Glossary of Terms
| A | |
|---|---|
| Aioli | Egg based mayonnaise made with garlic, lemon juice and vegetable oil. |
| Anglaise | French for vanilla sauce, made with egg yolk, cream and sugar. |
| Arancini | An Italian rice ball crumbed and fried, made with white wine risotto and filled with cheese. |
| Arborio rice | Short grain rice from northern Italy , used for making risotto. |
| Aspen lime | An Australian indigenous fruit. |
| Assiette or assiette surprise | A French style dessert plate with small portions of several desserts, such as lemon curd tartlet, chocolate mousse, almond tuile and mini friand. |
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| Babaganoush | Middle Eastern puree of smoked eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. |
| Baklava | Popular in Greece and Turkey , this sweet dessert consists of many layers of butter drenched filo pastry, spices and chopped nuts. A spiced honey – lemon syrup is poured over the pastry. |
| Banyul berries | Berries flavoured in Banyul wine. Banyul wines are made from grenache grapes and have a tawny colour and a rich but unique flavour. |
| Beef tataki | A Japanese style dish where the beef is hot seared and served rare. |
| Beurre noisette | Butter cooked toward browning point until it develops a nutty flavour. |
| Biryani | A dish made from saffron rice, with pieces of lamb, chicken or vegetables. |
| Black olive oil dressing | Made from extra virgin olive oil and black kalamata olives. |
| Blini | Originally from Russia , these small, singular pancakes are made from buckwheat flour and white flour. |
| Blood orange | Type of orange with red coloured flesh. |
| Bonito flakes | Bonito is a large fish from the same family as tuna and mackerel. |
| Boudin | A delicate sausage. |
| Brandade | A puree of salt cod, olive oil, garlic, milk and cream. |
| Bresaola | Thinly sliced cured beef. |
| Brioche | A light yeast bread made from butter, egg yolk, milk and flour. |
| Buffalo mozzarella | Stretched curd cheese made from buffalo milk. It has a smooth, soft texture and is often used in pizzas, melts and Italian dishes. |
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| Calvados | A dry apple brandy made in Calvados, which is in the Normandy region of Northern France . |
| Caponata vegetables | A mixture of vegetables such as onion, zucchini, eggplant and peppers, garlic, pine nuts, anchovies, olive oil and tomatoes. |
| Cavalo nero | Thin cabbage stems with dark leaves, similar to silver beet, spinach or ruby beet. |
| Celeriac | The white fleshed root of a variety of celery. |
| Centre preserves | Preserves made in the Centre’s kitchen from seasonal fresh produce such as oranges, raspberry, strawberry, finger bananas or stone fruits. |
| Chicken tikka | Indian style chicken dish, marinated in yoghurt and spices and baked in the oven. |
| Chiffon | An airy, fluffy meringue mixture. |
| Chipolata sausage | A small, thin sausage. |
| Chocolate nosh | Items such as Mars Bars, Snickers, Cherry Ripe, and Bounty. |
| Chowder | Creamy soup originating from the west coast of the USA , usually made with corn, potato and shell fish. |
| Ciabatta | An Italian style crispy, flat bread, usually baked on rocks in a bakery oven. |
| Cider beurre blanc | Meaning “white butter,” beurre blanc is a classic French sauce composed of a wine, vinegar and shallot reduction, into which chunks of cold butter are whisked until the sauce is thick and smooth. |
| Confit | Slow braised product, marinated and cooked in olive oil and spices. |
| Coppa | Salt-cured, sweet and fragrant pork from Northern Italy . |
| Cornichon | French for ‘gherkin’, cornichon are crisp tart pickles made from tiny gherkin cucumbers. |
| Crème fraiche | A mixture of sour cream and fresh cream. This is very rich and lightly sour or tangy in flavour. |
| Crostini | Crostini are small, thin slices of toasted bread, which are usually brushed with olive oil. |
| Crystal bay prawns | Farmed prawns from Crystal Bay in Queensland . |
| Crystal sugar crisps | Lightly baked brandy snap type of thin biscuit. |
| Cucumber raita | Indian style yoghurt dish, served as an accompaniment. |
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| Dukkha spice | An Egyptian spice blend made of toasted nuts, seeds and spices. |
| Evoo | An acronym for Extra Virgin Olive Oil. |
| Foie gras | Fattened goose liver. The flavour is extraordinarily rich and the texture smooth. |
| Fontina cheese | Semi-firm yet creamy, fontina is an Italian cow’s-milk cheese with about 45 percent milk fat. It has a dark golden brown rind with a pale yellow interior dotted with tiny holes. It has a mild, nutty flavour. |
| Frenched lamb cutlets | Lamb cutlets trimmed of fat. |
| Friand | Small dessert made from almond meal, sugar, eggs and flavouring. |
| Fumet | A concentrated liquid that gives flavour to stocks and sauces. |
| Fusilli pasta | A spiralled spaghetti. |
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| Green gold | A term for the best green Extra Virgin Olive Oil. |
| Gypsy ham | Black smoked ham |
| Heidi gruyere | A cow’s milk cheese with a rich, sweet, nutty flavour. |
| Hoi sin | This thick, reddish-brown sauce is sweet and spicy, and widely used in Chinese cooking. It’s a mixture of soybeans, garlic, chilli peppers and various spices. |
| Hot smoked salmon | Salmon which is marinated and smoked in a hot kiln, as opposed to cured and dry smoked. |
| Inari sushi | A Japanese dish made from tofu skin, filled with sushi rice, sesame seeds and shiitake mushrooms. |
| Irish whisky anglaise | Vanilla sauce based cream, infused with original Irish Whisky |
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| Japanoise sponge | A sponge made from egg white only, containing almond, nuts, sugar and spices. |
| Kofta |
An Arabic dish, traditionally made with lamb mincemeat, coriander and spices. |
| Kohlrabi | This vegetable is a member of the turnip family and tastes like a mild, sweet turnip. |
| Kuzukiri noodles | Japanese style glass noddles made from rice flour. |
| Lemon delicious | Thin shortbread tart with lemon curd filling. |
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| Mesclun leaves | Simply a potpourri of young, small salad greens. |
| Mirin | Sweetened Japanese sake used for cooking. |
| Mojito | A mint cocktail. |
| Moroccan spices | Mixture of sweet paprika, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, turmeric and ground ginger. |
| Nam jim dip | A spicy Thai dipping sauce. |
| Niçoise olives | Tiny, brine-cured olives, usually in salads. |
| Niçoise vinaigrette | A cold vinaigrette made from black olives, anchovies, olive oil, capers, herbs and spices. |
| Orange blossom water | Originally from Lebanon , it is used for making baklava desserts. |
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| Pancetta | Italian style air dried bacon cured with salt and spices. |
| Panettone | A sweet yeast bread made with raisins, citron, pine nuts and anise, which is baked in a cylindrical tube. |
| Panforte | A speciality of Siena , Italy , it is also called Siena Cake. Panforte is a flat, rich cake made from honey, nuts, candied fruits, cocoa and spices. |
| Papillote | A French term for baking food in a sealed bag or parcel. |
| Pecorino cheese | An Italian cheese made from sheep's milk. Most of these cheeses are aged and classified as Grana (hard, granular and sharply flavoured). |
| Petit fours | French style sweets, bite sized and elaborately decorated. |
| Pimento | A large, red, heart-shaped capsicum that measures 3 to 4 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide. |
| Pierogi | A Polish speciality, it is a half moon shaped dumpling filled with various mixtures, often cabbage, onion and potato. |
| Pistou | A French vegetable soup that usually includes green beans, white beans, onions, potatoes, tomatoes and vermicelli. |
| Polenta | Made from corn meal, it can be eaten soft or fried and shaped into squares. |
| Porcini | A wild mushroom. Porcini have a smooth, meaty texture and pungent, woodsy flavour that is much regaled. |
| Potato galette | A thin potato layer. |
| Prosciutto | A salted, air dried ham sometimes called Parma ham. |
| Provolone | Italian cheese used for sauces or gratins. |
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| Raita | Indian style yoghurt dish served as an accompaniment. |
| Risotto brisollo | Half moon shaped, deep fried choux pastry filled with minced meat and cheese or crab meat and cheese. |
| Roesti | A Swiss dish of fried grated potatoes. |
| Roti bread | An Indian bread with no sugar, yeast or butter. |
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| Saffron | The world’s most expensive spice, used to flavour and tint food, it is made of threads from the centre of the crocus flower. |
| Salsa verde | A spicy green sauce of chopped herbs, capers and oil. |
| Sauce grenoble | A dressing with tiny capers, herbs, lemon, oil and vinaigrette. |
| Sauce gribiche | An aioli based sauce with chopped herbs, capers, lemon juice and spices. |
| Sauce remoulade | This classic French sauce is made by combining mayonnaise with mustard, capers, chopped gherkins, herbs and anchovies. |
| Sauce vierge | Herb based vinaigrette, made from olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. |
| Sauterne syrup / foam | A sweet wine from the Sauternes region of western France . It's made from sauvignon or semillon grapes and has a sweet, concentrated flavour. |
| Szechuan | This style of cooking originates from the Szechuan region of China . It is hot, spicy and full of flavour. |
| Sfogliatelle | A puff pastry cup filled with ricotta cheese, semolina flour and lemon. |
| Silken tofu | A creamy, custard-like tofu. |
| Skordalia | A Greek sauce or dip, made with potatoes, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and spices. |
| Soba noodles | A Japanese noodle made from buckwheat and wheat flour, which gives it a dark brownish-grey colour. |
| Spaetzli | From Germany , spaetzli are small thin noodle dumplings made from wheat, eggs and milk, sauteed in butter, herbs and spices. |
| Speck | German style bacon, usually air dried and smoked. |
| Sugar cured beef carpaccio | Beef tenderloin marinated in brown sugar, herbs and spices. It is thinly sliced and served chilled and rare. |
| Sweet dashi vinaigrette | Dashi, traditionally used in Japanese cooking, is made from dried Bonito Tuna flakes. |
| Sweet garlic | Whole garlic cloves, slow roasted in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar |
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| Tabouleh | A Middle Eastern dish of burghul wheat mixed with chopped tomatoes, onions, parsley, mint, olive oil and lemon juice. |
| Taleggio cheese | Italian style cheese, semi soft, usually with a washed rind. It is pungent when heated and has a tangy, creamy taste. |
| Tartufi | Italian style chocolate rum truffle rolled in toasted nuts. |
| Tempeh | A fermented soybean cake, with a texture similar to that of soft tofu. It has a yeasty, nutty flavour. |
| Tiramisu | A light dessert of sponge cake or ladyfingers dipped in a coffee-liqueur mixture, then layered with mascarpone and grated chocolate. |
| Tofu | Soy milk, set in firm blocks, also called bean curd. |
| Tonnato | This word refers to dishes that are prepared with or accompanied by tuna. |
| Tortilla | Spanish style potato dish, cooked in olive oil and sometimes used in combination with eggs, peppers and olives. |
| Tuile | Thin almond biscuit. |
| Tuna tataki | Seared tuna, peppercorn-crusted with soy citrus sauce. |
| Turkish mince pide | Middle Eastern style of flat bread traditionally filled with lamb mince, coriander and spices. |
| Tzatziki | A Greek dip made from cucumber, garlic and yoghurt. |
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| Vichyssoise | A soup made from potato, leek, stock and cream and served chilled with chopped chives. |
| Wagyu beef | Wagyu is a breed of cattle that produces prime grade beef. |
| Wasabi | Fiery lime green paste extracted from the wasabi root. |
| White coffee panna cotta | Using infused coffee beans in cream to enrich a panna cotta. |
| Zabaglione trifle | Zabaglione is a dessert made by whisking together egg yolks, wine (traditionally marsala) and sugar. This beating is done over simmering water so that the egg yolks cook as they thicken into a light, foamy custard. |
| Zucchini fondant | Zucchini that is slowly cooked in its own jus with extra olive oil, herbs and spices. |