Fahrenheit – Temperature scale where 32° is freezing and 212° is boiling
Falafel – Middle Eastern deep-fried croquettes made of spiced ground chickpeas
Farce – Forcemeat
Farfalle – Literally “butterflies”; bow-tie pasta with crinkled edges
Fava Bean – Large, flat bean with tough skin (also called broad bean)
Feijoada – Brazilian dish similar to cassoulet, made with black beans
Fenugreek – Very hard seed grown in Middle East, used as spice
Fermented Black Beans – Aromatic beans cooked with salt, ginger (Chinese)
Fettuccine – Literally “little ribbons”; basic flat egg noodles
Filet – Thin cut of meat, fish, or poultry removed from bone
Fillet – To remove bones from fish or meat before cooking
Filter – To remove impurities by pouring through cheesecloth or strainer
Financier – Small cake made with ground nuts and whipped egg whites
Fines Herbes – Fine mixture of herbs used to season
Finnan Haddie – Scottish name for smoked haddock
Fish Sauce – Thin brown sauce made by fermenting fish with salt and soy sauce
Five-Spice Powder – Chinese blend of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel, Szechuan pepper
Flake – To break food into small pieces
Flambé – Method of cooking where foods are splashed with liquor and ignited
Flan – Open top tart filled with pastry cream and fruit, or Spanish egg custard
Flour – Finely ground grain of wheat, corn, rice, oat, rye, or barley
Flute – Decorative scalloped edge on pastry
Focaccia – Italian flatbread topped with olive oil, herbs, garlic, cheese
Foie Gras – Fattened duck or goose liver
Fold – Combining ingredients with spatula using side to side motion
Fond – Basic stock or essences
Fondant – Icing made of sugar syrup and glucose
Fondue – Swiss cheese dish melted with wine, or hot oil/broth for cooking meat
Fricassée – Stew prepared without initial browning of meat
Frijoles – Beans (Spanish)
Frijoles Refritos – Refried beans (Mexican)
Frittata – Italian open-faced omelette
Fritter – Food dipped in batter and deep fried
Fritto Misto – Italian mixed fried platter, similar to tempura
Frizzle – To fry julienne vegetables in hot oil until crisp
Fruit Pectin – Substance found in fruits that gels liquids
Fumet – Aromatic broth made for use in soups and sauces
Fusilli – Spiral shaped pasta