F
Farce
- stuffing.
Fahrenheit
- a temperature scale with 32*F as the freezing point of water
and 212*F as its boiling point (to convert to Celsius, subtract
32 from the Fahrenheit, multiply by 5 and divide by 9).
Fajitas
- a Mexican-American dish consisting of strips of skirt steak
marinated in lime juice, oil, garlic, red pepper and then grilled;
the diner wraps the meat in a flour tortilla and garnishes it
with items such as grilled onions, peppers, guacamole, pico de
gallo, refried beans, sour cream and salsa; chicken, pork, fish
and shellfish (usually shrimp) can be substituted.
Farfalle
- Italian for butterfly; used to describe bow-shaped pasta.
Farfel
- a soup garnish made of minced noodle dough.
Fell -
a thin, papery tissue found on the outside of the surface of
a leg of lamb.
Fennel
- a perennial plant (Foeniculum vulgare) with feathery foliage
and tiny flowers; the plant's oval, green-brown seeds have prominent
ridges, short, hair-like fibers and a weak, anise-like flavor
and aroma and are available whole and ground; used in baked goods
and savory dishes in Italian and Central European cuisines and
to flavor alcoholic beverages.
Fenugreek
- an Asiatic herb with a bitter celery-like flavor. Its chief
use is in curry powders and stews.
Feta -
1. A soft Greek cheese made from ewe's milk (or occasionally,
goat's milk) and pickled in brine; has a white color, crumbly
texture and salty, sour, tangy flavor. 2. A soft, white, flaky
American feta-style cheese made from cow's milk and stored in
brine.
Fettuccine
- Italian for small ribbons; used to describe thin, flat ribbons
of pasta; sold as straight ribbons or loosely bent and curled.
Fig -
a variety of oblong or pear-shaped fruits (Ficus carica) that
grow in warm climates; generally, they have a thick, soft skin
that is green, yellow, orange or purple, tannish-purple flesh
with a sweet flavor and many tiny edible seeds; available fresh
or dried.
Filé
- powder made of sassafras leaves used to season and thicken
foods.
Filet or Fillet
- a boneless cut of meat, poultry or fish.
Fillet Mignon
- a small cut of beef taken from the end of the fillet, considered
by many to be the most elegant steak of all. It is very tender
and sweet, but lacks the flavor of a steak with bone in.
Filo -
in Greece, philo is the very flaky, buttery pastry made by layering
dough with shortening and rolling it and rerolling it.
Fine -
term used for good brandy.
Finely
- very small, as in finely chopped, but not as small as minced.
Fines Herbes
- French, “fine herbs”, usually a mixture of parsley,
chives, tarragon, and chervil used to flavor omelets and in casseroles
and soups.
Finnochio
- also fennel in Florence; an herb with a licorice flavor, used
as is celery and in Mediterranean cooking.
Finger Bowls
- bowls half-filled with warm water which may be scented with
roses or a slice of lemon. Served to diners to rinse their hands
in after a course in which the fingers were used to eat (lobsters,
oyster, or artichokes, or example).
Fish -
any thousands of species of aquatic vertebrates with fins for
swimming and gills for breathing, found in saltwater and freshwater
worldwide, most are edible; fish are classified by bone structure
as flatfish or round fish.
Fizz -
a sweet effervescent summer drink made of gin and a carbonated
beverage.
Flake
- to break off small pieces or layers of food, usually with a
fork; often used as a test for doneness when cooking fish.
Flambe
- to flame, using alcohol as the burning agent; flame causes
caramelization, enhancing flavor.
Flamber
- to cover or combine food with heated liquor, then set alight,
and serve flaming. It also means to singe. Heating the liquor
first is the secret to keeping the flame going.
Flan -
in France, a pastry filled with fruit, cream or custard; in Spain,
a set custard usually served with a caramel sauce.
Flatbrod
- flat bread of Norwegian origin, it is wafer-thin, and made
from whole grain and served with salad, cheese or soup.
Flavor
- to add seasoning or other ingredients to a food or beverage
to improve change or add to the taste.
Flavoring -
an item that adds a new flavor to a food and alters its natural
flavors; flavorings include herbs, spices, vinegars and other
condiments.
Flip -
a sweet drink containing alcohol and eggs. Originally, it was
a heated drink but a cold flip is more common today.
Florets
- the small, closely-clustered "flowering" part of
a food, such as broccoli or cauliflower.
Florentine
- food set on a bed of cooked spinach and usually covered with
a cream sauce and baked. From Florence, Italy.
Flour
- 1. Powdery substance of varying degrees of fineness made by
milling wheat, corn, rye or other grains or grinding dried vegetables
(ex. mushrooms), fruits (ex. plantains) or nuts (ex. chestnuts).
2. To coat with flour.
Flute
- to make a decorative edge on pastry. Also to cut vegetables,
fruit or other foods in a decorative manner. Also a long loaf
of French bread.
Flummery
- 1. A sweet soft pudding made of stewed fruit (usually berries)
thickened with cornstarch. 2. Old-time British flummeries were
made by cooking oatmeal until smooth and gelatinous; sweetener
and milk were sometimes added. In the 18th century, the dish
became a gelatin-thickened, cream- or milk-based dessert, flavored
generously with sherry or Madeira.
Focaccia
- This Italian bread begins by being shaped into a large, flat
round that is liberally brushed or drizzled with olive oil and
sprinkled with salt. Slits cut into the dough's surface may be
stuffed with fresh rosemary before the bread is baked. Focaccia
can be eaten as a snack, or served as an accompaniment to soups
or salads.
Foie Gras
- an hors d’oeuvres of seasoned livers of geese, duck, chicken,
or veal made into a pâté.
Foil, aluminum foil - a thin pliable sheet of aluminum; easily molded,
conducts heat well, can withstand temperature extremes and is
impervious to odors, moisture and air; used to cover foods for
cooking and storage.
Fold -
to gently combine one ingredient with another ingredient (as
in folding dry ingredients into moist ingredients) by using two
motions, cutting vertically through the mixture with a spoon
or spatula and gently turning the ingredients over on top of
each other, rotating the bowl 1/4 turn with each stroke. The
term often is used in instructions relating to whipped cream
and beaten egg whites.
Fold in
- to mix food without releasing air bubbles by lifting a part
of the liquid from the very bottom of the bowl through the rest
of the mixture to the top until the foods are blended.
Fondant
- a sweet, thick opaque sugar paste commonly used for glazing
pastries or making candies.
Fondue
- a melted sauce, usually with cheese, served with crisp bread
rounds or as a filling. These are sauces kept hot in a chaffing
dish into which crisp chunks of bread, vegetables, meat, or fruits
are dipped before eating. Chocolate fondue with fruit chunks
and berries is a sweet fondue that is excellent. Fondue means
melted.
Food Chopper
- a knife created for efficiency. It is double-handled and crescent-shaped,
used with a rocking motion to rapidly chop and dice. In Italy
it is known as a mezzaluna. Less useful today, since food processors
do much of this work.
Food Mill
- A kitchen utensil best described as a mechanical sieve. It
has a hand-turned paddle that forces food through a strainer
plate at the bottom, thereby removing skin, seeds and fiber.
Some food mills come equipped with several interchangeable plates
with small, medium and large holes.
Food Processor
- This kitchen appliance was brought to the United States from
France in the 1970s and has since revolutionized a majority of
home kitchens. It consists of a sturdy plastic work bowl that
sits on a motorized drive shaft. The cover of the bowl has a
feed tube through which foods can be added. An expanded feed
tube — large enough for some whole items such as a tomato
or onion — is available with some machines. The food processor
is efficient and speedy and can easily chop, dice, slice, shred,
grind and puree most food. The larger machines can also knead
dough. Most processors come with a standard set of attachments
including an S-shaped chopping blade and several disks for slicing
and shredding. There are special attachments including juicers
and pasta makers, as well as accessories such as French-fry cutters,
julienne disks and beaters. Food processors range from large
to small in motor size and bowl capacity.
Fool -
England is the home of this old-fashioned but delicious dessert
made of cooked, pureed fruit that is strained, chilled and folded
into whipped cream. The fruit mixture may be sweetened or not.
Fool is traditionally made from gooseberries, though today any
fruit may be substituted.
Forcemeat
- finely ground meat often combined with ground vegetables to
make a stuffing or combined with stiffly beaten egg whites to
make delicate quenelles for poaching and serving with sauce.
Also, combined with custard-like sauce to make soufflés.
Frangipani
- a rich, sweet cream name for a tropical flower with a sweet
scent.
Frappé
- a drink whipped with ice to make a thick, frosty consistency.
Freeze
- to subject food to a temperature below 32*F (0*C) so that the
moisture in the food solidifies; used as a preservation method.
Freezer Paper
- a plastic-coated Kraft paper used for wrapping foods for freezing
and for general household purposes. The plastic coating provides
a barrier to air and moisture to protect the quality, flavor
and nutrition of foods during freezing; the paper provides strength
and durability as well as an easy-to-write-on surface.
Fresh
- 1. A food that has not been frozen. 2. A food that has been
recently produced, such as a loaf of bread. 3. A food as grown
or harvested; not canned, dried or processed and containing no
preservatives.
French Fry
- to cook food in deep hot fat.
French Toast
- American breakfast of sliced bread dipped into beaten eggs
and milk and then cooked on top a stove.
Fricassee
- a stew, usually of poultry or veal.
Frijoles
- Mexican beans.
Fritter
- vegetable or fruit dipped into, or combined with, batter and
fried.
Frosting
- a cooked or uncooked sugar mixture used to cover and decorate
cakes, cookies and other foods.
Fruit Butter
- a sweet spread made of fruit cooked to a paste then lightly
sweetened. Apple butter is a common example.
Frumenty
- a popular food in English history, it is a rich, sweet porridge
high in vitamins A and B.
Fry -
to cook in fat (a) Pan-Fry - To cook in small amount of fat.
(b) Deep-Fat Fry - To cook in enough fat to completely cover
food while cooking.
Fumet
- a concentrated stock used to give body to sauces.
