Some restaurants need a food dictionary to decipher the menu. Fortunately, I have a background of culinary experience, so it doesn't happen often. For the average diner, however, some terms can be confusing. What exactly is adobe sauce, or lyonnaise? What does "deglaze" mean? How about "filet of beef served on a bed of tarragon aioli"?
I have found many servers don't really know the correct meanings either. So in an effort to educate you all on some basic terms and phrases, this column will be like a Culinary 101 course. It is likely the culinary terms that follow will be familiar to most, but some are used incorrectly in menu descriptions. Sit back and test your culinary knowledge.
Descriptive culinary words and phrases make your mouth water and that is exactly what they are intended to do. It is a well-known fact you eat with your eyes first: If it looks or sounds good, then it must be good. I will also say there are times when elegant wording does not translate into elegant dining, such as zungenwurst or mountain oysters. While both of these dishes are excellent, they are not for the faint of heart. And yes, I have tried both and lived to write this column.
Then there are the dessert descriptions. I say, life is short so eat dessert first. Bon appetite!
a la carte [ah lah KAHRT]
A menu term signifying that each item is priced separately.
adobo sauce [ah-DOH-boh]
Of Mexican origin, this dark-red, rather piquant sauce (or paste) is made from ground chilies, herbs and vinegar. It's used as a marinade as well as a serving sauce. Chipotle chilies are often marketed as packed in adobo sauce
aioli [ay-OH-lee; i-OH-lee]
A strongly flavored garlic mayonnaise from the Provence region of southern France. It's a popular accompaniment for fish, meats and vegetables
deglaze [dee-GLAYZ]
After food (usually meat) has been saut?ed and excess fat is removed from the pan, deglazing is done by heating a small amount of liquid in the pan and stirring to loosen browned bits of food on the bottom. The liquid used is most often wine or stock. The resulting mixture often becomes a base for a sauce to accompany the food cooked in the pan.
Leche [LEH-cheh; LAY-chay]
The Spanish word for milk. Tres leches is a delightful dessert made with three types of milk or cream.
lyonnaise, ? la [li-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.
mountain oysters
Also called Rocky Mountain oysters and prairie oysters, these are the testicles of an animal such as a calf, sheep or boar. Those from a younger animal are best. Though they're not terribly popular in the United States, testicles are considered a delicacy in Italy and France. They can be saut?ed, deep-fried, braised and poached.
tiramisu [tih-ruh-mee-SOO; tih-ruh-MEE-soo]
The translation for tiramisu is "carry me up", and many who taste this ethereal dessert assume the unspoken continuation must surely be "to heaven". Tiramisu is a light composition of sponge cake or ladyfingers dipped in a coffee-marsala mixture, then layered with mascarpone (an ultra rich Italian cream cheese) and grated chocolate. The dessert is refrigerated for several hours before serving to allow the flavors to intermingle.
Zungenwurst [ZUHNG-uhn-voorst; zuhng-uhn-vurscht]
A variety of German blood sausage that contains chunks of pickled tongue. This dried sausage can be eaten raw, although it's more commonly sliced and browned in butter or bacon fat.
Interested in more fine delicacies or have questions about fine-dining on a college budget? E-mail Eric at ew1479a@american.edu with comments, suggestions or questions. Please include name, class standing and e-mail address.
