Finally! The Elements of Cooking, my guide to the language of the kitchen, has been published in the form it was meant to be in—paperback, an edition affordable for students (just $10 from Amazon), light and bendable for stuffing into backpacks or knife kits. Eric Ripert, chef-owner of the 4-star restaurant, Le Bernardin, calls it "simply the best reference book and educational tool available for anyone interested in the basics of the culinary arts."
I've always felt this was a required resource for all young cooks or new cooks, except for its hardcover price tag. Wonderful Scribner and the visionary editor Beth Wareham, have now changed that.
Sam Sifton, NYTimes restaurant critic, said this about the book in the The NYTimes Book Review:
A deeply opinionated rundown of the essential knowledge all cooks and food people need, the book also contains three of the most important sentences anyone reading about cookbooks may see this or any year. They are found under the entry for "recipes." "Recipes are not assembly manuals," Ruhlman writes. "Recipes are guides and suggestions for a process that is infinitely nuanced. Recipes are sheet music." [I posted the entire entry for "recipes" here.]
Sifton was, at the time, cultural editor at The Times. After reading The Elements of Cooking, he became the paper's restaurant critic. Coincidence?
Choosing it as a book of the month for Amazon.com when it was first published in 2007, Brad Thomas Parsons, wrote this:
Inspired by the Strunk and White classic, Michael Ruhlman's The Elements of Cooking will quickly prove to be an essential culinary reference for both seasoned cooks and novices who might not know gravlax from gremolata. After a thorough "Notes on Cooking," Ruhlman, a prolific cookbook author and popular blogger, settles in for an opinionated and informative A-Z roundup (from Acid to Zester) of cooking terms, lessons, and techniques reduced to their essential essence. Even with only one recipe (for veal stock), it's a must-have for every kitchen library--a book that will help you re-think your approach to food.
As part of my mission to get this information, if not this actual book, into the hands and heads of everyone who cooks, I'm giving away signed copies to five randomly chosen people who leave their favorite culinary term below (please leave a working email—it won't be published—to ensure I can contact you). Winners will be chosen via Twitter on Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. or so, Cleveland time.
Please spread the word! I truly am excited that this book is available for such a low price.
Update 4/20: More than 600 people have commented as I write this, more than I expected. I will give away TEN signed copies, if I get more than 1000 unique comments!
4/21: Time for commenting is concluded.
"All day", because it confused the living daylights out of me, hearing the cooks call it over and over again at the food stands, till I finally leaned over and asked one. "What is this all day thing?" "Oh, that's just a way of counting *everything* we have to make still".
i had same reaction!
Maybe it was a childhood watching Looney Tunes, but Fricassee has always been one of my favorites.
I'm from Louisiana originally, and one of my favorite cooking terms is mirepoix. Roux is right up there, though, too.
Spatchcock
I really like mise en place. And amuse-bouche....
braise. i love anything that's been braised.
I've always thought the word saute sounded so elegant!
I think the short essay "Salt" is some of the best, most informative food writing ever. I loved it. The term I best remember looking up is "quenelle." Before "Elements of Cooking," I'd had no idea whether it referred to ingredients, technique or what. I was delighted to find it in your book and admired your definition's clarity.
"BEHIND! (you)"
We use this at home when it's just me and mr. RNR cooking!
(no need to enter me in the drawing, just wanted to contribute)
I think roux is an excellent word for an excellent substance. And I think this book sounds quite excellent, too.
Brine. It's magic.
I took a cooking class at Sur La Table this past Friday evening and heard the term 'Chiffonade' for the first time and loved it. We were then taught the proper way to chiffonade herbs for the dish we were making.
Succotash - as in 'sufferin succotash' from the old Sylvester cartoons. I had to explain to my husband that there was such a thing as succotash then make it for him.
My favorite culinary term is DEGLAZE. Can't go wrong with that technique!
"Cure."
Aromatics-I love to grow different herbs and spices and use them in my cooking fresh from our garden.
Macerate It sounds like you're going all medieval on a food...
deglaze...yum!
infuse is a good one, especially in reference to vodka and seasonal fruits
I always liked "julienne." I'm sure you could guess why.
I like the word 'whisk' because the sound of it is so descriptive of the actual action of whisking. Although, typing this, I've said it in my head too many times and I'm beginning to question if it's actually a word or not... 😉
"Chop." It's not exactly onomatopoeia, but it's close enough. It sounds clean and decisive.
Without a doubt "brown", since that generates some delicious flavor.
I've been figuring out the ins and outs of baking with sourdough, and your methods for mixing and baking have been invaluable to me. Right now my favorite term is "proof."
salumi
I like poilée (?sp)
remoulliage-- a beautiful french word that, if understood right, leads to such beautiful stocks
Roux is mine, it is a mystery to me
so many to choose from! I do love the way "rolling boil" sounds 🙂
Whisk. Simple, yes, but I love whisking and usually love the results...mmm food. Great giveaway. Even if I don't win this is going on my "to buy" list. Ratio was pure genius!
-Rachel
I love the word mirepoix and use it in my favorite cooking method, braising.
caramelize
GBD: Golden, Brown and Delicous
Render. Every time I hear it used in day-to-day life I can only think of delicious duck fat.
This is really easy.
Charcuterie.
Oh dear! Reading through this list simply spells out my lack of cooking terms!
How about bake? So much yummy goodness comes from baking!
"Salsa". I live in Texas, so therefore, I live on this stuff.
demi-glace...
Flambé - food and fire - what else is there to life?
Ratio.
That alone has taken my cooking/baking skills to a new level.
Oooh. I love the word "poach". It has a sense of adventure and plunder, but is actually a gentle technique.
I love the word "sauté," partially because the term makes so much sense once you look at the etymology.
Ceviche
chiffonade
Pickle...both the noun and the verb!
Favorite culinary term? Easy--ream.
mise en place...because whenever everything is in place, my cooking falls into place.
I always perk up when someone starts talking about: Hydrocolloids!
Although I have very little practice or actual experience with them, the things people make with them fascinate me! I'm currently reading The Fat Duck cookbook and have Alinea lined up next. So, hopefully, after that I will understand much more about them.
I love "sear" because it sounds so simple but gives such flavor.
Mis en Place. 'nuff said. Get your mis all set and you can rock it.
"to taste" (as in 'salt and pepper to taste') captures everything mysterious in the process.
I like when Mise En Place is shortened to "Meeps".
"brunoise"
I read somewhere that a "grigne" is the French term for the lip of a bread crust. I love that there is a term for such a small detail.
mise en place it does so much for the cook.
clarified butter - essential for saute
Sauté I like to think the "é" on the end is a little saucy haha
My favorite is "bruschetta" because Iike to pronounce it correctly and then enjoy the weird looks I get. You could include "brunoise" in the same category.
Roast. A can't think of a single meat or vegetable that isn't delicious after slow-roasting.
"caramelize"
'cause if it's being applied to food, chances are I'll like it.
- Vince
I was going to say "to taste" but it looks like someone beat me to it. But I'm sticking with it. Tasting is what all of it is about.
I love the term "enrobe." It just sounds so formal and decadent!
Mise en place. I know there several entries for this one already, but that should only emphasize its' importance. My cooking quality increases dramatically when I have my mise en place.
Mise en Place has changed the way I cook. Having everything set up ahead of time helps to eliminate a lot of headaches.
Poach. Because it can mean something nice (poached egg or poached fish) or something not nice (poached, i.e., stolen egg or fish.)
"In the weeds"
"in the weeds"
Spatchcock - I love the look on people's faces when you say you spatchcocked a chicken.
emulsify
I have been reading Julia Child's memoir and her work on mayonnaise and sauces making was remarkable.
The trinity!!
Maillard reaction - is there a tastier chemical reaction?
Fried.
🙂
Knife Skills - and I love it especially when Morimoto is on Iron Chef showing some off with knives that probably cost more than my house did...
Zest. It's just a fun, lively sounding word that smells exactly like it sounds.
Brunoise.
Someone stole 'to taste' but in the same vein I will add:
'season'
a term that obscures more than it clarifies. 'season to taste' doubly so. And both hint that what one is about in the kitchen is a deeply personal activity guided as much by preference and experience as as history and convention.
I have to say 'Mirepoix'. That confuses people as much as the word 'Spatchcock'.
Charcuterie. The source of all things good 🙂
Yay! Its a good gift too. Like cookbooks in paperback format, one doesn't feel bad if some sauce falls on them!
Favorite cooking term? Probably macerate, just sounds so sexy.
Dans la merde. Only the french could make a fubar situation sound charming.
Quahog
It makes you want to clam up
Transglutaminase ... experimented with it to create clam noodles.
Mis en place. because everything else is so much easier when you are prepared!
What can I say? I'm fond of "fond". Although if I had been here earlier, "spatchcock" would have made it harder for me to decide.
mis a plat is one of my faves. Also Zest. And Mirepoix. Love the cover!
Mis en Place is my favorite, because it helps me stay out of the weeds.
I'm going to go with "sweat." I remember learning it (from a TV show, I believe), and realizing that it just put a word on the way my mother taught me to cook onions.
Emulsify
Mise en place ~ Cause it's the pounding "Bass" of everything!
to brown - Because when I learned to cook the recipe called to brown the meat. I was like WHAT?!? How do I turn it brown? Should I color it?
"86" has always intrigued me.
Coulibiac...I've recently wrestled with many.
Umami. It so frequently leads to using other interesting words, like glutamate.
mise en place. Organized chaos.
Gosh...so many...
Sear - always a good option with good meat
Deglaze - what one does AFTER searing to create amazing sauces
Rest - what every meat requires after cooking
But yeah, emulsify does the trick, too. 😉
Dépouiller - gotta get the scum to rise to the top to skim it off! gotta love clear stocks!
emulsion -good for cooking as well as my chosen profession (engineering)
ZEST! It just sounds so... zesty!
My favorite is remoulade, Fancy mayo. It's 1000 Island Dressing but with style and substance.
the "new" taste - Umami
Chiffonade
'Fond.' Those magical crusty bits on the pan that, when I discovered them, led to all sorts of tasty revisions in my personal cooking style. Transformed all my dishes, from roast chicken to collard greens to tomato soup (mmmm, bacon fond), and ensured I would never look at non-stick cookware the same.
I like the term "blanch"
Oh I just though of another one, actually 2, dash and pinch. The wee tiny measurement amounts that make all the difference. This needs just a dash of hot sauce or this needs a pinch of salt. From blah to yum is such a small amount.
I love the word "emulsify" - partially because it's so often used incorrectly. I also pretty much exclusively hear it in Jacques Pepin's voice when I think about the word.
Dice and mince are two great culinary words. In one simple word they convey exactly how fine you need something cut up.
aromats!
Caramelize - all that is brown,crisp, sweet, savory, and delicious.
pate a choux is fun to say 🙂
i like reduction. it's a sauce AND a verb. 🙂
I feel like a copy cat, but I also love "fond". What could be better than the foundation of flavor?
Maillard reaction
Braise - reminds me of yesterday's dinner. yum!
pate a choux- i learned how to make them using your video guide. Plus I just love saying the word
Mise en place. Yes, there are funnier sounding and more titillating terms out there, but once I finally learned about how to properly do my "mise," I became not only a better cook, but a more efficient one.
splash - who measures how much a splash is anyway? I rarely - if ever - measure out a teaspoon of vanilla for any recipe so am I using a splash of vanilla because it doesn't hit a measuring spoon before the bowl? The crazy things I ponder late at night...
Grill- It's how we cook most of our meat.
Bake. Not fancy, but I sure do like to eat things that have been baked.
"Stiff peaks." Seems dirty to me.
I love
mise en place
I used to be the person who grabbed ingredients as I went and invariably screwed up something. These lovely words made me a better cook!
"ratatouille"~ fun to say, simple & delicious to create and eat.
braise!
I like a roux of any hue.
"à la minute" -- not only because of its visual and verbal elegance, as well as its culinary etymology, but its practice--the act: not unlike a memorable culinary quickie, with profound, possibly earth-shaking, synesthetic resonance, long after the fact.
Flambe - so much fun, such neat results. I can't help but like any excuse to apply a blowtorch.
flambee...just has a good wring to it
I've always liked macerate. It always seemed like it should mean "beat the heck out of."
Beignet - Went to New Orleans years ago for a vacation, and I've yet to find pastry with a more enjoyable name or taste.
'Chiffonade' - souns elegant to me 😉
"Remouillage" because it sounds super French, complicated, and impressive when you say it, but it means something very basic.
Maillard reaction.
whisk - there's energy and speed in the sound of the word! 🙂
Mise en place. Totally helps avoid kitchen disaster (ask me how I know!)
I know I won't be the only one to say "roux".
I like the term glazed! Sounds yummy!
Chiffonade - sounds cool and looks cool, too!
"season to taste" a term that probably couldn't be more vague while requiring a very specific result.
Double cream. Actually, I have a copy of this in hardback, and when I sat down and opened the book, it opened to that page. I've often wondered, since the time I lived in London, if one could reduce heavy whipping cream into double cream. McGee gives the fat percentages, so the required reduction can be calculated. Need to get back into that. But it's an extremely useful reference.
Beurre monté
I'm an organization freak: mise en place
Bain-Marie......sounds so fancy 🙂
Ruhls, I haven't checked Amazon in Canada yet, but I am going to get copies of this for everyone.
Amazing!
Favourite term: (This is a family Blog so I will refrain)
Acid
I became a better cook when I learned to balance the acidity of my dishes. Adding a little acid to a dish - instead of salt - can make the taste really pop. And it's healthier too!
Plus, Bourdain tells some pretty interesting stories about when he was on acid...
mise en place
Rest. It's not only when the magic happens, but when the wine is "officially" served.
Fricassee, baby!
Forcemeat
I not only like the way it sounds but it can be such a scrumptious culinary ingredient in a variety of creations or simply enjoyed all by itself depending on what variety you are working with.
Emulsify
demi-glace. Such an intense flavor.
Macerate. Sounds so wrong but tastes so right.
Season. The verb and the noun.
julienne, if only for the fact that i've yet to conquer it.
every time i've tried to micro julienne quickly, i've cut myself!
au poive
While terms that involve the preparation of food are certainly interesting and important - there is a much better one. A term that is music to any chef, cook, or diner alike. As Julia would say: "bon appétit"
confit! Delicious!
A bunch of favorites (and obviously, favorites of others).
mise en place-never really thought about it, until I had it ingrained in my head from "art" and "soul" about working on your mise in an orderly and disciplined manner. This is one of the fundamental improvements in my cooking from those years ago.
fond-it always reminds me of your infatuation (obsession?) with veal stock. It all really came together with your treatise on the subject in "elements." I guess that makes me fond of fond.
zest - it makes things taste zesty
Stir--basic and magical.
Now I turn pedantic: Am I nuts, or is BG nuts? "Reduction" is NOT a verb. Reduce is......
"aspic"
It just sounds too funny.
Mirepoix
can't believe I'm the first to post that!
knead - always worth the effort
"monter au beure" or plain old "mount" in English. Butter makes everything better and like Josh's entry, gotta love the naughtiness.
Liaison
Mise en place !
Just to go against all of the French terms, I'm going to go with "Wok" -- fun to say and fun to use.
demi-glace
To take a delicious stock, and be able to reduce it further and still have it hold in balance with flavor. A spectacular achievement, and then a scrumptous opportunity.
It may be too late for me, but I would love for my daughter to learn to cook well!
Mirepoix!
marinate
amuse-bouche
caramelize - it's deeply colorful and deeply flavorful and rich.
proof
Beat
Mirepoix!
zest ---- lots of applications
whisk - one of my favorite tools
Mise en place. It's made cooking so much more relaxing and enjoyable.
Garde manger...It's a humbling station to say the least...
Mirepoix
Knead. Only because its so satisfying to do by hand. Especially when you eat your hard work.
Flavedo - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Orange_cross_section_description.png
I'm more of a science nerd.
"mounting" (usually steak) with butter : )
Sauté - which literally mean "jump"
Mine would be caramelize.
Slippery coating - the magical thing you do to beef before stir frying to give it that most incredible texture.
Concasse: to rough chop a monder tomato that has been seeded. Monder: blanched and peeled
I kind of love emulsify. It sounds straight out of science fiction to me. "Stop, or I'll be forced to emulsify you!" It connotes transmogrify to me. Hmm. Perhaps I should be threatening more transmogrify in the kitchen...
Confit - Transforming something good into somthing great by preserving it.
Salt...the noun and the verb.
I love 'saute' Everything about it including what it does to food!
It's definitely "mirepoix"!
Zest...adds flavor and it just sounds exciting.
Etouffe
Gratin.
Defined in Larousse Gastronomique as "the thin crust formed on the surface of certain dishes when they are browned in the oven or under the grill..." Yum.
Braised, Confit and Cilantro (the herb not the singer).
Fond - recently finally learned the word for that delicious stuff!
sous vide - underwater anything intrigues yet scares me at the same time...
Chinois: i could never get through work with out it, and its so much fun to say.
Ferment. Definitely.
Finese. Even at home, it matters.
remouillage - never even occurred to me before Elements of Cooking, but changed everything for me because I am no longer guarding stock as a precious commodity ("simmer in water or stock"... stock, no way, remouillage though, sure)
grill
Proof and zest!
steep
Amuse-Gueule Impossible to get your tongue around, not to mention your ear, unless you are French....but, usually an intriguing offering.
Sear.
*daydreams*
Galangal...I just love saying it 😉
Excited to go get this book.
Marc
Spatchcock.
This week, I'd have to go with gougere (or, what happens when cheese and crackers grow up).
Eat
Ooooh! I hope I win a copy of your book!
My favorite term - gremolata. It just feels good to say it.
Sauce (as a verb)
Amuse bouche. It's just so darn...amusing...to say!
"Mettre la main à la pâte."
Literally translated as, "putting one's hand to the dough," it means being willing to participate in an activity that will require some effort...i.e. heavy lifting required in this kitchen
amuse bouche
Rasp!
Umami!
spatchcock!
After cooking all day with my cousin Anne in the countryside of France, we would call the family together to eat.... one announcement of "á table" and all the family would gather within moments. Everyone had learned that when Anne was ready to serve, they should be ready to eat.
Gordon Ramsey says, "Blitz" when using the Cuisinart or blender. I love it.
Pinch!
sweat
I'm a big fan of "mince" myself.
Poach, particularly, but not exclusively, related to eggs.
Not really a term, but I love to say it...
Arabica! (Has to be said with verve, as if calling everyone for a dance!)
"the trinity" and roux
mise en place
Boobs... since it's my favorite term I use it in my kitchen all the time.
"Temper"
spatchcock or flambe.
Sounds like an awesome book! I'm buying it even if I don't win! (but would still be awesome to win) 🙂
Mise-en-place.
Sear.
emulsify
Shock
Bake. The source of so much goodness.
Mirepoix
Braise.
I love making interesting things out of cheap cuts.
I've already got the book in hardcover but the paperback will be my knockabout copy.
Mash!
Mise en place
Brunoise
bon appetit! (does this count? if not: "julienne" is lovely.)
fritter
Mise en place... period.
"Sweat the onions."
Bacon.
Cure, from lardo, lox, and hundreds of more amazing foods come from this one technique.
GBD or Golden brown and delicious? or I suppose Confit!
Well, it is getting warmer outside so I'm going to go with "grill."
Looking forward to the book!
Favorite term: pickled. Pickled anything. Can't go wrong with something pickled 🙂
Whether encased by sheep parts or restrained by a synthetic imitator, nothing quite hammers it home like:
'Sausage'
'Stock' is my fave culinary term.
"Season To Taste"
Coulis. Sounds fancy, but so simple.
mise en place
When everything is where you need it it makes for some great results.
'Uncork'!
A close second is 'decant'.
(My least favorite is 'debone'...)
macerate.
"gratiné"
Crusts -of all kinds- are underappreciated.
I like the word "fond" which in french means foundation but can also mean the end or the bottom of something.
Sharing. Food would be nothing without sharing...
Roux - Aside from the word sounding extremely soothing to me, it's something so simple that adds an amazing complexity and I love it.
"Zugzwang." Oh, wait... that's chess.
My favorite culinary term is "deckle", because it tastes so good.
"Frothy": it's the beginning of magic!
86!
brulee!
Remoulade
Sizzle
You can't ever go wrong when you sizzle anything!
Knead because it sounds like "need". And we all need to get our hands in our food sometimes!
Infuse
brunoise
Infuse
A la minut!
liaison - definately helped me get closer to my sauces
mocahete- although I no longer have one
Chiffonade!
baste.
baste
moistening meat with juice...how can this not be the best?
"Grilling" because once someone mentions that I think of lazy afternoons outside, and enjoying good food and good company.
Braise!
hors d'oeuvres
braise!
Braise. Nothing like taking a chunk of meat no one wants and turning it into something delicious
remouiller
Sear
I'd have to say "braise". It's a word that just sounds lovely and full-flavored.
My favorite culinary term is simmer, followed by loosely or tightly packed when measuring.
Coulis
I think mine is "mise en place." It's so fun to say, and the practice has made my cooking life so much more efficient.
Caramelization: browning, crisping, making things sweet and savory - all good things.
mise en place
I refer to myself as OCD about organization (while other folks just refer to it as anal retentive), so it's mentally appealing to me to have all your prep-work ready & organzied before even started a project.
*before even starting
Deglaze
I have to go with braise. Makes me hungry just to say it!
You just can't go wrong with spatchcock!
Maillard
Rondeau, or Emulsify
Jerk!
Mis en place (Meez) -- such a simple concept, yet so necessary!
Michael, yours is always my first blog to visit!
"mise en place" 🙂
Lagniappe
Mise en place
Roux
souv vide
Amuse bouche!
Richard Olney: "a handful of herbs."
BRINE. Nuff said.
At the end of some recipes I have seen "Eat!" - my favorite.
demi-glace.
Faire la vaisselle -- especially when directed at someone else.
I'm also fond of sift.
"try not to eat all the dough at this point"
strategery
"cook 'til done!"
bake (nothing says love like "bake")
Emulsion
Saucier.
Why?
Double entendre.
A point. Order your steak "a point" from the rudest waiter in Paris you've ever encountered, and watch his attitude toward you improve dramatically.
braise. yum.
Braised...
Reduce
Chiffonade
"Dry Cured" - not because it's a clever name, just because it's delicious.
En croute has some baking skills associated....and reminds me of Krusty the clown.
deglaze, if only for the yumminess that results from adding the wine you're drinking, while cooking, to your pan to create excellent sauces
Mise en place
"food" It's what you do with it that counts, and there's so many possibilities!
"Bain Marie," a fancy name for a double boiler.
"Optional."
I like the terms that are more vague: "a handful" "a generous (insert measurement here)," etc. I want to be able to cook like that someday, and actually think I'm on my way 🙂
Mise en place, definitely.
Why Charcuterie, of course
"Prep" - it is the key to everything running smoothly. From listing out steps, buying my product, setting my mis end place, preparing the food, plating to service and even clean-up. It all requires prep.
Runner-ups - "Fond" and "Roux"
"Prep" - it is the key to everything running smoothly. From listing out steps, buying my product, setting my mis en place, preparing the food, plating to service and even clean-up. It all requires prep.
Runner-ups - "Fond" and "Roux"
Saute - even though the accent won't show up.
Confit - it makes rendering sound sexy.
"sweat" as in onions, not the cook
gastrique
Roux - dark is my favorite (I'm from Louisiana)
Sous Vide
au sec
Chiffonade
I'd have to say my favorite term is ganache...I love chocolate haha
Another chocolate-related one: Temper.
Souffle.
char
mise-en-place
BACON
Okay, it's not a cooking term, but it's the one word guaranteed to get the mouth watering.
My favorite culinary term is BUTTER!
My favorite term is "to taste." Probably because nearly every thing I make is modified "to taste." I don't believe I am capable of making any recipe without some modification or experimentation - even my own.
De Glaze..(two-fold benefit..it makes the pan easier to clean!)
portobello...just like the way it rolls off your tongue. Taste pretty good, too!
Dollop.
Runner up: Glug.
My baking mentor used to tell me to put a "glug" of vanilla into the batter. She explained, "no one ever complains that there's too much vanilla."
Barbecue
Braise. Took me years to learn what this meant.
Spatchcock.
Simmer.
"salt and pepper to taste"
What is that moment when a sauce or gravy comes together, when the thickness is established and all of the flavors melded? Because that would be my favorite culinary term, if there is one.
soffritto (Italian base, similar to mirepoix)
sofrito (Spanish base of garlic, onion and tomato)
Deglaze
Sear
mise-en-place
so succinct
Forcemeat
I find the term "Waxy Starch" (also known as amioca) to be interesting...Didn't know that one!
deliquesce
Deglaze.
Fond, of which I am so...
Chiffonade
Lots of great responses so far. Has anyone mentioned julienne? I like this one because it sounds like a girl's name, and because it evokes thoughts of snappy fresh vegetables. I also think it's one of the trickier knife skills to master.
Also, "wok hei":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wok#Wok_hei
Deglaze- because it means three things to the meal:
1. You've just cooked something at high heat- resulting in caramelizing and the perception of risk (tasty and impressive)
2. You're probably making a delicious, deceptively simple, and likely attractive sauce...
3. If you did it right- cleaning up will be SOOO much easier because you've eliminated a separate sauce pot from your meal prep AND you just got all the stuck-on bits off...and a quick rinse and wipe will take care of the rest!
Bouquet Garni
My biggest cooking revelation thus far.
soffritto the wonderful aromas and flavors, gets the juices flowing~
Velouté!
I love this word because, for me as a French speaker, it conveys exactly the right idea.
Sous Vide - So delicious, so delicate 🙂
Stir
Love to stir and watch things transform.
pate a choux
Anyone can follow a recipe and cook but a Chef knows how to fix the mistakes and make it better.
Approximately
Denuded. It's the sexiest way to describe meat.
"briskly whisk"!
Chiffonade!
spoom!
bring to 'the boil'
Have to go with "mise en place."
Nothing makes cooking a complicated dish go smoothly more than just having everything ready to go.
Favorite culinary term: LOCAL!
I'm surprised to be the first to come up with that.
Runner up: artisan.
Grill!
Roast
pinch of salt of course 🙂
brunoise
shows skill and attention to detail if done well
Cumin... I like cumin!
Most useful term: mise en place. A way of life (now) for me, and has saved more meals and dishes than I can count. It is the cooking equivalent of measure twice, cut once.
Seared.
I thought I didn't have one but I do like everything everyone's posted so far! I have to agree that mise en place (stolen from my husband) is probably my favorite - I get to cook *and* speak French - okay, I guess that happens a lot in the kitchen. Thanks!
choux pastry
Caramelize - whether on a brulee or a steak, caramelization is delicious!
Bon Appetit!
reduce
Whisk!
slurp!
sparge. It's a brewing term, but I like it...
chiffonade
render - my mouth is watering now.
Smorgasbord !
Season with pepper and salt.
Indirect (referring to heat).
Favorite culinary term: "Hmmm....yummy!"
In the Weeds!
My favorite culinary term is "in the weeds," (just like someone above). It perfectly describes that feeling of being overwhelmed in the kitchen.
First off, congratulations on the paperback version. I've been waiting for this moment for a while--it's a resource that requires lots of food stains and back-pack bending. Can't wait to get it.
I think a oft overlooked culinary term in the home kitchen is VEAL STOCK.
I love the term caramelize. Before I started learning about cooking, I thought it meant drizzling caramel over everything. Mmmmm.
Waitron units.
Macerate.
"fold gently" - such a soothing term.
"Julienne!"
"cure"... I didn't even know it was sick...
Salt
Umame
I mean, "umami." Duhhh.
mise en place
*Finally* learning this concept made cooking so much easier and less ... dramatic at times.
golden-brown and delicious 😉
prep
the afternoon hours of bantering fun kitchen family time prior to the hectic performance of service.
Confit . . . Everything is better in duck fat!
Fondue!
Chop!
deglaze (a flavor essential!)
I love the term "beurre blanc", I love the way it sounds, I love the way it rolls off the tongue, and I LOVE the way it tastes!
I'm fond of fond.
Roast! Meat, veggies, fruit...it's all better when roasted.
I love the term 86'd. We used it a lot at the restaurant where I work last night. We ran out of EVERYTHING, including one employee...
Fond!
although wikipedia just informed me that the sticky stuff at the bottom of the pan filled with flavour is actually called 'Sucs' and is misnamed 'Fond' by those damned TV chefs.
I was wondering why everyone kept mentioning 'fond' while I've never heard of the term. Maybe it's a TV chef thing (I don't watch TV)?
Fond is short for "foundation". It's all the little bits of meat and reduced juices left in the pan after you saute something. It's what is used to make pan sauces "a la minute".
Mine is "croquembouche": Fun to say and fun to eat!
Chiffonade. It's what you do to greens, and they're so good (and good for you).
amouse bouche. (Is that how it's spelled?)
In our house, that usually means we make a piece of toast while we're waiting for dinner to be ready.
Sear
-The sound when saying this word isn't nearly as awesome as the sound it makes when in action.
Soffrito.
The holy trinity.
confit!
grass fed
Since I love to bake, pate a choux is a term I love.
Wonderful puffs with ice cream and fudge sauce! Yum!
Deglaze - in honor of hubby who is still enamored with the concept.
Rest
Proofing
... so many!
Souffle
fluff with fork!
Roast!
Be it veg or protein, roasting is OTH.
charcuterie-- and no, I'm not kissing behind. I received a copy of your book as a graduation gift and have made 35 lbs of home cured, smoked bacon right now. My house smells of smoky goodness 🙂
I have to go with Soccarat. That toasty crunchy layer of goodness in the bottom of a paella pan.
Second favorite is Gard Manger. It just sounds like it would be a way cooler job than it likely is.
saute
Knead
Need I say more
Braise
sear
Definitely "caramelize" it conjures such delicious thoughts..
confit, as in duck.... mmmmmmmmmm
frottage, that final step in Julia's pie dough. great sound and effect.
Concasse
Duck! And I really wish I had been able to get a soft cover of this a short time ago, I would have loved to have had a copy to take into skills I & II with me!
mis en place
Carmelize!
uh...Caramelize!
mille-feuille. I'm convinced, as American born, I'm incapable of properly saying it. My French-educated parents constantly make fun of the fact that I have a complete inability to pronounce the necessary phonemes. Anyway, I love the word, not in the context of napoleon desserts but in this gorgeous potato mille-feuille that I created with inspiration from Gordon Ramsay's Three Star Chef cookbook. I have since learned the French Laundry serves something very similar. Which brings me to another favorite, "mandoline". Mandoline an apple and you'll never enjoy a sliced one ever again
LARD. It's a noun. It's a verb. It's delicious with an onion.
As a pastry chef: cream
Mirepoix
Barding
Sous-vide. Because it's all the rage, and it sounds awesome.
Brunoise!
Browing... simple skill, but difficult to master.
saute! because it's the first technique i learned, and because it's so literal 🙂
Scimitar...I've always thought these were super-cool knives.
The current favorite at my house is "palate fatigue." We like to overuse this as much as it is overused on Man Vs Food!
Sweat...I love the scent of garlic & onions gently sweating out the moisture and intensifying the sugars and other flavors. Transforming what can be sometimes be harsh, in-your-face flavors to something soft, sweet & deep is lovely.
mmm...Bacon!
i like the term butterfly pork chops. like their going to flutter away.
chiffonade!
Chef! The first time someone called me that, I was afraid to answer, now I enjoy it. Even though I realize it's often easier than remembering my name!! LOL!
Pate brisee...years ago when I was young and single, I wanted to impress a new boyfriend by making a mushroom tart. I was too poor to afford to buy the Julia Child cookbook, so I copied the recipe surreptitiously.
choppin broccoli
Mirepoix (because it's fun to say and smells great) or mise en place (because I was so thrilled to find out there was a term for what I had been calling "putting everything into little bowls before I cook."
So excited to buy Elements in paperback!
Flambe! It is fun to temporarily torch your kitchen!
Mirepoix. Without that, little can be made. Plus, it's fun to say!
mise en place. A simple concept, but it has made all the difference in the way I approach cooking.
"until the fragrance is released"..makes me feel like i've set something wonderful free.
Dock (your loaves before you pop 'em in the oven.) That's why I have a box of one-sided razor blades in my baking drawer.
Ganache
It was the first eye opening food I made, where I realized that with a few simple ingredients, you could make something stunning, versatile, and worlds better than store bought.
Also "flavor profile." Chefs on TV are always talking about it, and I get the gist of what they are saying, but I'm never exactly sure!
I have to say that brunoise is my favorite term. I love cutting vegetables that small for a garnish. People have even asked where I buy those tiny cubes 🙂
BTW: love the new book cover!
I gotta go with "sweat". It's descriptive, if you know how it's different from "fry" is shows that you know how to cook, and it implies the heat of a kitchen.
Bouquet garni!
I like the term poach, and I would really like a copy of your book!
Sous Vide.....I have had so many well cooked meals with my immersion circulator. Something to be said for pork which is cooked and not dried out.
This is my second entry and I don't know if it's been said already but I really think Chutney needs a mention here. I would go to lengths to be able to call something a chutney rather than one of it's more mundanely named cousins. Of course, relish is also a great term both as a food item and for describing a deep appreciation and enjoyment with good food, good life, good everything.
fleur de sel. v. poetic.
jam 🙂
I have three favorite kitchenese terms
1.) The "guy"
2.) Herbage
3.) Shoemaker
Chiffonade.
Aromats is a favorite word of mine.
De-glaze the pan
Confit
Lardon
Mirepoix . . . it is a great word.
Taste. Taste as you cook, taste with every seasoning. Taste to open your senses. Taste as you savor the meal. Taste your partner's lips after you have dined.
Mince - I just like the sound of it.
Darcie
Has to be Mise en place!
amouse bouche. or mise en place.
I'm so happy for your new paperback release! Congrats!
saute
bain marie
Chiffonade
I have to go with mirepoix. So yummy to cook with and so fun to say. Sounds so French!
Mandoline. Love saying it almost as much as I love using it!
Ruhlman is one of my favorite culinary words. I have appreciated your work and your insights as I travel my culinary journey. Thank you.
roux
duxelles - sounds so French and feels good on the tongue
amuse gueule
I grew up in Quebec, and "ta gueule" meant "shut up" -- a "gueule" usually refers to an animal's snout, not a person's mouth. It cracked me up when I first heard amuse gueule in a restaurant, but I love the slanginess of it as opposed to the more proper "amuse bouche." It fits so well with French attitude. Who else would call donut holes les pets de nonne? 😀
mise en place - you need to have the discipline to do it and it teaches you the importance of organization in the kitchen.
Foodelf
Salt....
Mastication
"to taste"
I, too, love the word "chiffonade" and I even know what it means...
glaze-savory or sweet; that sticky concentrated flavor gets me every time!
amuse-bouche
confit
Degrasser
My favourite term is dovetail because as a mom I must efficiently use of your ingredients in so as to be economical and reduce waste. In addition I have to be efficient with my time in kitchen and organize my tasks so that I am always working on a part of the meal while something else is happening
I'm going to go with caramelize.
A "Henry Ford" as in reference to a chef. Slang for "Assembly line cooking."
render...as in bacon or duck fatT
"ouch! its hot" water.....love it!
I too love "in the weeds" though...
Julia Child's, "Bon Appetite!"
reduction
chiffonade.
Thank you!
haricot vert! fun to say. and delicious 🙂
Mise en place . . . without it, you're out of place in the kitchen!
I just learned chiffonade, this year. And since I cook a lot of green leafy vegetables--kale, escarole, collard greens--i get to do it often. Also, if you do it quickly, the word is quite onomatopoeic!
Maillard.
mise en place - definitely one of the best terms!
mise en place...I love to see all of the bowls of my humble ingredients transform into the finished dish. 🙂
My favorite cooking term is "when the pot smiles", referring to when you bring a soup up to a boil and turn it down to just a slight simmer - it refers to the simmering. I love soup!
Fond: french for base bottom or stock the caramelized or brown bits the stick to the bottom of the pan the really good stuff
deglaze!
Liason... for food and so much more.
"deep fry till crispy & brown"
deglaze.
Emulsion
"first, make a roux"
'nuff said.
Supreme. I learned how to supreme in a knife skills class a year ago and have loved the term, and technique, ever since.
Texture
toss, blanch, or core,
Hmmm..... how about "butter" used as a verb? 🙂
flambe!!
Barbecue (as a noun).
pu pu
finesse
"refinement and delicacy of performance, execution or artisanship"
ganache (Yummmmm!)
brunoise.
pork belly!
emulsion
tare
I like the word coagulate because there are some really delicious things associated with it.
Of course, I love cheese. I don't know if that counts as a culinary term. It is just deliciousness.
to sear.
or, also, the french: 'la mie' - without translation.
stir-fry
charcuterie
Truss
Somehow I never ended up with a copy of this book. Now that it's only $10 on Amazon, I guess it's a perfect time to pick one up!
Hmm... "Bliss" - For what do we feel when that perfect taste hits the tongue? What the texture and heat of our favorite food does to us? There's no more perfect term to describe what we do - and why we do it...
Salumi!
To learn all !
Great learning tool
Mise En Place
Ssssear.
I do not know if this is a culinary term, but you and Bourdain use the word "unctious" at times. I looked it up and it has many different meanings, and Bourdain uses it out of context at times on his show.
If you don't consider that a culinary term, then I want to use the term
"brunoise"...I like words I cannot pronouce (long time since HS French). It has a nice easy French country ring....
I'm gonna have to go with gremolata! Big thanks and congrats on the paperback edition!
macerate
Poolish
hygroscopic
molecular gastronomy
"Braise" because of its power to transform the gnarly into tenderness.
Whisk!
Pâte Fermentée
Banchan!
bain marie
There are no two finer words in the English language than "Encased Meat" my friends.
I like "emulsify."
Umami, known as the fifth sense!!
I love mise en place - it's so . . . orderly.
Render!
Mount
Whisk. I love the way it makes one's mouth move when saying it, I love the click of the final consonants, I love the sound it makes.
amuse-bouche 🙂 makes you smile just to think about it...
Cassoulet is my favorite term, especially in the winter.
Has to be chiffonade - always makes me feel so fancy!
"fraisage" because I'm a baker...
To braise. Just writing it makes my mouth water.
Fresh
Fondue - cheese, meat, or chocolate!
GBD - Golden Brown and Delicious
Shoemaker
Wow, so many comments. And I love paperbacks!
Meringue is one of my favorites. To me, it's one of the most amazing transformations that happen in the kitchen.
Let's go upscale! Fond de Veau or Foie gras. But give the book to somebody else. I bought four hard cover editions when it first came out and gave them to my kids and foodie friends
Monter au beurre.
Has a vaguely sexual connotation, which is always nice.
Grill. Everything tastes better grilled, and I've grilled just about everything 😉
mis en place
Prepared physically and mentally.
smoren (dutch)
Uni-tasker, as in a utensil w/o multiple uses. They take up space in my small kitchen and nag me into using them. I would trade the bagel-slicers, strawberry tongs, honey spoons and garlic presses that overpopulate my drawers for a few good knives.
Sear!
to roast........
Demi
Batter- delicious, but with a suggestion of violence.
julienne
braise.
amuse-bouche
salamander - I'm still curious about the origin of this term and how a small broiler came to be known as a salamander...
Favorite term "blanch." It's the way I cook most (of course, not all) of my vegetables.
I LOVE the cover on the paperback. I'm hoping everyone actually knows what the Periodic Table of Elements is so they "get" it.
Lardons.
Braised. Pretty much guarantees deliciousness.
Mise en place......so basic, but this will make anyone more effective in the kitchen!
Hearth -- as in open-hearth cooking. It's so primal, traditional, simple yet challenging.
Does anybody still frizzle? We used to have frizzled ham for breakfast when I was a kid but I haven't seen the term used much lately. Frizzle is a good, old-fashioned kind of word. It's fun to say as well and makes me want to giggle for some reason.
Demi glaze/demi glace
Starter, as in sourdough
I would have to go with ferment, since it applies to both my beloved salumi and beer.
ricotta salata, if I put too much in the dish, the kids like to say "that's alot of ricotta salata"
Stock. I've been playing with making my own since Ruhlman gave us his turkey stock tips around Thanksgiving 2008. Now my freezer is full of different varieties of stock - pork, chicken, turkey, veal, beef. I have enjoyed learning how to get the best flavors from each and am amazed by how much better a good stock can make any dish/sauce. But my absolute favorite part of stock is that I am making something so good from what many people consider garbage......my extended family is starting to save the carcass for me at holiday dinners without being asked, a major breakthrough.
"monter au beurre", or "mount". Both because I love that nice swirl of creamy goodness to finish a sauce...and it's a little dirty
Does "In the weeds" count as a culinary term? Despite having my "mise en place" it's where I find myself daily when cooking dinner with 2 hungry kids and dog underfoot.
Forestiere
Ganache..and boy do I love to eat it 🙂
butter, the size of a walnut.........Pennsylvania Dutch measurement
Macerate- it is always a sign that something will be luxurious and delightful!
saute - love the way the word sounds, the way it looks on the page and most of all, what it does to food!
hm, it's a tie between beurre blanc and pate a choux, because they're both fun to say!
I need this book! And the Ratio one as well.
Chiffonade- I love using this term as I work with fresh basil leaves!
This book looks AWESOME!
It has to be amuse-bouche. It's a taste bud dance of a word.
Roast. It just sounds full and indulgent and delicious.
Nappe...To coat the back of a spoon. Evokes luxurious, silky textures in my mind.
Cure: Because really good food already cures that which ails us...so when you go ahead and CURE that food further... It is JUST. THE. BEST.
Barbecued... It's an Oklahoma thang!
Roast...
"Cured"
It's just better that way.
Whoever does your graphics does and excellent job!
Pardon the typo!
Love the term SWEATED, as in place onions, garlic or shallots in well oiled pan until they are sweated nicely.
Roast!
Reading these comments make me hungry all of a sudden.
I'm also going with braisé.
braise. Nothing like it...
My favorite is caramelize. mmmm...
"sous-vide" - the method of cooking foods at precise low-temperatures in vacuum-sealed pouches. I'm just fascinated by how well this apparently works.
Confit: Because I now fully understand the technique and its range of applications. Plus, I thoroughly enjoyed the process of perfecting my own pork belly confit...much to my waistline's chagrin.
Broil. Love the word, love the technique. Any word that winds its way from old German to both French and middle English, and then into English via the Normans is alright by me.
Confit - how can you pass up something cooked in fat?
I think I'd have to go with braise. It produces foods that are sensuous!
Toss-up... 'saucier' because it's now my favorite pan, and 'mise en place' because it sounds cool and is really good practice.
Finesse.
Amuse-bouche. It makes me want to giggle.
Roux. So many delicious comfort-style foods start with this basic mixture of flour and fat.
throw a little "pipe stock" in it... referring to putting water in something to help it along. Gotta love those crazy vermont NECI kids.
I couldn't live without this book but I really want a paperback copy and I'll donate my hardback to my school.
Stuff:
Whether it's what's inside the turkey, the crab inside my shrimp, the meat inside the sausage casing, the caramel, walnut and bacon streusel inside a baked apple...the stuffing is always the best part. I consider cake to be the stuffing inside icing.
My favorite culinary term is marinate. It's just so flavorful
'Macronage' ... a term that torments me in my attempts to find 'feet'!
Mince. Because in my kitchen it almost always refers to garlic, and garlic makes everything wonderful.
I forgot to say BRAISE
Just finished reading through The Ratio. Great stuff. Lots of good ideas for the future.
Congratulations! Other than that I can only say one thing...
Confit!
Cheese.
Confit.
Chiffonade...or mascerate. Tough!
I agree w the idea that a recipe is a guide rather than a drill instructor. I find myself able to create dishes out of flavors I've discovered just because I practice at changing it up to suit my cravings or to match a dish better.
Maillard reaction The truth in flavor
Pâte de Fruit
buerre blanc because it's delicious
puttanesca
Rolling boil.
Chiffonade! It's such a unique, fun word.
My favorite culinary term has to be a verb, and that verb is... Serve!
Seared to perfection.
Miz aka mise en place.
If you're going to get serious you need to be prepared.
Brunoise
Recently I'm fond of en papillotte because I think it's fun to say (and fun to do... and fun to eat the results!) but another favorite is mise en place because it appeals to my desire to have--you guessed it--everything in its place.
FORCEMEAT: it includes a wide range of meats and textures and in my opinion shows true talent in the kitchen. Extending the life of left over meats and fat and creating (my second favorite word) an EMULSION, whether that be a country-style sausage or a piece of foie gras swished in hot kombu broth
This book looks great. As a journalism major and newspaper editor I spent a lot of time with Strunk and White. I'd love to see the comparison.
caramelize. Mmmmm... for savouries or sweets
It's a tie between charcuterie and carnicería
chiffonade!
Sous vide. It entirely changed my concept of cooking.
Already have the app, did not get the book though, it would be awesome to have when I travel.
Deglaze...mainly because it sounds so much fancier than it actually is.
Sautee! Jump!!
remouillage - the 2nd steeping
monte au beurre, because everything is better with butter
Sizzle
My favorite is mise en place - it's a mindset and, oddly, I find this simple organizational technique allows me to actually be more creative in the kitchen.
Confit. Learned it from you, never looked back.
Poach, it sounds somewhat illicit and the results are generally delicious.
Mise en place and stock has transformed my cooking, making life easier and better food. Thanks.
Sous vide. The epitome of slow food cooking. Healthy and delicious.
"stock"
- the wonder being from a term that suggests something common and simple, but is actually complex and essential (at least, at a certain level of proficiency).
Cout de sol! Using that technique is like creating some type of magic. My favorite is beet cout de sol. Everyone who has ever said "I don't like beets" will change their minds after they try it.
shuck, n' that's no jive!
Awesome! Would love to win a cookbook! (saw the post on facebook)
I like pate a choux and confit. I like to say them because they sound mysterious and then it makes people think I know how to cook.
Chiffonade. It's a pretty word with a pretty result.
toast - from bread to nuts, a simple way to make good things better.
Rotisserie!
mantecare-because it really means the risotto is almost ready to eat!
Cover art is perfect for this edition!
Mount...as in to mount with butter. The simple phrase belies the sheer joy of watching a sauce turn to silky, mouth watering goodness!
"Fleur de sel." Makes my mouth water!
au jus!
Ratio was fantastic & I'd love to read The Elements of Cooking. My favorite culinary term is mise en place.
Sear. Just a nice word... sear.
Fat. Far and away the best ingredient!
Velouté - it sounds like a mysterious and marvelous type of cooking action or method, rather than "just" a sauce.
Mis en place, definitely. So simple, yet so fundamentally important.
"Hang em and bang em...." not in the book but if anyone who has worked a line and heard the incessant rattle of the ticket machine knows what I am talking about. Great Book!
FHB (Family Hold Back) and
MIK (More In the Kitchen
braise..beautiful word for a magical process.
This book is on my "go-to" list for foodie gifts (and gifts for the 20-somethings in my life). We need an app for this!
Dough hoe. For some its an insult to others while being acompliment to to them selves.
"In the Weeds". I'm not a chef but cooking for 20 using only my outdoor kitchen (can you say remodel) I can relate!
Baste -cover it over and over with succulent juices or rich rich fat
Michael, I posted before and didn't leave my cooking term.
-Juli
Sweetbreads. Not really but it got my son to try them and now he orders them all the time.
I need to go look at this one. Over the last few years I have learned a reasonable amount about cooking. I wonder if this book could expand that knowledge even more?
Probably.
chiffonade... ribbons of deliciousness!
My favorite instructions in a recipe are "cover and simmer over low heat." It implies that I will be eating something warm and comforting in a few short hours. It also allows me to focus on other important tasks such as studying for finals or cleaning my apartment. But most of all I get the satisfaction of knowing that, unlike the majority of my classmates, I don't have to rely on "the Subway diet" as my sole source of nourishment!
Nose to tail - Waste not!
"Brine" - I use this technique to give flavor to otherwise bland cuts and to preserve the shelf life of the protein if I'm not sure when I can cook it. A good brine also make poultry forgiving. For a gallon of water I use 1.5C of kosher salt, 5 pressed garlic cloves, 1/4C of dried oregano and 2TBSP of red pepper flakes.
Confit
It's like magic.
You know you're in for a treat when you see... mignardises!
Maillard Reaction. So huge for developing flavor, and I'm still not sure I know what it means. If I don't win, I will be buying this book. Love Ratio, Mikey.
Umami for sure!
Cure - I pretty much learned it from you... bacon, duck prosciutto, working on the salami as suggested. Love it.
My younger sister who is making her way in the world of food could certainly use this.
My favorite term..."sear" whenever I see or hear the term a perfect scallop or a great steak comes to mind.
BBQ - Hey I'm from Texas 🙂
En papillote!
Bouillabaisse --
It just rolls off your tongue.
my favorite cooking term has to Bouillabaisse. not only is it delicious but it always makes me break out some Beastie Boys! Get on the mic 'cause you know you eat shellfish!!!!
for your viewing pleasure:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6kc7lU-YYk
Martini. Hey, it's my favorite kitchen tool.
Terroir.
I know it's a term in wine-making, rather than in cooking, but I find that it applies so well to food.
I love this book! I made the mistake of letting my mother-in-law begin to read it on a recent visit, and now need another copy as mine has vanished!
"Reverse Sear" Because there is no easier way to perfectly prepare a nice thick steak on the grill and/or smoker.
Ratio. Such a liberation that is.
Nappe (Np): the perfect enrobing consistency of a properly made sauce
By the way, I love your periodic table. It's so clever!
Already picked but a favorite for me to, mis en place, second only to the martini always a part of a meal prep set up.
flambe...it just gets me envisioning a grand dish and the anticipation of something amazing that comes with the show of the flame.
Vichyssoise. Such an elegant name for a so humble (and delicious) soup.
Confit, amuse-bouche and raft (picked that one up from your Mastering the Heat book which I am just finishing - thanks)
"Emulsion" is probably my favorite technical term (I make wicked good dressings). But I'm also fond of the less technical "Seconds"
Since I am planning on having a steak tonite -
Rest
Hot food hot! As in, eat folks, don't let it get cold while you're gabbing and dawdling towards the table. If the cook intended it to be hot, eat! It's one of my favorite sayings and used daily.
Will have to buy the book if I don't win it!
86 the special!!! Is my favorite term. Means we did our job, 😉
Ooohhhh, without a doubt - caramelize! Onions, sugar, fond...oooo yum.
"Fire" as in "fire 3 steaks!" being yelled across the kitchen
Flambe! Fun to say, fun to do, and it makes me want to dance!
Brine, baby, brine!
also - dry-aged gets my buds going ...
and smoked and cured and low and slow and oops!
I believe my meat loving tendencies are showing.
Scald -- can't do this except by accident
"Three-ways" Yeah, that's right.
Macaronage
Praise the pig.
Pork is king.
Piquant - Pleasing to the palate.
I think my favorite term is emulsion, because to me it embodies the magic of cooking.
Order up, punctuated with the sound of a bell. Waitressing is the only job I ever held where working harder, faster, smarter and with style resulted in immediate monetary recognition!
Ganache - Chocolate immitating silk - just give me a spoon.
En Papillote that and en croute they just have the Je ne sais quoi!
infuse
Braise.......
"in the weeds"
its classic...although it depicts where you are in service, to me it's the epitome of a culinary term.
Cooking, you say, tough?
I say not not after this book.
No fear here on out.
Pork
It goes with everything and every cuisine.
mise en place - I like top pretend I'm cooking on TV - everything in pretty little ramekins ....
mince.
my favorite term is "saute" -- sounds mysterious and sophisticated
Cured... "I find Pastrami to be the most sensual of the cured meats..."
"well seasoned". I used that term in an English paper once to describe experienced soldiers. My teacher wrote in red ink on the top of the paper and asked if i was planning on cooking them. Yeah, I won't forget that.
Reduce. The first reduction I ever made professionally was when I made pomegranate molasses. I drizzled it over some dry roasted macadamia nuts out of boredom. The taste was incredible. Tangy, sweet, salty, buttery...mmm.
Mise en place. You can't cook properly if you have to stop in the middle of cooking to cut some veggies or meat.
"a la Veracruzana"
Salt to taste. Often tagged on the end of recipes as an afterthought, but so important.
This will be my graduation gift to all friends and family this year - so they
can stop calling me.
Quenelle- I made pate for the first time last week and it didn't break!
"Dice and onion..." the beginning of most recipes...
Mis en place - speaking French makes me feel so "chef-like"
Marrow!
Brulee
mes en place or as my daughter says mess in place!
mis en place
I love the cover of the book!
"zest" - I love using my Microplane zester to add delicate flavors of lemons, lime, etc. to my dishes and desserts!
Stew. Not the prettiest word in the world, I know, but it brings to mind the smells of stewing, the amazing food with almost no effort. In short, happiness.
Fabricate. Such a bizarre word for breaking down meat. For that matter "breaking down" is a great term as well.
Umami. A word vegans will never comprehend.
"oishi" or "delicious"
🙂
is there anything better than tasting something and all those flavors come together to form something...utterly delicious! or when someone who tastes your food (like an elderly japanese woman) and exclaims "Oishiiiiiiiiiiiii!"
culinary nirvana!
Caramelize, because everything's better when it's caramelized.
I love cooking Mexican food - Comal!
Or better yet Lard.
dumpling baby dumpling.
I've got to say mise en place - it's had the biggest effect on raising my game.
However, I do like chiffonade - I challenge myself to get even thinner and more precise each time I do it.
Fondue. Cheese glorious cheese!
"Mis en place" as well.
If you're not organized, it turns into a Three Stooges movie.
Butter--everything is better with it!
"spatchcock"
Helpful to know, fun to say.
Gnudi! Would love to see them in Cleveland Restaurants.
Creme anglaise
"Deglaze."
When you get to deglaze your pan you know you have a damn tasty sauce on the way. (not to mention a delicious protein!)
Creme Anglaise
ZEST! ....especially when said with a bit of excitement.
Soigné ! What we all aspire to.
Marinate. It requires some time for things to develop and it also makes me think of thinking about what to do next. "I'm marinating on what to make for Sunday dinner."
Mis en place
A la meunière, that's how I like my skate.
macerate -- mostly because it sounds much harsher than the process actually is. in my mind, it's a combination of massacre/eviscerate. poor berries.
Over-caramelized. It's a polite way of saying you need to start over again.
hack
Scorched.
Rectified by calling it "Blackened" and/or ""Cajun style".
Not really good or favorite terms, but ones used often, unfortunately, in the kitchen.
I have the hardcover, which I read recently and LOVED IT, but the cover art on the paperback is much better. I need it.
Mise en place and finesse. I picked two!
Fantastic cover graphic. As I book designer, I most heartily approve and can't wait to see the inside as well!
I'm going with "knead," as it is a wonderful feeling working with silky dough.
I'd have to go with mise en place. Now I just need to remember to do it.
I love the word charcuterie!
Blind bake...sounds so mysterious
'Brunoise' - Not only delicious to say but seeing a pile of perfectly chopped veg in teenty tiny dice is one of the most satisfying sights in the kitchen
winners have been chosen, thanks for all comments!
OK, so who are they? ; ) You got a lot of us to post- so now I am wanting to know the names of the winners, what their culinary terms were, and how many different terms were posted and which one (I'm guessing "mise en place") was cited the most.
When I checked in on this blog on the 19th, at first glance I couldn't believe my eyes to see there were over 400 posts at that time. I was wondering what on earth had happened to garner such a response. After reading your post, I decided to join in on the fun. But now ya got me hooked even more, so....fill us in, please.
MBP
mis en place!
Michael, your move to a new hosting site has made it possible for me to connect to your site, when previously I could not. Thanks!
I realize that commenting has concluded, but you said "unique comments" and a person in my family had a good one - Fond, because it's a four letter word beginning with the letter "F".
taste...without it you cannot know your own cooking
I know I am too late. I pick
CURRY- the most abused term in the history of Indian cuisine
I always liked the term "Bain Marie". Problably because all I can think when hearing this term is melted chocolate!
Souffle. Because of its complexity, simplicity, and generality. Capturing air - how many ways can you do that?
The word is Unctuous. If one doesn't know what is is, they have missed the joy of slow braised Beef Shank.
Mine would be Plate, the act not the object.
Mise en place!
Mandoline. Hard to find here in China, even though so many are now made here.
spatchcock...my favortie way to cook chicken..
My favourite culinary word is mirepoix! I love French words. Love the book.
If I had had the book in hand, I could have had it signed today.
sabayon!
I was going to say Charcuterie too! It's fun to say. : )
I like "chiffonade", it sounds sexy like some delicate item of lingerie. 🙂 Food is sexy.
I love "semifreddo". It kind of reminds me of what Fredo looked like after Michael got done with him ...
I want that element chart as a poster! Wonderful book!