Bangers: Leave it to the British to call sausages a name that represents phallic symbolism. Now who said the English didn’t have a sense of humor!
Bearnaise: A classic Hollandaise sauce creation, made by adding a reduction of red wine vinegar and tarragon leaves. To tell you the truth, you’re just messing up a perfectly good Hollandaise.
Bechamel Sauce: Made with half & half or heavy cream and thicken with roux. Lightly season with white pepper and salt.
Beignet: French for a type or style of doughnut. Ahh! New Orleans in the morning, sitting in the French Market near Jackson Square, eating hot Beignets coated thick with powder sugar and sipping spicy Chicory Cafe’. It doesn’t get any better!
Beurre Blanc: A simple blended wine reduction and soften unsalted butter emulsified sauce with a touch of heavy cream added for longevity. Flavor it with residue from said dish it’s accompanying.
Biscotti: A hard crusted Italian cookie flavored with chocolate, ground almonds or sesame seeds, made for dunking into wine, coffee or just about anything liquid you desire.
Bisque: Any shellfish stock, thicken with cornstarch water (slurry), enriched with heavy cream and Cognac, garnished with said seafood from which stock was created. It’s an excellent soup.
Blanch: Vegetables, such as broccoli, green beans, carrots, etc., dipped into boiling water for a few minutes, removed and flash cooled. They retain full color and flavor, and maintain their distinct crunch. Later they may be re-heated in stir-fry method. Tomatoes can be treated in this method to easily remove their skin.
Blintz: Stuffed crepes filled with cream cheese and fruit filling, then topped with fruit preserves.
Bordelaise: Charred butter, diced fresh shallots, minced fresh garlic, beef stock, bone marrow and red wine combined to create a rich, bold brown sauce, for beef and veal dishes, slightly thicken with cornstarch water (slurry). Substitute fish stock and white wine to create white sauce for seafood.
Boudin: Smooth Cajun sausages made with ground pork, hog stomach, intestines, and just about anything else you consider eatable in this rotund squealer, and combine with rice or cornmeal, seasoned spicy and/or sweet and mild, then stuff it in intestinal skin. Boil it, steam it, grill it, cook it in sauce ... it’s all good!
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