Mise en place your vocabulary with these culinary gems.
Cooking food quickly in a small amount of fat over high heat while tossing it around the pan. The word literally means 'to jump' in French, which describes both the food in the pan and you when the oil starts spitting at your bare arms. Also: To cook food quickly in a shallow pan with a small amount of fat over high heat, achieving that coveted golden-brown crust while keeping the inside tender. It's the cooking technique that makes everything better and is legally required for at least one step in every French recipe. The culinary equivalent of a quick sprint rather than a marathon.
Setting food on fire at the table for dramatic effect and/or to burn off alcohol. It's cooking's answer to a magic show, minus the actual magic and plus occasional eyebrow loss. Also: The dramatic act of setting food on fire with alcohol, because apparently cooking wasn't exciting enough without the risk of burning your eyebrows off. It exists at the intersection of cuisine and arson, and every home chef attempts it exactly once.
The act of adding liquid to a hot pan to scrape up all the delicious brown bits stuck to the bottom. It's basically salvaging the burnt evidence of your cooking and calling it 'flavor.' The sizzle sound it makes is the most satisfying noise in any kitchen.
One of the five mother sauces, made by thickening light stock with a blonde roux, resulting in a velvety-smooth base for countless derivatives. French for 'velvety,' because subtlety has never been French cuisine's forte. Also: One of the five French mother sauces, made from a light stock thickened with a roux. It's basically gravy that went to an Ivy League school. Pronouncing it correctly at a restaurant earns you a subtle nod from the waiter and confused looks from everyone at your table.
The French culinary philosophy of having everything in its place before you start cooking. Basically what your mom told you to do before starting any project, but in French so it sounds professional and costs $40,000 in culinary school tuition.
The fifth taste alongside sweet, salty, sour, and bitter -- often described as 'savory' or 'mouth-filling deliciousness.' It's the reason you can't stop eating parmesan cheese and mushrooms. Discovering umami is like finding out there's been a secret flavor channel you weren't subscribed to.
A word meaning 'handcrafted in small batches' that has been so overused it now applies to everything from bread to toilet paper. If someone made it in a room with exposed brick while wearing a leather apron, it's artisanal and it costs three times more than the regular version.
The art of preparing cured meats, or more commonly, the Instagram-famous board of meats, cheeses, fruits, and crackers arranged so beautifully that eating it feels like vandalism. Every millennial has attempted a charcuterie board. Most are just Lunchables with better lighting.
French for dough or paste, used to specify different types of pastry like pâte brisée (shortcrust), pâte sucrée (sweet tart), or pâte à choux (cream puff dough). It's basically the pastry chef's taxonomy system. Also: A rich, spreadable mixture of ground meat, fat, and seasonings, traditionally encased in pastry or terrine molds. The fancy French way of serving what is essentially sophisticated meat loaf that costs ten times more.
A self-appointed title for someone who takes photos of every meal and has strong opinions about olive oil. Not to be confused with someone who simply enjoys eating, a foodie has turned basic human sustenance into an entire personality and Instagram aesthetic.
The art of arranging food on a plate to make it look beautiful before someone destroys it in thirty seconds with a fork. It's interior design for dinner, and chefs will spend more time on plating than most people spend on their actual living rooms.
Italian for 'to the tooth,' meaning pasta cooked so it still has a slight bite. It's the razor-thin line between perfectly cooked and 'my Italian grandmother would disown me,' and somehow every amateur chef claims to nail it every time.
A food movement emphasizing locally sourced ingredients that traveled a short distance from where they were grown to your plate. It's how restaurants justify charging $28 for a salad by telling you the lettuce had a shorter commute than you did.
A bundle of aromatic herbs and spices tied in cheesecloth for flavoring stocks and sauces, designed to be easily removed. It's a bouquet garni's more organized cousin. Also: A small pouch of cheesecloth containing herbs and spices for flavoring stocks and braises. It's literally a tea bag for savory cooking. Also: A bundle of herbs and spices (usually tied in cheesecloth) added to liquid during cooking and removed before serving. It's basically a tea bag for savory dishes.
A mixture of equal parts fat and flour cooked together as the base for sauces and soups. It's the foundation of Cajun cooking, French cuisine, and your grandmother's gravy that she refuses to share the recipe for even though it's literally just butter and flour.
Raw vegetables arranged on a platter, which is literally just a veggie tray from the grocery store but spoken in French so you can serve it at a dinner party without shame. Add a ramekin of hummus and suddenly you're 'hosting.'
Tomatoes that have been blanched, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped—basically tomatoes that have been through a spa treatment. The term can apply to other coarsely chopped ingredients too. Also: Tomatoes that have been peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped -- basically tomatoes that have been through a full spa treatment before being allowed into your dish. The amount of effort involved is wildly disproportionate to the result, which is... chopped tomatoes.
A dining concept where you order multiple tiny dishes instead of one normal-sized entree, thereby spending three times as much to eat the same amount of food. It's portion control disguised as a culinary philosophy and your wallet's worst nightmare.
Letting cooked meat sit undisturbed after cooking so the juices redistribute throughout. It's the hardest part of cooking because it requires doing absolutely nothing while a perfect steak sits there taunting you. Most people fail this step because they are human and steak is delicious.
A small, neutral-flavored bite served between courses to reset your taste buds. Usually a tiny sorbet that exists to remind you that you're eating at a place where meals have 'courses' and your credit card is about to have a really bad night.
The consistency where a sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without immediately running off, creating that Instagram-worthy 'finger swipe test.' When your sauce has finally achieved peak cling. Also: The correct consistency for a sauce to coat the back of a spoon in a thin, even layer without immediately running off. It's thicker than water but thinner than your excuses for overcooking the sauce.
The chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars that creates browning and incredible flavor on cooked food. It's the scientific reason your steak tastes amazing, and knowing its name is the fastest way to sound smart at a barbecue you contributed nothing to.
The culinary practice of combining elements from different food traditions into one dish. Sometimes it's genius, like Korean tacos. Sometimes it's a crime against humanity, like sushi pizza. There is no middle ground and the chef always thinks they're in the genius camp.
The science of using chemistry and physics to transform food into things that look nothing like food. Think edible spheres, foams, and gels that make your dinner look like a science experiment. It's what happens when a chef gets a chemistry set for Christmas and never looks back.