Bocconcini Italian - small balls of mozzarella

Bodbod (Phil. - Cebuano) - glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and wrapped in banana leaf

Boeuf (Fr.) - beef

Boiled Peanuts - raw unshelled peanuts boiled in heavily salted water, which may contain flavorings (hot sauce, beer); a folk cultural practice in the US South for over 100 years; originally called goober peas; official snack food of South Carolina

Boisson French, beverage or drink

Bok choi - also known as pak choi; leafy-green Chinese vegetable, belonging to the cabbage family; best suited to brief stir-frying or steaming to keep its mild flavor

Bollito - boiled

Bollito misto - Italian dish of pieces of meat boiled in stock, including chicken, ox tongue, pigs’ trotters; served on New Year’s Eve in northern Italy with lentils and preserves, candied fruit; meat represents good health, the lentils wealth and the fruit good spirit

Bologna sausage - also baloney - American version of the Italian mortadella; ground pork sausage with lard pieces; originated in the Italian city of Bologna; American version made out of chicken, turkey, beef, pork, with soybeans. or other fillers; usually served in round uniform slices pre-cut in a package or sliced at a deli, though many brands are sold as large chunks, known as "Johnsons," to be sliced by the consumer.

Bolognese sauce aka ragu - all-purpose thick Italian sauce made from minced beef and tomatoes; can form the basis of lasagne or be served with spaghetti

Bombay duck, Bombil - dried fish from India and Bangladesh, crumbled over stews and curries; also a slim, soft fish, tastes best batter or crumb fried

Bombe Alaska - variation of Baked Alaska; calls for dark rum to be splashed over the Baked Alaska

Bonito (in Japanese,"katsuo") - large oily fish from the same family as tuna and mackerel; prepared in the same way as tuna

Borage - leafed herb with slight cucumber taste; used in salads, teas, and mixed with vegetables

Bordelaise sauce - classic French sauce named for the wine area of Bordeaux, made with dry red wine, bone marrow, shallots and a rich brown sauce called demi-glace. Sauce marchand de vins ("wine-merchant's sauce") a similar designation; Fish dishes with this name will be cooked with white Bordeaux wine.

Borlotti beans aka Cranberry Beans - large, plump bean, pinkish brown in color with reddish brown streaks; variety of kidney bean; sweet, creamy flavor; rarely found fresh in US but readily available dried; widely used in Italian cooking

Borsch (borscht) - a soup of Russian and Polish origin, made from fresh beets; may also contain other vegetables and meat or meat stock; can be served either hot or cold, usually garnished with sour cream

Boston Baked Beans - navy or, more often, pea beans, molasses, salt pork, and brown sugar, baked for hours until tender

Boston Cream Pie - dessert consisting of two layers of sponge cake with a thick custard filling (sometimes cream), topped either by chocolate glaze or a dusting of confectioners' sugar

Bouchee - little puff pastry case, slightly larger than a vol-au-vent, baked blind and filled with a sweet or savoury filling; often a pastry lid may be placed on top

Boudin (boo dan') - New Orleans hot, spicy pork mixed with onions, cooked rice, herbs; two types: Boudin blanc is pork and rice, Boudin rouge (aka Boudin noir) is a blood sausage

Bouillabaisse - stew made of a variety of fish, flavored with garlic, saffron, and tomatoes, among others; traditionally associated with the Provence region of France, especially Marseilles; many 'authentic' variations

Bouillon - liquid similar to a stock, but cleaner and richer in flavor

Boule French, a small ball - a round loaf of bread, like a miche (also a scoop of ice cream)

Bouilli French - boiled or stewed meat, more specifically, beef boiled with vegetables in water from which its gravy is to be made; also - beef from which bouillon or soup has been made; Quebec French - refers to a variety of dishes, from pot roast to stewed whole chicken with vegetables

Bouquet garni - herbs tied together or placed in a cheesecloth bundle which allows the herbs to be easily removed from food (soups, stocks, stews, etc.) before service; classic herbs used in a bouquet garni are thyme, parsley, and bay leaf

Bourbon - American whiskey named for Bourbon County, Kentucky; by law, must be at least 51% corn; ( remainder wheat and/or rye, and malted barley); distilled to no more than 160° (U.S.), aged in new charred oak barrels for at least two years

Bourguignonne - in the style of Burgundy, e.g. cooked with red wine, pearl onions or shallots, mushrooms, and peppercorns

Bourride - French (Marseilles region) - fish soup or stew similar to bouillabaisse but without saffron; usually thickened with egg yolk; flavored with aïoli (garlic mayonnaise); served on or with toast; many variations

Boursault - triple cream cheese from Normandy and the Ile de France, with a white rind; similar to boursin

Boursin - smooth triple cream cow’s milk cheese; rich, sweet flavor with a hint of acidity; often seasoned with garlic or black pepper

Boysenberry - glossy, large, juicy berry, related to the North American blackberry; eaten fresh, and made into jams, preserves, and syrups; flavor is similar to a raspberry, but a bit more tart; acquired by Walter Knott, a Southern California berry farmer, who started selling the fruit commercially in 1935; business became Knott’s Berry Farms

Braciola (Ital.) - chops; means different things in different parts of Italy. In the north, (veal or beef) cooked flat, either with a sauce or over the grill; in the south, can also refer to a slice of meat rolled up around a filling which called an involtino further north

Braciolone (Ital.) - a big braciola, a festive dish from Trapan

Braisé - braised; browned, then cooked slowly simmered in a small amount of flavorful liquid (often wine) until tender; braising liquid frequently thickened and served as a sauce, as in beef stew

Bran - hard outer layer of cereal grain; along with germ, an integral part of whole grains; rich in dietary fiber, starch, protein, vitamins, and dietary minerals; removing bran removes some of their nutritional value

Brandade - creamy puree of poached salt cod mixed with olive oil, (sometimes mashed) potatoes, sautéed garlic; another version covered with Gruyere cheese and browned in the oven; both served with croutons; from the South of France

Brandy - (from Dutch brandewijn, "burned wine") - alcoholic liquor distilled from wine or fruit juices

Brandy Alexander - cocktail consisting of
1 1/2 oz Brandy. 1 oz Dark Crème de Cacao, 1 oz Half-and-half or Heavy cream, all shaken and strained, topped with nutmeg; Alternately, 2 jiggers dark crème de cacao, 1 jigger brandy, 1 pt. vanilla ice cream, 1 c. crushed ice; Blend until sherbet consistency, pour into small brandy snifter, and garnish with nutmeg as above

Branzini - Mediterranean sea bass

Braten - German term for roast (among other meanings)

Bratwurst - sausage composed of pork, beef, and sometimes veal; in the United States, often called brats and eaten on a hot dog bun or hardroll, topped with mustard and/or many of the other condiments, including mayonnaise, shredded cheese, ketchup, onions, pickle relish, sauerkraut, and others

Braunsweiger - type of liverwurst (pork liver sausage), usually smoked after cooking, high amount of Vitamin A, iron and protein; very soft and smooth, can be spread; usual use in sandwich

Brazil Nut - large nut, with rich creamy taste (cream nut is one of several historical names for the Brazil nut used in America); very high in selenium; NOTE: While classified by cooks as a nut, botanists consider Brazil nuts to be seeds and not nuts. I'm a cook, and it's a nut.

Brazo de mercedes (Phil.) - a meringue roll with an egg filling

Bread - staple food of European, Middle Eastern and Indian cultures, prepared by baking, steaming, or frying dough; consists mainly of (usually) wheat flour, water, and, in most cases, a leavening agent such as yeast along with salt; may also contain sugar, spices, fruit (such as raisins, pumpkin or bananas), vegetables (like onion or zucchini), nuts, or seeds (such as caraway, sesame or poppy seeds); other flours may be used

Breading - coating of a mixture of flour, egg, and bread crumbs

Bread Pudding - custard baked with bread; often served with raisins and rum sauce

Brebis French, female sheep

Bredie - traditional South African stew prepared only with mutton or lamb

Bresaola Italian - salt-cured or air-dried beef; made from very lean beef fillet or loin; sliced extremely thin for antipasto

Brick - very thin pastry sheets made from wheat flour, common in Middle Eastern cooking

Brick cheese - one of the only United States cheeses which has reached worldwide popularity; ranges in flavor from very mild when young to sharp and pungent when aged

Brie - very soft, cows' cheese, pale in color, slightly greyish tinge under crusty white edible mould; very soft and savoury with a hint of ammonia; named after Brie, the French province in which it originated; now made with other types of milk

Brill - grey-yellow flat fish, resembling turbot but smaller; delicately flavored, succulent, slightly sweet flesh; sold whole or as fillets; suitable for grilling, baking and poaching; firm, white flesh; easy to fillet and prepare; Choose one whose underside is not bruised.

Brine - salt and water solution used for pickling and preserving

Brinjal - an eggplant

Brioche - rich French yeast bread containing eggs and butter, usually baked in a fluted pan; can be flavored with nuts or candied fruit, and/or herbs and spices

Brisket - cut of beef from the belly, used for slow roasting, casseroles, or stews

Broccoflower - cross between broccoli and cauliflower; physical attributes resemble cauliflower, color and flavor of broccoli; a milder flavor than either

Broccoli - vegetable with a fleshy flower head, usually green in color, arranged in a tree-like fashion on branches sprouting from a thick, edible stalk, surrounded by leaves closely resembles cauliflower, but green rather than white; iIn the United States, the form with a single large head; eaten raw (usually with dip), steamed, deep-fried, stir-fried, in soups, stews, etc.

Broccolrabe - also known as Italian Broccoli, rabe, rapini - bitter green vegetable (unless harvested young), looks like broccoli but with skinnier stalks; edible leaves, stems and florets

Brochette - meat or other foods broiled on a skewer

brodet (Croatian) - similar to Italian brodetto

Brodetto (Ital.) - a fish soup or stew

Brother Basil - semi-soft cheese with small eyes, a dark wax coating and a natural smoked flavor

Brouillade - Provençal scrambled eggs

Brousse du Rove fresh goat cheese, made with milk from a breed of goat intended for meat; today, often cow’s milk used; almost liquid cheese; served in a plastic horn-shaped container

Brousse du Var - fresh sheep-milk cheese from Var

Brown bean paste - salty brown sauce made from fermented soybeans; Chinese bean sauce not as salty as Thai bean sauce

Brown Cow - root beer float; also - vanilla ice cream coated with hard chocolate shell, all frozen on a stick; also - dairy cattle from which we get chocolate milk...(OK, I'm kidding about this one, but the others are true.)

Brown Rice - (also "hulled rice") - unmilled or partly milled rice, mild nutty flavor, chewier than white rice, but far more nutritious

Brown sauce - sauce with a meat stock base, thickened by reduction and sometimes the addition of a browned roux, similar in some ways to but more involved than a gravy

Brown Stock - amber liquid produced by simmering browned bones and meat (usually veal or beef) with vegetables and aromatics; Ideally, even the mirepoix is sautéed.

Brown Sugar - unrefined or partially refined sugar with brown color due to the presence of molasses; can be light brown (less molasses) or dark brown (more molasses); storing in airtight container prevents clumping; also - great song by the Rolling Stones

Brownie - dense, chewey cake, usually made with chocolate in a large tin and cut into squares

Broyé crushed, ground or pounded

Bruehwurst - scalded sausage cooked in broth or soup; sometimes with a long smoking process. Ex. Fleischwurst, Bierschinken, Wiener Wuerstchen and Weisswurst (white sausage), Zigeunerwurst (gypsy sausage)

Brühwurst German, "scalded sausage”- almost 800 different varieties; very common type of sausage in Central Europe (60% of all German sausages); made from raw pork or beef, bacon and finely crushed ice, mixed with salt, pepper and other spices, such as coriander, paprika, nutmeg, ginger and cardamom, depending on the type of sausage to be produced; partly cooked sausages, such as bockwurst and bratwurst, must be cooked thoroughly before eating

Brule - burned or singed; used to describe dishes such as cream custards finished with caramelized sugar glaze; some examples - créme brûlé, custard with a burned topping of caramelized sugar; brûlot, burnt brandy);

Brunoise French - very finely diced; usually refers to vegetables

Brunswick Stew - traditional dish from the southeastern United States; original recipe with squirrel and other meats, now most commonly made with chicken, or a combination of several meats, which might include rabbit, beef, and pork; almost always with corn, tomatoes, and onions; other ingredients (lima beans, peas, okra, butter beans); often smoky in taste; cooked at low temperature for a long time

Bruschetta - Italian bread, sliced and grilled or toasted, then brushed with garlic and olive oil; often served as a starter or snack with a variety of toppings. A French baguette would make a good alternative.

Brussels Sprouts - look like tiny heads of cabbage; slightly milder taste and a denser texture than cabbage; eaten steamed or in soups and stews

Brut - used to indicate dryness in sparkling wines

Bryndza cheese (Romanian brânza- cheese) - sheep's milk cheese made in Eastern Austria, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia and Ukraine; originated in Transylvania; soft "melted" cheese; in some regions, onion or chives are added to the plain cheese; produced and sold during a few months of the year

Buan-buan (Phil.) - megalops cyprinoides, tarpon

Bubble and Squeak - (sometimes just called bubble) - traditional British dish made with the shallow-fried leftover vegetables from a roast dinner; chief ingredients potato and cabbage, but carrots, peas, brussels sprouts, and other vegetables often added; traditionally served with cold meat from the Sunday roast, and pickles; descriptive name from action and sound made during the cooking process

Bucatini - a thick spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running through the center

Büche de noël - French - a Christmas cake in the shape of a Yule log

Bucheron cheese [BOOSH-rawn] French, "logger" - tangy but still mild chèvre (goat cheese); flavor sharpens with age; gamey flavor, neither overwhelming nor understated; usually soft and spread able; comes in logs either with edible white rinds or covered with black ash; traditionally aged for about 2 months; ripens so that it forms a constantly shrinking circle from the rind inward; outer part of the circle is creamier and sharper than the crumbly inner section

Buckwheat - type of grain used extensively in eastern European cooking; flour traditionally used to make blinis - small pancakes eaten with caviar; also one of the Little Rascals

Buffalo - American bison used as meat; lower in fat and cholesterol than beef; used like beef

Buffalo Wings - (aka chicken wings, hot wings, wings) - deep fried chicken wing sections (called flats and drum sticks) coated in hot sauce after frying; original sauce recipe called for 1 gal. Frank’s Hot Sauce, 1 lb butter (melted), and some celery seed. Wings drained, then mixed in bowl with sauce; served immediately, often with blue cheese or ranch dressing to neutralize the heat

Buffet - array of hot and cold foods, often elaborately garnished

Bukayo (Phil.) - a sweet made from mature coconut

Bukhari Rice Arabic - lamb and rice stir-fried with onion, lemon, carrot and tomato paste

Bulalo (Phil.) "kneecap" - a dish of this and other beef bones and meats boiled with vegetables

Bulalohan - the eateries that offer boiled bulalo (above)

Bulgogi Korean, “fire meat“ - one of Korea's most popular beef dishes; thin slices of marinated prime cut of beef (but can be chicken or pork), traditionally grilled (but broiling or pan-cooking is common as well); whole cloves of garlic, sliced onions, and chopped green peppers often grilled or cooked at the same time; usually served with a side of lettuce or other leafy vegetable, which is used to wrap a slice of cooked meat, often along with a dab of ssamjang, or other side dishes; often grilled at tableside in restaurants

Bulgur wheat/ Bulghur wheat - wheat that has been steamed, dried and cracked into small bits, often used in such Middle Eastern dishes as tabooleh

Bumbar Cypriot - stuffed or sausaged intestines with rice, sometimes nuts and/or meat

Bumper - a turnover-like pastry, somewhat larger than a turnover

Buñuelos (bimuelos, birmuelos, bermuelos, burmuelos, bunyols) Spanish, Latin America - fritters traditionally eaten at Christmas; yeasted dough with a hint of anise is deep-fried, then drenched in a syrup of brown sugar, cinnamon, and guava; many variations from different countries

Buñuelos de viento (Phil. - Spanish) "wind puff" - pastry served with syrup

Burdock - slender rusty brown root vegetable, greyish-white flesh; sweet, earthy flavor; called gobo in Japan

Burgoo - term used for many types of stew or porridge made from a mixture of ingredients; often with several types of meat, including mutton and small game; lima beans, corn, okra and potatoes always popular; thickening agent of cornmeal, ground beans or whole wheat used today, but traditional to add soup bones for taste and thickening; cinnamon, nutmeg, and other savory spices dominate main spices; today often served with vinegar hot sauce or dry chili powder on the table; also - in British Royal Navy, Burgoo a thick oatmeal gruel or porridge

Buri (Jap.) - adult yellowtail

Burnet - only one (Sanguisorba minor) of ten varieties of this herb used in cooking; flavor and odor like cucumber; can be used with green vegetables, such as asparagus, in stews, or like parsley in stuffings; also good in salads

Burnt Cream British name for Crème Brûlée

Burokkori (Jap.) - broccoli

Burong isda (Phil.) - fish fermented with rice

Burrito - Mexican - flour tortilla, rolled up to enclose a filling (e.g., meat, beans, cheese, etc.)

Bush Tomatoes - aka Australian desert raisin 1-3 cm in diameter, yellow (sometimes purple) in color when fully ripe; strong, pungent taste; used in sauces and condiments, but can be eaten raw or cooked

Buta Japanese - pork

Butifarra/ Botifarra - most common Catalan pork sausage; white in appearance; spiced with pine nuts, almonds, cumin seed, fennel seeds, black pepper, and cinnamon; Botifarra negra made with pig’s blood

Butter - dairy product, made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk; used as a spread and a condiment, also in cooking (baking, sauces, and frying); consists of butterfat surrounding minuscule droplets consisting mostly of water and milk proteins; cow's milk most common form, but can also be made from the milk of any mammals, including sheep, goats, buffalo, and yaks; salt, flavorings, or preservatives sometimes added to butter; rendering produces clarified butter or ghee, which is almost entirely butterfat

Butterbean - (aka Haba bean, calico bean, Pallar bean, Burma bean, Guffin bean, Fordhook bean, Hibbert bean, Java bean, Sieva bean, Rangood bean, Madagascar bean, Paiga, Paigya, prolific bean, civet bean and sugar bean) - basically, a type of lima bean; beige in color, creamy, and somewhat, well, buttery in taste; larger than green limas

Butter Brickle - golden brown hard candy used in baking; similar to toffee.

Butter clam - small hard-shell clam; can be stuffed, steamed, stewed and fried

Buttercream - light, creamy frosting made from softened butter, confectioners' sugar, egg yolks and milk or light cream; often flavored, used both as a filling and frosting

Buttercup squash - small squash with grey-flecked dark green sheel, light blue-gray turban; orange flesh tastes somewhat like a mixture of honey, roasted chestnuts, and sweet potato; can be baked, steamed or simmered

Butterfat or milk fat - fatty portion of milk

Butterfish - aka dollarfish, Pacific pompano, shiner, pumpkin-seed, starfish, harvestfish and pomfret; small (average 8 ounces), high-fat fish; tender texture and a sweet flavor

Butterhead lettuce - one of two varieties of head lettuce (the other crisphead); sweet and succulent, with small, round, loosely formed head, soft, buttery-textured leaves; pale green outer leaves, pale yellow-green inner leaves; Boston and Bibb most well known

Butterkase - smooth, creamy textured mellow tasting cheese; does well as an appetizer, dessert or snack and goes well with beer as well as light dry

Buttermilk - liquid that is left over when milk is churned to butter; has a sour taste and is often used in scones and soda breads; can also be used to replace milk for a healthier milkshake

Butternut Squash - large, cylindrical, long and skinny winter squash with a buff, yellow coloring and flesh ranging from yellow to orange; sweet, 8” - 12” in length, 3” - 5” in diameter at its bulbous base, weighing 2 to 3 pounds

Butterscotch - hard candy, syrup, or sauce; flavoring made by melting butter and sugar together, sometimes with cream and/or vanilla; also the flavoring itself

Buwad (Phil. - Cebuano) - dried salted fish

Byrrh - once popular French apéritif blend of red wine and quinine water or tonic water

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,