Culinary Terms Explained

Guns.com Vault
Gather App
S

shouldazagged

Absent Comrade
Joined
Feb 4, 2013
Messages
19,335
Reaction score
38,420
City & State/Province
Louisville, KY, USA
(I don't know, this just seemed like a good idea at the time. Probably I need professional help.)

RUSTIC: I was too lazy or clumsy to dice everything neatly.

CREME BRULEE: I have no idea how I managed to burn the custard.

HAUTE CUISINE: You can't afford it, and wouldn't appreciate it because you're an American.

NOUVELLE CUISINE: You can't afford it, and wouldn't appreciate it because you aren't a New Yorker.

SOUFFLE: Hey, if they can charge money for water, I can charge bigger money for air.

MICHELIN STARS: See HAUTE CUISINE.

PRESENTATION: One and a half ounces of the course, on a square or triangular plate, with four fava beans and squiggles of prune-and-chive puree. And that's the dessert.

AU JUS: If you say "with au jus", see HAUTE CUISINE.

TIRAMISU: What can we do with this nasty stale coffee?

FUSION: Okay, how about a sweet chipotle clam taco with vanilla, on a bed of kimchi? Works for me.

TUSCAN: You know, if people forget that silly movie we're screwed.

MIREPOIX: Has that bag of frozen mixed vegetables thawed yet?

EN CROUTE: Has that package of frozen pie crusts thawed yet?

KOBE BEEF: See NOUVELLE CUISINE.
 
Last edited:
At last! mysteries defined...I'm going to print that off & carry it in my wallet in case I ever need it for reference!:D
 
Just a bunch of terms that allow restaurants to overcharge for an entrée
that wouldn't fill up a canary!
 
One reason I go to the places on.........

Tripple D. ( D, D & D tv cook show )

A couple of 20's will cover the tab.....
and you don't have to ask what that thing on the menu is.

Bonappetit
 
BBQ:
covered in some sweet sugar glaze with a little smoke seasoning added.

Chefs Choice:
Mixmatched platters from last night OR it hit the floor today.

Ceasar salad:
went out back and dumped his lawn clippings on you plate.

Cuisine:
stuff the other guy wouldn't eat on a dare, at twice the price.

Haute cuisine:
dunno, to me it always meant 1/4th the food for 10X the price.
 
I guess I'm just a peasant, because I'll never understand those type of restaurants. Dinner should consist of a big slab of something that used to be a mammal, a fish, or a fowl; some type of potato (mashed, baked, fried etc); vegetable of choice (I admit to doing away with this one on occasion); bread product in some form (rolls, cornbread, whatever floats your boat). In quantities that obscure the plate. Include whatever seasoning or sauces you desire. Dessert should include your choice of pie, or chocolate, or ice cream. Or all three.
 
Grayfox said:
I got no business going to places like that. Most of those words I can't pronounce, much less understand. :confused:
Bein' a southern boy, I know that there are only two ways to properly prepare a meal. Fry it or grill it! :D
Click to expand...

Or simmer it long and slow with ham hock, salt pork, country bacon, or all of the above. As in greens, butterbeans, etc. :):)

I'm a Tennessee boy myself.
 
This is hilarious! :D

I do know the terms, largely from reading novels and wine magazines and books.

But there is merit in some of the comments above. I especially detest the concept of small portions at artificially elevated prices.
 
I especially detest the concept of small portions at artificially elevated prices.
Reply With Quote
Click to expand...

Jim, thank Alice Waters for that with Chez Panisse in Berkley.

Below is Tuesdays house selection.

Tuesday, March 18 $85
Nantucket Bay scallop and citrus salad with anise hyssop and Little Gems lettuce
Hand-cut fettuccine with asparagus, Pecorino, and black truffle cream
Paine Farm squab grilled with coriander and fennel seeds; with curly endive,
roasted radishes, and fried polenta verde
Almond parfait and chocolate sherbet meringata
 
OK, I'm officially stealing all these and sending them to my son...the chef. Of course he is a pastry chef specializing in chocolate.

CW
 
flambé: "I dare you to light that."

sorbet: "Oh for chrissakes, put some orange sherbert in a little bowl and be done with it already."

a la carte: "We can serve 'em leftovers, since it's too dark to read in here anyway."

gratuity: Socially-acceptable extortion.
 
Some friends took me out for dinner last week. Haven't eaten out much since the wife passed 5 years ago. Just eat at home alone. I like to died about the prices now, 5 flattened shrimp, a baked potato & salad bar was 14 bucks & coffee after was 2.09. And this was supposed to be a more inexpensive place. Hate to go to the places we went before.
 
That's one of the two main reasons I cook at home, Dick. The other is that I can turn out better food than most of those places.
 
You can't get out.....

Dick Rumbaugh said:
Some friends took me out for dinner last week. Haven't eaten out much since the wife passed 5 years ago. Just eat at home alone. I like to died about the prices now, 5 flattened shrimp, a baked potato & salad bar was 14 bucks & coffee after was 2.09. And this was supposed to be a more inexpensive place. Hate to go to the places we went before.
Click to expand...

You can't get out of McDonald's with two people nowadays for less than $15-20 bucks. Other places are even worse.
 
rwsmith said:
You can't get out of McDonald's with two people nowadays for less than $15-20 bucks. Other places are even worse.
Click to expand...

Remember when a basic hamburger at Mickey D's was the same price (20 cents) as a gallon of regular? And a cheeseburger cost the same (a quarter) as a gallon of Ethyl?

I always lobbied for the A&W instead. Better Root Beer. :)
 
shouldazagged said:
That's one of the two main reasons I cook at home, Dick. The other is that I can turn out better food than most of those places.
Click to expand...

You heard him, Forumites -- dinner tonight at Mike's! Bring a good appetite for great food, and pocket change!:D
 
Thanks for the definitions. I'm recently retired and learning on how to do the cooking duties now. I can read a cookbook and follow directions but some of the terms needed defining too but wife helps with that. I have cranked out some good dishes though and pleased with that.
As for prices in restaurants today they've got crazy. We went to a steakhouse in Troy, Michigan and the steaks started at $50.00 ala cart even. We got out of there at $165.00 for a good meal though. Even our local casual dining places are high and the casino last week was $20.00 for a nice buffet.
We've started using a website called Seize the Deal and buy coupons for restaurants at more reasonable prices. With our now reduced income it's the only way to eat out anymore.
 
Caramelize - just short of burnt to a crisp

Recipe - Step-by-step instructions for preparing ingredients you don't have

Al dente - in too big of a hurry to wait for it to be fully cooked

Crème fraîche - Sour whipped cream

Low Fat - add more sugar to cover the awful flavor

Oven - Device used for incinerating large amounts of meat and poultry

Microwave Oven - A space-age appliance that uses modern science to incinerate food without leaving it look like a charcoal briquette

Calorie - A measure used in the rationalization for having a second helping

Al La Carte - We can make more money on side dishes if we don't include them with the meal
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top