It occurred to me a few weeks back that there are a lot of foods and food terms that are not familiar to many of us cooks. Even the name of a dish can be confusing if you don't know what it means. So I have decided to dedicate at least one day a week to learning new words related to food. I hope you'll enjoy this segment each week and I welcome suggestion of words that you would like to know about and all of your comments.Today's Words Are:
Fromage Blanc: This is a simple uncooked, unmolded, unripened cheese. The original is made with no fat but some makers use fat to increase the texture and taste. It has a smooth, thick, creamy texture like sour cream. It has a tart taste. Fromage Blanc is used in cooking, as a spread or over fruit. Using herbs in it make for a great spread on breads.
Coq Au Vin: Classic French dish consisting of chicken pieces, mushrooms and onions cooked in salt pork fat or bacon fat, then simmered in red wine with herbs.
Dacquoise: A dessert of rounds of baked, nut flavored meringues, stacked and filled with sweetened cream or buttercream icing. It's mostly served chilled, often with fruits like peaches or apricot. (Also know as or similar to Marjolaine)
To Mount: (French) "Monte` au beurre" (to lift with butter). A cooking techique using small cubes of cold, unsalted butter whisked into a sauce just before serving to add flavor, texture and gloss.
7 comments:
Do you use salt pork fat? Where do you get it?
Hi Melanie,
Salt pork is found in the grocery stores here in the south. Generally in the same section with smoked pork products or hams. You would brown it in the frying pan and use the drippings from the fat just as you would from bacon. It comes in large thick strips or large squares
Thank you - this is great!
This is a great idea, Teresa! And I think I recently had dacquoise at a fancy banquet -- but none of us writer types at the table knew what it was!
Good! I think this is gonna be fun for us all.
Great idea to post these food terms and unusual foods. I love Coq Au Vin and used to cook it often when I was younger. I haven't tried Dacquoise - it sure sounds good.
I love to sit down and peruse a good cookbook almost as much as a good novel. Your photo is lovely.
Whenever I see an unusual term in cooking I think, "I'll look that up" and then I promptly forget to do so!
Thanks for the info. :)
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