FAQ

oyster mushroom: Pleurotus ostreatus, also called hiratake, a mushroom popular in East Asia and Eastern Europe.

batavia: Batavia lettuce, another name for escarole, a kind of endive.

zander: (Sander lucioperca), also called sander or pikeperch, a river fish, commonly farmed.

quenelle: a mixture of creamed fish or meat, sometimes combined with breadcrumbs, with a light egg binding, formed into an egg-like shape, and then cooked.

ikejime: Japanese method of killing fish without damaging the meat, by driving a spike into the back of the brain.

char: fish variety found in cold northern waters.

fromage blanc: a fresh cheese similar to cream cheese, also called maquee.

white asparagus: asparagus grown with the shoots covered with soil, so they remain white instead of green; white asparagus is viewed as less bitter and more tender.

Mousseline sauce: Hollandaise sauce (egg yolk, melted butter, lemon, pepper, salt) with whipped cream added. julienne: cutting vegetables or other food into long, thin strips.

manoa:

Charmigny: wine region of France near to Tours.

umami: a "savoury" taste associates with broths, cooked meats, soy sauce, certain cheeses and mushrooms, etc.

battuta: Italian variant of beef tartare: Finely chopped raw beef, crisp leaves, anchovies, pickled mushrooms, herb oil and white truffles.

vitello tonnato: Piedmontese dish of cold sliced veal with a creamy, mayonnaise-like sauce flavored with tuna.

DRC: the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, a vineyard in Burgundy.

PDO Charolles Beef: Protected Designation of Origin, a European scheme that identifies a product that originates in a specific place, the quality or characteristics of which are due to a particular geographical environment with its inherent natural factors (raw materials, environmental characteristics, location) and human factors (traditional and craft production). It is illegal to use the name of a PDO (such as Charolles beef) unless it is produced in the area and according to the traditional methods.

finishing: The process, during the last 4-8 months before slaughter, of altering beef cattle feed in order to influence the quality of the meat. Cattle can be "finished" with grain, maize or grass diets.

prairie: has a broader meaning in French, and can refer to any meadow, grassland or pasture, not just the classic "prairie" which refers to vast areas of grass without trees.

Double-muscled: cattle breeds with mutations that reduces the activity of the myostatin protein, giving the cattle more muscle and less fat deposits, making the meat less marbled and lower in fat.

shiso: Perilla frutescens var. crispa, a herb in the mint family.

cover: a single serving for one guest.

sweetbreads: meat of the thymus or pancreas (internal organs), from calf or lamb.

game: meat of an animal or bird hunted for sport, e.g. deer, pheasant, hare.

Lily of the valley: decorative white flower.

Star anise: pericarp of Illicium verum, used as a spice. Also called "badian."

Creme caramel: custard dessert with a layer of clear caramel sauce.

Barberry: Mediterranean shrub with an acidic-tasting fruit.

Bigarade: sauce made with bitter orange (Citrus x aurantium), used in duck a l'orange.

marinade: soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking.

Chenin: a white wine grape.

Badoit: French brand of mineral water.

pink lamb: lamb that has only been seared on the outside and is raw on the inside, similar to a rare steak.

buttermilk: the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream.

sulfites: chemical compounds containing the sulfate(IV) ion, naturally found in wine but also added to wine to arrest fermentation or as a preservative.

Bordeaux mixture: copper sulfate, lime, and water, sprayed on grapes to kill bacteria and fungi.

aperitif: an alcoholic drink taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite.

GN tray: Gastronorme, a food tray of standardised size.

arlettes: crispy cinnamon biscuits

saffron: spice derived from the stigma and styles of Crocus sativus, the saffron crocus.

Sichuan pepper: Chinese spice made from plants of the genus Zanthoxylum. Tastes like citrus and produces a tingling numbness in the mouth.

Duxelles: mince of mushrooms, onions, herbs and black pepper, sautéed in butter and reduced to a paste.

carmine: an endive with a reddish colour.

mille-feuille: dessert made of puff pastry layered with pastry cream. Also called a Napoleon, custard slice or vanilla slice.

the Escoffier: "Le guide culinaire," cookbook by Georges Auguste Escoffier, 1903.

Larousse Encyclopedia: Grand Larousse encyclopédique en dix volumes, a French encylopedia.

caul: the greater omentum, a large apron-like fold of visceral peritoneum that hangs down from the stomach and covers the intestines.

trompe-l'oeil: a food that is disguised as another type of food.

Tomme: cheese from the French Alps and Switzerland.

ash-covered cheese: a thin layer of ash is placed on some cheeses to to protect the curds, help with rind formation and support the ripening process.

polenta: an Italian dish of boiled cornmeal.

ceviche: fish or shellfish marinated in citrus and seasonings.

merlan: a French cut of beef, a round cut from the centre of the inner thigh in the area around the hip. It is leaner, with less marbling than ribeye, giving it a strong flavour, while ensuring it doesn't house large pockets of fat.

ceps: Boletus edulis, a popular wild mushroom. Also called penny bun, porcino, porcini.

Celeriac: a cultivar of Apium graveolens (celery), grown for its large hypocotyl (stem of the germinating seedling), used in soups.

zabaione: Italian dessert or drink made with egg yolks, sugar and sweet wine; sometimes spelled "zabaglione."

Nipples of Venus: (Capezzoli di Venere) chestnut and brandy-infused chocolate truffles covered in white chocolate.

agrodolce: a reduction of sugar and vinegar.

mignardises: bite-sized desserts.

pirojki: Eastern European baked or fried yeast-leavened boat-shaped buns with a variety of fillings. Also spelled pirozhki; not to be confused with pierogi, which are dumplings.

amuse-bouche: a single, bite-sized hors d'oeuvre (starter). Usually served for free and chosen by the chef, not the diner.

gremolata: green sauce made of chopped parsley, lemon zest and garlic.

Saint-Honoré: a circle of shortcrust pastry with a ring of pâte à choux piped on the outer edge.

religieuse: a small choux pastry case stacked on top of a larger one, both filled with crème pâtissière, commonly flavoured with chocolate or mocha.

bouillon: a broth in which meat, fish, or vegetables have been simmered for a long period of time.

onion petals: onions cut into wedges and fried in batter.

colostrum: the first milk produced after birth, often yellowish. Highly concentrated with nutrients and antibodies.

monogastric: an animal with a single-compartmented stomach, e.g. goat, human, poultry, pig, horse, rabbit. Most monogastric animals cannot digest grasses, but some have adaptations that allow them to do so.

faisselle: cheese made of raw milk from cows, goats, or sheep.

pointed cabbage: (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. acuta) a form of cabbage with a tapering shape and large delicate leaves varying in colour from yellowish to blue-green. Tastes less pronounced and more delicate than regular cabbage. Also called cone, sweetheart, hispi or sugarloaf cabbage.

Oxheart tomatoes: large variety of tomato, can be smooth or ridged.

hydroponics: growing plants in a water-based nutrient solution, instead of soil.

cobra: variety of greenhouse tomato with heavy yields and good taste

blossom-end rot: dark patches on the end of the tomato plant, caused by a lack of calcium.

whey: liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained, a byproduct of cheese manufacturing.

round: a wheel of cheese.

agroforestry: growing trees on a farm that also has animals and/or crops.

acaricide: pesticide used to kill ticks and mites.

chervil: a herb, also called French parsley.

field pea: P. sativum subsp. arvense, a variety of pea.

silica: mineral containing silicon, added to soil to help the health of vines; it strengthens resistance to disease and promotes growth.

panna cotta: Italian dessert of sweetened cream thickened with gelatine and moulded.

noble rot: a fungus, Botrytis cinerea, that infects grapes; it can improve the flavour of wine.

green tannins: tannins are astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules found in wine. Green tannins (drying or unripe tannins) give a mouth-drying, rough or strongly astringent effect

pyrazine: chemical found in foods, with a pungent, sweet, corn-like, nutty taste.

Emmaus: charitable thrift shops in France, that sell second-hand furniture.

sriracha: hot sauce made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, pickled garlic, sugar and salt.

sorrel: herb with a lemony flavour.

carpaccio: dish of meat or fish thinly sliced or pounded thin, and served raw, typically as an appetiser.

rau ram: Vietnamese coriander (Persicaria odorata), a herb tasting like coriander or mint.

salamander: a grill with a very high temperature overhead electric or gas heating elements, used for toasting, browning, etc.

amaretto: sweet Italian liqueur made from apricot kernels, bitter almonds, peach stones or almonds.

biodynamics: a form of alternative agriculture based on pseudo-scientific concepts developed in 1924 by Rudolf Steiner. It treats soil fertility, plant growth, and livestock care as ecologically interrelated tasks, emphasizing spiritual and mystical perspectives. It encourages the use of manure and compost and excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. It emphasis local production and distribution systems.

minerality: a vaguely-defined "stoney" taste in wine, supposedly influenced by mineral content.

sommelier: wine professional who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing.

oxidizing: in wine, an alcohol-air reaction that converts ethanol to acetaldehyde. This concentrates colour and creates grassy, nutty or apple-like flavours.

limequat: a Key lime and kumquat cross.