Glossary of Cooking Terms

The eggs of a female fish, referred to as hard roe, and the male's milt or sperm, known as soft roe.

A potato dish originating from Switzerland that is traditionally made with boiled potatoes that are grated and fried.

A kitchen utensil used for making the potato dish from Switzerland that is known as Roesti, Rösti or Rosti potatoes.

1. Individual portions of bread that have been baked into various shapes. There are many different types of dough that can be used for rolls and many different shapes, such as round buns, knotted rolls, rolled wedges and folded rounds.

Whole oat kernels, referred to as groats, which have been sliced and flattened into flakes by steel rollers.

A beef roast that is basically the same cut as the standing rib roast only the meat is detached from the bones, rolled and tied.

Large steaks that are flexible so they can be rolled and tied to be used as an oven roast.

A long cylindrical shaped kitchen utensil, generally used to roll out various types of dough when making food items such as bread, pastries and cookies.

When a liquid reaches a point in temperature that it is boiling vigorously or turbulently and cannot be disrupted or stopped by stirring.

A short-grain Italian rice that is excellent for the preparation of risotto, which is a creamy Italian rice dish.

A meaty, pear shaped tomato that is available in red and yellow. It has fewer seeds and because of its meatiness and full flavor it makes a good canning and sauce tomato.

A lettuce that grows in a head of long narrow leaves that has a crunchy rib down the center and a mild tangy flavor.

A bean, sometimes referred to as an Italian flat bean, that can eaten as a snap bean when it is very young or as a dried bean during later stages of maturity.

A variety of cheeses generally made from cow, goat or sheep's milk that are all classified under the Romano name.

A flat ¾ inch wide pasta that has rippled edges on both sides. The ends of this pasta have been cut diagonally instead of straight across, adding an interesting look to the pasta.

A round, bright red apple with an aromatic, rich flavor when cooked. The Rome is a slightly tart apple that tastes somewhat bland when eaten raw, however when cooked its flavor is enhanced.

A Mexican herb that resembles rosemary. It is used as a seasoning and has a strong flavor that goes well with fish, chicken and beef.

Considered to be a traditional Catalan type of food sauce, which originated in the Catalonia region of Spain.

Made in the Roncal valley of Spain, adjacent to the Pyrenees mountains, this cheese is a popular and well known cheese commonly made as an artesan variety.

A wide, round, pot that is fairly shallow, allowing steam to disperse quickly for searing and poaching.

Also called rounds, a type of cut that creates round or oval, flat pieces by cutting a cylindrical vegetable crosswise.

A minor grape varietal grown exclusively in the Veneto region of Italy. Rondinella is blended with Corvina (the principal grape) and Molinara grape varietals.

Vegetables that have an edible root as an extension of the vegetable which grows underground.

A system of roots to where a grape variety is grafted.

A traditional beef stew from Cuba made with shredded beef that is often served with black beans and rice.

Small to medium-sized, this variety of tomato is an heirloom species that grows and ripens earlier than other varieties.

A French blue cheese, made from sheep's milk, which has a distinctively sweet, but tart to salty flavor with a semisoft, crumbly texture.

Made as an artisan cheese in the Basque (Barcelona) region of Spain, Ros is a variety that uses pasteurized sheep's milk as its main ingredient.

A rice-shaped extracted wheat flour pasta that is very similar in appearance and taste to orzo.

The color leaves from the rose flower, which are edible and have a strong perfume flavor.

A seasoned water that has been produced by distilling rose petals with steam so the fragrance and flavor are introduced into the distilled water, providing a rose aroma and taste to the water.

The fruit that grows from either wild or domestic rose bushes. Rosehips are typically harvested at the end of a growing season when the bright to dark red fruits are fully matured and well formed.

An herb, which is actually an evergreen plant native to the Mediterranean region but cultivated throughout Europe and America.

1) A thin crisp fried pastry that is made by dipping a fancy shaped iron into a sweet batter and then dipping the iron in hot fat that is deep enough to cover the battered iron.

A long rod with a heatproof handle on one end and a decorative shaped iron on the other.

Most notably known as "Pinot Noir". A grape varietal, used in the production of red and sparkling wines, originating in the Burgundy region of France.

Twisted pasta that is similar to rotini, only larger in diameter.

A wheel shaped pasta that is also known as ruote. Rotelle is also used as the name of a twisted spiral pasta, which is similar to rotini, only rotelle is larger in size.

A French word that means "roasted".

Short pasta twisted into a spiral shape, similar to fusilli. Rotini adds a decorative affect to salads and other dishes.

A cooking device that is built to hold food items, such as meat, poultry and vegetables securely while being slowly rotated, continuously over hot coals or heated burners.

A cooking utensil used on outdoor grills that serves as a food holder that can be rotated continuously so the contents can be evenly cooked.

Most notably known as "Gewürztraminer". A grape varietal used in the production of white wine.

Descriptor of flawed wine that exhibits the aroma of Hydrogen Sulfide gas.

A brie-type cheese produced in the Comté de Nice region of France. Made from pasteurized and unpasteurized cow's milk, Roucoulon cheese is a soft ripened, soft-textured cheese that provides a mild earthy flavor with a mushroom overtone.

Descriptor of unpleasantly sharp wine, possibly caused by insufficient aging, high (unbalanced) acidity and/or tannins.

Another name for a dogfish, which is a small shark. It is also known as a rock salmon.

(Scientific Name: Stropharia rugosoannulata) An umbrella shaped mushroom with a cap that may grow up to 12 inches in diameter but is generally in the range of 2 to 6 inches.

A carbohydrate contained in plant foods such as fruits, legumes, vegetables, and whole grains that cannot be fully digested.

A French term meaning "rust" that is used to describe a burnt red colored sauce made from chile peppers, garlic and olive oil.