THE MENU – TERMS

STATIC MENU – A menu that offers the same dishes every day

CYCLE MENU – A menu that changes every day for a certain period and then repeats the same daily items in the same order

A LA CARTE – (1) Referring to a menu on which each individual item is listed with a separate price. (2) Referring to cooking to order, as opposed to cooking ahead in large batches

TABLE D’HOTE – (1) Referring to a fixed price menu with no choices. (2) Referring to a menu on which prices are listed for complete meals rather than for each separate item.

PRIX FIXE – French term meaning “fixed price”; referring to a menu offering a complete meal, with a choice of courses, for one given price

COURSE – A food or group of foods served at one time or intended to be eaten at the same time

MINIMUM-USE INGREDIENTS – Those ingredients that are used in one or two items on your menu

FRESH – If you call something fresh, it must be fresh, not frozen, canned, or dried. There is no such thing as “fresh frozen.”

IMPORTED – An item labeled “imported” must come from outside the country

HOMEMADE – The word “homemade” means that the item was made on the premises. Adding a few fresh carrots to canned vegetable soup does not make it homemade

CALORIE – The amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1°C. Used as a measure of food energy

CARBOHYDRATE – Any of a group of compounds, including starches & sugars, which supply energy to the body

SATURATED FAT – A fat that is normally solid at room temperature

UNSATURATED FAT – A fat that is normally liquid at room temperature

CHOLESTEROL – A fatty substance found in foods derived from animal products and in the human body; it has been linked to heart disease

COMPLETE PROTEIN – A protein that supplies all the amino acids necessary in the human diet

COMPLEMENTARY PROTEIN – Protein supplied by foods that, if eaten together, supply all the amino acids necessary in the human diet

VITAMIN – Any of a group of compounds that are present in foods in very small quantities and that are necessary for regulating body functions

AMERICAN SERVICE – Plated in kitchen & carried to customers

FRENCH SERVICE – Tableside preparation

RUSSIAN SERVICE – Preportioned – put on platter then put on plate

ENGLISH SERVICE – Done from one end of the table to the other end of the table and back