Wondering what some of the cooking terms mean? Well let us try to sort that out for you, and if there are terms that we've missed (as I'm sure there will be) please let us know so we can add them.
Farce
French word for Stuffing.
Farfalle
Italian for butterfly; used to describe bow-shaped pasta.
Farfel
A soup garnish made of minced noodle dough.
Fava Beans Fresh or dried broad beans.
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 fibres and a weak, anise-like flavour.
Fenugreek - an Asiatic herb with a bitter celery-like flavour. Its chief use is in curry powders and stews.
Feta cheese A creamy white Greek cheese made from ewe’s and cow’s milk and kept in brine to give a salty flavour.
Fettuccine
¼-inch-wide ribbon noodles.
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 flavour and many tiny edible seeds; available fresh or dried.
Filé
Ground sassafras leaves used to give the Southern gumbos their distinct flavour.
Fillet To remove the bones from meat or fish for cooking.
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.
Filter To remove lumps, excess liquid, or impurities by passing through paper or cheesecloth.
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 flavour omelettes and in casseroles and soups.
Finnochio
Also fennel in Florence; an herb with a liquorice flavour, used as is celery and in Mediterranean cooking.
Fish sauce
Clear, amber-tinted liquid that is drained from salted, fermented fish. A very important flavouring in Thai cuisine.
Finnan haddie
Smoked haddock fish.
Firm-ball stage In candy making, the point where boiling syrup dropped in cold water forms a ball that is compact yet gives slightly to the touch.
Flake
To break off small pieces or layers of food, usually with a fork; often used as a test for doneness when cooking fish.
Flambé To ignite a sauce or other liquid so that it flames.
Flan An open pie filled with sweet or savoury ingredients; also, a Spanish dessert of baked custard covered with caramel.
French word for Stuffing.
Farfalle
Italian for butterfly; used to describe bow-shaped pasta.
Farfel
A soup garnish made of minced noodle dough.
Fava Beans Fresh or dried broad beans.
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 fibres and a weak, anise-like flavour.
Fenugreek - an Asiatic herb with a bitter celery-like flavour. Its chief use is in curry powders and stews.
Feta cheese A creamy white Greek cheese made from ewe’s and cow’s milk and kept in brine to give a salty flavour.
Fettuccine
¼-inch-wide ribbon noodles.
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 flavour and many tiny edible seeds; available fresh or dried.
Filé
Ground sassafras leaves used to give the Southern gumbos their distinct flavour.
Fillet To remove the bones from meat or fish for cooking.
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.
Filter To remove lumps, excess liquid, or impurities by passing through paper or cheesecloth.
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 flavour omelettes and in casseroles and soups.
Finnochio
Also fennel in Florence; an herb with a liquorice flavour, used as is celery and in Mediterranean cooking.
Fish sauce
Clear, amber-tinted liquid that is drained from salted, fermented fish. A very important flavouring in Thai cuisine.
Finnan haddie
Smoked haddock fish.
Firm-ball stage In candy making, the point where boiling syrup dropped in cold water forms a ball that is compact yet gives slightly to the touch.
Flake
To break off small pieces or layers of food, usually with a fork; often used as a test for doneness when cooking fish.
Flambé To ignite a sauce or other liquid so that it flames.
Flan An open pie filled with sweet or savoury ingredients; also, a Spanish dessert of baked custard covered with caramel.
Flapjacks - in the United States and Canada a another name for pancakes,griddlecakes and hot-cakes. In England and Scotland, a name for drop scones.
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. Also Food cooked with spinach.
Flute To create a decorative scalloped or undulating edge on a pie crust or other pastry.
Flummery
A sweet soft pudding made of stewed fruit (usually berries) thickened with cornstarch. A gelatine-thickened, cream- or milk-based dessert, flavoured generously with sherry or Madeira.
Focaccia
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.
Foie Gras
The livers of geese and ducks that have been force-fed a mixture of corn, lard, and salted water.
Fold To cut and mix lightly with a spoon to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.
Fond A flavoured stock used for making a sauces and soups.
Fondant
An icing made by boiling sugar and water to the point of crystallization then whipping it into a creamy mass.
Fondue
A style of preparing foods which involves dipping vegetables, meats, breads into various heated sauces oils.
Fontina Cheese
An Italian semi-firm, yet creamy cheese made from cow's-milk. Its interior is pale yellow in colour and is dotted with tiny holes and its rind is a dark yellowish brown. It has a mild, nutty flavour and melts easily and smoothly, making it a good choice for use in most cooking.
Fool
Dessert made of cooked, pureed fruit that is strained, chilled and folded into whipped cream. The fruit mixture may be sweetened or not.
Forcemeat
A mixture of chopped or ground meat and other ingredients used for pates, sausages, and other preparations.
Frangipane A almond flavoured sweet pastry cream.
Frappe
Frozen or partly frozen to the consistency of mush for dessert items.
French Toast
Bread dipped in a batter of eggs and milk and fried until golden brown on both sides.
Fricassee Usually a stew in which the meat is cut up, lightly cooked in butter, and then simmered in liquid until done.
Frijoles
Mexican beans.
Frittata
A flat Italian baked or sometimes also half-fried/half-baked omelette.
Fritter Sweet or savoury foods coated or mixed into batter, then deep fried (also, in French, beignet).
Frizzle To cook thin slices of meat in hot oil until crisp and slightly curly.
Fry To cook food in hot cooking oil, usually until a crisp brown crust forms.
Fromage Frais Low-fat, fresh curd cheese.
Fumet
A stock of fish, meat, or game reduced with wine until concentrated.
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. Also Food cooked with spinach.
Flute To create a decorative scalloped or undulating edge on a pie crust or other pastry.
Flummery
A sweet soft pudding made of stewed fruit (usually berries) thickened with cornstarch. A gelatine-thickened, cream- or milk-based dessert, flavoured generously with sherry or Madeira.
Focaccia
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.
Foie Gras
The livers of geese and ducks that have been force-fed a mixture of corn, lard, and salted water.
Fold To cut and mix lightly with a spoon to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.
Fond A flavoured stock used for making a sauces and soups.
Fondant
An icing made by boiling sugar and water to the point of crystallization then whipping it into a creamy mass.
Fondue
A style of preparing foods which involves dipping vegetables, meats, breads into various heated sauces oils.
Fontina Cheese
An Italian semi-firm, yet creamy cheese made from cow's-milk. Its interior is pale yellow in colour and is dotted with tiny holes and its rind is a dark yellowish brown. It has a mild, nutty flavour and melts easily and smoothly, making it a good choice for use in most cooking.
Fool
Dessert made of cooked, pureed fruit that is strained, chilled and folded into whipped cream. The fruit mixture may be sweetened or not.
Forcemeat
A mixture of chopped or ground meat and other ingredients used for pates, sausages, and other preparations.
Frangipane A almond flavoured sweet pastry cream.
Frappe
Frozen or partly frozen to the consistency of mush for dessert items.
French Toast
Bread dipped in a batter of eggs and milk and fried until golden brown on both sides.
Fricassee Usually a stew in which the meat is cut up, lightly cooked in butter, and then simmered in liquid until done.
Frijoles
Mexican beans.
Frittata
A flat Italian baked or sometimes also half-fried/half-baked omelette.
Fritter Sweet or savoury foods coated or mixed into batter, then deep fried (also, in French, beignet).
Frizzle To cook thin slices of meat in hot oil until crisp and slightly curly.
Fry To cook food in hot cooking oil, usually until a crisp brown crust forms.
Fromage Frais Low-fat, fresh curd cheese.
Fumet
A stock of fish, meat, or game reduced with wine until concentrated.
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