COOKERY TERMS YOU MAY NOT KNOW

AU GRATIN: Covered with cheese or breadcrumbs or both and baked. AU JUS: In natural meat juices. A LA KING: In rich cream sauce usually containing mushrooms and capsicums. CANAPE: Appetiser, made from piece of bread, toast or cracker, topped with spread. Served as a first course. CONDIMENT: Something to give relish to food, such as ketchup, chutney, mustard. CONSOMME: A light coloured, clear, well seasoned meat soup. CRACKLING: The crisp residue of fat after the main fat has been removed. DEMITASSE: French for half a cup. A small cup of strong, black, after dinner coffee. ASPIC: A jelly made from concentrated vegetables , meat or fish stock, with gelatine CROQUE MONSIEUR: Bombay toast with the addition of Ham and cheese. HORS d’ OEUVRE: Side dishes, such as olives, radishes, celery, or pickles, usually served as appetisers. MERINGUE: A stiffly beaten mixture of egg whites and sugar used to cover the top of a pie ,and usually browned in the oven. Sometimes made into small cakes and baked. MINESTRONE: Thick vegetable soup, usually made with dried beans and pasta, (macaroni or vermicelli). BOUILLON: A clear soup, usually made from lean beef. MOUSSE: French for “frothy”. A moulded, chilled dessert with light, spongy texture, made with sweetened and flavoured whipped cream or egg whites, and gelatine. PARFAIT: Flavoured custard containing whipped cream and syrup, frozen without stirring. Also a dessert made by layering fruit, syrup, ice cream and whipped cream. PETIT FOURS: Little fancy tea cakes, made by cutting sheet cake into special shapes. Frosting is poured on each cake and decorations added. JARDINIERE: A garnish for meat consisting of several cooked vegetables, cut into pieces. PUREE: A heavy, smooth, very thick liquid mixture made by rubbing cooked foods through a sieve. RELISH: A highly seasoned sauce made from pickles, used with other foods to add flavour. SCALLION: A bulbless onion. SEASONING: A pungent substance used to give flavour to food. ENTREE: Chief dish of the main course, of poultry, meat or fish. SOUFFLE: A delicate baked custard containing cheese, fruit, minced meat or vegetables. Made light by adding stiffly beaten egg whites. STOCK: The liquid in which meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables has been cooked. FILLET: Long, thin, boneless strip of lean meat or fish, usually a choice cut. TORTE: A rich cake, usually made from crumbs, eggs, and nuts, often layered with filling, and frosted. Or a hard meringue baked in the form of a cake. TORTILLA: (pronounced tortiya) A thin, round, Mexican cake made of cornmeal, and hot water, and baked on a griddle.