| A | B |
|---|
| Adductor Muscle | The muscle with which a mollusk closes its shell. In the case of American scallops, this is usually the only part that is eaten. |
| Aging | Holding meats in coolers under controlled conditions to allow natural tenderizing to take place. |
| A la Carte | 1) Referring to a menu on which each individual item is listed with a separate price. 2) Referring to cooking to order, as opposed to cooking ahead in large batches. |
| Al Dente | Firm, not soft or mushy, to the bite. Said of vegetables or pasta. |
| Allemande | 1) German style. 2) A sauce made of Velouté (usually veal), a liaison, and lemon juice. |
| Allumette | Cut into matchstick shapes; usually refers to potatoes. |
| Anthocyanins | Red or purple pigments in vegetables and fruits. |
| Antipasto | Italian hors d'oeuvre. |
| AP Weight | As purchased; the weight of an item before trimming. |
| Arborio Rice | A variety of short-grain rice from Italy. |
| Argenteuil (ar-zhawn-toy) | Garnished with asparagus. |
| AS weight | As served; the weight of an item as sold or served, after processing and/or cooking. |
| Au Gratin (oh-gra-tan) | Having a browned or crusted top, often made by topping with bread crumbs, cheese, and/or a rich sauce and passing under the broiler or salamander. |
| Au Jus (oh-zhoo) | Served with its natural juices. Usually unthickened pan drippings. |
| Au Sec (oh-seck) | Until dry. |
| Avgolemono | Greek soup made of chicken stock, egg, and lemon juice. |
| Bacteria | Microscopic organisms, some of which can cause disease, including food-borne disease. |
| Bain Marie | A container of hot water used for keeping foods hot. |
| Bake | To cook foods by surrounding them with hot, dry air. Similar to roast, but the term baking usually applies to breads, pastries, vegetables, and fish. |
| Baked Alaska | A dessert consisting of ice cream on a sponge-cake base, covered with meringue and browned in the oven. |
| Barbecue | To cook with dry heat created by the burning of hardwood or by the hot coals of this wood. |
| Bard | To tie thin slices of fat, such as pork fatback, over meats with no natural fat cover to protect them while roasting. |
| Basmati Rice | A variety of long-grain rice from India. |
| Batonnet | Cut into sticks, about 1/4 x 1/4 x 2 1/2 to 3 inches (6 mm x 6 mm x 6 to 7.5 cm). |
| Batter | Semiliquid mixture containing flour or other starch used for the production of such products as cakes and breads and for coating products to be deep-fried. |
| Bavarian Cream | A dessert made of custard sauce, gelatin, and whipped cream. |
| Bearnaise (bare nez) | A sauce made of butter and egg yolks and flavored with a reduction of vinegar, shallots, tarragon, and peppercorns. |
| Bechamel | A sauce made by thickening milk with a roux. |
| Beignet | Fritter. |
| Beurre Manie (burr-mahnyay) | A mixture of equal parts raw butter and flour mixed together into a smooth paste. |
| Beurre Noir (burr-nwahr) | Butter heated utnil it is dark brown and flavored with vinegar. |
| Beurre Noisette (burr-nwah-zett) | Whole butter heated until it is light brown. |
| Bivalve | A mollusk with a pair of hinged shells, such as clams and oysters. |
| Bisque | A cream soup made from shellfish. |
| Blanch | To cook an item partially and very briefly in boiling water or in hot fat. Usually a pre--preparation technique, as to loosen peels from vegetables fruits, and nuts, to partially cook french fries or other foods before service, to prepare for freezing, or to remove undesirable flavors. |
| Blanc Mange | 1) An English pudding thicvkened with cornstarch. 2) A French almond-flavored pudding containing gelatin and milk. |
| Blanquette | A white stew made of white meat or poultry simmered without preliminary browning and served with a white sauce. |
| Boeuf a la Mode | A classic French style of braised beef. |
| Boil | To cook in water or other liquid that is bubbling rapidly, about 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) at sea level and at normal pressure. |
| Bombe | A molded ice cream or sherbet dessert. |
| Bordelaise | A brown sauce flavored with a reduction of red wine, shallots, pepper, and herbs and garnished with marrow. |
| Botulism | A deadly food-borne intoxication usually associated with improperly canned foods. |
| Bouquet Garni | A combination of fresh herbs tied together, used for flavoring. |
| Bouquetiere (book-tyair) | Garnished with an assortment or "bouquet" of fresh vegetables, such as artichokes, carrots, turnips, green beans, peas, cauliflower, and potatoes. |
| Braise | 1) To cook covered in a small amount of liquid, usually after preliminary browning. 2) To cook (certain vegetables) slowly in a small amount of liquid without preliminary browning. |
| Brioche | Rich yeast dough containing large amounts of eggs and butter, or the products made from this dough. |
| Broil | To cook with radiant heat from above. |
| Broth | A flavorful liquid obtained from the simmering of meats and/or vegetables. |
| Brunoise (broo-nwahz) | 1) Cut into very small (1/8 inch/3 mm) dice. 2) Garnished with vegetables cut in this manner. |
| Bulgur | A type of cracked wheat that has been partially cooked. |
| Buttercream | An icing made of butter and/or shortening blended with confectioner's sugar or sugar syrup and sometimes other ingredients. |
| Butterflied | Cut partially through and spread open to increase the surface area. |
