BASIC CULINARY
TERMINOLOGY
Aioli (ay-OH-lee)
• A garlic mayonnaise made in France's
Provence region; it is used as a
condiment or sauce.
A la mode (ah lah MOHD)
• French for in the fashion or manner of.
• In the United States, a dessert item
topped with a scoop of ice cream.
Al Dente (al DEN-tay)
• Italian for to the tooth and used to
describe a food, usually pasta, that is
cooked only until it gives a slight
resistance when one bites into it; the
food is neither soft nor overdone.
Antipasto (ahn-tee-PAHS-toe)
• Italian for before pasta and used to
describe hot or cold appetizers, usually
simple foods such as cheeses, sausages,
olives, marinated vegetables or the like.
Aspic
• A clear savory jelly made from clarified
meat, fish or vegetable stock and
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gelatin; it is used to glaze cold foods.
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Au Gratin (oh GRAH-tan)
• A French term referring to a dish with a
browned topping of bread crumbs
and/or grated cheese; also known as
gratinee.
Au Jus (oh zhew)
• Roasted meats, poultry or game served
with their natural, unthickened juices.
Au Sec (oh sek)
• A French term referring to something
cooked until nearly dry.
Bain Marie (bane mah-ree)
• A hot water bath used to cook foods
gently or to keep cooked foods hot; also
known as a water bath.
• A container for holding foods in a hot
water bath.
Balsamic Vinegar (bahl-sah-mek)
• A dark, mellow Italian vinegar with a
sweet-sour flavor; it is made from
concentrated grape juice fermented
and aged for 15-20 years in a series of
wooden casks.
Blanching
• Cooking a food very briefly and partially
in boiling water or hot fat; generally
used to assist preparation (e.g., loosen
peels), as part of a combination cooking
method, to remove undesirable flavors
or to prepare food for freezing.
Bouillon (BOOL-yahn)
• French for broth and used to describe a
stock made by cooking meat, poultry,
fish or vegetables in water; the solids
are removed before the broth is used in
soups or sauces or as a poaching
medium.
Bouquet Garni (boo-kay gar-nee)
• A French seasoning blend of fresh herbs
and vegetables tied in a bundle with
twine and used to flavor stocks, sauces,
soups and stews; a standard bouquet
garni consists of parsley stems, celery,
thyme, leeks and carrots.
Brine
• A salt and water solution.
Butter, Clarified
• Purified butterfat; the butter is melted
and the water and milk solids are
removed; also known as drawn butter.
Butterfly
• To split food, such as boneless meat,
fish or shrimp, nearly in half lengthwise,
leaving the halves hinged on one side so
that the item spreads open like a book;
used to increase surface area and speed
cooking.
Caramelize
• To heat sugar to very high
temperatures, usually 310-360 degrees
F; this causes the sugar to brown and
develop a full rich, intense flavor.
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Cold Cuts
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• Thin slices of various meats, such as
ham, roast beef, salami and turkey, and
sometimes cheeses, sliced and served
cold, usually for a sandwich or salad.
Compote
• Fresh or dried fruit cooked in a sugar
syrup.
Concassee (kon-kaas-SAY)
• Peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes.
Confit (kohn-FEE)
• A method of preserving meats,
especially poultry, associated with
southwestern France; the meat is
cooked in its own fat and stored in a pot
covered with the same fat.
Deglaze
• To swirl or stir a liquid (usually wine or
stock) in a pan to dissolve cooked food
particles remaining on the bottom; the
resulting mixture often becomes the
base for a sauce.
Deveining
• The process of removing a shrimp's
digestive tract.
Dredging
• Coating a food with flour or finely
ground crumbs; usually done prior to
sauteing or frying or as the first step of
the standarized breading procedure.
Flambé
• To ignite warmed spirits in a pan of
food, often a dessert, for effect, and to
caramelize the dish.
Rind
• A relatively thick, firm coat, skin or
covering found on certain foods such as
fruits, vegetables and cheeses.
Roux Thread Stage

• A cooked mixture of equal parts flour
and fat, by weight, used as a thickener
for sauces, soups and other dishes;
cooking the flour in fat coats the starch
granules with the fat and prevents
them from forming lumps when
introduced into a liquid.
Vinaigrette (vihn-uh-GREHT)
Sear
• To brown food quickly over high heat;
usually done as a preparatory step for
combination cooking methods.
• A test for the density of sugar syrup; the
point at which a drop of boiling sugar
will form a thin thread when dropped in
cold water; equivalent to approximately
230-234 degrees F on a candy
thermometer.
• A temporary emulsion of oil and vinegar
seasoned with herbs, spices, salt and
pepper; used as a salad dressing or
sauce.

Soft/stiff peaks Zest

• When beating egg whites, a soft peak is
reached when the beaters are pulled
out of the whites and the peaks that
form droop. Stiff peaks do not droop,
but hold their shape.
Sweat
• To remove strips of rind from a citrus
fruit. The colored, outermost layer of
citrus rind; used for flavoring creams,
custards and baked goods; it can be
candied and used as a confection or
decoration.

• Cooking a food (typically vegetables) in

a small amount of fat, usually covered,
over low heat without browning until
the food softens and releases moisture;
sweating allows the food to release its
flavor more quickly when it is later
cooked with other foods.
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Temper
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• To bring something to the proper

temperature or texture by mixing,
stirring, heating or cooling (e.g., to
temper eggs by slowly whisking in hot
milk to avoid curdling).
Professionalism
What is a Professional Culinarian?
• A professional makes a living from the
practice of a craft.
• All professional culinarians must first
learn the foundations of their craft.
• Chefs prepare foods and manage the
operation of a kitchen, taking
responsibility for the quality of the food
and the profitability of their business.
• They are sometimes called artists.
• One thing all chefs have in common is a
PASSION for QUALITY FOOD and
SERVICE.
A Culinary Professional IS:
• An ARTIST
• A BUSINESSPERSON
• A SCIENTIST
• A CULTURAL EXPLORER
• A culinary professional is committed to
providing excellent service.
What does good service included?
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• Quality items that are properly and
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safely prepared.
• Foods that are appropriately flavored.
• Foods that are attractively presented.
How to become a Culinary Professional?
• Formal Education and Training
• Certification
• Continuing Education and Professional
Development
• Networking
MAJOR CULINARY TRENDS
Role of the Chef Throughout History
• Chefs are part of world history.
• From the earliest civilizations through
the present, chefs have been held in
high esteem.
• APICIUS wrote one of the first
cookbooks in the 4th century BCE De re
Coquinara.
Role of the Chef Throughout History
• Taillevent (real name Guillaume Tirel)
wrote another such volume detailing
the food of the upper-class household
in the 14th century.
M. BOULANGER
- 1765. Parisian tavern keeper who
served a dish of sheep’s feet I a white
sauce to his customers.
- Brought to court for infringing on a
separate guild’s monopoly.
- 1789-99. The French Revolution had a
particularly significant effect on
restaurant proliferation. Professional
chefs who previously had worked for
the monarchy or nobility either fled
from France to escape the guillotine or
went into business for themselves.
- French-trained chefs and maitre d’s
were in demand to run restaurants
around the world.
 - The French traditions of organization, cooking method, equipment & types of
hierarchy, and culinary style became foods being produced.
the standard for high-end professional
Classic Kitchen Brigade
foodservice operations.

GRANDE CUISINE 1. CHEF DE CUISINE

• Executive Chef
• 1789-99. The French Revolution had a
particularly significant effect on • Overall manager of the kitchen
restaurant proliferation. Professional
chefs who previously had worked for • Also coordinates with the dining area
the monarchy or nobility either fled
• Develops the menu
from France to escape the guillotine or
2. SOUS CHEF
went into business for themselves.
• Assistant Chef
Food Service Industry Pioneers
• The one who supervises
Maríe Antoine Carême
• Responsible for the scheduling,
• turned down Czar Alexander's invitation
replacing, and running any open
to be Russia's leading chef. Became
stations
Maitre chef at Carlton House in London
where he set standards for chefs • Or as an aboyeur (announcer)
throughout Great Britain.
ABOYEUR
Georges Auguste Escoffier
• Announcer / Expediter
• worked with uncle in Nice at age 13
• Responsible for calling out orders to
• Emperor William II called him the stations, reviewing dishes for plate
Emperor of chefs presentation, to sauces, making sure
each and every is perfect before it
• The Emperor of the World’s Kitchen
reaches the guest.
• Father of Modern Cuisine
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3. CHEF DE PARTIE
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• Station Chef

• Head of his party or station in the

KITCHEN BRIGADE kitchen

• A group of people working in a kitchen • Runs and operates a certain station

assigned to him by either the Chef de
• A system of staffing a kitchen so that Cuisine or the Sous Chef
each worker is assigned a set of specific
task which is often related to the STATIONS IN THE KITCHEN
SAUCIER (saw-see-yay) • Responsible for all the soups and stocks

• Saute station • originally was under the supervision of

the Entremetier
• Creates all sautéed items
LEGUMIER (lee-goo-mee-ay)
• sautéed dishes, stews, hot hors
d'ouevers, hot entrees and sauces. • Root Vegetable station
Commands after the Sous Chef
• Creates all vegetable and starch items
POISSONIER (pwa-sohn-yay)
ENTREMETRE (aun-tre-mee-tree-ay)
• Fish station
• Vegetable station
• Creates all fish and seafood dishes and
• responsible for soups (sometimes
its sauces
saucier does this), vegetables, pasta,
GRILLARDIN (gree-yar-dahn) and foods made of flour, eggs and
cheese.
• Grill station
GARDE MANGER
• Responsible for all grilled foods
(gaurd-mahn-zhuay)
• Works under the saucier
• Pantry station
• Had to know exactly when foods are
perfectly grilled • Responsible for all cold items including
salads, appetizers, dressings, terrines,
FRITURIER (free-too-ree-ay) pates
• Fry station • Supervises the butcher
• Responsible for deep fried foods. GARDE MANGER
• Works under the Saucier. • BOUCHER / BUTCHER
ROTISSEUR (roh-tes-uhr) • BREAKFAST ITEMS CHEF
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• Roast station TOURNANT (toor-nahn)

• Creates all roast items and jus sauces
• Prepares items roasted in the oven and
on the spit. Works under the Saucier.
POTAGER (poh-ta-zhay)
• Soup and stock station
• Roundsman, swing cook, relief cook
• Works where work is needed
• Roams the kitchen and help the cooks
who needed it
• Had to know a bit about everything
tobe able to help out
PATISSIER (pah-tes-syay) • Responsible for purchasing food items
and equipments
• Pastry station
• Educates dining room staff
• responsible for all basic desserts, hot
desserts, cold desserts, frozen desserts 2. SOUS CHEF
and hot and cold pastries
• Supervises & coordinates the
• BOULANGER (Pastry) preparation of menu items

• CONFISEUR (Baked Items) • Makes sure that the food is prepared,

portioned, garnished & presented
• GLACIER (Breads, Cold Desserts) according to the Executive Chef’s
• DECORATEUR (Sweets & sweet creams standards
for fillings or toppings) 3. AREA CHEF
DEMI-CHEF • Has specified area covered: banquet
• Assistants and cafeteria

COMMIS CHEF • Banquet Chef

• Apprentices 3. LINE COOKS / STATION CHEFS

-works with station chefs to learn the area 4. SHORT ORDER CHEFS

Other Chefs and Terms 5. INSTITUTIONAL CHEFS

• Chef de rang (Front Waiter) • Commercial (fine dining, QSR) – no

definite schedule
• Chef de sale (Head Waiter)
• Institutional (schools, hospitals, camps,
• Chef d’etage (Captain) prison) – definite schedule

• Chef de vin (Wine Waiter/Sommelier)

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• Chef de culture (vineyard manager)

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Modern Kitchen Brigade

1. EXECUTIVE CHEF

• Coordinates kitchen activities & directs

the kitchen staff’s training & work
efforts

• Plans menus & creates recipes

FOOD, NUTRITION, & MENU PLANNING  a recipe is one in which the amounts
and proportions of the ingredients and
What is FOOD? the methods of procedures will
 any substance that when taken into consistently produce a highly quality
the body will perform one or more product it becomes a standardized
of the following functions: recipe
 Build new tissues & repair old body
tissues Recipe Construction Principles
 Provide energy
 Regulate body processes 1. Must be simple, easy to read and
Principal Constituents of Food used for the interesting.
2. Ingredients should be listed in the order
building & maintenance of tissues are:
that it will be used
1. Proteins 3. Exact measurements should be
2. Carbohydrates indicated if possible abbreviations
3. Fats should be avoided
4. Vitamins & minerals 4. It is described to use simple
5. Water measurements
5. Describe terms should be placed before
ingredients
Objectives of Studying Foods 6. Specify the particular type of ingredient
to be used
1. Retention of Nutritive Value 7. Use the generic names of the ingredient
2. Palatability rather than brand names
3. Digestability 8. Short, clear sentences that give
4. Economy necessary information helps to make
5. Preservation & Sanitation directions understandable
6. Quality & Safety 9. Use precise term to describe a cooking
process or preparation method
Cooking Mediums 10. Specify the size of the baking pan or
utensils needed
 Air and Heat (broiling, 11. State information regarding
roasting,baking) temperature and cooking time to insure
 Water (boiling, simmering, stewing) successful results
 Steam (steamng, waterless cooking, 12. Indicate yield in terms of average
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pressure cooking) number of servings

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 Fat (sauteeing, deep-fat frying)

 Combination of Cooking Mediums
(braising, fricasseing, pot roasting) 2 Important Parts of a Recipe
 Electronic Cooking (microwave
1. List of Ingredients
cooking)
2. Description of the method for putting
them together
What is a RECIPE?

 set of instructions for making a food

dish from various ingredients.
STOCKS, SOUPS, SAUCES a deep color before simmering them in
water
What is a STOCK?
• FOND – drippings accumulated in the
• flavorful liquids made by simmering pan when cooking the bones &
bones, vegetables, & aromatics in a vegetables
liquid
• DEGLAZING is adding little liquid to
• Culinary building blocks because they dissolve the fond.
are fundamental to preparations such
as soups, sauces, stews & braises. SHELLFISH STOCK

5 Basic Types Stock • made from lobster, shrimp or crayfish

• Basic or Simple Stock FUMET

• White Stock • made from the bones of lean, white flat

fish like flounder or sole.
• Brown Stock
Evaluating the Stock Quality
• Shellfish Stock
• COLOR – appearance of stock
• Fumet
• white stocks – nearly colorless when
BASIC OR SIMPLE STOCK heated
• made by simply combining the main • Simple stocks – color of the chosen
flavoring ingredients with water & main ingredient
simmering slowly for a specific period of
time. • Brown stocks – deep brown color with
reddish cast if tomato paste is added
• ex: chicken stock, vegetable stock, fish
stock • CLARITY – all stocks are relatively clear

WHITE STOCK • FLAVOR & AROMA – should smell fresh,

appealing & flavorful, both when it is
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• produced by blanching the bones brought to a boil.

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before combining them with the liquid.

• Flavor should be balanced, not
• aslo known as neutral stock overwhelmed by the flavor of the other
• ex: beef and veal stocks ingredients.

BROWN STOCK • BODY

• get their rich flavor & color by cooking – vegetable stock (thin body)
the bones & vegetables until they have - Hot stock – clings slightly to palate
 - becomes gelatinous when chilled 3. Add eye appeal

Additional stock-related preparations: 4. Add flavor

RÉMOUILLAGE (ray-mwee-ahzh) 5. Improve texture

• means re-wetting or re-moisten THE GRAND SAUCES

• A secondary stock made from bones • Refer to a classic system of sauces

that have already been used to make based upon French Culinary Standards
stock one.
• Also known as mother sauces or leading
• Less flavorful & colorful than the first sauces
stock
1. ESPAGNOLE – brown stock + roux
GLAçE DE VIANDE
2. VELOUTÉ – beef stock + clarified butter
(glahs-de-vee-ahnd) + APF

• meat glaze 3. BÉCHAMEL – roux + milk

• Made by simmering beef stock or 4. TOMATO SAUCE – beef stock + tomato

remouillage long enough to cook away concasse + clarified butter
the majority of the moisture
5. HOLLANDAISE – egg + stock + clarified
• What remains is a very rich, thick, & butter
flavorful jelly-like product
BROWN SAUCES
COURT BOUILLON (kort boo-yohn)
1. Espagnole – brown stock with aromatics
• Also known as quick or short broth and roux

• Made by simmering mirepoix, 2. Demi-glace – reducing Espagnole until

aromatics & an acid (vinegar or wine) in richly flavored with a velvety texture &
water for 20 minutes a deep color. Half of the original
volume.
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What is a SAUCE?
3. Jus lies – reduced brown stock and
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• is liquid or sometimes semi-solid food cornstarch

served on or used in preparing other
foods . WHITE SAUCES

Purpose of Sauces: 1. Veloute – velvety, soft, & smooth to the

palate. White stock with blond sauce
1. Introduce complementary or
contrasting flavors 2. Bechamel – Escoffier: thick veal veloute
and cream. Today: thickened milk and
2. Add moisture white roux
TOMATO SAUCES

1. Italian Style – served as a pasta sauce.

Tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, oregano,
CONSOMMÉS
basil.

2. Classic Style – mirepoix, salt pork, roux,
tomatoes, white stock, bay leaf, thyme
WARM BUTTER-EMULSION SAUCES
Emulsion – the suspension of one substance in
another
• Clear soups made from by combining a
richly flavored stock or broth with a
specific mixture of ingredients to
produce a crystal-clear soup with no
traces of fat
VEGETABLE SOUP

• Hollandaise Sauce – clarified butter & • Based on clear broth, stock, or water
eggs
• Can also be made from a single
Variations: vegetable

Béarnaise – H + tarragon, shallot, chervil, PURÉE SOUP

crushed peppercorns
• Made from vegetable specially those
Mousseline – H + whipped cream, dry white starchy ones
wine
• The main ingredient thicken the soup
Choron – Bearnaise + potato puree naturally

Maltaise – H + julliened orange zest, orange CREAM SOUP

juice
• Made from simmering an ingredient in
SOUPS a thickened liquid

Categories: • Pureed for a very smooth texture &

finished with a quantity of cream, milk,
• Clear Soup – made from unthickened or liaison of egg yolks & heavy cream
liquid such as a broth or stock
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BISQUES SOUP
• Thick Soup – such as purees, cream
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soup, bisques • Traditionally based on a stock made

from sauteed seafood shells (shrimp,
BROTHS lobster, clam) & thickened with rice
• Clear soup derived by simmering meaty • Some are based upon vegetables, such
cuts in water until good flavor, body & as tomatoes
color develop