Mise en place your vocabulary with these culinary gems.
A kitchen tool for slicing vegetables with the precision of a surgeon and the danger of a guillotine. Musicians who play the actual stringed instrument get angry when you mention this version.
Chocolate-covered clusters featuring nuts (usually almonds, peanuts, or cashews) and caramel, despite having absolutely nothing to do with actual monkeys. A delightfully bizarre candy name that somehow works.
A dark, low-gravity ale served at British pubs to people who think stronger beer is 'too much'—basically beer for folks who want flavor without commitment. The training-wheels beer.
A light, airy confection made by whipping air into cream, chocolate, or pureed fruit. It's what you make when you want dessert but also want to feel like you're eating a cloud.
A mixture of vegetables cut into uniform 1/4-inch cubes, often used in salads or as garnish; named after Macedonia because it's a diverse mix of ingredients getting along.
The tactile sensation and texture of food in your mouth—creamy, crunchy, smooth, grainy, etc. It's the non-flavor part of flavor that separates a good dish from an unforgettable one.
To finish a sauce by whisking in cold butter just before service, adding richness, shine, and body. It's the culinary equivalent of a power move—literally mounting the sauce with butter.