Glossary of Cooking Terms

A cut of beef obtained from various portions of the cow, but especially from the loin.

A type of tomato that is larger than most other varieties and features a meaty flesh that can be eaten raw, or used in numerous cold and cooked recipes.

An alcoholic beverage with a slightly bitter taste produced from fermented grain, usually barley but also wheat, and flavored with other ingredients such as hops.

A cow's milk cheese, produced in the U.S. since the 1930's, that is made into a brick cheese with qualities of several German and Swiss varieties.

A root vegetable grown for the leaves that are used as cooking greens (beet greens) and the firm textured bulbous root, which is served as a cooked vegetable.

Similar to sweet potato chips, the Beet Chip is made from beets as a snack product similar to traditional potato chips.

A type of French fritter that is very light and sweet. The batter is prepared with beaten egg whites and it may be flavored with ground almonds, nutmeg, and other seasonings.

An Italian cheese with a pale yellow color, soft texture, and mild flavor. It is one of the most popular Italian cheeses and was originally developed in the 1920's.

Used in salads, appetizers, hors d'oeuvres, and side dishes, Belgian endive has narrow, spear-shaped leaves that grow close and tightly wrapped around the head.

A traditional food created in Belgium, which began as square-shaped breakfast cake with deeply indented or pressed pockets evenly distributed around the surface of the Waffle.

A grape varietal most notably known as the Pinot Blanc varietal, used in the production of white wine, originating in the Alsace region of France.

A mild, sweet flavored, large pepper, which is one of the most common varieties of peppers grown.

A large oval shaped olive produced in southern Italy that can be either black or bright green in color, depending on maturity.

A type of Japanese pickle (tsukemono) made from thin strips of ginger. The ginger strips are pickled in salt water and are colored red with the addition of akajiso, which is the red or purple version of a plant related to mint known as shiso.

A common Ethiopian sauce that is hot and spicy tasting. Made with the seeds of cumin, cardamom, coriander, and fenugreek that are combined with garlic, ground cloves, turmeric, grated gingerroot, black pepper, salt, paprika, cinnamon, and dried red chiles, this sauce provides a distinctive tangy flavor for ethnic foods.

A bitter orange variety that is small, slightly pear-shaped with a bitter and acidic flesh.

A grape varietal used in the production of white wine. Originating in the Rhône region of France, the varietal is also grown in the Tuscany region of Italy, the Languedoc, the Rousillon, and (most recently) California in the United States.

A well known English hard cheese that is produced from sheep's milk in the Berkswell region of England.

A large, bulb-shaped, white, yellow or red colored dry onion that has a sweet, mild flavor.

A generic name given to a variety of small, juicy fruits that may contain a pit, several seeds, or no pit or seeds at all.

A type of flour made from dried chickpeas. Also known as gram flour, it is a common flour used in India as a thickener as well as for baking doughs, batters, noodles, and other fried or baked foods.

A date stamped on food items that indicates the recommended length of time a product retains it's best quality or flavor.

beta-carotene,

A traditional farmhouse cheese from the Pyrenees region of France that is made from cow or goat's milk.

A type of Jewish cracker with a light, crispy texture. The cracker usually has a cheese flavor and is most often enjoyed with tea or for snacks.

Traditionally, this sauce is a white butter sauce native to France, that is used as a complement to enhance a variety of foods, such as egg dishes, poultry, seafood, and vegetables.

A paste prepared with equal quantities of flour and butter that are kneaded together.

A large tea or coffee pot most often used for making greater quantities of beverages than the standard sized coffe pots.

mini-whisk, miniature whisk,

Grown primarily in northern India, this pepper is considered to be the hottest and provide the most intense heat of all chile peppers.

A short-grain variety of rice, grown in the Himalayan Mountains, which has a brown and ivory colored kernel.

Produced in the Piedmont region of Italy, this variety of cheese is a hand-made in the manner of an artisan cheese.

A variety of lettuce that has a tapering head and light-green leaves. It is a type of butterhead lettuce with a buttery texture an excellent for use as a salad green.

A steak cut from the butt end, or large end, of the beef tenderloin. The butt end of the tenderloin is actually not located within the short loin, but extends into sirloin section....

Broad descriptive term for full bodied wine with powerful flavor and aroma.

A type of unsalted yeast starter used in Italy to bake the traditional country breads, also known as artisan breads, that have a crunchy outer crust covering a chewy inner crumb, such as Francese, Pugliese or Ciabatta breads.

A grape varietal used in the production of hearty red wine. Originating in the Bordeaux region of France, the grape is also grown in the United States, Chile, Italy, Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Long strand pasta, which is made with whole-wheat and has a thickness similar to spaghetti.

A small, magenta-colored berry with a tart flavor harvested from low growing shrubs that are commonly found in Great Britain and northern Europe.

A type of dried meat that is processed in long strips and preserved for consumption in South Africa.

A sweet cherry from the bigarreau variety of cherries that is grown throughout the United States.

A kitchen utensil that is used to whip lighter food ingredients that are being prepared for baking or serving.

A bird nest is a deep fried nest typically made of noodles or shredded vegetables.

A device that consists of two small frying baskets, one fitting inside the other.

Considered to be a type of utility knife that is used for many of the same tasks as the traditional paring knife.

An Asian soup, which is considered to be a delicacy, that is made with the use of an actual bird's nest.

A small chile pepper that is typically harvested when it is approximately an inch in length and matured from green to red or purple in color.

A traditional food paste for Biryani recipes that consists of a mixture of spices mixed with canola oil to form an oily paste that is mixed into and used to flavor meat, poultry, seafood, and vegetable dishes often served over a bed of rice.

A type of Italian cookie that is first baked in a loaf and then cut into slices and baked again.

In the United States, a biscuit is a type of circular, flaky bread that is made into individual pieces about 3 inches in diameter and 1 to 2 inches thick.