Culinary Phrases Trivia Quiz

Answer: Egg

"Poached egg" and "egg timer." An egg is poached by placing it (gently!) into simmering water (to which a tiny bit of vinegar may have been added) and cooking it until all of the white is firm but the yolk remains runny. An egg timer is a mechanical or electronic clock or a miniature hour glass used to determine the length of time an egg is cooked. Typical lengths are two minutes for soft-boiled eggs, four to five minutes for medium-boiled eggs and eight minutes for hard-boiled eggs (but not too hard-boiled).

Answer: Gravy

"Red-eye gravy" and "gravy boat." Red-eye gravy is a thin sauce used in Southern US cooking. It is made from the pan drippings of ham, bacon or other cured pork, into which strong black coffee is mixed. A gravy boat (also called a sauce boat or a saucière) is a small pitcher made of metal (often silver) or china used to serve sauces at the table.

Answer: Cheese

"Grilled cheese" and "cheese fondue." Grilled cheese sandwiches are among the most popular sandwiches in the world, whether served with cream of tomato soup to youngsters or served as a croque-monsieur (with ham added) in a fancy French restaurant. Cheese fondue is a European dish (popular in the United States, as well) in which cheese and wine are heated in a container (sometimes called a caquelon) and then offered to diners who use long forks to dunk cubes of bread into the mixture.

Answer: Dish

"Chafing dish" and "dish washer." A chafing dish is a decorative pan made of metal which is warmed over a spirit flame or, less often, a bit of burning charcoal, in which food is served, kept warm or actually prepared at the table. The term dishwasher may refer to a modern electric appliance which does all the work of cleansing dishes, pans and cutlery or the more time-honoured role of the plongeur -- the person in the family or on the restaurant staff who washes up.

Answer: Spoon

"Grapefruit spoon" and "spoon rest." A grapefruit spoon is a cleverly made teaspoon made with serrated edges on either side of the bowl which allow the user to cut fruits such as grapefruit, oranges and kiwifruit at the table. A spoon rest is any device designed to allow the cook to lay down a spoon or other cooking tool without soiling the countertop or contaminating the spoon.

Answer: Oven

"Dutch oven" and "oven mitt." A Dutch oven is a cast iron cooking pot especially useful when cooking over an open fire or coals. It often has a flat lid onto which coals may be piled to create heat which surrounds the contents. An oven mitt is an insulated glove which protects a cook from hot surfaces.

Answer: Salt

"Pickling salt" and "salt crusted." Pickling salt is like table salt except that neither iodine nor anti-caking agents have been added to it. It is used to make brines for pickling vegetables and meats. Many foods -- fish, fowl, meats -- may be baked in a crust made of a sort of salt dough composed of salt, spices, and egg white, which insulates the food and ensures even cooking. Remarkably, this method does not oversalt the food.

Answer: Fryer

"Deep-fat fryer" and "fryer chicken." A deep-fat fryer is a vat of heated cooking oil into which food is lowered (often in a metal basket) which cooks quickly and produces a crispy outer texture. Chickens are inexactly categorized as broilers, fryers, roasters, stewing chickens, capons and cocks. A fryer chicken is generally 6-8 weeks old and weighs 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 pounds.

Answer: Cream

"Coconut cream" and "cream soda." Coconut meat is simmered and expressed to produce a liquor which separates into thick rich coconut cream on top and thinner coconut milk underneath. In the United States, cream soda is a sweetened carbonated beverage flavoured with vanilla; in other parts of the world, milk is often added to this drink.

Answer: Lemon

"Meyer lemon" and "lemon zest." The Meyer lemon is an Asian hybrid citrus fruit which looks and tastes something like the common Eureka lemons available in supermarkets, only sweeter and less acidic. Lemon zest is shreds of the outer peel of the lemon, scraped from the fruit with an implement called a zester or with a micro-plane-type grater. Zests add flavour to foods because they are rich in citrus fruits' essential oils.