Chef Dave's Culinary Dictionary
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Albacore Albacore is a high-fat tuna with light flesh and a mild flavor. Found in temperate marine waters throughout the world, it weighs between 10 and 60 pounds. It is the only tuna that can be called white, and the most expensive canned tuna.
All-Purpose Flour Finely ground white wheat flour (either bleached or unbleached) containing a moderate amount of protein; used for a wide variety of general baking and cooking.
Allspice Named because it tastes like a blend of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, this spice comes from a berry from the pimento tree native to tropical regions in the western hemisphere.
Asiago Cheese Made from cows milk, this semi firm Italian cheese has a rich, nutty, pungent flavor. Asiago di Taglio is aged for up to 60 days, is semi firm and used as a table cheese. When cured for six months or more, asiago becomes hard and is used for grating.
Au Jus French term for roasted meat or poultry served with its own natural, unthickened juices.
Balsamic Vinegar Dark, mellow Italian vinegar made from white Trebbiano grape juice and aged for 10 to 20+ years in a series of different wooden casks that are graduated in size over the years.
Blanch To cook food by briefly placing in boiling water or hot fat. Blanching also helps to remove skins or to set the color in food.
Bleu Cheese Roquefort-type cheese made from cows or goats milk, possessing characteristic veins of blue-green mold and a pungent flavor, produced in France.
Brown Rice Whole rice grain with only the very outer husk removed. The bran coating is left on, giving the rice a tan color and nut like flavor. Brown rice is higher in fiber and more nutritious than white rice. Brown rice also requires a longer cooking time than regular white long-grain rice.
Butternut Squash A large, yellowish-tan winter squash with yellow to orange flesh and a vase-like shape; it can be baked, steamed or simmered, and has a sweet, nutty flavor
Caffeine A mild organic stimulant found in foods such as coffee, tea and chocolate; acts as a stimulant on the nervous system, kidneys and heart, dilates the blood vessels and induces the release of insulin in the body.
Calcium A necessary mineral found in all dairy products, most dark leafy green vegetables (such as kale, turnip greens and broccoli), dried peas and beans, sardines and canned salmon with bones.
Calorie Free A food containing less than 5 calories per serving.
Canola Oil Bland oil made from rapeseeds; contains omega-3 fatty acids and less saturated fat than other vegetable oils.
Caper The unopened flower bud of the caper bush. Usually pickled in vinegar or brine and tarragon, capers are used to season sauces, cold meats and fish. Their flavor is peppery, sharp and salty-sour, with the finest flavor found in the smallest buds.
Carry-Over Cooking The process that occurs when heat is retained in food, particularly roasted meat, allowing it to continue to cook even after being removed from the heat source.
Cheddar Cheese Popular cows-milk cheese with color ranging from white to yellow-orange. Aged from three months to one year, its flavor increases in sharpness with time.
Chutney An Indian relish containing fruits, vegetables, vinegar and spices. It is used to give a sweet, spicy flavor to foods and can be smooth or chunky in consistency.
Cilantro A leafy green herb also known as coriander or Chinese parsley. It is widely used in Asian, Caribbean and Latin American cooking and its distinctive flavor lends itself to highly spiced foods.
Cornstarch A thickening agent made from the endosperm of corn. To prevent lumps, the dense, fine powdery flour is often mixed with a cold liquid to produce a paste before adding it to a hot mixture.
Couscous The separated grain of the wheat plant. When it is dried and milled, it becomes semolina flour used primarily to make pasta.
Danger Zone The temperature range between 40ΊF and 140ΊF that provides conditions for rapid bacterial growth in perishable foods.
Deglaze After food has been sautιed and the excess fat removed from the pan, deglazing is accomplished by adding a small amount of liquid to the pan and stirring to loosen the brown caramelized bits of food from the bottom. The resulting mixture can be used to create a gravy or pan sauce.
Dredge To lightly cover food with flour, cornmeal or bread crumbs. Meat, poultry and fish are often dredged by being lightly shaken in a paper bag containing the dredging ingredient.
Evaporated Milk Fresh, homogenized whole or skim milk, with 60 percent of the water removed and vitamin D added. Available canned, evaporated milk can be substituted for fresh milk in recipes by mixing with an equal amount of water.
Fat Free A food containing fewer than 0.5 grams of fat per serving.
Feta Cheese Soft, crumbly white Greek cheese made from ewe, goat or cows milk and pickled in brine. It requires little aging. Feta is known for its tangy flavor and contains 45 percent to 60 percent milk fat.
Garnish To decorate food before serving it.
Gorgonzola Cheese An Italian blue cheese named after a town near Milan. It has an ivory-colored interior that can be lightly or thickly streaked with bluish-green veins. This cows-milk cheese is rich with a savory, pungent flavor. It is very creamy and keeps well.
Half-and-Half A mixture of equal parts milk (with a 3.5 percent milk-fat content) and light cream (with an 18 percent milk-fat content), but does not contain enough milk fat to be whipped.
Havarti Cheese A mild, semisoft Danish cheese that is pale yellow and has small irregular holes. It becomes sharper as it matures.
High Fiber A food containing 5 grams or more of fiber per serving.
Hors Doeuvres French term for appetizers that are usually served with cocktails. They are generally bite-size and served hot or cold.
Hummus Middle Eastern dish made from mashed chickpeas, tahini (sesame seed butter), olive oil, garlic and lemon juice.
Julienne To slice into very thin matchstick-like pieces.
Kalamata Olive An almond-shaped Greek olive that is harvested when fully ripe, ranging in length from about ½ inch to 1 inch. Kalamatas have a deep purple color and rich, somewhat fruity flavor. They are brine-cured and sold packed in either olive oil or vinegar; also spelled calamata.
Kosher Food prepared in accordance with the traditional Jewish ritual dietary laws of the Talmud.
Kosher Salt Purified, refined rock salt approved for use on kosher meats. It is also used for pickling because it contains no magnesium carbonate and will not cloud brine solutions.
Lean Poultry, meat, seafood or game containing less than 10 grams of fat, less than 4 grams of saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving (100 grams).
Light FDA term used to define food that has 33 percent fewer calories, 50 percent less fat, or 50 percent less sodium than the regularly used food.
Low Fat A food containing 3 grams of fat or less per serving.
Low Sodium A food containing 140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving.
Macerate To soak foods, usually fruit, in liquid so they absorb the liquids flavor. Liqueur, wine, brandy or sugar syrup most often are used as the macerating liquid. Macerate also applies to fruit sprinkled with sugar, which intensifies the fruits natural flavor by drawing out its juices.
Mince To chop into extremely fine pieces of 1/8-inch or less.
Mirepoix A mixture of finely chopped carrots, celery and onions. This mix is usually equal parts of each, although the use of two parts onion is common. Mirepoix is used in stocks, stews, sauces and as a garnish.
(1) Term describing a food in which no sugars were added during processing or packing, including ingredients that contain sugars (e.g., jams, fruit juice). (2) Term describing a food whose sugar content during processing has not been increased above the amount naturally present in the food. (3) Term describing a substitute for a similar food that normally contains added sugars.
Pasteurization A process discovered by French scientist Louis Pasteur that kills bacteria by heating milk or other liquids to 145°F for not less than 30 minutes or keeping it at 158°F for 15 seconds. The liquid is then rapidly cooled. Though originally devised for wines and beer, this process slows the spoilage of milk but does not significantly change its nutritional value.
Pesto A variable mixture of pulverized garlic, basil, cheeses and pine nuts in olive oil. Pungent in flavor, it is used in northern Italian pasta dishes.
Pico De Gallo A relish made with tomatoes, vinegar, onions, chiles, bell peppers, cilantro and other spices.
Pine Nuts Also known as pignoli or pinyons, these blanched pine cone seeds are used to give foods a rustic, aromatic flavor. They are high in fat and should be refrigerated or frozen because they will turn rancid quickly. They can be used in sweet or savory dishes and are probably best known as an ingredient of pesto.
Protein Protein can be found in both animal and vegetable sources, and provides the body with energy while performing a large number of other functions.
Ratatouille A French vegetable stew that combines a variety of vegetables and herbs simmered in olive oil; can be served hot or cold as a side dish or appetizer.
Recommended Daily Allowance A standard recommendation of the amounts of certain nutrients that should be included in the diet in order to prevent deficiencies.
Roux A mixture of equal parts flour and fat, butter or oil, used to thicken and season gravies, sauces and gumbo in Creole cuisine. A roux should be slowly cooked until it reaches either a white, blonde or brown color, depending on the recipe.
Self Rising Flour All-purpose flour with salt and baking powder added. One cup of self-rising flour contains 1½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt.
Sesame Oil An oil popular in Asian cuisines, made from pressed sesame seeds and used to flavor, rather than cook, foods.
Slurry A mixture of a starch and a cold liquid. The starch such as flour dissolves into the liquid and is easily incorporated as a thickening agent.