Glossary of Cooking Terms

The act of combining two or more liquids that do not typically mix together well, such as oil and water.

The combining of two liquids that do not typically mix together well, such as oil and water.

The French term used in reference to any type of food that is partially cooked, encased in a pastry shell and then baked before serving.

A French term meaning in paper which is used to describe the technique of placing food into a parchment cooking paper or a foil packet, sealing it, and then cooking the contents.

A popular Mexican dish prepared with a soft corn tortilla, used as a food wrap, that is rolled around ingredients such as chicken, beef or pork and topped with cheese and vegetables, which may include lettuce, onions, and sweet peppers.

Used in salads and side dishes, endive is a member of the chicory family and is available as curly endive or Belgian endive.

The largest portion of a grain kernel containing most of the protein and carbohydrates, but only small quantities of vitamins and minerals.

A beverage that represents the traditional blend of Ceylon, Kenyan, and Indian teas, which are served for English breakfasts.

Long, thin and narrow, this variety of vegetable is a common type of cucumber grown for the digestive qualities it contains.

A round, leavened bread that is usually about four inches in diameter and is cooked on a hot griddle instead of oven baked, giving it a flattened appearance.

A type of bread prepared with a dough usually made from white (wheat) bread flour or all-purpose flour and is enriched with milk.

A variety of mustard prepared from a combination of ground white and brown mustard seeds.

A coarse sea salt harvested from the Atlantic waters, often near the Maldon region of Essex, England.

A meat product that has received injections of solutions such as water, salt and sodium phosphate to season the meat and to keep it from drying out.

(Scientific Name: Flammulina velutipes) A native Asian mushroom commonly found growing on tree trunks or tree roots.

The science of wine and the wine making process. Also referred to as Oeonology.

Flour that has been processed from grain to remove the bran and germ, bleached to whiten the appearance, and then reformulated with nutrients, such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin D, iron, and calcium added in accordance with established government guidelines.

White rice that has been coated with nutrients, such as iron, niacin, thiamin, and folic acid, which were lost when the rice was initially processed.

A type of commercially prepared white bread that is fortified with vitamins and minerals in order to replace the nutrients lost during processing.

A process of adding sugar to the must (unfermented wine), resulting in a wine with high alcohol content.

A French term, which translated, means "between the ribs." Entrecôte describes a beef rib-eye (boneless) or rib steak (includes the bone) cut from the ninth to the eleventh ribs of the beef carcass.

A French word that refers to the main course of a meal.

A jagged leafed herb, popular in Mexican cooking, that is considered to be a weed in many regions.

A variety of new potato that has a slightly irregular oval shape and beige-white skin that turns slightly pink when exposed to light.

Made from pasteurized and unpasteurized cow's milk, this variety of cheese originates from the Burgundy region of France where the town of Epoisses is located.

A grape varietal most notably known as Marsanne, used in the production of white wine, originating in the Rhône region of France.

A sugar alcohol naturally present in foods such as fruits and fermented foods. As part of a group of sugar alcohols that include fructose, glucose and sucrose, erythritol is a sweetener that is produced from glucose through a natural fermentation process.

A food dish that is native to Spain. It consists of fish marinated in a tangy sauce of olive oil, vinegar, herbs, and spices.

A French term for a cut of meat or fish that has a flattened shape or is very thinly sliced.

The French word for snail. There are several varieties of snails that are available, which all have a rich tasting and firm textured meat.

A crisp, broadleaf type of endive most often served as a salad green that is also known as escarole, broad chicory, or common chicory.

A grape varietal most notably known as Cinsault, used in the production of light red wines, originating in the Rhône region of France.

Also known as a brown sauce or demiglace, it is a basic sauce that serves as a base for use in making other variations of the original sauce.

A grape varietal most notably known as Mourvedre, used in the production of red wine, originating in the Catalonia region of Spain.

A type of coffee that is produced with a selected bean, roasted until dark but not burned and brewed with special processes to create a beverage, which is significantly stronger than a traditional coffee.

A ground powder produced from a selected variety of coffee beans that have been ground for brewing and then dried after brewing to produce a powdered substance.

A cow's milk cheese, Danish in origin that is made from partially skimmed milk. Light yellow in color Esrom or Danish Port-Salut as it is also known, has a mild, sweet flavor and a large aroma.

1) Odor kits that contain vials of representative flavor essence of wine. Or (2) A term used, at times, by wineries to describe a late harvest, sweet, red wine.

A wine label term indicating a wine is made from 100% from grapes grown in one particular winery or in vineyards one particular winery leases long term.

A type of olive oil that is obtained from olives grown on an individual farm. The olives are usually harvested by hand and the oil is pressed and bottled on site.

Descriptor of wine with extremely unpleasant strong aroma of paint solvents.

An ester byproduct of wine fermentation and/or the aging of wine. Esters’ are compounds that are produced when acid and alcohol are combined.

A type of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks. Refer to "Ethyl Acetate".

A hard sheep's milk cheese that originated in the Aquitaine region of France. The cheese is light yellow with a thin, orange rind.

Descriptor of wine with minute intensity and persistence on the nose and/or palate.

A type of milk that is unpasteurized whole milk condensed by evaporating 50 to 60 percent of the water content in the milk.

A reference to the removal of organs, specifically the entrails, from game birds, poultry, fish, and other animals as they are cleaned and prepared to be frozen or cooked.

A process that is used to extract oil from fruits, nuts, and seeds. Expeller pressing is similar to cold pressing except that extreme pressure is added during the pressing.

A date used to indicate how long a food item can remain on a shelf before it is no longer considered fresh or of a quality level sufficient to be sold to consumers.

Term used on a wine label indicating a sparkling wine or champagne is not-quite dry.