Common Food Terms

A la King - Food served in a rich cream or white sauce. 

A la mode - Pie or cake with ice cream. 

Appetizer - Small food portions served before dinner. 

Au gratin - Covered with bread crumbs or grated cheese and baked until brown. 

Au jus - Meat served in it's own juices. 

Baste - To pour liquid or dripping over meat while cooking. 

Béarnaise - Hollandaise sauce with seasonings such as shallots or tarragon salad. 

Bisque - Thick cream soup, usually made from fish or shellfish. 

Blanche - Dip briefly in boiling water. 

Braise - To brown in a small amount of fat. 

Brochette - Small skewer used for broiling meat chunks. 

Cobbler - Deep-dish fruit pie with rich pastry top. 

Condiment - Sauces used for seasoning. Also dishes. 

Crepe - Thin stuffed pancake, as a main dish or dessert. 

Demitasse - Small cups of strong coffee. 

Entree - Main dish of an American meal; or a small serving of food, usually fish, 
served before the main course of a formal dinner. 

Fondue - Rich cheese sauce made with wine. 

Fricassee - Poultry, veal or lamb pieces stewed and served in white sauce. 

Gumbo - A richly flavored soup thickened with okra. 

Hollandaise - Sauce for fish or vegetables made with eggs, butter, lemon juice or vinegar. 

Marinade - An acid mixture in which food is soaked for flavor and tenderness. 

Minestrone - Thick Italian vegetable soup. 

Mousse - Frozen whipped cream dessert or finely ground chicken, ham, etc. molded in gelatin. 

Parfait - Ice cream dessert. 

Petit fours fours - Small, iced-all-over cakes. 

Poach - To cook in liquid just below boiling. 

Puree - To rub food through a coarse sieve. 

Rarebit - Cheese and eggs mixture served over toast. 

Sauté - Cook in a small amount of fat. 

Soufflé - Light, puffy dish made with egg whites mixed with white sauce from main coarse. 

Vinaigrette - Oil and vinegar sauce. 

White Sauce - Creamy mixture of butter, flour and milk.