Reader doesn’t relish confusing culinary terms
June 9, 2005
Foodly Yours column by PAT ERNST DUGAN

Dear Chef Pat: I am so confused about hors d’oeuvre recipe titles.

I watch the food channel, and one chef’s tapenade is another’s pate. One food magazine describes a relish, another names a similar recipe a salsa. And what is the difference between a dip and a spread? Can you clarify or create a culinary dictionary of these terms for me? By the way how does one spell hors d’oeuvre?
— Signed, befuddled, bewildered and just plain perplexed
Dear puzzled pupil, liberties abound in the world of culinary wizardry! I share your recipe titling frustrations. To get to the beginning of things, we start with Andre Simon’s “French Cook Book,” since the word itself, after all, is French.
“Hors d’oeuvre means ‘outside the meal’ and regardless of how many different sorts may be provided ‘outside’ or before any one meal, there is but one meal or oeuvre, so that, in French, oeuvre remains in the singular and hors d’oeuvre never is written hors d’oeuvres.”
Through popular usage we also use the term finger foods, appetizers (shortened as apps), starters and cocktail party food. With the little plates of Spain so popular today (tapas), parties consisting solely of finger foods are completely satisfying.
The concept of each term is critical to this question. You can then take your own liberties and determine how you will describe your own party openers.
Basically pate in French means a paste, not very appetizing but the chef-created variations today are terrific. Not only do you find liver or pork pates to purchase, but recipes abound for carrot, crab and mushroom pates along with tri-colored vegetable terrines (oops, another descriptor—the traditional mold for a pate is called a terrine).
In today’s pates, the main flavor ingredient is usually pureed, seasoned, mixed with other ingredients and molded. Hint: line the mold with plastic wrap leaving long handles to remove after refrigerating. Surround the plate with tiny baguette slices and a spreader.
Tapenade is another tricky title. Everyone has olives on their mind, right? The French word tapeno means capers. Classic tapenade is a spread of Provencal origin consisting of capers, black olives and anchovies, pureed with olive oil.
Last week I developed the Olives ’N Figs recipe below. I now have my own titling dilemma. The mixture is pureed, so if I molded it, I could name it a pate. It certainly borders on the tapenade possibilities with half olives, yet no capers.
A dip and a spread are defined as savory creamy mixtures. Yes, this recipe also qualifies! What then should I title it? I do know what it is not. It is not a salsa or a relish. A salsa is defined as a spicy sauce of chopped uncooked vegetables or fruit. Relish differs somewhat by its “pickled” nature, that is, with the addition of vinegar, lemon or lime juices. But then, salsas can be simply fresh chopped veggies or fruits with vinegar or lime additions. Perhaps the key lies in how the mixtures are served.
Try this store-bought starter appetizer: To one cup of your favorite thick and chunky salsa, add 1 avocado, diced. Serve with large corn chips and announce it as Freshened-up Salsa Dip.

Olives ’N Figs Appetizer
4 ounces Kalamata figs
ì cup water
ì cup oil-cured pitless Kalamata olives
1 teaspoon orange zest
ì teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
ì teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Boil water in small saucepan and add figs. Turn heat down and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Add olives and simmer another 5 minutes. Water should be absorbed into figs and olives.
Add mixture to food processor bowl and pulse several times, until combined. Add zest, garlic, rosemary, pepper, olive oil and orange juice. Process until well combined.
Remove mixture to serving bowl and stir in almonds. Or place in mold and refrigerate. Serve with baguette slices (parmesan peppercorn).
Yield: one cup.
Pat Ernst Dugan is a private chef, educator, and food/recipe writer. E-mail her at foodlyyours@aol.com or send comments and questions to be forwarded to: Foodly Yours, Star-Gazette, Attn: Features Department, 201 Baldwin St., P.O. Box 285, Elmira, NY 14902.