Leftovers

Even if you've dined out every night for years, sometime you're going to find yourself puzzled by a term on a menu.

Oh, sure, you probably know the meanings of, say, "flan" and "gnocchi," but we'll bet you weren't aware that "vesiga" is marrow from the spine of a sturgeon.

That one doesn't come up too often, it's true. But if it did -- or if, say, "goose confit" was on the menu -- wouldn't you be tempted to stick with the pork chops and potato pancakes? Of course you would, and that's why you should try our dining vocabulary quiz. Answers follow, but no cheating: Remember, next time you dine out, udo could be on the menu.

1) Beche de Mer
a) A hot-water bath used to keep food warm
b) A town in Brittany famous for its salt-pasture sheep; also, mutton from that town

c) French for "sea cucumber"
d) A clumsy waiter (derogatory)

2) Antojitos
a) Mexican appetizers or snacks meant to be eaten quickly
b) A Mexican dish of worms deep-fried in lard
c) A Mexican breakfast dish of eggs and crumbled tortillas
d) Spanish for "antacid tablets"

3) Mache
a) A salad or relish made with corn
b) An uncooked mixture of flour and butter, added to soups to thicken them
c) A wild lettuce with a nutty flavor
d) The principal ingredient in the famed French pastry papier-mache

4) Rillettes
a) A restaurant in London known for its creative approach to traditional British cuisine

b) A potted meat spread, served cold
c) Cigar-shaped dumplings, traditionally made of salmon
d) Tooth marks in a piece of meat, regarded as an indication it has been sampled in the kitchen

5) Pecorino
a) Any Italian cheese made from sheep's milk
b) Italian for "small sandwich"
c) A suckling pig
d) A fabled sexual vice of chefs, mentioned only in whispers

6) Asafetida
a) A spicy Brazilian sauce made from green chiles and toasted cassava flour
b) A spice used in Indian cooking to replace garlic and onions
c) Any food poisoning other than that caused by bacteria

d) Now rare, the so-called "plain seasoning" that supposedly removes flavor from a dish

7) Grana
a) Tiny units of pasta, served with butter
b) A granular cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano
c) A pomegranatelike fruit grown in New Zealand

d) Holy relics consisting of preserved morsels of food believed to have been left over by the saints

8) Ponzu
a) A dipping sauce containing rice vinegar, soy sauce, and mirin
b) Skewers of marinated chicken
c) Dried flakes of sea cucumber used as seasoning
d) The code of honor among sushi chefs

9) Brodo
a) Thinly sliced air-dried beef
b) Soup of white beans, tomatoes, and bacon
c) Italian for "broth"

d) A Greek dish consisting of a lamb slowly baked in a sweater knitted from its own wool

10) Surimi
a) Japanese ersatz crab meat
b) Japanese for "skate"
c) A Japanese dish of raw fish marinated in vinegar
d) A Japanese term meaning "food suitable for little girls"

11) Harissa
a) A Tunisian chile-garlic sauce
b) A Moroccan meat pie made with phyllo dough
c) A Middle Eastern dessert similar to shredded wheat with honey and nuts

d) The steam emitted from a live lobster or crab when plunged into boiling water, prized as a seasoning

12) Gremolata
a) An Italian dessert of ice cream sandwiched between wafers
b) A Greek sheep's-milk cheese wrapped in mint leaves
c) A seasoning made of minced parsley, lemon peel, and garlic

d) The classic dessert of Corsica, literally "pebble milk," consisting of a ball of fresh snow saturated with mare's milk and garnished with small, frozen chocolate "pebbles"

13) Cardoons
a) Scottish butter cookies
b) Strips of fat inserted into meat to keep it tender during roasting
c) Vegetables resembling a cross between artichokes and celery
d) Ancient Canadian eating utensils, similar to chopsticks but larger

14) Carambola
a) Elaborately staged cuisine, named for its innovator, dadaist Antonino Carame

b) A salad containing tomatoes, fresh basil, green beans, and black olives
c) The star fruit
d) Any dish that moves of its own accord; e.g., live prawns

Answers
1c 2a 3c 4c 5a 6b 7b 8a 9c 10a 11a 12c 13c 14c

Scoring
0-5: You need to dine out more often -- and maybe try some places where the menu isn't displayed on a large plastic sign.

6-10: Don't hesitate to ask your waiter if you don't know what something is. And try to remember the answer for next time.

11 or higher: Either you cheated, or you spend a lot of time (and money) eating. If the latter, well done! The city needs more people like you.

More than one d): Umm, there are some really good frozen pizzas on the market these days.

By Paul Adams