A
Abbacchio:
young lamb, specialty of Corsica.
A
point: cooked medium
rare.
Abat(s):
organ meat(s).
Abati(s):
giblet(s) of poultry or game fowl.
Abondance:
firm thick wheel of cow's-milk cheese from the Savoie, a département
in the Alps.
Abricot:
apricot.
Acacia:
the acacia tree, the blossoms of which are used for making fritters;
also honey made from the blossom.
Acajou:
cashew nut.
Achatine:
land snail, or escargot, imported from China and Indonesia; less
prized than other varieties.
Addition:
bill.
Affamé:
starving.
Affinage:
process of aging cheese.
Affiné:
aged, as with cheese.
Agneau
(de lait): lamb
(young, milk-fed).
Agneau
chilindron: sauté of
lamb with potatoes and garlic, specialty of the Basque country.
Agneau
de Paulliac: breed of
lamb from the southwest.
Agnelet:
baby milk-fed lamb.
Agnelle:
ewe lamb.
Agrume(s):
citrus fruit(s).
Aïado:
roast lamb shoulder stuffed with parsley, chervil, and garlic.
Aiglefin:
aigrefin, églefin: small fresh haddock, a type of cod.
Aïgo
bouido: garlic soup,
served with oil, over slices of bread; a specialty of Provence.
Aïgo
saou: water-salt in
Provençal; a fish soup that includes, of course, water and salt,
plus a mixture of small white fish, onions, potatoes, tomatoes,
garlic, herbs, and olive oil; specialty of Provence.
Aigre:
bitter; sour.
Aigre-doux:
sweet and sour.
Aigrelette,
sauce: a sort of tart sauce.
Aiguillette:
a long, thin slice of poultry, meat, or fish. Also, top part of beef
rump.
Ail:
garlic.
Aile:
wing of poultry or game bird.
Aile
et cuisse: used to
describe white breast meat (aile) and dark thigh meat (cuisse),
usually of chicken.
Aillade:
garlic sauce; also, dishes based on garlic.
Aillé:
with garlic.
Aillet:
shoot of mild winter baby garlic, a specialty of the Poitou-Charentes
region along the Atlantic coast.
Aïoli,
ailloli: garlic
mayonnaise. Also, salt cod, hard-cooked eggs, boiled snails, and
vegetables served with garlic mayonnaise; specialty of Provence.
Airelle:
wild cranberry
Aisy
cendré: thick disc of
cow's-milk cheese, washed with eau-de-vie and patted with wood ashes;
also called cendre d'aisy: a specialty of Burgundy
Albuféra:
béchamel sauce with sweet peppers, prepared with chicken stock
instead of milk; classic sauce for poultry.
Algue(s):
edible seaweed.
Aligot:
mashed potatoes with tomme (the fresh curds used in making Cantal
cheese) and garlic; specialty of the Auvergne.
Alisier,
alizier: eau-de-vie
with the taste of bitter almonds, made with the wild red
serviceberries that grow in the forests of Alsace.
Allumette:
match; puff pastry strips; also fried matchstick potatoes.
Alose:
shad, a spring river fish plentiful in the Loire and Gironde rivers.
Alouette:
lark.
Aloyau:
loin area of beef; beef sirloin, butcher's cut that includes the rump
and contre-filet.
Alsacienne,
à l': in the style of
Alsace, often including sauerkraut, sausage, or foie gras.
Amande:
almond.
Amande
de mer: smooth-shelled
shellfish, like a small clam, with a sweet, almost almond flavor.
Amandine:
with almonds.
Ambroisie:
ambrosia.
Amer:
bitter; as in unsweetened chocolate.
Américaine,
Amoricaine: sauce of
white wine, Cognac, tomatoes, and butter.
Ami
du Chambertin: friend
of Chambertin wine; moist and buttery short cylinder of cow's milk
cheese with a rust-colored rind, made near the village of
Gevrey-Chambertin in Burgundy. Similar to Epoisses cheese.
Amourette(s):
spinal bone marrow of calf or ox.
Amuse-bouche
or amusegueule: amuse
the mouth; appetizer.
Ananas:
pineapple.
Anchoïade:
sauce that is a blend of olive oil, anchovies, and garlic, usually
served with raw vegetables; specialty of Provence; also, paste of
anchovies and garlic, spread on toast.
Anchois
(de Collioure):
anchovy (prized salt-cured anchovy from Collioure, a port town near
the Spanish border of the Languedoc), fished in the Atlantic and the
Mediterranean.
Ancienne,
à l': in the old
style.
Andouille:
large smoked chitterling (tripe) sausage, usually served cold.
Andouillette:
small chitterling (tripe) sausage, usually served grilled.
Aneth:
dill.
Anise
étoilé: star anise;
also called badiane,
Ange
à cheval: angel on
horseback; grilled bacon-wrapped oyster.
Anglaise,
à l': English style,
plainly cooked.
Anguille
(au vert): eel;
(poached in herb sauce).
Anis:
anise or aniseed.
Anis
étoilé: star anise.
AOC:
see Appellation d'origine contrôlée.
Apéritif:
a before-dinner drink that stimulates the appetite, usually somewhat
sweet or mildly bitter.
Appellation
d'origine contrôlée (AOC):
specific definition of a particular cheese, butter, fruit, wine, or
poultry--once passed down from generation to generation now
recognized by law--regulating the animal breed or variety of fruit,
the zone of production, production techniques, composition of the
product, its physical characteristics, and its specific attributes.
Arachide
(huile d'; pâté d'):
peanut (oil; butter).
Araignée
de mer: spider crab.
Arbousier
(miel d'): trailing
arbutus, small evergreen shrubby tree of the heather family, also
called strawberry tree, ground laurel and madrona tree with
strawberry-like fruit dotted with tiny bumps; (honey of). Used for
making liqueurs, jellies, and jams.
Arc
en ciel (truite):
rainbow (trout).
Ardennaise,
à l': in the style of
the Ardennes, a département in northern France; generally a dish
with juniper berries.
Ardi
gasna: Basque name for
sheep's-milk cheese.
Ardoise:
blackboard; bistros often use a blackboard to list specialties in
place of a printed menu
Arête:
fish bone.
Arlésienne,
à l': in the style of
Arles, a town in Provence; with tomatoes, onions, eggplant, potatoes,
rice, and sometimes olives.
Armagnac:
brandy from the Armagnac area of Southwestern France.
Aromate:
aromatic herb, vegetable, or flavoring.
Arômes
à la gêne: generic
name for a variety of tangy, lactic cheeses of the Lyon area that
have been steeped in gêne, or dry marc, the dried grape skins left
after grapes are pressed for wine. Can be of cow's milk, goat's milk,
or a mixture.
Arosé(e):
sprinkled, basted, moistened with liquid.
Arpajon:
a town in the Ile-de-France; dried bean capital of France; a dish
containing dried beans.
Artichaut:
(violet) artichoke (small purple) (camus) snub-nosed..
Artichaut
à la Barigoule: in
original form, artichokes cooked with mushrooms and oil; also,
artichoke stuffed with ham, onion, and garlic, browned in oil with
onions and bacon, then cooked in water or white wine; specialty of
Provence.
Asperge
(violette): asparagus (purple-tipped asparagus, a specialty of the
Côte-d'Azur).
Assaisonné:
seasoned; seasoned with.
Assiette
anglaise: assorted
cold meats, usually served as a first course.
Assiette
de pêcheur: assorted
fish platter.
Assoifé:
parched, thirsty.
Assorti(e):
assorted.
Aubergine:
eggplant.
Aulx:
plural of ail (garlic).
Aumônière:
beggar's purse; thin crêpe, filled and tied like a bundle.
Aurore:
tomato and cream sauce.
Auvergnat(e):
in the style of the Auvergne; often with cabbage, sausage, and bacon.
Aveline:
hazelnut or filbert, better known as noisette.
Avocat:
avocado.
Avoine:
oat.
Axoa:
a dish of ground veal, onions, and the local fresh chiles, piment
d'Espelette; specialty of the Basque region.
Azyme,
pain: unleavened
bread; matzo.
B
Baba
au rhum: sponge cake
soaked in rum syrup.
Badiane:
star anise.
Baeckeoffe,
baekaoffa, backaofa, backenoff:
baker's oven; stew of wine, beef, lamb, pork, potatoes, and onions;
specialty of Alsace.
Bagna
caudà: sauce of
anchovies, olive oil, and garlic, for dipping raw vegetables;
specialty of Nice.
Baguette:
wand; classic long, thin loaf of bread.
Baguette
au levain or à l'ancienne:
sourdough baguette.
Baie:
berry.
Baie
rose: pink peppercorn.
Baigné:
bathed.
Ballotine:
usually poultry boned, stuffed, and rolled.
Banane:
banana.
Banon:
village in the Alps of Provence, source of dried chestnut leaves
traditionally used to wrap goat cheese, which was washed with
eau-de-vie and aged for several months; today refers to various
goat's-milk cheese or mixed goat-and cow's-milk cheese from the
region, sometimes wrapped in fresh green or dried brown chestnut
leaves and tied with raffia.
Bar:
ocean fish, known as loup on the Mediterranean coast, louvine or
loubine in the southwest, and barreau in Brittany; similar to sea
bass.
Barbouillade:
stuffed eggplant, or an eggplant stew; also, a combination of beans
and artichokes.
Barbue:
brill, a flatfish related to turbot, found in the Atlantic and the
Mediterranean.
Barder:
to cover poultry or meat with strips of uncured bacon, to add
moisture while cooking.
Baron:
hindquarters of lamb, including both legs.
Barquette:
small boat; pastry shaped like a small boat.
Basilic:
basil.
Basquaise,
à la: Basque style;
usually with ham or tomatoes or red peppers.
Bâtard,
pain: bastard bread;
traditional long, thin white loaf, larger than a baguette.
Batavia:
salad green, a broad, flat-leafed lettuce.
Bâton:
small white wand of bread, smaller than a baguette.
Bâtonnet:
garnish of vegetables cut into small sticks.
Baudroie:
in Provence, the name for monkfish or anglerfish, the large,
firm-fleshed ocean fish also known as lotte and gigot de met: also a
specialty of Provence, a fish soup that includes potstoes, onions,
fresh mushrooms, garlic, fresh or dried orange zest, artichokes,
tomatoes, and herbs.
Bavaroise:
cold dessert; a rich custard made with cream and gelatin.
Bavette:skirt
steak.
Baveuse:
drooling; method of cooking an omelet so that it remains moist and
juicy.
Béarnaise:
tarragon-flavored sauce of egg yolks, butter, shallots, white wine,
vinegar; and herbs.
Béatille:
tidbit; dish combining various organ meats.
Bécasse:
small bird, a woodcock.
Bécassine:
small bird, a snipe.
Béchamel:
white sauce, made with butter, flour, and milk, usually flavored with
onion, bay leaf, pepper, and nutmeg.
Beignet:
fritter or doughnut.
Beignet
de fleur de courgette:
batter-fried zucchini blossom; native to Provence and the
Mediterranean, now popular all over France.
Belle
Hélène (poire):
classic dessert of chilled poached fruit (pear), served on ice cream
and topped with hot chocolate sauce.
Bellevue,
en: classic
presentation of whole fish, usually in aspic on a platter.
Belon:
river in Brittany identified with a prized flat-shelled (plate)
oyster.
Belondines:
Brittany creuses, or crinkle-shelled oysters that are affinées or
finished off in the Belon river.
Berawecka,
bierewecke, bireweck, birewecka:
dense, moist Christmas fruit bread stuffed with dried pears, figs,
and nuts; specialty of Kaysersberg, a village in Alsace.
Bercy:
fish stock-based sauce thickened with flour and butter and flavored
with white wine and shallots.
Bergamot
(thé a la bergamote):
name for both a variety of orange and of pear; (earl grey tea.).
Berrichonne:
garnish of bruised cabbage, glazed baby onions, chestnuts, and lean
bacon named for the old province of Berry.
Betterave:
beet.
Beurre:
butter.
demi-sel:
butter (lightly salted).
blanc:
classic reduced sauce of vinegar; white wine, shallots, and butter
cru:
raw cream butter.
des
Charentes: finest
French butter, from the region of PoitouCharentes along the Atlantic
coast.
de
Montpellier: classic
butter sauce seasoned with olive oil, herbs, garlic, and anchovies.
du
cru: butter given the
appellation d'origine contrôlée pedigree.
Echiré:
brand of the finest French butter, preferred by French chefs, with an
AOC pedigree, from the region
of
Poitou-Charentes along the Atlantic coast.
noir:
sauce of browned butter, lemon juice or vinegar, parsley, and
sometimes capers; traditionally served
with
raie, or skate.
noisette:
lightly browned butter.
vierge:
whipped butter sauce with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
Bibelskäs,
bibbelskäse: fresh
cheese seasoned with horseradish, herbs, and spices; specialty of
Alsace.
Biche:
female deer.
Bien
cuit(e): cooked well
done.
Bière
(en bouteille, à la pression):
beer (bottled, on tap).
Bifteck:
steak.
Bigarade:
orange sauce.
Biggareau:
red firm-fleshed variety of cherry
Bigorneau:
periwinkle, tiny sea snail.
Bigoudène,
à la: in the style of
Bigouden, a province in Brittany; (pommes) baked slices of unpeeled
potato; (ragôut) sausage stewed with bacon and potato.
Billy
Bi, Billy By: cream of
mussel soup, specialty of the Atlantic coast.
Biologique:
organic.
Biscuit
à la cuillère:
ladyfinger.
Bistrotier:
bistro owner.
Blanc
(de poireau): white
portion (of leek).
Blanc
(de volaille): usually
breast (of chicken).
Blanc-manger:
chilled pudding of almond milk with gelatin.
Blanquette:
classic mild stew of poached veal, lamb, chicken, or seafood,
enriched with an egg and cream white sauce; supposedly a dish for
convalescents.
Blé
(noir): wheat
(buckwheat).
Blette,
bette: Swiss chard.
Bleu:
blue; cooked rare, usually for steak. See also Truite au bleu.
Bleu
d'Auvergne: a strong,
firm and moist, flattened cylinder of blue-veined cheese made from
cow's milk in the Auvergne, sold wrapped in foil; still made on some
farms.
Bleu
de Bresse: a cylinder
of mild blue-veined cow's-milk cheese from the Bresse area in the
Rhône-Alps region; industrially made.
Bleu
de Gex: thick, savory
blue-veined disc of cow's-milk cheese from the Jura; made in only a
handful of small dairies in the département of the Ain.
Bleu
des Causses: a firm,
pungent, flat cylinder of blue-veined cow's-milk cheese, cured in
cellars similar to those used in making Roquefort.
Blini:
small thick pancake, usually eaten with caviar.
Boeuf
à la ficelle: beef
tied with string and poached in broth.
Boeuf
à la mode: beef
marinated and braised in red wine, served with carrots, mushrooms,
onions, and turnips.
Boeuf
gros sel: boiled beef,
served with vegetables and coarse salt.
Bohémienne,
à la: gypsy style;
with rice, tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers, and paprika, in various
combinations.
Boisson
(non) comprise: drink
(not) included.
Bolet:
type of wild boletus mushroom. See Cèpe.
Bombe:
molded, layered ice cream dessert.
Bonbon:
candy or sweet.
Bon-chrétien:
good Christian; a variety of pear, also known as poire William's.
Bondon:
small cylinder of delicately flavored, mushroomy cow's-milk cheese
made in the Neufchâtel area in Normandy.
Bonite:
a tuna, or oceanic bonito.
Bonne
femme (cuisine): meat
garnish of bacon, potatoes, mushrooms, and onions; fish garnish of
shallots, parsley, mushrooms, and potatoes; or white wine sauce with
shallots, mushrooms, and lemon juice; (home-style cooking).
Bordelaise:
Bordeaux style; also refers to a brown sauce of shallots, red wine,
and bone marrow.
Bouchée:
tiny mouthful; may refer to a bite-size pastry or to a vol-au-vent.
Boudouses:
literally, to pout; tiny oysters from Brittany that refuse to grow to
normal size; iodine rich and prized.
Bouchoteur:
mussel fisherman; a dish containing mussels.
Boudin:
technically a meat sausage, but generically any sausage-shaped
mixture.
Boudin
blanc: white sausage
of veal, chicken, or pork.
Boudin
noir: pork blood
sausage.
Bouillabaisse:
popular Mediterranean fish soup, most closely identified with
Marseille, ideally prepared with the freshest local fish, preferably
rockfish. Traditionally might include dozens of different fish, but
today generally includes the specifically local rascasse (scorpion
fish), Saint-Pierre (John Dory), fiéla (conger eel), galinette
(gurnard or grondin), vive (weever), and baudroie (monkfish) cooked
in a broth of water, olive oil, onions, garlic, tomatoes, parsley,
and saffron. The fish is served separately from the broth, which is
poured over garlic-rubbed toast, and seasoned with rouille which is
stirred into the broth. Varied additions include boiled potatoes,
orange peel, fennel, and shellfish. Expensive shellfish are often
added in restaurant versions, but this practice is considered
inauthentic.
Bouilliture:
eel stew with red wine and prunes; specialty of the Poitou-Charentes
on the Atlantic coast.
Bouillon:
stock or broth.
Boulangère,
à la: in the style of
the baker's wife; meat or poultry baked or braised with onions and
potatoes.
Boule:
ball; a large round loaf of white bread, also known as a miche.
Boule
de Picoulat: meatball
from Languedoc, combining beef, pork, garlic, and eggs, traditionally
served with cooked white beans.
Boulette
d'Avesnes:
pepper-and-tarragon-flavored cheese, made from visually defective
Maroilles, formed into a cone, and colored red with paprika; named
for Avesnes, a village in the North.
Bouquet:
large reddish shrimp. See also Crevette rose.
Bouquet
garni: typically fresh
whole parsley bay leaf and thyme tied together with string and tucked
into stews; the package is removed prior to serving.
Bouquetière:
garnished with bouquets of vegetables.
Bourdaloue:
hot poached fruit, sometimes wrapped in pastry often served with
vanilla custard; often pear.
Bourgeoise,
à la: with carrots,
onions, braised lettuce, celery and bacon.
Bourguignonne,
à la: Burgundy style;
often with red wine, onions, mushrooms, and bacon.
Bouribot:
spicy red-wine duck stew.
Bourride:
a Mediterranean fish soup that generally includes a mixture of small
white fish, onions, tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and olive oil, thickened
with egg yolks and aïoli (garlic mayonnaise); there are many
variations.
Bourriole:
rye flour pancake, both sweet and savory; specialty of the Auvergne.
Boutargue,
poutargue: salty paste
prepared from dried mullet or tuna roe, mashed with oil; specialty of
Provence.
Bouton
de culotte: trouser
button; tiny buttons of goat cheese from the Lyon area; traditionally
made on farms, aged until rock hard and pungent; today found in many
forms, from soft and young to hard and brittle.
Braiser:
to braise; to cook meat by browning in fat, then simmering in covered
dish with small amount of liquid.
Branche,
en: refers to whole
vegetables or herbs.
Brandade
(de morue): a warm
garlicky purée (of salt cod) with milk or cream or oil, and
sometimes mashed potatoes; specialty of Provence; currently used to
denote a variety of flavored mashed potato dishes.
Brassado:
a doughnut that is boiled, then baked, much like a bagel; specialty
of Provence.
Brayaude,
gigot: leg of lamb
studded with garlic, cooked in white wine, and served with red beans,
braised cabbage, or chestnuts.
Brebis
(fromage de): sheep
(sheep's-milk cheese).
Brési
(Breuzi): smoked,
salted, and dried beef from the Jura.
Bretonne,
à la: in the style of
Brittany; a dish served with white beans; or may refer to a white
wine sauce with carrots, leeks, and celery.
Bretzel:
a pretzel; specialty of Alsace.
Brie
de Meaux: king of
cheese, the flat wheel of cheese made only with raw cow's milk and
aged at least four weeks; from Meaux, just east of Paris; brie made
with pasteurized milk does not have the right to be called brie de
Meaux.
Brie
de Melun: smaller than
brie de Meaux, another raw-cow's-milk cheese, aged at least one
month, with a crackly rust-colored rind.
Brillat-Savarin:
(1755-1826) famed gastronome, coiner of food aphorisms, and author of
The Physiology of Taste; the high-fat, supple cow's-milk cheese from
Normandy is named for him.
Brioche:
buttery egg-enriched yeast bread.
Brocciu:
soft, young, sheep's milk cheese from Corsica.
Broche,
à la: spit-roasted.
Brochet(on):
freshwater pike (small pike).
Brochette:
cubes of meat or fish and vegetables on a skewer.
Brocoli:
broccoli
Brouet:
old term for soup.
Brouillade:
a mixture of ingredients as in a stew or soup; also, scrambled eggs.
Brouillé(s):
scrambled, usually eggs.
Brousse:
a very fresh and unsalted (thus bland) sheep's- or goat's-milk
cheese, not unlike Italian ricotta; specialty of Nice and Marseille.
Broutard:
young goat.
Brugnon:
nectarine.
Brûlé(e):
burned; usually refers to caramelization.
Brunoise:
tiny diced vegetables.
Brut:
very dry or sugarless, particularly in reference to Champagne.
Buccin:
large sea snail or whelk, also called bulot.
Bûche
de Noël: Christmas
cake shaped like a log (bûche), a sponge cake often flavored with
chestnuts and chocolate.
Buffet
froid: variety of
dishes served cold, sometimes from a buffet.
Bugne:
deep-fried yeast-dough fritter or doughnut dusted with confectioner's
sugar; popular in and around Lyon before Easter.
Buisson:
bush; generally a dish including vegetables arranged like a bush;
classically a crayfish presentation.
Bulot:
large sea snail or whelk, also called buccin.
Buron:
traditional hut where cheese is made in the Auvergne mountains.
C
Cabécou(s):
small, round goat's-milk cheese from the southwest, sometimes made
with a mix of goat's and cow's milk.
Cabillaud:
fresh codfish, also currently called morue: known as doguette in the
North, bakalua in the Basque region, eglefin in Provence.
Cabri:
young goat.
Cacahouète,
cacahouette, cacachuète:
prepared peanut--roasted, dry roasted, or salted. A raw peanut is
arachide
Cacao:
cocoa; powdered cocoa.
Cachat:
a very strong goat cheese; generally a blend of various ends of
leftover cheese, mixed with seasonings that might include salt,
pepper, brandy and garlic, and aged in a crock; specialty of
Provence.
Caen,
à la mode de: in the
style of Caen, a town in Normandy; a dish cooked in Calvados and
white wine and/or cider.
Café:
coffee, as well as a type of eating place where coffee is served.
allongé:
weakened espresso, often served with a small pitcher of hot water so
clients may thin the coffee
themselves.
au
lait or crème:
espresso with warmed or steamed milk.
déca
or décaféiné:
decaffeinated coffee.
express:
plain black espresso.
faux:
decaffeinated coffee.
filtre:
filtered American-style coffee (not available at all cafés).
glacé:
iced coffee.
liègeois:
iced coffee served with ice cream (optional) and whipped cream; also
coffee ice cream with
whipped
cream.
noir:
plain black espresso.
noisette:
espresso with tiny amount of milk.
serré:
extra-strong espresso, made with half the normal amount of water.
Caféine:
caffeine.
Cagouille:
on the Atlantic coast, name for small petit gris land snail, or
escargot.
Caille:
quail.
Caillé:
clotted or curdled; curds of milk.
Caillette:
round pork sausage including chopped spinach or Swiss chard, garlic,
onions, parsley, bread, and egg and wrapped in crépine (caul fat);
served hot or cold; specialty of northern Provence.
Caisse:
cash register; or cash desk.
Caissette:
literally, small box; bread, brioche, or chocolate shaped like a
small box.
Cajasse:
a sort of clafoutis from the Dordogne, made with black cherries.
Cajou:
cashew nut.
Calisson
d'Aix: Delicate,
diamond-shaped Provençal sweet prepared with almonds, candied
oranges, melon or abricots, egg white, sugar, and confiture of
oranges or apricots.
Calmar:
small squid, similar to encornet; with interior transparent cartilage
instead of a bone. Also called chipiron in the southwest.
Calvados
(apple brandy): a
département in Normandy known for the famed apple brandy.
Camembert
(de Normandie):
village in Normandy that gives its name to a supple, fragrant cheese
made of cow's milk.
Camomille:
camomile, herb tea.
Campagnard(e)
(assiette):
country-style, rustic; (an informal buffet of cold meats, terrines,
etc.).
Campagne,
à la: country-style.
Canada:
cooking apple.
Canapé:
originally a slice of crustless bread; now also used to refer to a
variety of hors d'oeuvre consisting of toasted or fried bread, spread
with forcemeat, cheese, and other flavorings.
Canard:
duck.
Canard
à la presse: roast
duck served with a sauce of juices obtained from pressing the
carcass, combined with red wine and Cognac.
Canard
sauvage: wild duck,
usually mallard.
Cancoillotte:
spreadable cheese from the Jura; usually blended with milk, spices,
or white wine when served.
Caneton:
young male duck.
Canette:
young female duck.
Cannelle:
cinnamon.
Cannois,
à la: in the style of
Cannes.
Canon:
the marrow bone
Cantal:
large cylindrical cheese made in the Auvergne from shredded and
pressed curds of cow's milk.
Cantalon:
smaller version of Cantal.
Cantaloup:
cantaloupe melon.
Capilotade:
basically any leftover meat or poultry cooked to tenderness in a
well-reduced sauce.
Capre:
caper.
Capucine:
nasturtium; the leaves and flowers are used in salads.
Carafe
(d'eau): pitcher (of
tap water). House wine is often offered in a carafe. A full carafe
contains one liter; a demi-carafe contains half a liter; a quart
contains one-fourth of a liter.
Caraïbes:
Caribbean, usually denotes chocolate from the Caribbean.
Caramelisé:
cooked with high heat to brown the sugar and heighten flavor.
Carbonnade:
braised beef stew prepared with beer and onions; specialty of the
North; also refers to a cut of beef.
Cardamome:
cardamon.
Carde:
white rib, or stalk, portion of Swiss chard.
Cardon:
cardoon; large celery-like vegetable in the artichoke family, popular
in Lyon, Provence, and the Mediterranean area.
Cargolade:
a copious mixed grill of snails, lamb, pork sausage, and sometimes
blood sausage, cooked over vine clippings; specialty of Catalan, an
area of southern Languedoc.
Carotte:
carrot.
Carpe:
carp.
Carpe
à la juive: braised
marinated carp in aspic.
Carré
d'agneau: rack (ribs)
or loin of lamb; also crown roast.
Carré
de port: rack (ribs)
or loin of pork; also crown roast.
Carré
de veau: rack (ribs)
or loin of veal; also crown roast.
Carrelet:
see Plaice.
Carte,
à la: menu (dishes,
which are charged for individually, selected from a restaurant's full
list of offerings).
Carte
promotionelle or conseillée:
a simple and inexpensive fixed-price meal.
Carvi
(grain de): caraway
(seed).
Cary:
curry.
Casher:
kosher.
Casse-croûte:
break bread; slang for snack.
Casseron:
cuttlefish.
Cassis
(crème de): black
currant (black currant liqueur).
Cassolette:
usually a dish presented in a small casserole.
Cassonade:
soft brown sugar; demerara sugar.
Cassoulet:
popular southwestern casserole of white beans, including various
combinations of sausages, duck, pork, lamb, mutton, and goose.
Cavaillon:
a town in Provence, known for its small, flavorful orange-fleshed
melons.
Caviar
d'aubergine: cold
seasoned eggplant puree.
Caviar
du Puy: green lentils
from Le Puy, in the Auvergne.
Cébette:
a mild, leek-like vegetable, sliced and eaten raw, in salads; native
to Provence, but seen occasionally outside the region.
Cebiche:
seviche; generally raw fish marinated in lime juice and other
seasonings.
Cédrat:
a variety of Mediterranean lemon.
Céleri
(en branche): celery
(stalk).
Céleri-rave:
celeriac, celery root.
Céleri
remoulade: popular
first-course bistro dish of shredded celery root with tangy
mayonnaise.
Cendre
(sous la): ash (cooked
by being buried in embers); some cheeses made in wine-producing
regions are aged in the ash of burned rootstocks.
Cèpe:
large, meaty wild boletus mushroom.
Cerdon:
Bubbly (pétillant) wine (red or white?) from the Bugey
Céréale:
cereal.
Cerf:
stag, or male deer.
Cerfeuil:
chervil.
Cerise:
cherry.
Cerise
noire: black cherry.
Cerneau:
walnut meat.
Cervelas:
garlicky cured pork sausage; now also refers to fish and seafood
sausage.
Cervelle(s):
brain(s), of calf or lamb.
Cervelle
de canut: a soft,
fresh herbed cheese known as silkworker's brains; specialty of Lyon.
Céteau(x):
small ocean fish, solette or baby sole, found in the gulf of Gascony
and along the Atlantic coast.
Cévenole,
à la: Cevennes style;
garnished with chestnuts or mushrooms.
Chalutier:
trawler; any flat fish caught with a trawl.
Champêtre:
rustic; describes a simple presentation of a variety of ingredients.
Champignon:
mushroom.
à
la bague: parasol
mushroom with a delicate flavor; also called coulemelle, cocherelle,
and grisotte.
de
bois: wild mushroom,
from the woods.
de
Paris: most common
cultivated mushroom.
sauvage:
wild mushroom.
Champvallon,
côtelette d'agneau:
traditional dish of lamb chops baked in alternating layers of
potatoes and onions; named for a village in northern Burgundy.
Chanterelle:
prized pale orange wild mushroom; also called girolle. Chantilly:
sweetened whipped cream.
Chaource:
soft and fruity cylindrical cow's-milk cheese, with a 50 percent fat
content; takes its name from a village in Champagne.
Chapeau:
hat; small round loaf, topped with a little dough hat.
Chapelure:
bread crumbs.
Chapon:
capon, or castrated chicken.
Chapon
de mer: Mediterranean
fish, in the rascasse or scorpion-fish family.
Charbon
de bois, au:
charcoal-grilled.
Charentais:
variety of sweet cantaloupe, or melon, originally from the Charentes,
on the Atlantic coast.
Charlotte:
classic dessert in which a dish is lined with ladyfingers, filled
with custard or other filling, and served cold; in the hot version,
the dish is lined with crustless white bread sautéed in butter,
filled with fruit compote and baked. Also a potato variety.
Charolais:
area of Burgundy; light colored cattle producing high-quality beef;
also, firm white cylinder of cheese made with goat's or cow's milk,
or a mixture of the two.
Chartreuse:
dish of braised partridge and cabbage; also herb and spiced-based
liqueur made by the Chartreuse monks in the Savoie.
Chasseur:
hunter; also, sauce with white wine, mushrooms, shallots, tomatoes,
and herbs.
Châtaigne:
chestnut, smaller than marron, with multiple nut meats.
Chateaubriand:
thick filet steak, traditionally served with sautéed potatoes and a
sauce of white wine, dark beef stock, butter, shallots, and herbs, or
with a béarnaise sauce.
Châtelaine,
à la: elaborate
garnish of artichoke hearts and chestnut purée, braised lettuce, and
sautéed potatoes.
Chaud(e):
hot or warm.
Chaud-froid:
hot-cold; cooked poultry dish served cold, usually covered with a
cooked sauce, then with aspic.
Chaudrée:
Atlantic fish stew, often including sole, skate, small eels,
potatoes, butter, white wine, and seasoning.
Chausson:
a filled pastry turnover, sweet or savory.
Chemise,
en: wrapped with
pastry.
Cheval:
horse, horse meat.
Cheveux
d'ange: angel's hair;
thin vermicelli pasta.
Chèvre
(fromage de): goat
(goat's-milk cheese).
Chevreau:
young goat.
Chevreuil:
young roe buck or roe deer; venison.
Chevrier:
small, pale green, dried kidney-shaped bean, a type of flageolet.
Chichi:
doughnut-like, deep-fried bread spirals sprinkled with sugar; often
sold from trucks at open-air markets; specialty of Provence and the
Mediterranean.
Chicons
du Nord: Belgian
endive.
Chicorée
(frisée): a bitter
salad green (curly endive); also chicory, a coffee
substitute.Chicorée de Bruxelles: Belgian endive.
Chiffonnade:
shredded herbs and vegetables, usually green.
Chinchard:
also called saurel, scad or horse mackerel; Atlantic and
Mediterranean fish similar to mackerel.
Chipiron
(à l'encre):
southwestern name for small squid, or encornet (in its own ink).
Chipolata:
small sausage.
Chips,
pommes: potato chips.
Chocolat:
chocolate.
amer:
bittersweet chocolate, with very little sugar.
au
lait: milk chocolate.
chaud:
hot chocolate.
mi-amer:
bittetsweet chocolate, with more sugar than chocolat amer.
noir:
used interchangeably with chocolat amer.
Choix,
au: a choice; usually
meaning one may choose from several offerings.
Chorizo:
highly spiced Spanish sausage.
Choron,
sauce: béarnaise
sauce with tomatoes.
Chou:
cabbage.
Chou
de Bruxelles: brussels
sprout.
Chou
de mer: sea kale.
Chou
de Milan: Savoy
cabbage.
Chou-fleur:
cauliflower.
Chou
frisé: kale.
Chou-navet:
rutabaga.
Chou-rave:
kohlrabi.
Chou
rouge: red cabbage.
Chou
vert: curly green
Savoy cabbage.
Choucas:
jackdaw; European blackbird, like a crow, but smaller.
Choucroute
(nouvelle): sauerkraut
(the season's first batch of sauerkraut, still crunchy and slightly
acidic); also main dish of sauerkraut, various sausages, bacon, and
pork, served with potatoes; specialty of Alsace and brasseries all
over France.
Choux,
pâte à: cream pastry
dough.
Ciboule:
spring onion, or scallion.
Ciboulette:
chives.
Cidre:
bottled, mildly alcoholic cider, either apple or pear.
Cigale
de mer: sea cricket;
tender, crayfish-like, blunt-nosed rock lobster.
Cîteaux:
creamy, ample disc of cow's-milk cheese with a rust-colored rind made
by the Cistercian monks at the Abbaye de Cîteaux in Burgundy.
Citron:
lemon.
Citron,
orange, or pamplemousse pressé(e):
lemon, orange, or grapefruit juice served with a carafe of tap water
and sugar; for sweetening to taste.
Citron
vert: lime.
Citronnelle:
lemon grass, an oriental herb; also lemon balm (mèlisse).
Citrouille:
pumpkin, gourd. Also called courge, potiron, potimarron.
Cive:
spring onion.
Civelle:
spaghetti-like baby eel, also called pibale.
Civet:
stew, usually of game traditionally thickened with blood.
Civet
de lièvre: jugged
hare, or wild rabbit stew.
Civet
de tripes d'oies: a
stew of goose innards, sautéed in fat with onions, shallots, and
garlic, then cooked in wine vinegar and diluted with water, and
thickened with goose blood; from Gascony.
Clafoutis:
traditional custard tart, usually made with black cherries; specialty
of the southwest.
Claire:
oyster; also a designation given to certain oysters to indicate they
have been put in claires, or oyster beds in salt marshes, where they
are fattened up for several months before going to market.
Clamart:
Paris suburb once famous for its green peas; today a garnish of peas.
Clémentine:
small tangerine, from Morocco or Spain.
Clouté:
studded with.
Clovisse:
variety of very tiny clam, generally from the Mediterranean.
Cocherelle:
parasol mushroom with a delicate flavor; also called champignon à la
bague, coulemelle, and grisotte.
Cochon
(de lait): pig
(suckling).
Cochonnaille(s):
pork product(s); usually an assortment of sausages and/or pâtés
served as a first course.
Coco
blanc (rouge): type of
small white (red) shell bean, both fresh and dried, popular in
Provence, where it is a traditional ingredient of the vegetable soupe
au pistou; also, coconut.
Coco
de Paimpol:
Cream-colored shell bean striated with purple, from Brittany, in
season from July to November; the first bean in France to receive
AOC.
Cocotte:
a high-sided cooking pot (casserole) with a lid; a small ramekin dish
for baking and serving eggs and other preparations.
Coeur:
heart.
Coeur
de filet: thickest
(and best) part of beef filet, usually cut into chateaubriand steaks.
Coeur
de palmier: delicate
shoots of the palm tree, generally served with a vinaigrette as an
hors d'oeuvre.
Coffre:
chest; refers to the body of a lobster or other crustacean, or of a
butchered animal.
Coiffe:
traditional lacy hat; sausage patty wrapped in caul fat.
Coing:
quince.
Col
vert: wild
(green-collared) mallard duck.
Colbert:
method of preparing fish, coating with egg and bread crumbs and then
frying.
Colère,
en: anger; method of
presenting fish in which the tail is inserted in the mouth, so it
appears agitated.
Colin:
hake, ocean fish related to cod; known as merluche in the North,
merluchon in Brittany, bardot or merlan along the Mediterranean.
Colombe:
dove.
Colombo:
A mixture of spices, like a curry powder, used to season shellfish,
meat or poultry. Like curry, the mix may vary, but usually contains
tumeric, rice powder, coriander, pepper, cumin and fenugreek.
Colza:
rape, a plant of the mustard family, colorful yellow field crop grown
throughout France, usually pressed into vegetable (rapeseed) oil.
Commander
avant le repas, à: a
selection of desserts that should be ordered when selecting first and
main courses, as they require longer cooking.
Complet:
filled up, with no more room for customers.
Compote:stewed
fresh or dried fruit.
Compotier:
fruit bowl; also stewed ftuit.
Compris:
see Service (non) compris.
Comté:
large wheel of cheese of cooked and pressed cow's milk; the best is
made of raw milk and aged for six months, still made by independent
cheesemakers in the Jura mountains.
Concassé:
coarsely chopped.
Concombre:
cucumber.
Conférence:
a variety of pear.
Confiserie:
candy, sweet, or confection; a candy shop.
Confit:
a preserve, generally pieces of duck, goose, or pork cooked and
preserved in their own fat; also fruit or vegetables preserved in
sugar; alcohol, or vinegar.
Confiture:
jam.
Confiture
de vieux garçon:
varied fresh fruits macerated in alcohol.
Congeler:
to freeze.
Congre:
conger eel; a large ocean fish resembling a freshwater eel
(anguille); often used in fish stews.
Conseillé:
advised, recommended.
Consommation(s):
consumption; drinks, meals, and snacks available in a cafe or bar.
Consommé:
clear soup.
Contre-filet:
cut of sirloin taken above the loin on either side of the backbone,
tied for roasting or braising (can also be cut for grilling).
Conversation:
puff pastry tart with sugar glazing and an almond or cream filling.
Copeau(x):
shaving(s), such as from chocolate, cheese, or vegetables.
Coq
(au vin): mature male
chicken (stewed in wine sauce).
Coq
au vin jaune: chicken
cooked in the sherry-like vin jaune of the region, with cream,
butter; and tarragon, often garnished with morels; specialty of the
Jura.
Coq
de bruyère: wood
grouse.
Coque:
cockle, a tiny, mild-flavored, clam-like shellfish.
Coque,
à la: served in a
shell. See Oeuf à la coque.
Coquelet:
young male chicken.
Coquillage(s):
shellfish.
Coquille:
shell.
Coquille
Saint-Jacques: sea
scallop.
Corail:
coral-colored egg sac, found in scallops, spiny lobster, and
crayfish.
Corb:
a Mediterranean bluefish.
Coriandre:
coriander; either the fresh herb or dried seeds.
Corne
d'abondance: horn of
plenty; dark brown wild mushroom, also called trompette de la mort.
Cornet:
cornet-shaped; usually refers to foods rolled conically; also an ice
cream cone, and a conical pastry filled with cream.
Cornichon:
gherkin; tiny tart cucumber pickle.
Côte
d'agneau: lamb chop.
Côte
de boeuf: beef blade
or rib steak.
Côte
de veau: veal chop.
Côtelette:
thin chop or cutlet.
Cotriade:
a fish stew, usually including mackerel, whiting, conger eel, sorrel,
butter, potatoes, and vinegar; specialty of Brittany.
Cou
d'oie (de canard) farci:
neck skin of goose (of duck), stuffed with meat and spices, much like
sausage.
Coulant:
refers to runny cheese.
Coulemelle:
parasol mushroom with a delicate flavor; also called champignon à la
bague, cocherelle, and grisotte.
Coulibiac:
classic, elaborate, hot Russian pâté, usually layers of salmon,
rice, hard-cooked eggs, mushrooms, and onions, wrapped in brioche.
Coulis:
purée of raw or cooked vegetables or fruit.
Coulommiers:
town in the Ile-de-France that gives its name to a supple, fragrant
disc of cow's-milk cheese, slightly larger than Camembert.
Courge
(muscade): generic
term for squash or gourd (bright orange pumpkin).
Courgette:
zucchini.
Couronne:
crown; ring or circle, usually of bread.
Court-bouillon:
broth, or aromatic poaching liquid.
Couscous:
granules of semolina, or hard wheat flour; also refers to a hearty
North African dish that includes the steamed grain, broth,
vegetables, meats, hot sauce, and sometimes chickpeas and raisins.
Couteau:
razor clam.
Couvert:
a place setting, including dishes, silver, glassware, and linen.
Couverture:
bittersweet chocolate high in cocoa butter; used for making the
shiniest chocolates.
Crabe:
crab.
Crambe:
sea kale, or chou de mer.
Cramique:
brioche with raisins or currants; specialty of the North.
Crapaudine:
preparation of grilled poultry or game bird with backbone removed.
Craquant:
crunchy.
Craquelot:
smoked herring.
Crécy:
a dish garnished with carrots.
Crémant:
sparkling wine.
Crème:
cream.
aigre:
sour cream.
anglaise:
light egg-custard cream.
brulee:
rich custard dessert with a top of caramelized sugar.
caramel:
vanilla custard with caramel sauce.
catalane:
creamy anise flavored custard from the southern Languedoc.
chantilly:
sweetened whipped cream.
épaisse:
thick cream.
fleurette:
liquid heavy cream.
fouettée:
whipped cream.
fraîche:
thick sour; heavy cream.
pâtissière:
custard filling for pastries and cakes.
plombières:
custard filled with fresh fruits and egg whites.
Crêpe:
thin pancake.
Crêpes
Suzette: hot crêpe
dessert flamed with orange liqueur.
Crépine:
caul fat.
Crépinette:
traditionally, a small sausage patty wrapped in caul fat; today boned
poultry wrapped in caul fat.
Cresson(ade):
watercress (watercress sauce).
Crête
(de coq): (cock's)
comb.
Creuse:
elongated, crinkle-shelled oyster.
Crevette:
shrimp.
Crevette
grise: tiny
soft-fleshed shrimp that turns gray when cooked.
Crevette
rose: small
firm-fleshed shrimp that turns red when cooked; when large, called
bouquet.
Crique:
potato pancake from the Auvergne.
Criste
marine: edible algae.
Croque
au sel, à la: served
raw, with a small bowl of coarse salt for seasoning; tiny purple
artichokes and cherry tomatoes are served this way.
Croque-madame:
open-face sandwich of ham and cheese with an egg grilled on top.
Croque-monsieur:
toasted ham and cheese sandwich.
Croquembouche:
choux pastry rounds filled with cream and coated with a sugar glaze,
often served in a conical tower at special events.
Croquette:
ground meat, fish, fowl, or vegetables bound with eggs or sauce,
shaped into various forms, usually coated in bread crumbs, and deep
fried.
Crosne:
small, unusual tuber; with a subtle artichoke-like flavor; known as a
Chinese or Japanese artichoke.
Crottin
de Chavignol: small
flattened ball of goat's-milk cheese from the Loire valley.Croustade:
usually small pastry-wrapped dish; also regional southwestern pastry
filled with prunes and/or apples.
Croûte
(en): crust; (in)
pastry.
Croûte
de sel (en): (in) a
salt crust.
Croûtons:
small cubes of toasted or fried bread.
Cru:
raw.
Crudité:
raw vegetable.
Crustacé(s):
crustacean(s).
Cuillière
(à la): (to be eaten
with a) spoon.
Cuisse
(de poulet): leg or
thigh (chicken drumstick).
Cuissot,
cuisseau: haunch of
veal, venison, or wild boar.
Cuit(e):
cooked.
Cul:
haunch or rear; usually of red meat.
Culotte:
rump, usually of beef.
Cultivateur:
truck farmer; fresh vegetable soup.
Curcuma:
turmeric.
Cure-dent:
toothpick
D
Damier:
checkerboard; arrangement of vegetables or other ingredients in
alternating colors like a checkerboard; also, a cake with such a
pattern of light and dark pieces.
Darne:
a rectangular portion of fish filet; also a fish steak, usually of
salmon.
Dariole:
truncated cone or oval-shaped baking mold.
Dartois:
puff pastry rectangles layered with an almond cream filling as a
dessert, or stuffed with meat or fish as an hors-d'oeuvre.
Datte
(de mer): date
(date-shaped prized wild Mediterranean mussel).
Daube:
a stew, usually of beef lamb, or mutton, with red wine, onions,
and/or tomatoes; specialty of many regions, particularly Provençe
and the Atlantic coast.
Dauphin:
cow's-milk cheese shaped like a dauphin, or dolphin; from the North.
Daurade:
sea bream, similar to porgy, the most prized of a group of ocean fish
known as dorade.
Décaféiné
or déca:
decaffeinated coffee.
Décortiqué(e):
shelled or peeled.
Dégustation:
tasting or sampling.
Déjeuner:
lunch.
Demi:
half; also, an 8-ounce (250 ml) glass of beer; also, a half-bottle of
wine.
Demi-deuil:
in half mourning; poached (usually chicken) with sliced truffles
inserted under the skin; also, sweetbreads with a truffled white
sauce.
Demi-glace:
concentrated beef-based sauce lightened with consommé, or a lighter
brown sauce.
Demi-sec:
usually refers to goat cheese that is in the intermediate aging stage
between one extreme of soft and fresh and the other extreme of hard
and aged.
Demi-sel
(buerre): lightly
salted (butter).
Demi-tasse:
small cup; after-dinner coffee cup.
Demoiselle
de canard: marinated
raw duck tenderloin; also called mignon de canard.
Demoiselles
de Cherbourg: small
lobsters from the town of Cherbourg in Normandy, cooked in a
court-bouillon and served in cooking juices. Also, restaurant name
for Breton lobsters weighing 300 to 400 grams (10 to 13 ounces).
Dentelle:
lace; a portion of meat or fish so thinly sliced as to suggest a
resemblance. Also, large lace-thin sweet crêpe.
Dent,
denté: one of a
generic group of Mediterranean fish known as dorade, similar to
porgy.
Dents-de-lion:
dandelion salad green; also called pissenlit.
Dés:
diced pieces.
Désossé:
boned.
Diable:
devil; method of preparing poultry with a peppery sauce, often
mustard-based. Also, a round pottery casserole.
Dieppoise:
Dieppe style; usually white wine, mussels, shrimp, mushrooms, and
cream.
Digestif:
general term for spirits served after dinner; such as Armagnac,
Cognac, marc, eau-de-vie.
Dijonnaise:
Dijon style; usually with mustard.
Dinde:
turkey hen.
Dindon(neau):
turkey (young turkey).
Dîner:
dinner; to dine.
Diot:
pork sausage cooked in wine, often served with a potato gratin;
specialty of the Savoie.
Discrétion,
à: on menus usually
refers to wine, which may be consumed--without limit--at the
customer's discretion.
Dodine:
cold stuffed boned poultry.
Dorade:
generic name for group of ocean fish, the most prized of which is
daurade, similar to porgy.
Doré:
browned until golden.
Dos:
back; also the meatiest portion of fish.
Doucette:
see Mâche.
Douceur:
sweet or dessert.
Douillon,
duillon: a whole pear
wrapped and cooked in pastry; specialty of Normandy.
Doux,
douce: sweet.
Doyenné
de Comice: a variety
of pear.
Dugléré:
white flour-based sauce with shallots, white wine, tomatoes, and
parsley.
Dur
(oeuf): hard
(hard-cooked egg).
Duxelles:
minced mushrooms and shallots sautéed in butter, then mixed with
cream.
E
Eau
du robinet: tap water.
Eau
de source: spring
water.
Eau-de-vie:
literally, water of life; brandy, usually fruit-based.
Eau
gazeuse: carbonated
water.
Eau
minérale: mineral
water.
Echalote
(gris): shallot
(prized purplish shallot) elongated.
Echalote
banane: banana-shaped
onion.
Echine:
sparerib.
Eclade
de moules: mussels
roasted beneath a fire of pine needles; specialty of the Atlantic
coast.
Ecrasé:
crushed; with fruit, pressed to release juice.
Ecrevisse:
freshwater crayfish.
Effiloché:
frayed, shredded.
Eglantine:
wild rose jam; specialty of Alsace.
Eglefin,
égrefin, aiglefin:
small fresh haddock, a type of cod.
Elzekaria:
soup made with green beans, cabbage, and garlic; specialty of the
Basque region.
Embeurré
de chou: buttery
cooked cabbage.
Emincé:
thin slice, usually of meat.
Emmental:
large wheel of cooked and pressed cow's-milk cheese, very mild in
flavor, with large interior holes; made in large commercial dairies
in the Jura.
Emondé:
skinned by blanching, such as almonds, tomatoes.
En
sus: see Service en
sus.
Enchaud:
pork filet with garlic; specialty of Dordogne.
Encornet:
small illex squid, also called calmar; in Basque region called
chipiron.
Encre:
squid ink.
Endive:
Belgian endive; also chicory salad green.
Entier,
entière: whole,
entire.
Entrecôte:
beef rib steak.
Entrecôte
maître d'hôtel: beef
rib steak with sauce of red wine and shallots.
Entrée:
first course.
Entremets:
dessert.
Epais(se):
thick.
Epaule:
shoulder (of veal, lamb, mutton, or pork).
Épeautre
: poor man's wheat
from Provence; spelt.
Eperlan:
smelt or whitebait, usually fried, often imported but still found in
the estuaries of the Loire.
Epi
de maïs: ear of sweet
corn.
Epice:
spice.
Epigramme:
classic dish of grilled breaded lamb chop and a piece of braised lamb
breast shaped like a chop, breaded, and grilled; crops up on modern
menus as an elegant dish of breaded and fried baby lamb chops paired
with lamb sweetbreads and tongue.
Epinard:
spinach.
Epine
vinette: highbush
cranberry.
Epoisses:
village in Burgundy that gives its name to a buttery disc of cow's
milk cheese with a strong, smooth taste and rust-colored rind.
Epoisses
blanc: fresh white
Epoisses cheese.
Equille:
sand eel, a long silvery fish that buries itself in the sand; eaten
fried on the Atlantic coast.
Escabèche:
a Provençal and southwestern preparation of small fish, usually
sardines or rouget, in which the fish are browned in oil, then
marinated in vinegar and herbs and served very cold. Also, raw fish
marinated in lemon or lime juice and herbs.
Escalivada:
Catalan roasted vegetables, usually sweet peppers, eggplant and
onions.
Escalope:
thin slice of meat or fish.
Escargot:
land snail.
Escargot
de Bourgogne: land
snail prepared with butter; garlic, and parsley.
Escargot
petit-gris: small land
snail.
Escarole:
bitter salad green of the chicory family with thick broad-lobed
leaves, found in both flat and round heads.
Espadon:
swordfish found in the gulf of Gascony, Atlantic, and Mediterranean.
Espagnole,
à l': Spanish style;
with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic.
Esqueixada:
in Catalan literally means shredded; a shredded salt cod salad.
Estival:
summer, used to denote seasonality of ingredients.
Estoficado:
a purée-like blend of dried codfish, olive oil, tomatoes, sweet
peppers, black olives, potatoes, garlic, onions, and herbs; also
called stockfish niçoise: specialty of Nice.
Estofinado:
a purée-like blend of dried codfish, potatoes, garlic, parsley,
eggs, walnut oil, and milk, served with triangles of toast; specialty
of the Auvergne.
Estouffade
à la provençale:
beef stew with onions, garlic, carrots, and orange zest.
Estragon:
tarragon.
Etoffé:
stuffed.
Etoile:
star; star-shaped.
Etouffé;
étuvé: literally
smothered; method of cooking very slowly in a tightly covered pan
with almost no liquid.
Etrille:
small swimming crab.
Express:
espresso coffee.
F
Façon
(à ma): (my) way of
preparing a dish.
Fagot:
bundle; meat shaped into a small ball.
Faisan(e):
pheasant.
Faisandé:
game that has been hung to age.
Fait:
usually refers to a cheese that has been well aged and has
character---runny if it's a Camembert, hard and dry if it's a goat
cheese; also means ready to eat.
Fait,
pas trop: refers to a
cheese that has been aged for a shorter time and is blander; also for
a cheese that will ripen at home.
Falette:
veal breast stuffed with bacon and vegetables, browned, and poached
in broth; specialty of the Auvergne.
Fanes:
green tops of root vegetables such as carrots, radishes, turnips.
Far:
Breton sweet or savory pudding-cakes; the most common, similar to
clafoutis from the Dordogne, is made with prunes.
Farci(e):
stuffed.
Farigoule(tte):
Provençal name for wild thyme.
Farine:
flour.
complète:
whole wheat flour.
d'avoine:
oat flour.
de
blé: wheat flour;
white flour.
de
maïs: corn flour.
de
sarrasin: buckwheat
flour.
de
seigle: rye flour.
de
son: bran flour.
Faux-filet:
sirloin steak.
Favorite
d'artichaut: classic
vegetable dish of artichoke stuffed with asparagus, covered with a
cheese sauce, and browned.
Favou(ille):
in Provence, tiny male (female) crab often used in soups.
Fenouil:
fennel.
Fer
à cheval: horseshoe;
a baguette that has that shape.
Féra,
feret: salmon-like
lake fish, found in Lac Léman, in the Morvan, in Burgundy, and in
the Auvergne.
Ferme
(fermier:
fermière): farm
(farmer); in cheese, refers to farm-made cheese, often used to mean
raw-milk cheese; in chickens, refers to free-range chickens.
Fermé:
closed.
Fernkase:
young cheese shaped like a flying saucer and sprinkled with coarsely
ground pepper; specialty of Alsace.
Feu
de bois, au: cooked
over a wood fire.s
Feuille
de chêne: oak-leaf
lettuce.
Feuille
de vigne: vine leaf.
Feuilletage
(en): (in) puff
pastry.
Feuilletée:
puff pastry.
Féves
(févettes): broad,
fava, coffee, or cocoa bean (miniature beans); also, the porcelain
figure baked into the 12th night cake, or, galette des rois.
Fiadone:
Corsican flan made from cheese and oranges.
Ficelle
(boeuf à la): string;
(beef suspended on a string and poached in broth). Also, small thin
baguette. Also, a small bottle of wine, as in carafe of Beaujolais.
Ficelle
picarde: thin crêpe
wrapped around a slice of ham and topped with a cheesy cream sauce;
specialty of Picardy, in the North.
Figue:
fig.
Financier:
small rectangular almond cake.
Financière:
Madiera sauce with truffle juice.
Fine
de claire: elongated
crinkle-shelled oyster that stays in fattening beds (claires) a
minimum of two months.
Fines
herbes: mixture of
herbs, usually chervil, parsley, chives, tarragon.
Flageolet:
small white or pale green kidney-shaped dried bean.
Flamande,
à la: Flemish style;
usually with stuffed cabbage leaves, carrots, turnips, potatoes, and
bacon.
Flamber:
to burn off the alcohol by igniting. Usually the brandies or other
liqueurs to be flambéed are warmed first, then lit as they are
poured into the dish.
Flamiche
(au Maroilles): a
vegetable tart with rich bread dough crust, commonly filled with
leeks, cream, and cheese; specialty of Picardy, in the North; (filled
with cream, egg, butter, and Maroilles cheese).
Flammekueche:
thin-crusted savory tart, much like a rectangular pizza, covered with
cream, onions, and bacon; also called tarte flambée; specialty of
Alsace.
Flan:
sweet or savory tart. Also, a crustless custard pie.
Flanchet:
flank of beef or veal, used generally in stews.
Flagnarde,
flaugnarde, flognarde:
hot, fruit-filled batter cake made with eggs, flour, milk, and
butter, and sprinkled with sugar before serving; specialty of the
southwest.
Flétan:
halibut, found in the English Channel and North Sea.
Fleur
(de sel): flower
(fine, delicate sea salt, from Brittany or the Camargue).
Fleur
de courgette: zucchini
blossom.
Fleuron:
puff pastry crescent.
Florentine:
with spinach. Also, a cookie of nougatine and candied fruit brushed
with a layer of chocolate.
Flûte:
flute; usually a very thin baguette; also, form of champagne glass.
Foie:
liver.
Foie
blond de volaille:
chicken liver; also sometimes a chicken-liver mousse.
Foie
de veau: calf's liver.
Foie
gras d'oie (de canard):
liver of fattened goose (duck).
Foin
(dan le): (cooked in)
hay.
Fond:
cooking juices from meat, used to make sauces. Also, bottom.
Fond
d'artichaut: heart and
base of an artichoke.
Fondant:
melting; refers to cooked, worked sugar that is flavored, then used
for icing cakes. Also, the bittersweet chocolate high in cocoa butter
used for making the shiniest chocolates. Also, puréed meat, fish, or
vegetables shaped in croquettes.
Fondu(e):
melted.
Fontainebleau:
creamy white fresh dessert cheese from the Ile-de-France.
Forestière:
garnish of wild mushrooms, bacon, and potatoes.
Fouace:
a kind of brioche; specialty of the Auvergne.
Foudjou:
a pungent goat-cheese spread, a blend of fresh and aged grated cheese
mixed with salt, pepper, brandy, and garlic and cured in a crock;
specialty of northern Provence.
Fougasse:
a crusty lattice-like bread made of baguette dough or puff pastry
often flavored with anchovies, black olives, herbs, spices, or
onions; specialty of Provence and the Mediterranean. Also, a sweet
bread of Provence flavored with orange-flower water, oil, and
sometimes almonds.
Fouchtrou:
Cow's milk cheese from the Auvergne, made when there is not enough
milk to make an entire wheel of Cantal.
Four
(au): (baked in an)
oven.
Fourme
d'Ambert: cylindrical
blue-veined cow's-milk cheese, made in dairies around the town of
Ambert in the Auvergne.
Fourré:
stuffed or filled.
Foyot:
classic sauce made of béarnaise with meat glaze.
Frais,
fraîche: fresh or
chilled.
Fraise:
strawberry.
Fraise
des bois: wild
strawberry.
Framboise:
raspberry.
Française,
à la: classic garnish
of peas with lettuce, small white onions, and parsley.
Frangipane:
almond custard filling.
Frappé:
usually refers to a drink served very cold or with ice, often shaken.
Frémi:
quivering; often refers to barely cooked oysters.
Friandise:
sweetmeat, petit four.
Fricadelle:
fried minced meat patty.
Fricandeau:
thinly sliced veal or a rump roast, braised with vegetables and white
wine.
Fricassée:
classically, ingredients braised in wine sauce or butter with cream
added; currently denotes any mixture of ingredients--fish or
meat--stewed ot sautéed.
Fricot
(de veau): veal
shoulder simmered in white wine with vegetables.
Frisé(e):
curly; usually curly endive, the bitter salad green of the chicory
family sold in enormous round heads.
Frit(e):
fried.
Frite:
French fry.
Fritons:
coarse pork rillettes or a minced spread which includes organ meats.
Fritot:
small organ meat fritter, where meat is partially cooked, then
marinated in oil, lemon juice, and herbs, dipped in batter and fried
just before serving; also can refer to any small fried piece of meat
or fish.
Friture:
fried food; also a preparation of small fried fish, usually
white-bait or smelt.
Froid(e):
cold.
Fromage:
cheese.
blanc:
a smooth low-fat cheese similar to cottage cheese.
d'alpage:
cheese made in mountain pastures during the prime summer milking
period.
Echourgnac:
delicately flavored, ochre-skinned cheese made of cow's milk by the
monks at the
Echourgnac
monastery in the Dordogne.
fort:
pungent cheese.
frais:
smooth, runny fresh cheese, like cottage cheese.
Frais,
bien égoutée:
well-drained fresh cheese.
maigre:
low-fat cheese.
Fromage
de tête: headcheese,
usually pork.
Fruit
confit: whole fruit
preserved in sugar.
Fruits
de mer: seafood.
Fumé:
smoked.
Fumet:
fish stock.
G
Galantine:
classical preparation of boned meat or whole poultry that is stuffed
or rolled, cooked, then glazed with gelatin and served cold.
Galette:
round flat pastry, pancake, or cake; can also refer to pancake-like
savory preparations; in Brittany usually a savory buckwheat crêpe,
known as blé noir.
Galette
bressane, galette de Pérouges:
cream and sugar tart from the Bresse area of the Rhône-Alpes.
Galette
des rois: puff pastry
filled with almond pastry cream, traditional Twelfth Night
celebration cake.
Galinette:
tub gurnard, Mediterranean fish of the mullet family.
Gamba:
large prawn.
Ganache:
classically a rich mixture of chocolate and crème fraïche used as a
filling for cakes and chocolate truffles; currently may also include
such flavorings as wild strawberries and cinnamon.
Garbure:
a hearty stew that includes cabbage, beans, and salted or preserved
duck, goose, turkey or pork; specialty of the southwest.
Gardiane:
stew of beef or bull (toro) meat, with bacon, onions, garlic, and
black olives; served with rice; specialty of the Camargue, in
Provence.
Gargouillau:
pear cake or tart; specialty of northem Auvergne.
Garni(e):
garnished.
Garniture:
garnish.
Gasconnade:
roast leg of lamb with garlic and anchovies; specialty of the
southwest.
Gaspacho:
a cold soup, usually containing tomatoes, cucumber, onions, and sweet
peppers; originally of Spanish origin.
Gâteau:
cake.
basque:
a chewy sweet cake filled with pastry cream or, historically, with
black cherry jam; also called
pastiza;
specialty of the Basque region.
breton:
a rich round pound cake; specialty of Brittany.
opéra:
classic almond sponge cake layered with coffee and chocolate butter
cream and covered with a
sheet
of chocolate; seen in every pastry shop window.
Saint-Honoré:
classic cake of choux puffs dipped in caramel and set atop a
cream-filled choux crown on a
pastry
base.
Gaude:
thick corn-flour porridge served hot, or cold and sliced, with cream.
Gaufre:
waffle.
Gave:
southwestern term for mountain stream; indicates fish from the
streams of the area.
Gayette:
small sausage patty made with pork liver and bacon, wrapped in caul
fat and bacon.
Gelée:
aspic.
Gendarme:
salted and smoked herring.
Genièvere:
juniper berry.
Génoise:
sponge cake.
Gentiane:
gentian; a liqueur made from this mountain flower.
Germiny:
garnish of sorrel. Also, sorrel and cream soup.
Germon:
albacore or long-fin tuna.
Gésier:
gizzard.
Gibassier:
round sweet bread from Provence, often flavored with lemon or orange
zest, orange-flower water, and/or almonds. Also sometimes called
fougasse or pompe à l'huile.
Gibelotte:
fricassee of rabbit in red or white wine.
Gibier:
game, sometimes designated as gibier à plume (feathered) or gibier à
poil (furry).
Gigot
(de pré salé):
usually a leg of lamb (lamb grazed on the salt meadows along the
Atlantic and Normandy coasts).
Gigot
de mer: a preparation,
usually of large pieces of monkfish (lotte) oven-roasted like a leg
of lamb.
Gigue
(de): haunch (of)
certain game meats.
Gillardeau:
prized oyster raised in Normandy and finished in claires, or
fattening beds on the Atlantic coast.
Gingembre:
ginger.
Girofle:
clove.
Girolle:
prized pale orange wild mushroom; also called chanterelle.
Givré;
orange givré:
frosted; orange sherbet served in its skin.
Glace:
ice cream.
Glacé:
iced, crystallized, or glazed.
Gnocchi:
dumplings made of choux paste, potatoes, or semolina.
Goret:
young pig.
Gougère:
cheese-flavored choux pastry.
Goujon:
small catfish; generic name for a number of small fish. Also,
preparation in which the central part of a larger fish is coated with
bread crumbs, then deep fried.
Goujonnette:
generally used to describe a small piece of fish, such as sole,
usually fried.
Gourmandise(s):
weakness for sweet things; (sweetmeats or candies).
Gousse
d'ail: clove of
garlic.
Gousse
de vanille: vanilla
bean.
Goût:
taste.
Goûter
(le): to taste, to
try; (children's afternoon snack).
Graine
de moutarde: mustard
seed.
Graisse:
fat.
Graisserons:
crisply fried pieces of duck or goose skin; cracklings.
Grand
crème: large or
double espresso with milk.
Grand
cru: top-ranking wine.
Grand
veneur: chief
huntsman; usually a brown sauce for game, with red currant jelly.
Granité:
a type of sherbet; a sweetened, flavored ice.
Grappe
(de raisins): cluster;
bunch (of grapes).
Gras
(marché au): fatty;
(market of fattened poultry and their livers).
Gras-double:
tripe baked with onions and white wine.
Gratin:
crust formed on top of a dish when browned in broiler or oven; also
the dish in which such food is cooked.
Gratin
dauphinoise: baked
casserole of sliced potatoes, usually with cream, milk, and sometimes
cheese and/or eggs.
Gratin
savoyarde: baked
casserole of sliced potatoes, usually with bouillon, cheese, and
butter.
Gratiné(e):
having a crusty, browned top.
Gratinée
lyonnaise: bouillon
flavored with port, garnished with beaten egg, topped with cheese,
and browned under a broiler.
Grattons,
grattelons: crisply
fried pieces of pork, goose, or duck skin; cracklings.
Gratuit:
free.
Grecque,
à la: cooked in
seasoned mixture of oil, lemon juice, and water; refers to cold
vegetables, usually mushrooms.
Grelette,
sauce: cold sauce with
a base of whipped cream.
Grelot:
small white bulb onion.
Grenade:
pomegranate.
Grenaille:
Refers to small, bite-size new potato of any variety.
Grenadin:
small veal scallop.
Grenouille
(cuisse de): frog
(leg).
Gressini:
breadsticks, seen along the Côte-d'Azur.
Gribiche,
sauce: mayonnaise with
capers, cornichons, hard-cooked eggs, and herbs.
Grillade:
grilled meat.
Grillé(e):
grilled.
Griotte:
shiny slightly acidic, reddish black cherry.
Grisotte
Detailed programme for 
