What Am I Eating???
A Menu Lexicon

If a dish of plin with a side of ramps has you wondering if our menus are still written in English, then maybe this list will interest you. Because our chefs draw from many cultures, the everyday use of these terms may not be what we in Seattle put on our weekly grocery lists. However, we want our menus to entice you, not frighten you away with unfamiliar and confusing vocabulary. Here are a few terms taken from our three menus and their descriptions;

Aioli:

garlic mayonnaise from the Provence region of Southern France. In our restaurants there is often another flavor featured in addition to garlic, i.e.: smoked pepper aioli

Bergamot:

an herb in the mint family

Carpaccio:

traditionally thinly shaved raw beef fillet drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice. At our restaurants, we sometimes use the term to refer to raw fish (i.e. salmon, tuna) served in a similar manner.

Chai:

an Indian tea-based beverage made with spices (such as cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, ginger), strong black tea, milk and sugar.

Charmoula:

a Moroccan sauce or marinade (often used as a marinade for fish) based on parsley, cilantro, cumin, cayenne, vinegar or lemon, and olive oil.

Confit:

This term can refer to a French method of preserving slowly cooked meat (usually duck, goose, or pork) in its own fat. The term is also sometimes used as shorthand for "confiture" which is French for jam or preserves. A dish of slowly braised leeks, sweetened with sugar, may be referred to as "leek confit."

Harissa:

Tunisian hot sauce made from hot chilies, garlic, cumin, coriander, and olive oil.

Jus:

the French word for "juice," traditionally used to refer to meat served in its own natural juices. In our restaurants we often use this word to refer to a simply flavored sauce based on stock and pan juices.

Manchego:

Spain's most famous cheese. It was originally made only from the milk of Manchego sheep that grazed the plains of La Mancha. Manchego is a golden, semi-firm cheese with a full, mellow flavor.

Mezzaluna:

"Half-moon" in Italian, can refer to half-moon shaped stuffed pasta.

Morels:

an edible wild mushroom with a spongy honey-combed, cone shaped cap. Morels have a delicious earthy, nutty flavor.

Muffaletta:

a New Orleans specialty, this hero style sandwich originated in 1906 at the Central Grocery. Traditionally, a crusty round loaf of Italian bread is layered with provolone, salami and ham, and topped with olive salad, an oily mixture of chopped green olives, pimentos, capers, and onions.

Nuoc cham:

Vietnamese condiment made with fish sauce and chilies, lime juice, fresh ginger and sugar

Panada:

A French style of soup made by pouring broth over stale or toasted bread.

Pho:

Vietnamese noodle soup, usually served with fresh herb salad and hot chili condiments.

Plin:

from Piedmont, Italy, plin is a regional name for a small stuffed pasta.

Ponzu:

a Japanese dipping sauce made with lime juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce and mirin.

Ramp:

wild leek - see article following

Sabayon:

The French word for the Italian Zabaglione: a dessert sauce made by whisking egg yolks over heat with sugar and wine (or marsala, or other liquors). Occasionally you may see a savory version of this type of sauce on our menus.

Soba:

Japanese noodle made from buckwheat and wheat flour

Sorrel:

an herb with green leaves that look like spinach, sorrel has an acidic "lemony" quality which is delicious pureed into soups and sauces.

Spaetzle:

Literally translated from German as "little sparrow," spaetzle is a dish of tiny dumplings.

Tiropeta:

a triangle-shaped, Greek savory pastry, made of buttered Phyllo (tissue-thin pastry leaves) and traditionally filled with a feta cheese mixture.

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