Lecture 3: Menu Terms

Canapés and Hors D’oeuvres

• Canapés

  • Small bite-sized, savoury items; can be hot or cold.
  • Served as appetizers with an aperitif.
  • French origin, meaning 'sofa' or 'couch'.
  • Thin pieces of fried/toasted bread with savoury toppings.
  • Also known as hors d'oeuvres or appetizers; found at cocktail parties.

• Hors d'oeuvres

  • Small savoury appetizers served before a meal.
  • May be fancy canapés or simple items like crudités.

• Appetizers

  • Small bite-sized food served before a meal.
  • Can be finger food or the first course at a table.

International Variations

• Tapas: Spanish hors d'oeuvres.
• Mezze: In Greece, Turkey, Middle East, North Africa.
• Antipasto: Italian hors d'oeuvres.
• Dim Sum: Chinese hors d'oeuvres.
• Smörgåsbord: Swedish open sandwiches forming a buffet and full meal.

Aperitifs

• "Aperitif" means "to open"; intended to whet the appetite.
• Drunk before meals; not every drink is suitable as an aperitif (e.g., liqueurs may dull the appetite).

Amuse-Bouche

• Amuse: French term for appetizers, small portions served before the meal.
• Amuse-bouche: Little bites served in fine dining.
• Amuse-gueule: Casual bites in bistros or brasseries.

Entrees and Palate Cleansers

• Entree

  • In America: Main course.
  • In Europe: Dish between fish and meat courses.
  • In Australia: First course or appetizer.

• Palate Cleansers

  • Remove lingering flavours for fresh tasting of next course.
  • Effective cleansers include mild acidic, sour, bitter, and watery items.
  • Avoid sugary and fatty items as they coat the palate.

After-Dessert Treats

• Friandise

  • French for "treat"; confections like chocolates or petit fours after dessert.

• Mignardise

  • Derived from "mignard" (gracious, pretty, sweet); assortment of items after dessert.

• Petit Fours

  • Means "little oven"; includes various bite-sized baked items.
  • Petit four glacé: Iced or cream-filled.
  • Petit four sec: Plain or unfilled, like cookies.
  • Petit four vari: Assorted confections.
  • Petit four frais: Must be eaten the same day; includes pastries like madeleines and eclairs.

Tips on Preparing Canapés

• Encourages creativity; endless possibilities.
• Must be visually appealing and identical in make.
• Arrange 1-3 kinds on a tray for visual and practical effectiveness.