Burrata [burr-AH-tah]

WHAT? Cream cheese. On the outside, burrata appears to be fresh mozzarella. But the inside holds a surprise—an unctuous mix of cream and cheese curds. Burrata originated in Apulia and Basilicata in southern Italy and is one of several pasta filata cheeses. These cheeses—mozzarella, provolone, and cacicovallo are examples—begin with the formation of curd. The curd is heated in hot water so that it becomes melted and smooth, and then stretched, which forms the characteristically smooth surface. Burrata can also be filled with butter or a butter-and-sugar paste, hence its name. Another variation is Burrata di Andria, which is wrapped in the leaves of the aromatic asphodel plant, a member of the lily family.


WHEN? May 7, Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton, Campanile

Croquettes

WHAT? Dinner, recycled. Croquettes, originally a French term, were introduced into English cookery in the 18th century, Alan Davidson writes in his Oxford Dictionary of Food. The name comes from the French croquant, which means crunchy or crisp. Although the contents vary widely, croquettes are consistently small rounded shapes, ranging in size from a walnut to an egg, which are coated in egg and breadcrumbs and then fried, to a golden brown. Larousse writes that the filling of croquettes is a mixture of vegetables or cooked meats, usually leftover from another use, chopped fine and mixed with béchamel or brown sauce. Some of the most popular are chicken, ham, and salmon. Although in the United States, croquettes are associated, disparagingly, with '50s ladies' luncheons, their image is better elsewhere. Croquetas are eaten as sandwich fillings in Latin America and arancini, a form of Italian crocchetta, are beloved by Italian children.


WHEN? May 23, Tom Harkins and May 31, Jeffrey Tenner Lindbergh's Crossing,


Sekt

WHAT? — 1. a body of persons adhering to a particular religious faith; denomination. 2. a group regarded…No, no, no! Not that kind of sect. Sekt. It's German for sparkling wine, or rather a particular type of sparkling wine made in Germany. The name is attributed to a 19th-century Shakespearean actor in Berlin named Ludwig Devrient, who used the phrase "cup of sack" (a strong white wine imported from Spain by the English) as a joke when asking for his favorite drink, Champagne. By law, the best sekts are actually known in Germany as Deutscher Sekt (made from 100 percent German grapes) or Deutscher Sekt bA (made from grapes grown in one of 11 specific regions). Although the mix of grapes varies, many of the best are made exclusively from Riesling. According to Hugh Johnson, the quality ranges from insipid to inspired, but the flowery and fruity flavors have nothing in common with Champagne except the bubbles.


WHEN? May 3, Odessa Piper, L'Etoile


Sous-Vide [soo-veed]
WHAT? Haute boil-in-bag cooking. Conceptually the opposite of pressure cooking, sous-vide is a technique whereby foods are vacuum sealed in plastic bags and cooked in a temperature-controlled water bath. It was developed by Georges Pralus in 1974, while he was working at Troisgros. Sous-vide spread throughout the Michelin three-star set, but it didn't make a large impact in the United States until now, when it seems to be filling a vacuum. Because most sous-vide dishes are prepared individually, it aids in portion control and increases efficiency on the hot line. Cooking in a sealed environment also minimizes product shrinkage. And rather than evaporating into the air, the juices and flavors remain trapped inside the bag. The sous-vide technique also proves helpful as chefs increasingly travel to cook guest dinners; they can literally just boil in the bag, slit it open, and serve.


WHEN? May 15, Sandro Gamba, NoMI at the Park Hyatt