Sometimes we all wish our restaurant menus came with a glossary.  Wait no longer, because this list will help you understand the restaurant jargon and guide you towards ordering the healthiest option possible:

Al dente – meaning “to the tooth” in Italian, refers to pasta that is tender, yet firm enough to offer some resistance to the teeth.

A La Carte – (1) a menu on which each food and beverage is listed and prices separately, (2) foods cooked to order as apposed to foods cooked in advance and held for later service.

Artesian water – water that has surfaced on its own from aquifer, rather than being pumped.

Au gratin – food prepared with a browned or crusted top.  A common technique is to cover the food with a bread crumb/sauce mixture and pass it under a broiler.

Au jus – roasted meats, poultry or game served with their natural, unthickened juices.

Au sec – cooked until nearly dry.

Barding – tying thin slices of fat, such as bacon or pork fatback, over meats or poultry that have little to no natural fat covering in order to protect and moisten them during roasting.

Batonnet – foods cut into matchstick shapes of 1/4 inch X 1/4 inch X 2 inches.

Bavarian cream – a sweet dessert mixture made by thickening custard sauce with gelatin and then folding in whipped cream; then final product is poured into a mold and chilled until firm.

Bechamel -  a leading sauce made by thickening milk with white roux and adding seasonings.

Beignets – squares or strips of eclair paste deep-fried and dusted with powdered sugar.

Beurre blanc – French for “white butter” ; it is often served over steamed vegetables such as asparagus or poached white fish.

Beurre manie – a combination of equal amounts by weight of flour and soft, whole butter; it is whisked into a simmering sauce at the end of the cooking process for a quick thickening and added sheen and flavor.

Bisque – traditionally, a cream soup made from shellfish.  Marketers sometimes label creamed vegetable soups as bisques.

Bombe – two or more flavors of ice cream, or ice cream and sherbet, shaped in a spherical mold; each flavor is a separate layer that forms the shell for the next flavor.

Braising -  a combination cooking method in which foods are first browned in fat, then covered and slowly cooked ina  small amount of liquid over low heat.

Brochettes -  skewers, either small hors d’ouvre or large entree size, threaded with meat, poultry, fish, shellfish and/or vegetables and grilled, broiled or baked; sometimes served with dipping sauce.

Broiling – a dry-heat cooking method in which foods are cooked by heat radiating from and overhead source.

Caramelization – a process in which fry sugar, or sugar solution with most of its water evaporated, is heated until it melts into a clear, viscous liquid and, heating continues, turns into a smooth, brown mixture.

Chevre – French for “goat”; generally refers to a cheese made from goat’s milk.

Chorizo -  a coarse, spicy pork sausage flavored with ground chiles and removed from its casing before cooking; used in Spanish and Mexican cuisines.

Chowder – a hearty soup made from fish, shellfish and/or vegetables, usually containing milk and potatoes and often thickened with roux.

Chutney -  a sweet-and-sour condiment made of fruits and/or vegetables cooked in vinegar with sugar and spices; some chutneys are reduced to a puree, while others retain recognizable pieces of their ingredients.

Confit -  meat or poultry slowly cooked and preserved in its own fat and served hot.

Consomme – a richly flavored soup stock that has been clarified and made transparent by the use of egg whites.

Court bouillon – seasoned stock containing white wine and/or vinegar.

Coulis – a sauce made from a puree of vegetables and fruit; may be served hot or cold.

Coupe – another name for an ice cream sundae, especially one served with a fruit topping.

Dredging -  coating a food with flour or finely ground crumbs; usually done prior to sauteing or frying or as the first step of the standard breading procedure.

Duchesse potatoes – a puree of cooked potatoes, butter, and egg yolks, seasoned with salt, pepper and nutmeg; can be eaten as is or used to prepare several classic potato dishes.

Emince - a small, thin, boneless piece of meat.

En papillote – a cooking method in which food is wrapped in paper or foil and then heated so that the food steams in its own moisture.

Flambe -  food served flaming; produced by igniting brandy, rum or other liquor.

Fleuron -  a crescent-shaped piece of puff pastry used as garnish.

Frittata – an open-faced omelet of Spanish-Italian heritage.

Fumet – flavorful fish stock made with white wine.

Ganache – a rich blend of chocolate and heavy cream and, optionally, flavorings, used as a pastry or candy filling or frosting.

Gelato – an Italian-style ice cream that is denser than American-style ice cream.

Genoise -  a form of whipped-egg cake that uses whole eggs whipped with sugar; a French spongecake.

Glaze -  a sugar-coated icing poured over pies or pastries that hardens to provide flavor and structure.  The word glaze is used both for pastries and soup stocks, but they have different meanings.

Grilling -  a dry-heat cooking method in which foods are cooked by heat radiating from a source located below the cooking surface.

Julienne -  to cut foods into stick-shaped pieces, approximately 1/8 inch X 1/8 inch X 2 inches.

Kaiser roll -  a large round yeast roll with crisp crust and a curved pattern stamped on the top; used primarily in sandwiches.

Liaison -  a mixture of egg yolks and heavy cream used to thicken and enrich sauces.

Marzipan – a paste of ground almonds, sugar and egg whites used to fill and decorate pastries.

Mojo criollo -  a citrus and herb marinade used in Latino cuisines; bottled brands are available in Hispanic markets.

Nappe – the consistency of a liquid, usually a sauce, that will coat the back of a spoon; to coat a food with sauce.

Navarin – a brown ragout generally made with turnips, other root vegetables, onions, peas and lamb.

Noisette -  a small, usually round, portion of meat cut from the rib.

Orzo -  rice-shaped pasta.

Paillard -  a scallop of meat pounded until thin, usually grilled.

Parisienne -  spheres of fruits or vegetables cut with small melon ball cutter.

Posole -  a.k.a. hominy or samp; dried corn that has been soaked in hydrated lime or lye; posole refers to a stew like soups made with pork and hominy served in Mexico and Central America.

Prix Fixe – French for “fixed price”; refers to a menu offering a complete meal for a set price.

Profiteroles -  small baked rounds of eclair paste filled with ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce.

Quenelle – a small, dumpling-shaped portion of a mousseline forcemeat poached in an appropriately flavored stock; it is shaped by using two spoons.

Rillette -  meat or poultry slowly cooked, mashed and preserved in its own fat; served cold and usually spread on toast.

Roulade – a slice of meat, poultry or fish rolled around a stuffing.

Roux – a thickener made by cooking equal parts flour and fat.

Sashimi – raw fish eaten without rice; usually served as the first course in Japanese meal.

Scampi – A crustacean found in Italy and not generally available in North America. The term is often used incorrectly to describe a popular shrimp dish.

Searing - cooking method that exposes a cut of meat to very high initial temperatures; this is intended to seal the pores, increase flavor, and enhance color by browning.

Shortened cake – a cake made with fat.

Sopressata – a hard, aged Italian salami, sometimes coated with cracked peppercorns or herbs.

Sorbet – a frozen mixture of fruit juice of fruit puree; similar to sherbet but without milk products.

Tahini – a thick, oily paste made from crushed sesame seeds.

Tempeh – fermented whole soybeans mixed with a grain such as rice or millet; it has chewy consistency and a yeasty, nutty flavor.

Vinaigrette – a salad dressing consisting only of oil, vinegar, and seasoning.

White Sauce – a mixture of flour, milk, and usually fat.

Zushi – the seasoned rice used for sushi.

Questions? Comments? Stay tuned for more… As always, e-mail me at dan@topbalancenutrition.com