Choose the first letter of the word from the list above to go to the appropriate page of the glossary.
Baguette
a long, narrow cylindrical loaf of French bread with a crisp crust.
Bain-marie
a cooking method in which a dish, bowl, etc. is placed into a hot water bath (in the oven or on the stovetop) or over a pan of boiling water.
Baklava
a Greek and middle-Eastern dessert made from phyllo, chopped nuts and spices, baked and then soaked with a honey syrup.
Bard
to cover an item with strips of fat to baste it during cooking.
Béarnaise
a classic sauce, a variation of hollandaise, made from egg yolks and butter, flavoured with a reduction of white wine, shallots and tarragon.
Béchamel
a classic white sauce made from milk, roux and various flavourings (e.g., bay leaf or onion).
Berlingot
a hard French sugar candy, sometimes flavoured with peppermint or fruit, consisting of alternating stripes (like the British "humbug"), often made in a pyramid shape.
Beurre blanc
an emulsified sauce made with butter and a white wine and shallot reduction.
Beurre manié
a paste of equal parts flour and softened butter, used to thicken sauces.
Blanch
to cook a food briefly in boiling water before cooling it quickly in ice water.
Borsch (borscht)
a soup of Russian and Polish origin, made from fresh beets. It may also contain other vegetables and meat or meat stock. Borsch can be served either hot or cold, usually garnished with sour cream.
Bouquet garni
a combination of herbs, usually thyme, parsley and bay leaf, used to flavour soups, stocks, stews, etc. The herbs are often tied together with a string or enclosed in a piece of cheesecloth for easy removal.
Braise
a moist-heat cooking method in which food is slowly cooked in a closed utensil with a small amount of liquid, either on the stovetop or in the oven.
Brick
very thin pastry sheets made from wheat flour, common in Middle Eastern cooking. Phyllo pastry may be substituted for brick.
Brioche
a rich French yeast bread containing eggs and butter, typically baked in a fluted pan.
Brochette
French for "skewer."
Brunoise
a method of cutting vegetables into tiny dice, often used as a garnish.
Bulgur wheat
wheat that has been steamed, dried and cracked into small bits, often used in such Middle Eastern dishes as tabbouleh.
Burrito
in Mexican cooking, a flour tortilla that is rolled up to enclose a filling (e.g., meat, beans, cheese, etc.)
