Slices
Seeds
culinary glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Ladyfinger - Ladyfingers are known in Italy as savoiardi are sweet, little, fairly dry, finger-shaped sponge cakes. It is used for making desserts like Tiramisu and Charlottes. Ladyfingers can be made at home or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, or specialty markets.
Lait - (French) Milk.
Lamington or Lemmington – The word lamington means layers of beaten gold. An Australian dessert of little cubes or squares of sponge cake, dipped in chocolate, then rolled in coconut.
Langoustine
- The French name for Dublin prawn. These are small pink
crustaceans resembling crayfish, with a taste and texture closest to lobster.
Their claws are quite long but have no edible meat in them. Like the
langouste, these are found in warm waters.
Lard - Lard is the layer of fat located along the back and underneath the skin of the hog. Hog-butchers prepare it during the slaughtering process and preserve it in salt. In Italy it is used mainly (either minced or in whole pieces) to prepare various kinds of sauces and soups, to cook vegetables and legumes, or to lard beef or poultry. In order to remove any excess of salt, lard should be blanched by placing it in cold water, bringing it to a boil and then letting it cool entirely under cold running water.
Larding
- A technique by which thin strips of back fat, or
vegetables, are inserted into a piece of meat. These strips help the meat to
remain juicy during cooking. Larding with vegetables gives the meat a contrast
of color plus the addition of flavor. This practice is not used as often now
because of the higher quality of meat available to us.
Lasagna
- Sheets of pasta which are layered with sauce and cheese
and baked au gratin. Meat, fish, shellfish, and vegetables are all used as
fillings for this dish. Recipes from northern Italy are simple preparations
consisting of little more than sauce and cheese. Contrary to this is lasagna
al forno, filled with a rich bolognese sauce. Southern Italian versions are
more elaborate calling for the addition of sausages, mushrooms, and anything
else they may have on hand.
Lassi
- A frothy yogurt drink, sweet or salty, flavored with
pistachios, cardamom, cumin, or rose water.
Leavener, leavening agent - Leaveners are agents that are added to dough and batters to increase the volume and lighten the texture. The most common leaveners are baking soda, baking powder, and yeast. In some recipes, egg whites may be whipped to create a similar effect. In earlier days, leavening agents were called "lifters."
Leek - Small onion like plant, used as an aromatic seasoning or vegetable.
Lefse
- A thin, flat potato pancake, about the consistency of a
tortilla and cooked by similar method. Very mild, starchy, slightly sweet
taste. Lefse is enhanced by the addition of peanut butter, brown sugar, or
lutefisk.
Legume - Legumes, also known as pulses, are the mature seeds that grow inside pods. We call them peas, beans, and lentils.
Lemongrass - It is also known as citronella. Lemongrass is native to Malaysia and grown throughout Southeast Asia and California. It is a stiff tropical grass that resembles a large fibrous green onion (the stalks are too tough to eat buy when simmered in liquid, they impart a distinctive fragrance and taste). It is an essential herb in southeast Asian cooking. It adds a lemony flavor to dishes.
Lentil - These are tiny bean-like seeds. They are one of the first plants used for foods.
Liaison
- The process of thickening a sauce, soup, or stew. This
includes all rouxs, starch and water mixtures(slurries), beurre mani‚, and egg
yolks with or without cream. Egg yolks must be tempered with hot liquid before
adding to the liquid in order to prevent curdling.
Limousin Beef
- A breed of cattle which is naturally lower in fat and
cholestrol. These cattle were brought to the United States from France around
1930.
Linguine
- Long, oval shaped pasta noodles. Hand cut versions of
this are very narrow flat noodles.
Linzertorte
- An Austrian pastry comprised of a short crust dough
flavored with ground almonds and hazelnuts, cinnamon, and lemon zest. This is
then spread with raspberry jam and topped with a cross-hatch of dough. Almond
paste is sometimes layered underneath the raspberry jam. Other versions of
this use fresh cranberries or apricots in the filling.
Lobster - A large seawater crustacean. Lobster is considered the king of the crustacean family and has a jointed body and limbs covered with a hard shell.
Lobster Cardinal - French. The word "cardinal" describes the color of this dish, which resembles the red color of the robes worn by a cardinal of the Catholic Church. It is cubed cooked lobster meat that is mixed with a sauce, spooned back into the lobster shell, sprinkled with breadcrumbs, and browned.
Lobster Mushroom
- A wild mushroom that has a firm texture and a red and
orange color like lobster shells.
Lobster Newberg - A rich lobster dish in an elegant sauce. It is usually served over buttered toast points.
Lobster Thermidor - Select pieces of lobster sautéed with shallots and mushrooms, and then deglazed with white and place back in the shell.
Lutefisk
- A Norweigan fish dish of dried cod, cured in lye, then
reconstitued by boiling. Traditionally served with clarified butter or in
white sauce and served with lefse. In its finest form, lutefisk has a
delicately mild buttery flavor and flaky consistency. In its not-so-fine form,
it is reminiscent of fish-flavored gelatin.
Lychee
- A small fruit from China and the West indies, with a
hard shell and sweet, juicy flesh. The flesh is white with a gelatinous
texture and a musky, perfumed flavor.
Lyonnaise Sauce
- A classic French sauce preparation made with sauteed
onions, white wine and demi-glace. The sauce is strained before being served
with meats and sometime poultry.
Lyonnaise, à la
- A French term for “in the manner of Lyons” Dishes
include onions which have been cooked golden brown and seasoned with wine,
garlic, and parsley
