FOOD GLOSSARY - Terrapin to Tournedos

TERRAPIN:  Any of several North American fresh-water or tidewater turtles, especially the diamond-back terrapin found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING:  A salad dressing made of mayonnaise with various additions such as minced capers or pickles, parsley, chili sauce, ketchup, etc.

TIMBALE:  A custardlike, highly flavored dish made of chicken, lobster, fish, etc. baked in a small mold.

TIMBALE IRON:  A specially shaped iron used for making timbale cases.

TIMBALE MOLD:  Refers to any shape of mold in which delicate creamed mixtures are baked.

TOAD-IN-THE-HOLE:  A type of English baked meat pie with pieces of meat encased in a batter. In the United States, the name is sometimes also applied to eggs fried and served in slices of bread with the centers cut out.

TOAST (The cookery term.):  To brown by direct heat in a toaster, under a broiler, or by using any other direct heat source. Sometimes when recipes call for dried-out bread, you may be told to "toast" the bread in a slow oven.

TODDY:  A hot drink made of whiskey or some other liquor, sugar, lemon, and hot water.

TOFFEE:  A candy made by cooking a sugar solution to such a high temperature that it melts and becomes a crunchy but hard confection. Chocolate and nut coatings are common.

TOFU (Janpanese):  A curd cheese resembling cottage cheese made from soybeans. It is usually called for in sukiyaki recipes.

TORTE:  A rich cake, or cakelike dessert, usually made with crumbs or nuts, in several layers.

TORTILLA:  Very thin, flat cakes made of pounded corn or maize (a coarse corn meal), baked on a hot iron or slab of stone. It is eaten alone or used as a base for many Mexican dishes.

TOSS:  To mix ingredients lightly by tumbling them lightly with a lifting motion. To prevent crushing and to do a thorough job, use two implements: two forks or a fork and a spoon. The most usual use is mixing greens and other salad ingredients, coating them with dressing. "Tossed"; now describes a salad on many menus.

TOURNEDOS:  Small, uniform slices cut from the heart of the fillet of beef (tenderloin), which is usually encased in a thin layer of fat and securely tied. They are so cut for quick cooking. Tournedos are most often sauteed in butter or olive oil or in a mixture of the two. They may also be grilled but are generally considered better if sauteed.