Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Menu Terms DeMystified: Part Two

As you know from reading part I in this series, my husband and I are going on a cruise September 14-19, with a group of ladies called "Chicks At Sea". There's still time to join in, so please give me a call or email me if you would like to be a part of this fun group! This blog will feature additional French terms to make menus easier to understand and hopefully dining in a formal group setting more fun and relaxing!

Terms about how things are cooked:

A la Anglaise (ah lah AN glez) French for prepared in water or stock
Amandine (ah mahn DEEN) prepared with or often coated with almonds
Au gratin (oh GRAH tin) served with bread crumbs and/or cheese on top
Au jus (oh ZHOO) in its own natural juices
Au poivre (oh PWAHV ruh) French for with pepper
En croute (ahn KROOT) French for in a crust
Flambe (flam BAY) French for flamed
Provencale (proh VEHn SAHL) French, cooked with garlic, olive oil, and tomatoes
Saute (soh Tay) to cook in fat quickly

Remember as always, your waiter is ready to assist you in making your dining choices and will bring you anything on the menu to sample and experiment with. Second helpings are always available. Don't be afraid to ask questions of your dining companions either. People enjoy sharing knowledge, and it's a good conversation starter!

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