Au Gratin Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hundreds and thousands

In Australia, a children's birthday party wouldn't be complete without fairy bread. Take buttered bread slices (white, usually) and sprinkle hundreds and thousands on top. Big kids like it too.

Answer: Au gratin

The term 'au gratin' comes from old French 'gratter', meaning to grate, which refers to scaping from the pan - the crunchy brown bits. In modern cookery, these are achieved by combining breadcrumbs with butter and cheese and browning the whole thing. It's not a new idea, by any means, as Honore de Balzac mentioned it in his 1837 novel 'An Old Maid'.

Answer: Ice cream

The term 'à la mode' actually means fashionable or in the current style. The term, as it applies to ice cream, came about when a restaurant menu in the USA (probably in Minnesota, but there's some doubt) implied their pie was served fashionably, with a scoop of ice cream.

Although it's not known when the very first scoop of ice cream took form, it was certainly enjoyed (in a form quite similar to some available today) by Alexander the Great, Marco Polo and Charles 1.

Answer: Bearnaise

Bearnaise sauce is an emulsion that originated in France and is considered one of the five 'mother' sauces in French cuisine.

The flavours of tarragon and vinegar combine to make a richer sauce than its cousin, Hollandaise. It is a traditional accompaniment to for steak.

Answer: Guacamole

The term 'guacamole' literally means 'avocado concoction'. It is a topping that finishes off nachos, fajitas, and is great with corn chips. National Guacamole Day is celebrated on September 16, also Mexican Independence Day.

Answer: Creme Chantilly

Pavlova with whipped cream is just the start. Add kiwi fruit and strawberries for a Christmassy-looking dessert; add crushed Peppermint Crisp bar for sweet chocolate and minty flavour; or pile on your preferred fruit and top it off with passionfruit pulp. Yum! Creme Chantilly can be sweet or not, with vanilla added or not - it really depends on your preference.

There's no traditional hard and fast rule.

Answer: Mashed potatoes

Originating in the North of England and Scotland, where sheep abounded, Shepherd's pie is a dish with a base of diced or minced lamb and sometimes carrots, topped with mashed potato. If beef is used as the meat, it is called a 'Cottage' pie.

Answer: Feta

Feta a white salty Greek cheese, made from the milk of ewes or goats. It is used as a topping for many things, as well as being crumbled and mixed into salads. It is very high in calcium, as well as cobalamin, also called vitamin B12.

Answer: Meringue

Meringue is formed by beating egg whites stiffly; a pinch of salt when beating helps achieve this. When topping pies and bombe Alaska, a 'normal' meringue mix of egg whites, sugar, a little vinegar and vanilla essence is used. Italian meringue is made by boiling sugar and water together in a saucepan till it reaches the soft ball stage.

It is then poured into the beaten egg whites and beaten until a shine is achieved.

Answer: Streusel

The origins of the delicious addition of a crumbly topping appear to be from either Germany or Alsace, in France.

It is generally a mix of butter, flour, sugar and spices, occasionally with rolled oats mixed in for added nutrition. While it's traditionally used as a sprinkle, it is also very nice when layered between two lots of cake batter.