Glossary of Cooking Terms

Most notably known as "Montepulciano". A grape varietal, used in the production of deep ruby red wines, originating in the Abruzo and Marche regions of Italy.

Translated as "spring style" in Italian, pasta primavera, linguini primavera and other similar dishes use seasonal or fresh vegetables in a raw or blanched form as one of the main ingredients to garnish the prepared dish.

To clean a cooking surface by polishing it with salt and fat or oil.

A tender cut of beef taken from the rib primal. It is very tender, flavorful, and expensive.

A Scandinavian cheese made from cow's milk which has a soft spreadable texture providing a semi-sweet taste.

A food industry term derived by technicians and scientists as a way to describe the effect of adding or a way to describe foods that have added live microorganisms to a base substance in order to create and develop a beneficial result for the health of humans.

A combination of one or more types of natural cheese that have been pasteurized to extend storage life.

Fresh fruits and vegetables as found in the grocery store or open markets.

A small puff pastry, commonly served as an appetizer or dessert, that is sliced in half to hold various fillings that could be sweet or meat or cheese-based.

Turn your basic slow cooker into a programmable unit by purchasing a programmable timer module.

1. The swelling and bubbling of yeast when mixed with warm water and set aside in a warm location.

A basket specifically used for proofing bread dough. The dough is placed in the basket for the final rising period, or proofing period.

A delicately flavored dry cured ham, originating in Italy and made from the meat on the hindquarters of hogs.

A delicately flavored dry cured ham, originating in Italy and made from the meat of the hindquarters of the hog.

An Italian sparkling wine that provides a delicate but crisp flavor with a light effervescence.

An association, made up of volunteers, that promotes the increase in the D.O.C's image and technical profile.

The actual protecting of wine, grapes, and juice from oxygen. Protection is achieved by using sealed containers, low temperatures, and sulfur dioxide.

One of three main categories of basic nutrients (the others are carbohydrates and fat) that are used by our cells for the building, repair and maintenance of our muscles, organs and glands, enabling our body to defend against infection, disease and loss of daily functions.

A variety of dried herbs grown naturally in the Provence region of southern France that are combined to create a savory flavoring for foods such as olives, meats, stews, and sauces.

An olive, traditionally from France, that has been cured in light brine, and marinated in herbes de Provence, which are selected herbs from Provence, France.

An Italian cheese made from whole cow's milk, having a firm texture and flavor that ranges from mild and slightly sweet or spicy when young to a flavor that is strong, tangy, and somewhat salty as it ages.

Growing as a beefsteak-shaped tomato with vertical ribs, this variety is a larger heirloom tomato that typically becomes a pound or more in size.

A wrinkled shiny skinned fruit that is a dried plum, which is native to America, Europe and Asia.

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

Descriptor of wine with the undesirable characteristic of pungent, sun-dried, overripe grapes.

When refering the the process of making wine, "pruning" refers to the cutting back of the grape vine during the winter season.

A soft, creamy textured dessert which is generally made from milk, flour or cornstarch, sugar and flavoring.

A very sweet, ruby-red fruit that is much like a small cherry. It grows mainly in the West Indies and is an excellent source of vitamin C.

A multi-layered pastry, which is made by combining thin layers of pastry dough with a very thin layers of butter (or other solid fat) between each layer of dough.

A form of rice in which the rice grains are expanded to a volume that is several times larger than their original size.

Most notably known as "Nebbiolo". A grape varietal, used in the production of red wine, originating in the Piedmont region of Italy.

A tropical fruit native to Asia that resembles a small oval melon in appearance....

A mix of mild spices from India that are used to flavor a variety rice and dal dishes.

Tiny pasta that is added to a very light soup or just a broth. If not available substitute pastina.

A type of bread that is formed into a shape that contains distinct markings or indentations that allow the bread to be “pulled apart” into individual servings.

A type of bread named after the famous Pullman railway coach of the United States, because the shape of the bread and the shape of the railway car are similar.

The soft, juicy, edible flesh that is contained within the outer skin or peel that covers a fruit or vegetable.

In reference to wine making, "pulp" refers to the flesh of the grape. The pulp contains a majority of the water, sugar, and acid that forms the grape juice extracted from the grapes.

1) The dried seed contained within the pod of several varieties of legumes, which include beans, lentils, and peas.

An old Norwegian cheese that is produced as a soft, cooked-curd cheese made from cow's milk.

To crush or grind a food into a powder form.

A type of fruit that may grow as large as a foot in diameter and is the largest citrus fruit.

A winemaking term that describes the process of circulating the fermenting juice of red wine from the bottom of the tank over the skin cap that has formed at the top of the tank.

Traditional German bread referred to as a "box bread" or "kastenbrot" by German bakers.

A type of winter squash that develops an orange outer skin with a golden inner flesh.

A sweet quick bread usually prepared with all-purpose flour and flavored with pumpkin and a variety of spices including, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

A condiment or an ingredient that is most often served to accompany fall or winter foods, but is certainly enjoyed year around.

A premixed blend of spices, generally including cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger powder, mace and cloves, which is used to enhance the flavor of pumpkin pie.

An unusual bread prepared with a dough made of bread flour and flavored with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin seed oil, which is dark, opaque, and has a thick consistency, is obtained from roasted pumpkin seeds.