Chapter 4.Glossary and General View on Restaurant & Kitchen Terms

Here is the fourth chapter ….photos soon to follow

Tabasco Sauce

Trademarked brand of Tabasco pepper sauce, barrel aged for three years, from the McIlhenny family, Louisiana. ‘Tabasco’ comes from the Mexican state of the same name, from where the chilies originate

Taboulé

North African and Middle Eastern salad of couscous, millet, lemon juice, raisins, chopped mint and parsley. Other additional ingredients include dried fruit, chopped vegetables

Tamari

Thicker than Soy Sauce, but made the same way. Suitable as a condiment or for basting roast meats

Tapenade

Dip of finely diced black olives, garlic and olive oil

Tarragon

Long, pointed green leaves prized for the anise-like scent, widely used in French cuisine

Tartar Sauce

Mayonnaise, onions, parsley, finely diced pickles and capers, lemon juice, seasoning. Cold sauce served with seafood

Tataki

Japanese term for meat or fish seared and marinated with vinegar, then sliced thinly and coated crushed ginger. Meaning ‘broken apart’ in Japanese, from the pounding of the ginger

Tea

The most common drink on earth. Leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant, dried, fired and steeped in hot water, served with milk, sugar or lemon. White, green and black tea all comes from the same plant, but is harvested at different growth stages and processed differently.

Tenderloin

(American) cut of steak from between the rib and the short loin, producing the famous cuts for Chateaubriand, Filet Mignon and Tournedos

Tentsuyu

Japanese dipping sauce made from Soy Sauce, Mirin and Dashi

Terrine

See Pâté

Thermidor

Sauce made from Béchamel with white wine, tarragon, shallots and mustard which is used to top lobster meat

Thousand Island dressing

Mayonnaise, Ketchup, Tabasco, Cream, Salt, Pepper, Paprika

Thyme

Woody herd that stands up well in the oven or on the grill and goes very well with Pork, Chicken and Tomatoes

Tia Maria

Jamaican coffee liqueur based on Rum

Tian

French word describing a shallow earthenware casserole as well as the food it contains. Originally refers to a French eastern dish, gratinate mixed vegetables.

Tiramisu

Italian Mascarpone cream cheese cake. Layers of sponge cake or lady fingers soaked in Tia Maria or Kahlua, espresso coffee, topped with cocoa powder. ‘Tiramisu’ means ‘Pick me up ‘ in Italian and used to be eaten in the morning

Tisane

Hot drink made from the steeping of dried herbs, fruits, flowers, roots and leaves or a blend of such in hot water. Does not include tea.

Toast

To brown (especially bread) under a grill

Toffee Sauce

Caramel sauce with butter.

Tofu

Soya bean curd.

Tonnato

Italian sauce made from puréed tuna, anchovies, capers, lemon juice and olive oil

Toploin

(American) cut of steak from the top of the loin section of the cow. Widely known as the ‘New York Strip’ steak

Torchon

Usage of cheese cloth to mold foie gras terrine for example as sausage shape

Tortellini

Small pasta stuffed with various fillings, shaped into a ring or hat shape.

Tortilla

Mexican pancake made by corn flour.

Tournedos

Thick slice of the head of the beef fillet.

Trifle

From England, sponge cake doused with spirits covered with jam and custard, topped with whipped cream and garnished with candied or fresh fruits, nuts or grated chocolate.

Trout

Fish, mainly found in freshwater, but there are ocean varieties. They are a meaty fish, related to the salmon. Smoked trout is very popular. Common varieties include Rainbow, Spotted and Brown

Truffle

Rich confection made with a mix of melted butter, cream, sugar and various flavorings such as liqueurs, spices, vanilla, coffee or nuts. After cooled down, rolled into balls and covered with cocoa powder.

Tuile

 

Very light pastry dough made with flour, icing sugar and egg white

Turmeric

The ground root of a leafy plant in the ginger family. The musky taste and bright yellow colour gives distinct flavour to many sauces

Tuna

Found in temperate marine waters throughout the world, tuna is a member of the Mackerel family. There are numerous varieties of tuna, the best known being albacore, blue fin, black fin (or big eye), yellow fin and skipjack (or bonito). All tunas have a distinctively rich-flavoured flesh that is moderate to high in fat, firmly textured, flaky and tender. The high-fat albacore has the lightest flesh and is the only tuna that can be called “white”. The Yellow fin tuna is usually larger; the flesh is pale pink with a flavour slightly stronger than that of the albacore. The small bonitos rarely exceed 25 pounds. They range from moderate to high-fat and are the most strongly flavoured of the tunas

Turkey

Game bird native to North America

Turnover

A puff pastry half-moon or triangular shaped filled with stewed fruit (apple turnover)

Tuscan bean soup

Spicy bean soup with cream, served with garlic croutons

Tzatziki

Greek condiment, yoghurt with cucumber, garlic, seasonings and chopped mint leaves

Vacherin

Cold dessert made of a ring of meringue or almond paste filled with ice cream and/or whipped cream

Vanilla

Seed pods used to flavour dessert, known for the intense aroma

Velouté

One of the four classic Mother sauces. White stock, stirred into roux. The base for other sauces, such as Allemande.

Venezia

Pasta sauce made from white wine, baby shrimp, green peppercorns, bell pepper, cream, garlic and parsley

Venison

Deer or reindeer meat

Verte Sauce

Mayonnaise coloured green with watercress or spinach. See also ‘Green Goddess Sauce’

Vichyssoise

Potato and leek broth, blended with cream

Vol-au-vent

A pastry basket used for canapés. ‘Vol-au-vent’ means ‘Fly in the air’ in French, referring to the incredible lightness of the structure

Waffles

Similar to pancake batter, baked in special grid-type iron machines. Delicate, crisp texture with choice of toppings.

Waldorf salad

Mayonnaise with chopped apples, celery and nuts. Waldorf Astoria with additional pineapple.

Walnuts

The fruit of the tree of the same name. A wrinkled, brain-shaped nut with an intense, savoury flavour

Wasabi

Japanese horseradish. The colour is green and it’s an extremely hot condiment. It’s normally sold as a powder, water has to be added.

Water Chestnut

Crisp and crunchy white root of an aquatic plant native to S. E. Asia. The flavour is bland, but it is included in stir fries, etc for its texture

Watercress

Thought to be native from Europe. Usually eaten raw as salad or garnish. Light green, looks like a cabbage, refreshing taste, very crispy also when cooked

Weetabix

Cereal biscuit from England made entirely of compressed wheat flakes and nothing else

Wellington

Beef fillet covered with foie gras, mushroom Duxelles, and meat farce, wrapped in puff pastry and baked.

Western Potato

Wedge of potatoes, par baked then deep fried and coated with Cajun spices

White bread

Bread made in a standard rectangular loaf using bleached flour

Whole Wheat

Bread made in a standard rectangular loaf using unbleached flour

Wonton

Small round shaped Chinese dumplings. Wonton dough will be filled with pork, shrimp, beef or poultry, than poached or deep-fried.

Worcestershire Sauce

English condiment made up of anchovies, lime, garlic, soy sauce, tamarind, molasses, vinegar and various sauces

Yellow Squash

Relative of the pumpkin and watermelon, with a bright yellow flesh

Yellowtail

A member of the Jack family of fish, which includes Tuna. White flesh with a meaty texture

Yoghurt Dressing

Plain yoghurt, chopped fresh herbs, sugar, seasoning

Yorkshire Pudding

Flour, milk, salt, pepper and eggs roasted in meat fat until crispy.

Yuzu

Small, sour Japanese limes

Zucchini

Summer-season squash and a key ingredient in Ratatouille. Also known as ‘Courgette’