The Language of Gallic Gourmandise

International Gastronomists have unanimously crowned French cooking the king of cuisines; for no matter where peripatetic food fanciers dine--be it Lisbon, London or New York--outstanding menus in the language of the land are interlaced with Gallic culinary terminology. Why French and not Flemish or Finnish or Fiji? Simply because France has contributed more to cooking in the past hundred years than any other country; therefore, many Gallic creations have no translatable equivalent in any other language. And great dishes deserve their native tongue. Chateaubriand by any other name would sound silly.

When first pondering a massive carte du jour set before you in a French restaurant, don't panic. Immediately you'll recognize a few old friends, including hors d'oeuvre, consomme, croquette, souffle, meringue, parfait and demitasse. Nor do you need a crash course in Romance languages to know that abricot is apricot, saumon is salmon, cotelette is cutlet and boeuf is beef. But language hopping can take you only so far. For example, vol-au-vent translates as "flown with the wind." It sounds like an airy dessert that literally melts in your mouth. Actually, it's a sumptuous pastry shell, light, to be sure, that may be filled with chunks of lobster or chicken in a smooth sherried sauce. French menuese, in other words, is a special department of the French tongue. Every professional chef worth his toque blance keeps a French culinary dictionary in his kitchen desk. Every contemporary epicure should have access to an abbreviated one.

By common agreement, epicureans divide fine cooking into three main types. First is la haute cuisine (in other words, "super cooking"), a category that contains those outstanding culinary creations served up in tres bons restaurants around the globe. The superb dishes in this division all have French names, regardless of their country of origin. For example, boeuf Stroganoff, a dish that obviously involves Russia, is known the world over-- even in its homeland--by the French nomenclature. With few exceptions, there are no acceptable translations for the comestibles included in this category. Some of the outstanding fare that qualifies as haute cuisine contains the name of a specific individual (always capitalized) to whom the dish has been dedicated. Marguery, for example, was the owner of a turn-of-the-century Paris bistro. He was famed for a fish dish that now proudly bears his name--filets de soles Marguery. If you tried to replace Marguery with English, you'd have to say, "fillet of sole poached in a combination of fish stock, mussel stock and white wine, covered with a sauce made from the same stocks, plus egg yolks, grated cheese and hollandaise sauce [another French term], garnished with mussels and shrimp, and glazed under the broiler until brown."Settle for the laconic Marguery--a single word for an exceptionally succulent serving. (Sometimes the gastronomic immortalization comes from the gourmet and sometimes it comes from the chef; either way, you're guaranteed excellent eating.)

The second category is la cuisine regionale. It contains those creations that bear the names of the French districts in which they originated. Here, the title is usually retained in the original tongue (such as filets de sole Normande) or, if that proves exceptionally awkward, it's translated into the language of the country in which the dish is being served. Madras curry in France, for example, would be le curry de Madras; but if you see it spelled this way while dining in America, beware! The proprietor may be attempting to pass off cuisine regionale at haute cuisine prices.

When regional cooking for which nought but the full French name will suffice is served, the place of origin is used as either an adjective or a noun and is connected to the phrase a la mode. Therefore, pheasant cooked in the Alsacian manner (with sauerkraut) would be either lefaisan a I'alsacienne or simply le faisan alsacien. When a la mode stands alone, it means "according to the manner" of the country you are in.

(continued on page 124) Gallic Gourmandise (continued from page 109)

Now, a few general tips. When ordering a bird such as duck (canard), remember that le canard means you are ordering the whole duck, cooked in the manner indicated; but the omission of le coupled with an adjective means that you'll get fowl served in some other form, such as in a casserole. (This rule has its exceptions; egg dishes and most fish dishes have an article before them only when they are haute cuisine.)

The French word au can convert a noun to an adjective, as in oeufs au plat (eggs broken onto a plate for cooking), or it can stand alone as an abbreviation for the phrases au parfum de or au saveur de ("with the flavor of"). Thus, croute au Madere is a cake flavored with madeira.

On all menus, in every language, you can expect a certain amount of hanky-panky. In this respect, the French are like all other chefs. If you see le coq au Chambertin listed on a menu, the proper translation would be "whole chicken cooked with the burgundy wine Chambertin"--one of the greatest and most expensive red wines in the world. In all probability, what you'll actually get is the traditional coq au vin made with a good dry California red. French chefs aren't above taking foreign foods and dubbing them with French terminology when they can get away with it. Thus, American wild rice appears in some Parisian restaurants as riz sauvage; and the Italian dessert zabaglione, made of egg yolks, sugar and marsala wine, is corrupted into the French sabayon. But no Gallic chef would dream of listing spaghetti or ravioli by any other names. Also, French eateries have never taken spelling too seriously. You'll see rice on one menu spelled pilaf. On others it's pilau or pilaw. N'importe! The proof of the dish is in the eating.

If le, la or les appears in front of most dishes and a la mode keeps popping up the way truffles should in a truffle omelet, chances are the proprietor is unnecessarily padding his bill of fare (also, perhaps, his table checks) in hopes of attracting linguistically uninformed customers who judge French cuisine by word count, not by how it tastes. Unless you know the food to be first-rate, pass the restaurant by.

The following Gallic glossary is composed of basic foods (huitre is oyster, veau is veal) as well as the styles in which the ingredients appear (the a las, garnishes, sauces, proper names, etc.). Florentine, for example, tells you that the dish contains spinach. Consomme Florentine is a consomme with light spinach dumplings. Oeufs a la florentine are poached eggs on a bed of spinach, covered with a light cheese sauce and browned in a hot oven. However, no glossary of French menu terms could possibly include the hundreds of sauces and countless garnishes that have been served up at French--or French-styled--restaurants everywhere. Occasionally you'll come across a dish that isn't listed in this or any other glossary. When you do, act like a native Frenchman on vacation. Whether dining in Tokyo, London or New York, he'll never hesitate to signal the headwaiter and ask for a brief explanation of such menuisms as Perdreau a la Souvarof (partridge with goose liver and truffles).

Armed with this brief glossary of major foods, major sauces and major methods of preparation, you should be able to wend your way through a French menu with little trouble--and not feel like a square or a hick for asking the precise meaning of words and phrases on the menu that baffle you.

Major Foods

[recipe_title]Ballottine[/recipe_title]--Boned, stuffed, rolled poultry or meat, often lamb

[recipe_title]Baron[/recipe_title]--Loin and leg of lamb or mutton, sometimes double loin of beef

[recipe_title]Bavarois[/recipe_title]--Dessert of custard, gelatin, whipped cream

[recipe_title]Beignet[/recipe_title]--Fritter of cooked batter with apples, bananas, etc.

[recipe_title]Bisque[/recipe_title]--Puree shellfish soup

[recipe_title]Blanquette[/recipe_title]--White stew usually of veal and mushrooms

[recipe_title]Boeuf[/recipe_title]--Beef

[recipe_title]Bouillabaisse[/recipe_title]--Fish stew of shellfish, garlic, parsley, saffron

[recipe_title]Canard[/recipe_title] or Caneton--Duck

[recipe_title]Carbonades[/recipe_title]--Beer-flavored beef stew

[recipe_title]Cassoulet de Castelnaudary[/recipe_title]--Stew of goose, mutton, pork, beans

[recipe_title]Cerise[/recipe_title]--Cherry

[recipe_title]Champignon[/recipe_title]--Mushroom

[recipe_title]Chapon[/recipe_title]--Capon

[recipe_title]Chateaubriand[/recipe_title]--Double- or triple-thick tenderloin steak

[recipe_title]Chou[/recipe_title]--Cabbage.Choux de Bruxelles--Brussels sprouts.Chou-fleur--Cauliflower. Chou rouge--Red cabbage. Chou vert--Green cabbage. Chou farci--Stuffed cabbage

[recipe_title]Choucroute[/recipe_title]--Sauerkraut

[recipe_title]Citron[/recipe_title]--Lemon

[recipe_title]Civet[/recipe_title]--Game stew with onions, mushrooms, red wine

[recipe_title]Contre-filet[/recipe_title]--Sirloin

[recipe_title]Coq au vin[/recipe_title]--Chicken stewed in wine

[recipe_title]Crepe[/recipe_title]--Thin pancake, often filled and rolled

[recipe_title]Cresson[/recipe_title]--Watercress

[recipe_title]Crevette[/recipe_title]--Shrimp

[recipe_title]Croustade[/recipe_title]--Fried hollowed bread or pastry filled with food in sauce

[recipe_title]Daube[/recipe_title]--Meat braised in one piece, or large cubes, with wine

[recipe_title]Dinde, dindon, dindonneau[/recipe_title]--Turkey

[recipe_title]Ecrevisse[/recipe_title]--Crayfish

[recipe_title]Emince[/recipe_title]--Thinly sliced small pieces of cooked meat or poultry in sauce

[recipe_title]Entrecote[/recipe_title]--Thick sirloin (sometimes rib) steak

[recipe_title]Epinards[/recipe_title]--Spinach

[recipe_title]Escargot[/recipe_title]--Snail

[recipe_title]Faisan[/recipe_title]--Pheasant

[recipe_title]Farce[/recipe_title]--Stuffing of ground meat, poultry, fish, bread, etc.

[recipe_title]Filet[/recipe_title]--Narrow tender part of boneless meat, poultry or fish (latter skinless)

[recipe_title]Foie[/recipe_title]--Liver. Foie gras--Goose liver. Foie de veau--Calf's liver

[recipe_title]Fraise[/recipe_title]--Strawberry

[recipe_title]Framboise[/recipe_title]--Raspberry

[recipe_title]Fromage[/recipe_title]--Cheese

[recipe_title]Fruits de Mer[/recipe_title]--Mixed seafood

[recipe_title]Galantine[/recipe_title]--Chicken and/or meats, some ground, in sausagelike roll, truffles

[recipe_title]Gateau[/recipe_title]--Cake

[recipe_title]Glace[/recipe_title]--Ice cream or sherbet

[recipe_title]Grenouilles[/recipe_title]--Frog's legs

[recipe_title]Haricots Verts[/recipe_title]--String beans

[recipe_title]Homard[/recipe_title]--Lobster

[recipe_title]Huitres[/recipe_title]--Oysters

[recipe_title]Jambon[/recipe_title]--Ham

[recipe_title]Jus[/recipe_title]--Meat drippings with meat stock, gravy

[recipe_title]Lait[/recipe_title]--Milk

[recipe_title]Langouste[/recipe_title]--Spiny lobster or rock lobster

[recipe_title]Lapin[/recipe_title]--Rabbit

[recipe_title]Legumes[/recipe_title]--Vegetables

[recipe_title]Loup de Mer[/recipe_title]--Sea bass

[recipe_title]Macedoine[/recipe_title]--Medley of fruits or vegetables, often diced

[recipe_title]Madrilene[/recipe_title]--Tomato-flavored consomme

[recipe_title]Marrons[/recipe_title]--Chestnuts. Marrons glaces--Chestnuts in vanilla syrup

[recipe_title]Medailion[/recipe_title]--Round or oval-shaped piece of meat, poultry or foie gras

[recipe_title]Moules[/recipe_title]--Mussels

[recipe_title]Mousse[/recipe_title]--Rich, cold, molded dish containing cream

[recipe_title]Moutarde[/recipe_title]--Mustard

[recipe_title]Mouton[/recipe_title]--Mutton

[recipe_title]Oeufs[/recipe_title]--Eggs. A la coque--Soft-boiled. Brouilles--Scrambled. Durs--Hard-boiled. Frits--Fried or deep-fried.Mollets--Medium-boiled. Poches--Poached. Sur le plat--Shirred

[recipe_title]Oie[/recipe_title]--Goose

[recipe_title]Palourde[/recipe_title]--Clam

[recipe_title]Pamplemousse[/recipe_title]--Grapefruit

[recipe_title]Pate[/recipe_title]--Smooth mixture of meat, poultry or seafood, ground, baked

[recipe_title]Paupiettes[/recipe_title]--Thin slices of meat, stuffed, rolled, braised

[recipe_title]Peche[/recipe_title]--Peach

[recipe_title]Perdreau[/recipe_title]--Partridge

[recipe_title]Persillade[/recipe_title]--Chopped parsley

[recipe_title]Petite marmite[/recipe_title]--Consomme in earthen-ware pot, lean beef, chicken, vegetables, marrow, bread croutons with cheese

[recipe_title]Petits fours[/recipe_title]--Small fancy cakes

[recipe_title]Petits pois[/recipe_title]--Peas

[recipe_title]Pilaf, pilau, pilaw[/recipe_title]--Rice, onions, often with meat, poultry, seafood

[recipe_title]Piperade[/recipe_title]--Egg dish with tomatoes, pimientos, ham

[recipe_title]Plats froids[/recipe_title]--Cold buffet or cold summer dishes

[recipe_title]Poisson[/recipe_title]--Fish

[recipe_title]Poitrine[/recipe_title]--Brisket

[recipe_title]Pomme[/recipe_title]--Apple

[recipe_title]Pommes de terre[/recipe_title]--Potatoes. Anna--Raw slices in mold, baked brown.Au four--Baked.Duchesse--Mashed with egg, mounds, baked. Frites--French fried. Lyonnaise--Sliced, fried, onions. Macaire--Pulp, baked potatoes, buttered, browned. Minute--Thin strips, deep fried. Puree--Mashed. Sautees--Boiled, sliced, fried in butter. Souffle--Raw slices fried twice until puffed

[recipe_title]Potage[/recipe_title]--Soup

[recipe_title]Pot-au-feu[/recipe_title]--Meat, poultry and vegetables cooked in one pot

[recipe_title]Poularde[/recipe_title]--Roasting chicken or fat hen

[recipe_title]Poulet[/recipe_title]--Spring chicken

[recipe_title]Profiteroles[/recipe_title]--Small pastry balls; Also soup croutons

[recipe_title]Quenelle[/recipe_title]--Dumpling of egg, cream, ground meat, poultry or seafood

[recipe_title]Quiche[/recipe_title]--Warm hors d'oeuvre custard tart with cheese, ham or shellfish

[recipe_title]Ris[/recipe_title]--Sweetbread

[recipe_title]Rissole[/recipe_title]--Meat turnover, fried or baked

[recipe_title]Riz[/recipe_title]--Rice

[recipe_title]Rognon[/recipe_title]--Kidney

[recipe_title]Roulade[/recipe_title]--Rolled boned meat usually stuffed

[recipe_title]Salmis[/recipe_title]--Game or poultry stew from previously roasted birds

[recipe_title]Saucisse, Saucisson[/recipe_title]--Sausage

[recipe_title]Saumon[/recipe_title]--Salmon

[recipe_title]Savarin[/recipe_title]--Rum-soaked ring cake with fruit or cream filling

[recipe_title]Sorbet[/recipe_title]--Sherbet

[recipe_title]Supreme[/recipe_title]--Breast of chicken

[recipe_title]Tetras[/recipe_title]--Grouse

[recipe_title]Tortue[/recipe_title]--Turtle

[recipe_title]Tournedos[/recipe_title]--Small tenderloin steaks

[recipe_title]Truffes[/recipe_title]--Truffles

[recipe_title]Truite[/recipe_title]--Trout

[recipe_title]Veau[/recipe_title]--Veal

[recipe_title]Vinaigrette[/recipe_title]--Salad dressing of oil, vinegar, chopped herbs, seasoning

[recipe_title]Volaille[/recipe_title]--Chicken

[recipe_title]Vol-au-vent[/recipe_title]--Light pastry case filled with meat, poultry or seafood in sauce

Major Sauces

[recipe_title]Allemande[/recipe_title]--White sauce of chicken, veal or fish stock and egg yolks

[recipe_title]Aurore[/recipe_title]--Sauce of white stock, tomato puree

[recipe_title]Bearnaise[/recipe_title]--Sauce of egg yolks, butter, shallots, tarragon, meat extract

[recipe_title]Bercy[/recipe_title]--Brown sauce or white fish sauce of shallots, white wine, parsley

[recipe_title]Bigarade[/recipe_title]--Brown sauce of orange juice and peel, orange liqueur

[recipe_title]Bordelaise[/recipe_title]--Brown sauce of red wine, beef marrow

[recipe_title]Bourguignonne[/recipe_title]--Brown sauce of red wine, salt pork, mushrooms, small onions

[recipe_title]Colbert[/recipe_title]--Butter sauce of parsley, lemon juice, meat glaze, tarragon

[recipe_title]Demi-deuil[/recipe_title]--White sauce of chicken stock, truffles

[recipe_title]Diable[/recipe_title]--Brown sauce of wine, vinegar, peppercorns, shallots

[recipe_title]Grand Veneur[/recipe_title]--Brown sauce of blood of game, red wine

[recipe_title]Gribiche[/recipe_title]--Cold sauce of egg yolks, oil, vinegar, mustard, capers, herbs

[recipe_title]Hollandaise[/recipe_title]--Sauce of egg yolks, lemon and butter

[recipe_title]Mariniere[/recipe_title]--White sauce with mussel stock

[recipe_title]Meuniere[/recipe_title]--Brown butter sauce with lemon juice, parsley

[recipe_title]Mornay[/recipe_title]--White sauce of cheese, egg yolks

[recipe_title]Mousseline[/recipe_title]--Hollandaise sauce with whipped cream; Also, mold of seafood, poultry, etc., with cream, poached

[recipe_title]Piquante[/recipe_title]--Brown sauce with wine vinegar

[recipe_title]Poivrade[/recipe_title]--Brown sauce with red wine, crushed peppercorns

[recipe_title]Poulette[/recipe_title]--White sauce of egg yolks, parsley, mushrooms, lemon juice

[recipe_title]Ravigote[/recipe_title]--Cold sauce of oil, vinegar, capers, herbs; Also, white sauce of wine, vinegar, shallots, pepper

[recipe_title]Reforme[/recipe_title]--Brown sauce of truffles, mushrooms, carrots, tongue

[recipe_title]Robert[/recipe_title]--Brown sauce of vinegar, mustard, wine, onions

[recipe_title]Talleyrand[/recipe_title]--White sauce of chicken stock, cream, madeira, truffles, tongue

[recipe_title]Tartare[/recipe_title]--Cold sauce with mayonnaise, chopped pickles, chives; Also, an uncooked chopped beefsteak with raw egg yolk, capers, seasonings

[recipe_title]Veloute[/recipe_title]--White sauce of chicken, veal or fish stock

[recipe_title]Veronique[/recipe_title]--White sauce of fish stock, white grapes, white wine

Methods of Preparation

[recipe_title]Alsacienne[/recipe_title]--With braised cabbage or sauerkraut

[recipe_title]Americaine[/recipe_title]--With tomato sauce, fish stock, brandy, white wine, shallots

[recipe_title]Anglaise[/recipe_title]--Dipped in egg and bread crumbs before frying

[recipe_title]Au bleu[/recipe_title]--Stewed in wine or vinegar and water

[recipe_title]Bonne femme[/recipe_title]--With mushrooms, white sauce

[recipe_title]Bretonne[/recipe_title]--With beans

[recipe_title]Cardinal[/recipe_title]--With diced shrimp, lobster, mushrooms, sometimes au gratin

[recipe_title]Chantilly[/recipe_title]--With whipped cream

[recipe_title]Chasseur[/recipe_title]--With mushrooms, shallots, white wine

[recipe_title]Chiffonnade[/recipe_title]--With thin strips of lettuce, sorrel, etc., in soups, salads

[recipe_title]Cre'cy[/recipe_title]--With carrots

[recipe_title]Dubarry[/recipe_title]--With white sauce, cheese

[recipe_title]Duxelles[/recipe_title]--With chopped mushrooms, shallots, and sometimes ham

[recipe_title]Fines herbes, aux[/recipe_title]--With chopped parsley, chervil, tarragon, chives, etc.

[recipe_title]Florentine[/recipe_title]--With spinach

[recipe_title]Francaise[/recipe_title]--With shredded lettuce and small onions

[recipe_title]Imperatrice[/recipe_title]--With glazed fruit and kirsch

[recipe_title]Italienne[/recipe_title]--With finely diced mushrooms; or pasta with cheese and butter

[recipe_title]Ivoire[/recipe_title]--With chicken dumplings, mushrooms, white sauce, chicken stock

[recipe_title]Jardiniere[/recipe_title]--With glazed carrots, turnips, peas or beans

[recipe_title]Jubilee[/recipe_title]--Flamed with brandy or liqueurs

[recipe_title]Milanaise[/recipe_title]--With tomatoes, tongue, ham, mushrooms

[recipe_title]Mirabeau[/recipe_title]--With anchovies, olives, tarragon

[recipe_title]Mode[/recipe_title]--Beef, marinated in wine, pot-roasted, often cold in jellied gravy

[recipe_title]Montmorency[/recipe_title]--With cherries

[recipe_title]Nantua[/recipe_title]--With white sauce, crayfish, butter, brandy

[recipe_title]Nicoise[/recipe_title]--With tomatoes and garlic, sometimes with olives, anchovies

[recipe_title]Normande[/recipe_title]--With oysters, mussels, shrimps, crayfish, mushrooms

[recipe_title]Papillote, en[/recipe_title]--Meat or fish baked in heart-shaped paper casing

[recipe_title]Parisienne[/recipe_title]--With artichokes, pan gravy, white wine; potatoes cut into small balls

[recipe_title]Parmentiere[/recipe_title]--With potatoes

[recipe_title]Paysanne[/recipe_title]--With carrots, turnips, onions, celery, small potatoes

[recipe_title]Perigourdine[/recipe_title]--With truffles and foie gras

[recipe_title]Polonaise[/recipe_title]--With chopped egg, parsley, bread crumbs

[recipe_title]Printaniere[/recipe_title]--With carrots, turnips, peas, beans

[recipe_title]Provencale[/recipe_title]--With tomatoes, garlic; Often with onion, parsley, white wine

[recipe_title]Reine[/recipe_title]--With chicken or chicken sauce

[recipe_title]Remoulade[/recipe_title]--Mayonnaise with gherkins, capers, onions, herbs

[recipe_title]Richelieu[/recipe_title]--With stuffed tomatoes, braised lettuce, potatoes

[recipe_title]Royale[/recipe_title]--With unsweetened custard

[recipe_title]Timbale[/recipe_title]--Cooked in cylinder-shaped mold (with or without crust) of meat, poultry, seafood or vegetables

[recipe_title]Valenciennes[/recipe_title]--With rice, pan gravy, white wine

[recipe_title]Vert-pre[/recipe_title]--With julienne potatoes, watercress, parsley butter

[recipe_title]Vichy[/recipe_title]--Cooked with as little water as possible, usually with carrots

"Whene'er I hear French spoken as I approve," penned the poet Owen Meredith, "I feel myself quietly falling in love." Speak the preceding culinary key to Gallic menuese as you approve and a sumptuous French bill of fare will become an Open sesame! to fine fare round the globe.