Zarzuela: from Spanish cuisine..

Zarzuela is a Spanish dish of seafood cooked in a rich sauce.

zarzuela

Pastrami: from Jewish cuisine..

Pastrami is a highly seasoned smoked meat usually beef sometimes pork, mutton or turkey, typically served in thin slices.

pastrami

The raw meat is brined, partially dried, seasoned with various herbs and spices, then smoked and steamed.

Umami: The fifth taste..

We all know about the four basic tastes, such as sweet, sour, bitter and salty, but the existence of a fifth taste is stated by a Japanese professor, Kikunae Ikeda. The name of that taste is "umami" can be translated as "pleasant savoury taste".In Japanese language 'umai' means 'delicious' and 'mi' means 'taste'.

ripe tomatoes, which are rich in umami components

'Umami' is a category of taste in food corresponding to the flavour of glutamates, especially 'monosodium glutamate'(MSG).

monosodium glutamate

Vichyssoise: soup from central France..

Vichyssoise is a thick soup made of pureed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream and chicken stock, typically served chilled but can be eaten hot.

vichyssoise

of 'Vichy', a town in central France.

Meursault: wine from eastern France

Meursault is a burgundy wine, typically white produced near Beaune in eastern France.

Meursault

named after a commune in the cote d'or region of France.

Zabaglione: from Italian cuisine..

Zabaglione is an Italian dessert made of whipped egg yolks, sugar and Marsala wine.

zabaglione

Prairie oyster cocktail : cure for hangover..

A prairie oyster is a drink consisting of raw egg, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt and black pepper. The egg is broken into a glass so as not to break the yolk, which causes the drink to bear a similarity to the texture of an actual oyster, drunk as a cure for a hangover.

prairie oyster

But in some North american countries there is a dish known as prairie oyster or rocky mountains oyster, which is the testicles of a calf cooked and served as food.

rocky mountains oyster or prairie oyster dish

Doner kebab : from Turkish cuisine..

Doner kebab is a Turkish dish consisting of spiced lamb cooked on a spit and served in slices, typically in pitta bread.

doner kebab

Literal meaning of 'doner kebab'- 'doner' means 'rotating', 'kebap' means 'roast meat'.

Mezzaluna: herb chopper..

Mezzaluna is a utensil for chopping herbs, vegetables etc, having a semicircular blade and a handle at each end.

mezzaluna

The term 'mezzaluna' is an Italian word having the meaning 'half moon'.

Menu and it's types- a la carte, table d'hote and others..

Basically the menus can be classified into two types
1.table d'hote menu
2.a la carte menu

• TABLE D'HOTE MENU

Table d'hote is a 'fixed menu'.May be defined by the following points.

1. The menu has a fixed number of courses.
2. There may or may not be a choice within each course.
3. The selling price of menu is fixed, that is price is charged for the whole menu.Therefor whether customer eat all items or not, he/she has to pay full charge of the menu.
4. Since the dishes are already fixed and known then it can be cooked ready at the set time .Therefor less waiting time is required for the service of each dishes.

Example for table d'hote menu is buffet.

table d'hote menu

• A LA CARTE MENU

A la carte is an 'unfixed menu'.A la carte menu can be defined as "(of a menu) listing food that can be ordered as separate items, rather than part of a set meal".Literal meaning of a la carte is 'according to the menu card'.A la carte can be defined by the following points.

1. It gives a full list of all the dishes that may be prepared by the establishment.These dishes may be grouped under separate headings, such as appetizers, soups, fish, chicken, mutton, beef, vegetables, sweets etc.
2. It offers more choice within each course.
3. Each dish is priced separately.Therefor the customers is charged only for those items that he/she ordered.
4. The dishes are cooked according to the order.Therefor a certain waiting time will be required for the service of each dish.

   

   a la carte menu

                  All other types of menus are variants of either a la carte or table d'hote menus.

• PLATE DU JOUR (speciality of the day or house)

This menu consists of the speciality dishes prepared by the establishment.Normally the dishes are main course items, and may be individually priced.These speciality dishes may be changed from day to day or remain for a certain period of time.This menu is usually offered with a table d'hote or limited a la carte menu.

plate du jour

• CARTE DU JOUR (menu of the day)

This is a menu made separately for each day and sometimes one for lunch and one for dinner.It may be table d'hote menu or an a la carte menu.This menu may include dishes of different courses prepared on that day.

                  A hotel may have several menus, such as banquet menu, room service menu, children's menu, dessert menu, health menu, barbecue menu, breakfast menu, afternoon tea menu etc.

Cuba libre : American long drink..

Cuba libre is a long drink containing lime juice and rum.

Cuba libre

Literal meaning of 'cuba libre' is 'free cuba'.

Delicatessen

Delicatessen is a shop selling cooked meats, cheeses, and unusual or foreign prepared foods.

delicatessen

Hard sauce; dessert taste booster..

A sweet sauce of butter and sugar, typically with brandy, rum or vanilla added. It is served cold, often with hot desserts.

winter fruit pie with hard sauce

Focaccia ;Italian bread..

A type of flat bread of Italian cuisine made with olive oil and flavoured with herbs.

focaccia

Absinthe ; Green temptation..

Absinthe is historically described as a distilled, high alcoholic(45-74%ABV/90-148 proof) beverage.It is  an anise flavoured spirit derived from botanicals, including the flowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium together with green anise, sweet fennel and other medicinal and culinary herbs.

Absinthe

Apollinaris

Apollinaris is a German natural sparkling mineral water, owned by coca-cola, well known in German speaking countries as "The Queen of Table waters".

Apollinaris

Aquavit

A Scandinavian alcoholic spirit made from potatoes.

aquavit

Florida salad

Ingredients

• 6 cups salad greens
• 3/4 cup chopped green olives
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• vinaigrette
• parmesan cheese
• crumbled blue cheese

  

  Florida salad

Directions

1. Place the salad greens in a large bowl.
2. Toss with onions,olives,tomatoes,vinaigrette and parmesan cheese.
3. Serve with crumbled blue cheese as garnish.

Bordelaise

Denoting or served with a sauce of red wine and onions.

Margarine and oleomargarine

Margarine is a butter substitute made from vegetable oils or animal fats.

margarine

Oleomargarine is a fatty substance extracted from beef fat and widely used in the manufacture of margarine.

Bain-marie

A pan of hot water in which a cooking container is placed for slow cooking.

bain-marie

Sake and mirin

Sake is a Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented rice; It's a kind of rice wine.

sake

Mirin is a rice wine used as a flavouring agent in Japanese cookery.

mirin

Bouquet garni

A bunch of herbs used for flavouring a stew or soup.

bouquet garni

Literal meaning of 'boquet garni' is 'garnished bouquet'.

bouquet garni

Mirepoix

A mixture of sauteed chopped vegetables used in various sauces.

mirepoix

Gasthaus and Gasthof

Gasthaus: A small inn or hotel in a German-speaking country.

Gasthaus

'Gast' = guest, 'Haus' = house.

Gasthof: A hotel in a German-speaking country.

Gasthof

'Hof' = hotel.