Siri Mitchell: Chateau of Echoes

Crêpes suzettes-A dessert crêpe in which mandarin juice and curaçao are added to the crêpe batter. It is served spread with butter mixed with mandarin juice and zest, sugar, and curaço, and may be garnished with sections of mandarin and syrup made with mandarin zest. It should never be served flaming.

Croissants-Although associated with France, this crescent-shaped flaky butter pastry is actually of Viennese origin. The best are usually purchased from a pastry maker at a pâtisserie , as opposed to a baker at a boulangerie . It is generally preferable to eat them plain, although they may be served with jam, baked with ham or cheese, or glazed as a dessert.

Croquembouche-A cone-shaped, tiered dessert, a croquembouche is formed by stacking small caramel-coated cream puffs intermixed with dipped fruits, coated almonds, or sugared flowers and then is surrounded by a cage of caramel.

Croque-monsieur-Grilled ham and gruyère cheese sandwich. The addition of an egg turns the sandwich into a croque-madame.

Digestifs-Alcohol or liqueur served at the end of a meal-traditionally Cognac, Armagnac, or Calvados.

Endives gratinée-Endives wrapped with ham and cooked au gratin in a béchamel sauce.

Espresso-Suffering from much the same weather as the Pacific Northwest, those in northern France and Brittany drink a large amount of espresso. In fact, ordering un café- a coffee-in France will get you a shot of espresso served in a demitasse cup.

Filet mignon de porc-Pork tenderloin. May be cooked as one piece, slit and stuffed, sliced and served as medallions, or cubed and used for shish kebabs.

Filets de pintade aux cèpes et aux girolles-Guinea fowl filets cooked with porcini and chanterelle mushrooms.

Fines herbes-A mixture of freshly chopped parsley, chervil, tarragon, and chives.

Flamiche aux poireaux-A savory leek and egg tart from the northern French region of Picardy.

Foie gras-The liver of a force-fed goose or duck. Traditionally, these fowl were handfed on corn every day for two or three weeks, mimicking the natural tendency for water fowl to gorge themselves for several weeks before beginning migratory flights, to store excess fat in their livers. Associated with the cuisine of southwestern France, foie gras is also produced in Alsace and in Brittany.

Fruits verger-Orchard fruits: pears, apples, plums, quince, etc.

Galette des rois-This “kings cake” is traditionally served on Epiphany to celebrate the three kings’ visit to the baby Jesus. Made of flaky pastry and filled with frangipane, a fava bean or small ceramic favor is hidden and cooked inside. The person who receives the piece with the prize is king or queen and must choose his or her queen or king. The galettes are usually sold with paper crowns.

Gâteau au chocolat-Chocolate cake with the intense flavor of a truffle and the texture of a mousse.

Gâteau aux trois chocolates-Chocolate cake made with white, milk, and dark chocolate.

Gelée-Gelatin used as an aspic in savory dishes or as a dessert with a base of fruit, wine, or liqueur.

Gnocchi-A hot baked dish served au gratin. In France, gnocchi à la parisienne is traditionally prepared with cream puff dough. Gnocchi may also be prepared with corn flour and boiled with parmesan or made with potato dough and cream.

Gougère bourguignonne-A bread made from cream puff dough with grated gruyère cheese, it is shaped into balls or into a wreath. It is served as an hors d’oeuvre or appetizer.

Gratin-A method of cooking in which grated cheese, white sauce, or bread crumbs added to the top of an oven-cooked dish turn golden and crusty from the heat.

Gratin dauphinois-Sliced potatoes cooked au gratin with a white sauce and grated cheese.

Gruyère-A cheese that is made of heated milk and is shaped into a large wheel. In taste and appearance, it is similar to “Swiss” cheese. Gruyère itself does not have an AOC ( appellation d’origine contrôlée ) and therefore is not regulated by the French government in terms of place, method, or quality of production. Only 36 cheeses in France are AOC, among them several gruyère-style cheeses: comté and beaufort.

Haricots verts-Green beans both narrower and sweeter than the common North American varieties. Their season runs from May to October, although imports from Kenya or Senegal may be purchased during the winter months.

Île flottante-Floating island; a dessert consisting of meringues “floating” in a lake of crème anglaise.

Jambon au cidre-Ham cooked in hard cider.

Joue de lotte-Jowls of the monkfish.

Laurier-Bay leaf.

Limoncello-Italian liqueur made from fermented lemons. The best limoncello comes from the Amalfi Coast and the island of Capri.

Macaroni-French elbow macaroni is smaller than its American equivalent. As a side dish, it is usually served buttered with chives.

Magret de canard-A tender filet of meat taken from the breast of a duck. It is cooked much like a steak and served rare.

Maury wine-A sweet wine fortified with clear brandy, and made from Grenache noir grapes in the Maury commune in the Côtes du Roussillon-Villages area of southern France. The wines have notes of red fruits, cocoa, and coffee. It may also be drunk as an aperitif.

Mille feuille-A dish traditionally made of flaky pastry layered with fillings. The dessert version contains sweet fillings such as pastry cream or whipped cream and is topped with fondant or powdered sugar. Contemporary versions of Mille feuille may also be made with savory fillings, or may use an alternative to the layers of flaky pastry, as in the recipe that follows this section.

Mont d’Or-or Vacherin du Haut Doubs, this dessert cheese has an AOC by which the government controls the place, method of fabrication, and quality of the cheese. Mont d’Or lies near the Swiss border, and this winter cheese has been made in that region for two centuries. Sold in a box and encircled by a length of pine wood, it continues to ripen until it is eaten. It is produced over a period of three weeks and then finished on spruce planks, where it is regularly flipped and rubbed with a canvas soaked in brine.

Moules marinaire-Mussels cooked in a marinade of white wine, butter, thyme, bay leaf, onion, and parsley.

Mousse de potiron au gingembre-Pumpkin and ginger mousse.

Navarin d’agneau-A ragoût of mutton or lamb cooked with potatoes and vegetables. Traditionally made in the spring with baby vegetables, it is seasoned with white wine, garlic, nutmeg, and a bouquet garni.

Oeufs en gelée-Hard-cooked eggs halved and then individually molded with Madeira-flavored gelatin, ham, and an assortment of chopped vegetables.

Pains au chocolat-Flaky croissant-like butter pastry baked around tablets of dark chocolate.

Pâté-Most often based on meat (pork, veal, fowl, game, and/or their variety meats), traditionally, a pâté is a meat stuffing wrapped in dough and baked. It may or may not be molded; it may be served hot or cold. A looser definition includes a pâté meant to be served in slices, cooked in a terrine dish and served cold, known as a pâté de campagne; or a pâté meant to be spread, i.e., foie gras.

Pâté de lapin aux noisettes-Pâté of rabbit with hazelnuts, seasoned with Porto, sausage, chicken livers, onions, chervil, thyme, and bay leaf.

Pintade aux figues sèches-Guinea fowl cooked with dried figs. A guinea fowl may be used as a substitute in recipes using pheasant or partridge.

Poulet rôti-Roasted chicken most commonly prepared on a rôtisserie.

Profiteroles-These miniature cream puffs may be stuffed with savory filling and served as an appetizer or with pastry cream, whipped cream, or jam and served as a dessert. Most common is a filling of vanilla ice cream with a garnish of hot chocolate sauce.