Descriptionary

cafe mocha a latte with chocolate.

caffe con panna a demitasse of espresso topped with whipped cream.

caffe corretto an espresso with cognac or other liqueur.

caffe freddo a chilled espresso. caffeine a strong stimulant found in coffee. caffe latte see latte.

cappuccino an espresso capped with foamed milk and sometimes sprinkled with cinnamon or powdered chocolate.

caramel a latte with caramel flavoring.

carbony professional taster's term for a burned taste, typical for a very dark roast.

cinnamon roast professional taster's term for a light roast.

crema the brown foam on the surface of a cup of espresso.

dark roast a bittersweet roast, sometimes with a hint of caramel flavor. French and espresso are dark roasts. Italian and Spanish are even darker and have a smokey, somewhat burned taste.

demitasse a small or half-size cup for serving straight espresso.

doppio a double shot of espresso.

decaf decaffeinated coffee.

decaffeinated having the caffeine removed.

earthiness professional taster's term for a flavor reminiscent of dirt.

espresso arabica bean coffee made with hot water or steam that is pressed through fine, compressed cof­fee and served in a small cup.

espresso con panna an espresso topped with whipped cream.

espresso machiato espresso with steamed milk or foam on top.

frappuccino a chilled or iced cappuccino.

French roast a very dark roast with a bittersweet, somewhat smoky flavor.

granita a latte with frozen milk.

Guatemalan an aromatic variety of coffee with a rich, nutty flavor.

hazelnut a variety of coffee flavored with hazelnut.

Irish cream a rich and creamy-flavored blend.

Italian a dark, bittersweet roast with a slightly smoky flavor.

java slang term for any coffee. Joe slang term for coffee.

Kona a rich gourmet coffee grown on volcanic rock on the mountain slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa on the west coast of the island of Hawaii.

latte an espresso with steamed milk. Also known as caffe latte.

light roast a roast characterized by a sharp and acidic taste.

machine oil slang for a bad cup of coffee.

Mexican a light-bodied coffee grown in Mexico.

mochaccino cappuccino with chocolate.

paint remover slang for a bad cup of coffee.

paint thinner slang for a bad cup of coffee.

robusta a common bean but less flavorful than Arabica.

sour professional taster's term for unpleasantly sharp.

soy latte a latte made with soy milk.

Sumatran a heavy-bodied coffee grown in Sumatra.

supremo the highest grade of coffee.

sweet professional taster's term for coffee lacking bitterness or harshness.

Turkish coffee a coffee served with the fine grounds.

unleaded slang for coffee with no caffeine.

vanilla nut a variety blended with vanilla beans to provide a vanilla flavor.

Viennese roast a mix of medium-roasted beans with a smaller amount of dark French-roast beans.

vienna a rich-bodied, light roast.

cooking terms

(Also see French cooking terms)

acidulated water water with a small amount of lemon juice or vinegar, used to preserve the color of sliced fruits.

al dente Italian term meaning, "to the bite," which refers to the doneness of pasta, which should be not too soft and not too hard.

alfresco eaten outside.

bain marie see water bath.

baron a thin strip of a vegetable.

baste to pour, squirt, brush, or spoon melted butter or cooking juices on a food to prevent it, especially a roast, from drying out.

baton a slender, sticklike piece cut from a vegetable, roughly % x % x 2 inches long.

beat to stir or strike briskly with a spoon or whisk, or to blend with an electric mixer until a substance becomes fluffy.

binder an ingredient added to other ingredients to help them blend more readily.

blacken to fry and char, especially fish, in hot pep­per and spices.

blanch to boil or scald a vegetable briefly, to reduce cooking time.

blend to mix thoroughly.

braise to sear meat in fat and then simmer in stock in a covered pan.

bread to cover with bread crumbs. broil to cook with radiant heat over a food. brown to fry until brown.

butterfly to cut a piece of meat or poultry almost all the way through down the middle and spread open.

caramelize to cook sugar until it liquefies and turns golden brown. Can refer to the cooking of natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables as well.

carbonado to score and broil meat.

charbroil to broil or grill to the point of burning or charring.

clotted cream a cream that is made thicker and richer by cooking.

coddle to cook in water very gently and slowly without boiling.