know...
Cereal as a word is derived from the name of the Roman goddess Ceres, protector of crops
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Did you know...
Cherries are a member of the rose family
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Did you know...
Coffee is the most recognized smell in the world
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Did you know...
Cranberries are sorted for ripeness by bouncing them; a fully ripened cranberry can be dribbled like a basketball
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Did you know...
Doughnuts were orginally made of raised dough with a nut in the centre
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Did you know...
Eggplants are actually fruits, and classified botanically as berries
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Did you know...
Fortune cookies are not Chinese, they were invented in Los Angeles around 1920
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Did you know...
Honey is the only edible food for humans that will never go bad
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Did you know...
Lemons contain more sugar than strawberries
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Did you know...
Lettuce is the only vegetable or fruit which is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form but fresh
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Did you know...
Olive oil has lots of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory activity to fight rheumatoid arthritis
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Did you know...
Peanuts are legumes and not a tree nut
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Did you know...
Ppeanuts are one of the ingredients in dynamite
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Did you know...
Chocolate manufacturers currently use 40 percent of the world's almonds and 20 percent of the world's peanuts
Source: http://www.corsinet.com/trivia/v-triv.html
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Did you know...
Vanilla is the extract of fermented and dried pods of several species of orchids
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Did you know...
A raisin in a glass of champagne will keep floating to the top and sinking to the bottom
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Did you know...
Rice paper does not contain one grain of rice - its made from either Rice straw, Bamboo, Hemp, Mulberry leaves, Wingceltis or Gampi.
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Did you know...
Sandwiches are named after John Montagu, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718-92), for whom beef was placed between 2 sliced pieces of bread so that he could stay at the gambling table without interruptions for meals
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Did you know...
Shredded wheat was the first breakfast cereal to ever be produced
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Did you know...
Spilling salt is considered good luck in Japan
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Did you know...
Strawberries are the only fruit which has its seeds on its outer skin
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Did you know...
Swiss cheese ferments with bacteria generating gas which bubbles through the cheese leaving holes; cheese-makers call them "eyes."
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Did you know...
Tea strengthens bones because isoflavonoid chemicals in tea may have a weak oestrogenic effect, reducing bone deterioration and osteoporosis risk.
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Did you know...
White chocolate is not a true chocolate because it contains no chocolate liquor, instead its made of sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids, lecithin and vanilla
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Did you know...
White shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers while brown eggs are produced by hens with red feathers the colour has no relationship to the nutritional quality or taste of the eggs
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Did you know...
Wrigley's gum was the first product to have a bar code
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Dukka
An Egyptian spice blend comprising toasted nuts and seeds. Dukka can be sprinkled over meats and vegetables, or used as a dip (the bread is first dipped in olive oil.)
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Edamame
The Japanese name for fresh soybeans.
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Gâteau
The French word for cake
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Jus
The French word for "juice," which can refer to both fruit and vegetable juices, as well as the natural juices exuded from meat.
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Polenta
A staple of northern Italy, polenta is a mush made from cornmeal. It can be eaten hot with a little butter or cooled until firm, cut into squares and fried.
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Roquefort Cheese
Roquefort has a creamy-rich texture and pungent, piquant, somewhat salty flavor. It has a creamy white interior with blue veins and a snowy white rind.
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Soufflé
A light, airy mixture that usually begins with a thick egg yolk-based sauce or puree that is lightened by stiffly beaten egg whites. Soufflés may be savory or sweet, hot or cold.
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Tapenade
From France's Provence region, tapenade is a thick paste made from capers, anchovies, ripe olives, olive oil, lemon juice, seasonings and sometimes small pieces of tuna. It is used as a condiment.
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