à blanc
[ah BLAHNK] A French term meaning "in white" and identifying foods, usually meats, that aren't browned during cooking.
à l'alsacienne
[al-zah-SYEHN] A term referring to cooking "in the style of Alsace," a province in northeastern France whose French and German heritage is reflected in its famous cuisine. It usually refers to preparations of meat braised with sauerkraut, potatoes and sausage.
à l'américaine
[a-may-ree-KEHN] A dish (often lobster) prepared with a spicy sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, onions and wine.
à l'ancienne
[ah lawn-SYAN] French for "in the old style," describing a traditional preparation method (usually for beef) of braising, then simmering.
à l'andalouse
[ahn-dah-LOOZ] A French term describing dishes using tomatoes, pimientos and sometimes rice pilaf or sausage. Andalouse sauce refers to mayonnaise mixed with tomato purée and pimiento.
à l'anglaise
[ahn-GLEHZ] French for "in the English style," meaning food that is simply poached or boiled. The term can also be used for food that has been coated in breadcrumbs and fried.
à l'Argenteuil
[ar-zhawn-TEW-ee] A term describing a dish featuring asparagus, named after the French town that is world renowned for its asparagus.
à l'espagnole
[ah lehs-pahn-YOHL] A French term for foods prepared in the Spanish style, usually with tomatoes, onions, garlic and sweet peppers.
à l'indienne
[ah lahn-DYEHN] A French term describing Indian-style dishes flavored with curry and served with rice.
à la
[ah lah] A French idiom meaning "in the manner (or style) of"; the full phrase is à la mode de. In cooking, this phrase designates the style of preparation or a particular garnish. A la bourguignonne, for example, would mean "as prepared in Burgundy."
à la bonne femme
[bohn FEHM; bohn FAM] Literally translated as "good wife," the term bonne femme describes food prepared in an uncomplicated, homey manner. Sole bonne femme is a simply poached fish served with a sauce of white wine and lemon juice, and often garnished with small onions and mushrooms.
à la bordelaise
[bohr-dl-AYZ; bohr-dl-EHZ] A French term meaning "of or from Bordeaux" and referring to dishes served with bordelaise sauce.
à la bourguignonne
[boor-gee-NYON] The French term for "as prepared in Burgundy," one of France's most famous gastronomic regions. Meat (usually beef, as in boeuf bourguignonne) is braised in red wine and usually garnished with small mushrooms and white onions. See fondue for information on fondue bourguignonne.
à la carte
[ah lah KAHRT] A menu term signifying that each item is priced separately. See also prix fixe; table d'hôte.
à la Clamart
[kla-MAHR] A French term referring to dishes garnished with peas. It can also refer to a garnish of potato balls.
à la Conti
[KON-tee] A French term referring to dishes made or garnished with lentils (usually puréed) and sometimes bacon.
à la Crécy
[KREH-see; kray-SEE] A French term referring to dishes cooked or garnished with carrots. The name comes from Crécy, France, where the finest French carrots are cultivated.
à la financière
[fee-nahn-SYEHR] French for "banker's style," alluding to the expensive ingredients in this French haute cuisine preparation. Such dishes (which can range from meat to poultry) are garnished with a mélange of truffles quenelles, kidneys, sweetbreads and mushrooms and napped with a sauce flavored with truffles and madeira. Financière preparations are often served in a vol-au-vent.
à la flamande
[flah-MAHND] À la flamande is French for "in the Flemish style," indicating a garnish of braised cabbage, carrots, turnips, potatoes and sometimes pork or sausages. It's a classic accompaniment to meat or poultry.
à la Florentine
French for "in the style of Florence (Italy)," and referring to dishes (usually of eggs or fish) that are presented on a bed of spinach and topped with mornay sauce. A "Florentine" dish is sometimes sprinkled with cheese and browned lightly in the oven. The Italian term is alla Fiorentina.
à la forestière
[ah lah foh-rehs-TYEHR] French term meaning "of the forest," referring to dishes (usually poultry, meat or game fowl) garnished with butter-sautéed potatoes or potato balls, bacon or salt pork and wild mushrooms such as chanterelles, morels and porcini.
à la grecque
[ah lah GREHK] French for "in the Greek style," usually referring to vegetables (such as mushrooms and artichokes) and herbs cooked in olive oil and lemon juice and served cold as an appetizer.
à la jardinière
[jahr-duh-NIHR; zhahr-dee-NYEHR] The French term referring to a dish garnished with vegetables, which are served in individual groups arranged around the main dish.
à la king
[ah lah KING] A dish of diced food (usually chicken or turkey) in a rich cream sauce containing mushrooms, pimientos, green peppers and sometimes sherry.
à la lyonnaise
[ly-uh-NAYZ; lee-oh-NEHZ] A French term for "in the manner of Lyons," a city in central France known for its excellent food. It refers to dishes prepared or garnished with onions, such as pommes lyonnaise, which are sliced potatoes fried with onions.
à la milanaise
[mee-lah-NEHZ] A French cookery term for pasta tossed with butter and grated cheese and topped with a tomato sauce made with shredded ham, pickled tongue, mushrooms and truffles.
à la mode
[ah lah MOHD] French for "in the manner (or mode) [of]," referring to the style in which a dish is prepared. The term has been Americanized to also mean pie topped with ice cream.
à la Montmorency
[mont-muh-REHN-see; mawn-moh-rahn-SEE] A term meaning "made or served with cherries," applying to various desserts and entrées such as caneton à la Montmorency-roast duckling with cherry sauce.
à la niçoise
[nee-SWAHZ] A French phrase that means "as prepared in Nice," typifying the cuisine found in and around that French Riviera city. This cooking style is identified with hot and cold dishes that include the integral ingredients of tomatoes, black olives, garlic and anchovies. Salade niçoise contains these basic ingredients plus French green beans, onions, tuna, hard-cooked eggs and herbs.
à la périgourdine
[pay-ree-goor-DEEN] French for "as prepared in the style of Périgord," referring to dishes garnished or flavored with truffles as well as those served with périgueux sauce . The term is derived from France's Périgord region, which is famous for its black truffles.
à la polonaise
[poh-loh-NEHZ] French for "in the manner of Poland," generally referring to cooked vegetables (most often cauliflower or asparagus) that are sprinkled with chopped hard-cooked egg, breadcrumbs, parsley and melted butter.
à la Provençal
[proh-vahn-SAHL] A term referring to dishes prepared in the style of Provence, a region in southeastern France. Garlic, tomatoes and olive oil are the major trademark of Provençal cooking. Onions, olives, mushrooms, anchovies and eggplant also play a prominent part in many of these dishes.
à la zingara
[zihn-GAH-rah] This French phrase translates to "gypsy style" and refers to a garnish consisting of chopped ham, tongue, mushrooms and truffles combined with tomato sauce, tarragon and sometimes madeira. This garnish is served with meat, poultry and sometimes eggs.
à point
[ah PWAH] 1. The French term used for food cooked just to the perfect point of doneness. 2. When referring to meat, à point means that a steak is cooked rare.
A.Q.
A menu term meaning "as quoted," referring to generally high-priced dishes (such as lobster), the price of which may vary depending on the season. The server can quote the price of an A.Q. Item.
abalone
[a-buh-LOH-nee] a gastropod mollusk (see both listings) found along the coastlines of California, Mexico and Japan. The edible portion is the adductor muscle, a broad foot by which the abalone clings to rocks. As with any muscle, the meat is tough and must be pounded to tenderize it before cooking. Abalone, used widely in Chinese and Japanese cooking, can be purchased fresh, canned, dried or salted. Fresh abalone should smell sweet, not fishy. It should also be alive-the exposed muscle should move when touched. Choose those that are relatively small and refrigerate as soon as possible. Cook abalone within a day of purchase. Fresh abalone is best sautéed and should be cooked very briefly (20 to 30 seconds per side) or the meat will quickly toughen. Abalone is known as ormer in the English Channel, awabi in Japan, muttonfish in Australia and paua in New Zealand. Its iridescent shell is a source of mother-of-pearl. See also shellfish.
abruzzese
[ah-broo-TZAY-zeh] An Italian descriptor for dishes (from pasta to veal) characterized by the liberal use of hot chiles, in the style of Italy's Abruzzo region.
absinthe
[AB-sinth] Reputed to be an aphrodisiac, absinthe is a potent, bitter liqueur distilled from wormwood and flavored with a variety of herbs. It has a distinct anise flavor and is 68 percent alcohol (136 proof). Absinthe is usually diluted with water, which changes the color of the liqueur from green to milky white. Because it's considered habit forming and hazardous to health, absinthe is prohibited in many countries and was banned in the United States in the early 1900s.
acerola
[as-uh-ROH-luh] A tiny tree and the small, deep-red, cherrylike fruit that grows on it, found primarily in and around the West Indies. The fruit, which has a sweet flavor and one of the highest concentrations of vitamin C, is used in desserts and preserves. It's also called Barbados cherry, Puerto Rican cherry and West Indies cherry.
Acesulfame-K
[ay-see-SUHL-faym-K] Formulated by the Germans in the late 1960s, this noncaloric artificial sweetener (also called Ace-K) was approved in the United States by the Federal Drug Administration in 1988. It's 200 times sweeter than sugar and, unlike aspartame, retains its sweetness when heated, making it suitable for cooking and baking. When used in large amounts, however, Ace-K has a bitter aftertaste, much like that of saccharin. This sweetener is composed of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, sulphur and potassium atoms. It's widely used in a broad range of commercial products including baked goods, candies and imitation dairy products. See also alitame; sucralose.
acetic acid
[a-SEE-tihk] Acetic acid is formed when common airborne bacteria interact with the alcohol present in fermented solutions such as wine, beer or cider. Acetic acid is the constituent that makes vinegar sour.
achar
[ah-CHAHR] An East Indian word referring to pickled and salted relishes. They can be sweet or hot, depending on the seasoning added.
achiote seed
[ah-chee-OH-tay] The slightly musky-flavored seed of the annatto tree is available whole or ground in East Indian, Spanish and Latin American markets. Buy whole seeds when they're a rusty red color; brown seeds are old and flavorless. Achiote seed is also called annatto which, in its paste and powder form, is used in the United States to color butter, margarine, cheese and smoked fish.
acid
The word "acid" comes from the Latin acidus, meaning "sour." All acids are sour to some degree. Sourness (acidity) is found in many natural ingredients such as vinegar (acetic acid), wine (tartaric acid), lemon juice (citric acid), sour-milk products (lactic acid), apples (malic acid) and rhubarb leaves (toxic oxalic acid). When used in a marinade, acids-such as wine and lemon juice-are natural tenderizers because they break down connective tissue and cell walls.
acidulated water
[a-SIHD-yoo-lay-ted] Water to which a small amount of vinegar, lemon or lime juice has been added. It's used as a soak to prevent discoloration of some fruits and vegetables (such as apples and artichokes) that darken quickly when their cut surfaces are exposed to air. It can also be used as a cooking medium.
ackee; akee; achee
[ah-KEE] A bright red tropical fruit that, when ripe, bursts open to reveal three large black seeds and a soft, creamy white flesh. The scientific name, blighia sapida, comes from Captain Bligh, who brought the fruit from West Africa to Jamaica in 1793. It is extremely popular in one of Jamaica's national dishes, "saltfish and ackee." Because certain parts of the fruit are toxic when underripe, canned ackee is often subject to import restrictions.
acorn
Acorns are the fruit of the oak tree. Some varieties are edible and, like chestnuts, may be eaten raw, roasted or baked. They may also be ground and used as a coffee substitute.
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