CUL 750

Vocabulary 1

Chicories – leafy greens with bittersweet flavor, salads when young, cooked when mature, ex. endive.

Emulsification – to combine a fat or oil with another liquid so that tiny droplets are suspended, types are temporary, semi-permanent, or permanent, may use a stabilizer (physical emulsifier)

Mucilage – gelatinous substance of plants such as legumes or seaweeds, contains proteins and polysaccharides, ex. okra.

Dispersed phase – tiny droplets of a liquid suspended in an emulsion.

Continuous phase – the main body of liquid in an emulsion.

Green salad – made from fresh leafy greens and vegetables.

Side salad – made without greens, may include vegetables, starches, fruits, ex. potato salad, fruit salad, macaroni salad.

Composed salad – the salad is made by artfully arranging the elements rather than tossing together, can include proteins, cheeses, nuts/seeds, ex. Nicoise, Cobb.

Endive – a bitter chicory, can use in salads or cooked, ex. escarole, frisee, Belgian endive.

Curing salts – salt used to preserve meats, utilizes nitrates, nitrites.

Brining – a solution of salt, water, seasoning used to flavor and preserved foods.

Cold smoking – gives food a smoky flavor without cooking them, 70-100 degrees.

Fermentation – the breakdown of carbohydrates into carbon dioxide gas and alcohol, usually through the action of yeast on sugar.

Insta-cure #1 – a specific curing blend of 94% sodium chloride, 6% sodium nitrite, pink tinted, use ratio 4 oz insta-cure to 100 lbs meat (0.25% of total weight of meat).

Pellicle – a sticky film that develops on the surface of drying meats and helps smoke particles stick to the food.

Rillette – cooked meat is combined with fat to form a paste, usually stored in jar with a fat layer on top acting as a seal.

Drying – removing moisture from a food to make safe for storage at room temperature without further cooking.

Hot smoking – exposing food to smoke and heat in a controlled environment, food is fully cooked when properly smoked, 185-250 degrees.

Gravlax – a Scandinavian dish of raw salmon cured with salt, sugar, and dill.

Osmosis – the process of a solute (salt) and a solvent (water) passing through cell membranes to equalize the concentration on either side.

Vocabulary 2

Sandwich – A version of tasty filling with bread or similar wrapper. Elements include, Bread, spread, filling, garnishes.

Closed sandwich – between two layers of bread product

Tartine – an open-faced sandwich

Sandwich spread – applied directly to the bread, protects the bread from getting soggy and provides moisture to the sandwich and sticks it together

Condiment – a sauce or spread adding flavor or enhancing flavor, example include mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard

Corned beef – beef that has been cured, element of a Reuben sandwich

Fines herbs – parsley, tarragon, chives, chervil

Finger sandwich – a small version of a sandwich, crusts removed, designed to be eaten in about two bites, not messy or sloppy

Tramezzini – an Italian version of a tea sandwich, usually with tuna, ham, or cheese, crusts removed

Bisque – a soup made traditionally with shellfish, thickened with rice, served hot or chilled

Chowder – a chunky and hearty soup, creamy, served hot

Espuma – a vegetable or vegetable extract made into a foam or froth

Borscht – a beet soup with sour tones, originated in Eastern Europe (Russia and Ukraine), can be served hot or chilled

Gazpacho – a cold soup made from raw vegetables, thickened with bread, originated in Spain

Croque Monsieur – a French ham and cheese sandwich with bechamel and gruyere, served hot

Montadito – “placed on top” a Spanish open-faced sandwich, bite-sized like a canape or crustini, bread is toasted

Camellia Sinesis – botanically, the plant of the tea leaf, the source of all teas, black, green, white, oolong and yellow are from different stages of the oxidation process

Black tea – full oxidation process, dark color and strong flavor

Afternoon tea – (low tea) a light mid-afternoon meal, tea served with finger sandwiches, scones, or small, sweet treats

Herbal tea – (tisane) made of steeped herbs, spices, fruits, flowers, or other plants, does not contain tea leaves.

Vocabulary 3

Sausage – (Latin, “salted;” Italian, “encased”) Made by grinding raw meats with salt and spices and stuffing into casings, can add grains or potatoes to extend meat ingredients.

Certified pork – pork that has been treated to destroy the pathogens that cause trichinosis. (Freeze to minimum temp for minimum days)

Progressive grinding – A process of grinding meats several times starting with a course die, then medium, then fine. Creates a fine, even texture in the finished product.

Emulsion sausage – a process that results in a homogenous, spongy texture. The meats and fat are in 5-4-3 ratio with ice. (Frankfurters, mortadella)

Sausage casing – The outer film holding a sausage together. Natural casings are the intestines or stomach of sheep, hogs, or cattle. Synthetic casings are made of collagen, plastic, paper. (food grade though may or may not be edible)

Mycelium – A chewy, yeasty mold that forms on the outside of sausage, can protect the fat from oxidization, stabilize the color of sausage, and enhance flavor.

Whey – serum of milk, separated out during the cheese-making process, lactose-rich.

Rennet – an enzyme extracted from stomach of ruminate animals or sometimes hogs, causes coagulation of proteins in milk to make cheese curds.

Mesophilic culture – bacteria that thrive at moderate temperatures, 60-100 degrees F. Often used in making fresh cheeses such as cottage and ricotta, or soft ripened cheeses.

Thermophilic culture – bacteria that thrive at higher temps, 110-171 degrees F. Often used to make drier, aged cheeses.

Cheese curd – formed in the initial stage of cheesemaking when milk proteins coagulate and separate from the whey.

Forcemeat – chopped or ground meats or seafood (can include other ingredients) used for pate, sausage, and other preparations

Pâté – forcemeat baked in pastry or mold, characterized by a rich flavor and spreadable texture.

Terrine – a loaf of forcemeat baked in ceramic mold in a bain marie, can include other ingredients, usually served cold.

Galantine – boned poultry stuffed with forcemeat and/or other ingredients, rolled in its own skin and poached. Usually served cold with aspic.

Quatre e’pices – “four spices” a classic French blend of white pepper, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, a staple in charcuterie.

Chaud froid – “hot-cold” a sauce prepared hot and then served cold, such as aspic.

Panada – a mixture of starch (such flour, breadcrumbs, potato) and liquid (such as milk, egg) used as a binder for forcemeats, provides stability and texture.

Barquette – a small boat shaped pastry shell used to hold fillings for canapes.

Tasting menu – a set menu of curated, small dishes, sequence develops from mild to robust, series of several courses (can include up to 16 or more)

Vocabulary 4

Acar Jawa – “to pickle” carrot, cucumber, and other vegetables in a tangy and spicy marinade

Action station – a portion of a buffet where the chef engages with guests as he prepares/cooks the food.

Amuse bouche – a small complimentary bite-sized hors d’oeuvres, meant to stimulate the appetite.

Antipasti – “before the meal” an appetizer or starter course

Canapé – a small open-faced sandwich built on a bread-like base, one or two bites, considered a composed hors d’oeuvres,

Dashi – cooking stock/soup made with kombu and bonito flakes (katsuobushi)

Itamae – “In front of the board” the sushi chef, or the cook in a Japanese kitchen.

Kaitenzushi – Conveyer belt sushi, Higashi Osaka, 1958

Maguro – tuna, the leaner part from the sides of the belly

Maki-zushi – rice and seaweed rolled with fish/ vegetables. Nori may be on the outside or on the inside.

Mezze - a selection of small dishes or appetizers, typically served family-style in a communal setting, especially in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions.

Mirin – sweet rice wine for cooking

Nigiri-zushi – vinegared rice topped with wasabi and raw/cooked fish or shellfish

Raw bar – a bar or counter, or even an entire restaurant theme serving raw oysters and other seafood

Sashimi – raw fish without rice

Sushi – sweetened, vinegared rice. Zushi is a modifier to describe different styles.

Temaki-zushi – “hand roll” cone of nori filled with sushi and often smoked or spicy fish

Tobiko – flying fish roe often served on maki-sushi, red and crunchy

Toro – Tuna belly or fatty tuna, o-toro is considered the best

Yuzu – a fragrant, sour, tart citrus fruit with yellow bumpy skin, the zest and juice is commonly used in Asian cooking.