Ragout: French for a stew made with meats, vegetables or seafood.
Ratatouille: A vegetable stew with onions, tomatoes, eggplant, sweet peppers, garlic, herbs, spices and olive oil. Cooked till mushy and broken down, creating a unified flavor of blended ingredients. A bold, rich zestful stew.
Remoulade: A sauce consisting of mayonnaise, Creole mustard, minced shallots and green onions, diced boiled eggs, minced parley and herbs. Excellent for topping boiled seafood and leafy green salads.
Roux: A mixture of flour and oil to thicken soups, gumbos, stews and sauces. From light to dark roux, depending on how long you want to brown it in a skillet.
Scampi: Shrimp sautéed or broiled in butter, squeeze of lemon, splash of white wine, minced garlic and parsley, with a pinch of seasoning.
Sweetbread: Thymus gland of a beast of burden with many styles of preparation in the culinary arts. A sweetbread most desired is from baby veal and lamb. I know it’s cruel, but so delectable!
Tartare: The most common, and best, is Steak Tartare made from minced beef tenderloin, minced garlic, onion, and parsley, seasoned and served with a raw egg on top. Smoked Salmon makes an excellent version of tartare.
Tripe: The stomach of pigs, cattle and sheep. Used to make Menudo.
Ugli: A Jamaican citrus hybrid fruit, created by crossing a tangerine and a grapefruit.
Veloute: A sauce made from various meat stocks, thicken with a roux.
Vichyssoise: Cold potato and leek soup. It’s about as boring as it sounds.
Weiner Schnitzel: Pounded pork or baby veal slices dipped in egg and coated with seasoned breadcrumbs, then pan fried in butter. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top of finished entree.
Zabaglione: Here a delight that will please the old taste buds. It’s a Italian custard made with raw egg yolks, sugar and your favorite wine or fruit juice, prepared by combining ingredients in mixing bowl and whisking them, holding bowl over a pot of boiling water (exactly like heating the eggs while making Hollandaise), till it thickens and the volume doubles. Then pour into wine glasses and chill for an hour.
