Glossary of Cooking Terms

A small, disk-shaped legume that has a firm texture and a nutty taste. Dried green lentils do not require presoaking like many dried beans and they tend to cook faster.

A small oval fruit, grown on trees, that is harvested prior to ripening to retain the green color and dense meaty texture.

A variety of onion featuring green leaves and white bulbs that are harvested when they are young and the bulb is still very small.

Used as a spice, a green peppercorn is an under ripe peppercorn berry which is available whole or preserved in a brine and packed in jars.

A traditional variety of rice served in southeast Asian areas, specifically Vietnam, where the rice flakes are manually produced to create a dish known as "banh com" or simply "com" as it is often called.

A tomato that is picked before it matures into a pink or red colored vegetable. The larger varieties are generally picked when the skin displays only a slight amount of pinkish tint, which is considered to be a mature stage for this tomato.

A generic name given to several types of leafy vegetables such as spinach, mustard greens, escarole, dandelion, and turnip greens that are often used in salads.

A garnish, prepared traditionally with chopped parsley, lemon peel (zest), and minced garlic, which is added to many meat, fish and vegetable dishes to provide a fresh, clean flavor.

Pronounced gra-nahsh or graynahsh. A grape varietal used in the production of white, red, and rosé wine.

A type of sweet syrup that originated on the Caribbean island of Grenada. It is made from pomegranates and is used as a flavoring and coloring for desserts and cocktails.

A semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk that is native to Sweden. Similar in appearance and taste to a Swiss cheese, Greve has a dense creamy texture with large holes throughout.

Often referred to as "grey" in France, this berry is very similar to the traditional black peppercorn or "poivre noir" that is common throughout the world.

Attributed to early Roman times, this sauce, which was more commonly referred to as "Sauce Gribiche", was made as a condiment or dressing for salad greens, fish, poultry, and eggs....

A flat pan with a long handle constructed of materials that conduct heat well, such as cast iron or aluminum, many of which have a non-stick surface and exterior for ease of cleanup.

A flat cake produced by pouring batter on a hot griddle or skillet to form round cakes that are cooked quickly at high heat.

1. A cooking device consisting of a metal grate or rack placed above hot coals heated by gas or charcoal briquettes.

A grill basket is used when grilling delicate foods, such as fish and small pieces of meat, fruit and vegetables that cannot be skewered.

The grate is the part of the grill that the food is placed on. It is the only part of the grill that comes in direct contact with the food.

Also known as a Grilling Grid or a Vegetable Grill Grid, this utensil is used to hold an array of small foods that may fall through the standard grill plates or racks when foods are being grilled.

Due to the difficulty in cleaning grill pans that contain ridges after they have been used for cooking, a custom formed cleaning utensil has been designed, referred to as a grill scrubber or grill sponge.

Any sauce intended to season meats and vegetables to be grill cooked. Barbecue, teriyaki, mushroom, and garlic sauces are all examples of sauces used for grilling foods.

A traditional Asian cooking vessel shaped like a large low bowl with two handles.

Flexible and paper-like with a stiff consistency, this cooking tool is used to flavor foods that are being grilled.

A wooden board used to hold food while it is being grilled, that serves to provide a moist and somewhat smoky flavor to the food as well as preserving the nutrients within the food.

A wide range of woods are suitable for use in a grill. Hardwoods are much better than softwoods because hardwoods burn longer and provide more heat.

The process of breaking solid food items into smaller particles. Special equipment is available to grind different types of food such as a meat grinder for meat, a coffee grinder for coffee beans, a pepper mill for grinding peppercorns, and a food processor, which is used to grind many different types of food.

Descriptor of wine with firm flavor and structure.

A traditional Italian breadstick that is made from dough that is elastic in texture allowing for the shaping of a long and very thin stick.

A popular dish in the southern United States, prepared as a side dish or a hot breakfast cereal.

The whole kernels of grain, such as barley, buckwheat or oats that have been hulled, cleaned and sometimes roasted, but not cut or flattened.

A variety of different types of hardwood rolling pins that have ribbed grooves manufactured into the rolling pin shaft.

A grape varietal, most notably known as Cabernet Franc, used in the production of red wine.

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

Most notably known as Chenin Blanc. A grape varietal used in the production of white wine, originating in the Loire region of France.

A medium sized purple or purplish-black olive grown in southern France that contains firm textured meat.

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

Most notably known as Cabernet Franc. A grape varietal used in the production of red wine, originating in the Loire Region of France.

A type of pasta shaped like a short, ribbed, hollow tube that is suitable for dishes in which the pasta will be baked with a sauce.

An Italian descriptor for a Spanish olive that is very large and round in shape with a firm dense meat.

Commonly referred to as hamburger, ground beef is produced from grinding and blending together various cuts of beef including meat from the chuck, brisket, plate, sirloin, and/or flank.

A fruit growing on low bushes, referred to as a cherry or a tomato, that is a relative of the Mexican tomatillo but smaller in size and sweeter in flavor.

A spice made from dried red chiles including the seeds that are ground into powder.

A fish found in the warm waters of the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean, belonging to the sea bass family.

A type of game bird, common in cooler climates, that is similar in size to a small duck or pheasant.

An older version of cooked cereal that was always prepared so it had a very thin consistency.

A dessert, traditionally served on America's east coast that is a combination of a pie and a cobbler.

Originating in Switzerland, this cheese is traditionally made from unpasteurized cow's milk that is heat-treated.

A grape varietal, most notably known as Sylvaner, used in the production of white wine.

A Mexican dish consisting of mashed avocados and a small amount of lemon or lime juice.

A hot and slightly sweet flavored chile that has a long tapered shape and an orange-red color.