Glossary of Cooking Terms

rtion or heart of the stem of the cabbage palm tree, which is found in Florida and other tropical regions.

To cook food, generally vegetables, over a low heat, using a small amount of fat (butter is often used).

A root vegetable that looks like a turnip, and is commonly called a "rutabaga" or at times a "Swedish turnip," but is actually from the cabbage family.

A meat dish, originating in Europe, that uses meatballs combined with a sauce that is served as a main dish.

A type of rye bread that is a bit lighter in flavor and texture than other rye breads of Northern Europe and Scandinavia due to the use of a greater proportion of wheat flour than rye flour.

Term that denotes the presence of residual sugar and/or glycerin in a wine. Considered one of the four basic tastes perceived by taste buds.

A variety of pepper that has a banana shape and is typically 2 to 3 inches in length.

Sweet cream butter, which is simply referred to as "butter", is produced from cream that has been churned until it becomes semisolid.

A nut that is starchier and less oily than other nuts, allowing it to be cooked in a number of ways, such as roasted, steamed or boiled.

An eating chocolate that is sweeter than semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate. It is also used for baking.

A type of corn that is often considered to be a vegetable rather than a grain because it is most often eaten fresh like a vegetable.

A kitchen tool used to remove the kernels from the corn cob. There are a couple different types of corn strippers available.

A small plump squash that is only about four to five inches in diameter. Its skin is generally cream colored or light yellow with green stripes.

A winter squash, which is a variety of buttercup squash, that has a round, pumpkin shape weighing approximately 3 to 4 pounds.

A sweet pepper is a mild to sweet flavored pepper that can be eaten raw or cooked.

A food spread that is made from roasted sweet peppers, which can use any variety of sweet pepper as the base for the spread.

A ham that is wet cured in a sweet seasoned brine. The sweetener and seasoning used in the curing process will vary according to the recipe of the producer or the person curing the ham.

A type of ham curing process that involes immersing a ham in a sweet brine that has been seasoned with a variety of spices.

A tuber vegetable originating from Central America that is typically referred to as either a Sweet Potato or yam in the U.S.

Made in the same manner as a fried potato chip, Sweet Potato chips are thin, curled or flat in shape, and crunchy-textured.

A speciality flour that is produced from white sweet potatoes. It is raw flour, not roasted flour and therefore, does not require cooking before use.

A milk and/or broth-based soup made from the flesh of orange Sweet Potatoes. Typically, this soup contains bits of onion and garlic cooked in a chicken broth that is mixed with milk, yogurt or half-and-half as a base.

A short grain variety of white rice that sticks together when it is cooked. This variety is generally used for commercial product formulations rather than home recipes, converting the rice starch and flour into food binders for fillings, gravies and sauces.

A medium size apple that has a red with yellow streaked outer skin and a cream colored fine textured flesh.

In reference to dishes with a flavor that is both sweet and tart. The flavor generally comes from the combination of both sugar and vinegar in making a dressing or sauce that is served with meat, fish or vegetables or a combination of these foods.

1) The thymus glands, from the neck or throat of a young calf or lamb, which are considered a delicacy for their distinct flavor and very tender texture.

A type of whole milk, most often used as a cooking ingredient, that has been thickened through the elimination of about 60 percent of the water content, producing a concentrated flavor.

A term that refers to a small piece or portion of a sweet food, such as candied fruits or nuts, small candies, or petit fours.

To stir a food in a circular pattern for the purpose of creating a design, generally with a minimal amount of stirring.

The purpose of swirling wine in a glass is to oxygenate the wine. When oxygen is introduced to a wine it releases the chemical components that produce those aromas we search for and is thought to smooth the taste of the wine.

A method of tenderizing meat, which has been floured and seasoned, by pounding it to break up the muscle fibers.

A rippled or smooth-leafed vegetable that has a white, red or yellow stalk with white veins running throughout the stalks.

Originating in Switzerland, this cheese is characterized by the large holes ("eyes") found throughout the cheese, which grow larger and increase in number the longer the cheese ripens, due to the gas bubbles enclosed in the ageing cheese.

1. Another name given to a steak cut from the beef arm roast. Braising is the best cooking method for this tougher cut, which is also known as arm steak.

This utensil is made to stir the contents of a beverage prior to and as it is consumed in order to keep the ingredients well blended or to alter the taste.

A popular saltwater fish found in warm and tropical waters. The fish's upper jaw resembles a sword and is about a third of its length.

A frothy, thick beverage or dessert, originating in England, which is made from beaten milk and wine (or ale), sugar, spices and sometimes beaten egg whites.

Pronounced sihl-van-uhr. A grape varietal used in the production of white wine. Believed to have originated in Austria only small amounts are planted there in modern day.

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

Pronounced see-rah. A grape varietal, used in the production of red wine, originating in the Rhône region of France.

A liquid sugar that is used for a flavoring both prior to the preparation of the food as well as after when the food is served.

A type of cookie that is made with very thin embossed wafers, formed into a waffle pattern that are spread with a sweet syrup and sandwiched together.

A Chinese spice that is made by grinding the brown berries of the prickly ash tree into finer particles.

Most notably known as "Pinot Gris". A grape varietal, used in the production of white to slightly pink wine, originating in the Alsace region of France.

Pronounced she-mee-yohn or say-mee-yohn. A grape varietal used in the production of white wine.