Glossary of Cooking Terms

A bread, made by a skilled baker, that is considered to be handcrafted in each step of the process from kneading the ingredients to the baking of the bread.

A Mediterranean plant, with green, multiple-lobed leaves, belonging to the mustard family and commonly used as a salad green.

A Middle Eastern seasoning that is made from the gummy sap released from the stalks of the giant fennel plant.

A large light green olive native to Italy, but also produced in California, that contains a soft-textured delicately flavored meat.

Another name for vitamin C, which is found in citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, peppers, melons, and berries.

A traditional method of enhancing the appearance of cheese, to make it look distinctive or artesian crafted.

A type of Italian cheese made from cow's milk that has a hard texture and a nutty flavor.

Any of a variety of prepared pastes or sauces that are made from ground chiles, oil or vinegar and salt.

A type of condiment that is somewhat similar to the Chile Sauces produced in countries such as Mexico and the U.S.

Any of the varieties of eggplant that are referred to as Chinese, Japanese, or Thai.

A variety of different fresh and dried noodles made from various flours and produced in numerous shapes and sizes, making them very versitile for use in meals.

A fruit developed from the crossbreeding of pears with apples to produce a crisp, mildly-flavored pear.

A vegetable with long, tender shoots that may be white, purple or green in color, all belonging to a plant that is a member of the lily family.

A salad green that grows with long thin stems containing ragged or serrated green leaves similar to dandelion greens.

A stainless steel rack that is built to hold asparagus so it can be steamed vertically with the stems standing in several inches of water when cooking.

A cooking green that is a celtuce variety of garden lettuce grown for its thick edible stem instead of the leaf, which is thin and bitter tasting.

A handy kitchen tool that is used to easily cut and peel the tough layer of outer skin away from the tender meat within the asparagus stalk.

A type of cookware designed for steaming asparagus. The asparagus steamer consists of a long narrow wire basket, a steaming pot, and a lid.

An artificial sweetener that is used in many manufactured food products such as diet sodas, candy, mints, and gum.

A food base that consists of gelatin, the jelly-like substance contained in beef, veal, chicken, or fish stock.

A type of tea that has a rich, malt flavor and is Indian in origin.

A blending of wine from various lots, vintages, origins, and/or varieties to create one distinctly complex wine.

DOCG area that is located in the southeastern portion of the piedmont region near the town of Asti.

The term used to describe the impression of a slightly dry, rough, puckery feeling in your mouth following wine tasting.

A medium-large pale greenish-gray Greek olive that turns purple as it ripens and contains soft fleshy textured meat.

A pinecone shaped fruit that has a pale green bumpy outer skin with a creamy sweet pudding inner pulp.

A type of muskmelon that has a longer ripening life, allowing it to remain firm and sweeter flavored without becoming soft.

A common beverage native to Mexican regions that is served hot or at room temperature.

A variety of cornmeal made from dried or roasted blue corn. It is gluten free and it is often cooked and served as a breakfast dish similar to oatmeal.

Term used to describe the first impression a wine makes on the palate. The attack ranges from strong and flavorful to weak and flavorless.

Term used to describe wine that is not notable, though still light and refreshing.

The French term translated as "with blue". The term references the skin color of a fish as it is boiled.

Refers to a food that is prepared so that when it is cooked it has a brown, crusty surface.

The French term meaning "with juice." Au Jus (pronounced oh zhoo') is a term used to describe the serving of meat, most often beef, that has been surrounded by the meat juices or accompanied by a container of the meat juices produced from the drippings that developed while the meat was being cooked.

The French term meaning "with milk". The term refers to the mixing of milk with beverages such as coffee or various types of foods.

A slightly sweet, tender vegetable covered with a shiny skin that ranges in color from purple, which is the most familiar, to red, yellow, or white, depending on the variety.

A description typically given of wine that is dry, hard, and acidic, lacking in depth and roundness.

Clay red to purple in color, this variety of olive is a common and popular food item in Australia.

A seasoning harvested from evaporated water that is collected on inland salt basins along the Australian coast.

A type of pumpernickel bread that is usually a bit lighter and less dense than German pumpernickel due to a higher proportion of whole-wheat flour to rye flour.

Sealed tanks used during the Charmat Method of fermentation, the adding of sugar and yeast to sparkling wine to create bubbles.

A grape varietal, used in the production of red and sparkling wines, originating in the Burgundy region of France.

A grape varietal (unrelated to Auxerrois Blanc), used in the production of red wines, originating in the Bordeaux, Loire, and Cahors regions of France.

A grape varietal, used in the production of white to slightly pink wine, originating in the Alsace region of France.

Grape varietal native to the Languedoc area of France with a history dating back to the 17th century.

A traditional Greek soup or sauce. Most often, when it is made as a soup, bits of chicken are added to make it similar to a cream of chicken base.

A round to pear-shaped fruit with a dark green skin harvested from trees that are grown in semi-tropical regions, such as Africa, Austrailia, Carribbean, Indonesia, Israel, Peru, Spain, South America, and the U.

A leaf from the avocado tree that is commonly used as a fresh or dried seasoning in food dishes prepared in Central Mexico.

Avocado oil has a light, but unique flavor that makes it an excellent choice for salad dressings or for use as a condiment.

A kitchen utensil designed to cut cleanly through the delicate flesh of an avocado to produce individual slices of the fruit.