by Aimee Keenan-Greene

Before you send out dinner invites, update your Facebook status with what you had for lunch, tweet a restaurant review, write for your food blog or text a recipe, check out the new Food Guidelines in the 2011 AP Stylebook.

The new section of the Stylebook is dedicated exclusively to food, wine and spirits. It has 140 new entries and consolidates more than 400 food names and terms.

“Whether it’s for blogs, books or mainstream media, good food writing demands a solid grasp of confusing and sometimes contradictory language. It made sense to use the AP’s expertise in setting the standards,” added J.M. Hirsch, AP food editor. “This new food section in the AP Stylebook reflects what we see anecdotally as a growing national interest in food writing and the need to answer language-based questions associated with that writing.”

The 16-page food section includes AP Recipe Style, as well as answers to style questions of the kitchen and table plus terms:

• locavore The preferred term for a person who strives to eat locally produced foods.

• adobo sauce A spicy red sauce made from chilies, herbs and vinegar that is common to Mexican cooking.

• amuse-bouche French, a bite-sized dish served at restaurants before the meal, usually free.

• blind bake To bake the crust of a pie before filling it.

• farmstead Generally used to describe a cheese produced solely from the milk of one farm.

• ghee A clarified butter used in Indian cooking.

• huitlacoche Also called corn smut. A fungus that grows on corn. Considered a delicacy of Mexican cuisine, it has a smoky-sweet flavor.

• orecchiette A small, disk-like pasta.

• pears In general, capitalize most varieties, including Anjou, Asian (also called apple pear), Bosc and Bartlett.

• sashimi A Japanese dish of thinly sliced raw seafood.

“With all the cooking shows, blogs and magazines focusing on food, as well as growing interest in organic and locally sourced foods, our new food section feels timely and on trend,” said Colleen Newvine, product manager of the AP Stylebook. “With this new addition to the AP Stylebook, The Associated Press is proud to bring clarity to the writing that describes and informs the new food movement.” 

The manual also includes social media updates. It is available online, in mobile apps, or hardcopy.