Cooking Terms Page

Faggot:   (French) 1. Small savoury cake made of pork offal, onion and bread, then baked. 2. A small bunch; Example - prepare a faggot of herbs which and tie with string.

Farina:   (Italian) Fine flour made from wheat, nuts and potatoes.

Faric:   Round, flat oatmeal cakes baked on a griddle.

Fines Herbs:   (French) Mix of finely chopped fresh parsley, chervil, tarragon and chives.

Flake:   1. Method of separating cooked fish into individual flaky slivers. 2. Method of grating chocolate or cheese into small slivers.

Flambe:   (French) Flamed; Example - food tossed in a pan to which burning brandy or another alcohol has been added.

Fleur de Sel:   (French) Translated - flower of the salt. A rare sea salt harvested by hand in Brittany, France and available only in limited quantities. Composed of the natural crystal formations found on the surface of a salt marsh. The crystals are sun-dried only, thereby maintaining many of the nutrients not found in typical prepared salts. Fleur de Sel's unrefined nature lends itself to be served as a condiment, rather than a seasoning, adding both texture and flavor to a meal.

Florentine:   (French) 1. Of fish and eggs; served on a bed of buttered spinach and coated with cheese sauce. 2. Thin petit four cake made of nuts, glace fruit and chocolate.

Foie Gras:   (French) The preserved liver of a specially fattened goose or duck.

Folding:   Process whereby one ingredient or mixture is added to another, using a large metal spoon or spatula. Gentle process that often keeps mixed air fluffed throughout a mixture.

Fondant:   Creamy white substance created by kneading cooked sugar syrup. It is used often as a filling for chocolates, frosting for cakes, petit fours or pastries. The Dutch historically prepare a flavored fondant which is made into individual sweets.

Fondue:   (Swiss) Melted cheese and white wine mixture into which chunked cubes of bread, fruit or vegetables are dipped.

Fool:   Cold dessert consisting of fruit puree and whipped cream.

Framboise:   (French) A raspberry-flavored liqueur with a high alcohol content. Freezing: Process whereby food is solidified or preserved through chilling and storing it at 0-C or 32-F degrees.

Fricadillee:   (French) Meat balls, made with minced pork and veal, spices, white bread crumbs,cream and egg, then poached in stock or shallow-fried in a pan.

Fricassee:   (French) White stew of chicken, rabbit, veal and vegetables which are first fried in butter, then cooked in stock and finished with cream and egg yolks.

Frost:   1. To coat a cake with an icing of confectioners sugar. 2. To dip the rim of a glass in egg white and caster sugar and then chill in a refrigerator until set.

Fumet:   (French) Concentrated broth or stock obtained from fish, meat or vegetables by reducing or evaporating the liquid base.