The At Home Cook SeriesInstallment #13: The Language Of The Kitchen...

To some, the mere phraseology, lexicon and linguistic abnormalities that sometimes ascribe themselves to the professional, and/or commercial kitchens can and has been the sole reason some would be cooks needed to keep them from embracing the frontier of cooking. It is for those this next installment in the series comes. We'll explore and explain the phrases, definitions and concepts in relation to cheffing and the kitchen so the next time you receive a Tourchon, you'll know what your getting! Following is a list of words. First, because everybody loves a good list. Second, because in order to be a complete chef in your own kitchen, cooking, interpreting recipes and mastering the techniques, you need to be able to understand what's being asked of you by a particular cookbook's or chef's recipe. Some words you need to know. Some you probably should know. Then there's the ones you want to know, in order to show off..

Culinary Words Index

Amuse-Bouche ~  also known as amuse-gueule, amusee, petite amuse and lagniappe. A French term that literally means 'mouth amusement.' These are tiny bites of food served before a meal to whet the palate and invigorate the appetite. They're more whimsical than hors d'oeuvres, and smaller than appetizers.
Aperitif ~ French term for an alcoholic beverage served before a meal as an appetizer to stimulate the appetite. It can be a punch made to complement the meal, but it is usually a white wine, sherry, champagne, or a sparkling wine.
Assiette ~ French for "assortment," as in cheeses.
Bain-Marie ~ A  hot water bath that is used to keep food warm on the top of a stove. It is also to cook custards and baked eggs in the oven without curdling or cracking and also used to hold sauces and to clarify butter.
Béarnaise ~A classic reduction of wine, vinegar, tarragon and shallots, finished with egg yolks and butter.
Béchamel ~A basic white sauce of milk, butter and flour.
Beurre blanc ~A thick sauce of butter, white wine and vinegar.
Beurre noisette ~Butter cooked to a hazelnut (noisette) color.
Beurre rouge ~ Beurre blanc, but with red wine instead of white.
Blanch, blanching ~ To briefly plunge food into boiling water and then into cold water to stop cooking.
Bonne femme - A French phrase indicating that a dish has been cooked simply (with vegetables and stock).
Bouquet garni ~ It is a small bunch of herbs, which traditionally consist of a bay leaf, sprig of thyme, and a sprig of parsley, tied together with kitchen twine and tossed into the sauce as is.
Braise ~ a slow-cooking method for tough cuts of meat or poultry and even stringy vegetables.
Brine ~ A mixture of salt water, sometimes herbs and spices designed to increase the moisture holding capacity of meat. by having the meat soak in it for from three hours up to three days, resulting in a moister product when cooked. 
Brunoise ~ It is a French word used to describe a mixture of vegetables, usually onion, celery, and carrot, which has been very finely diced, then cooked slowly in butter.
Butterfly ~ To split food (usually meat, fish, or poultry) down the center, cutting almost, but not completely through. The two halves are then opened flat to resemble a butterfly. Often this is the first step when preparing a roast that is to be stuffed and rolled.
Caramelize ~ (1) To heat sugar until it liquefies and becomes a clear caramel syrup ranging in color from golden to dark brown. (2) Heating of meats or vegetables until the natural sugars in them break down and turn light brown. Sugar will begin to caramelize at 320 degrees F.
Carry-over cooking ~ heat transferring from the hotter exterior of the meat to the cooler center. As a general rule, the larger and thicker the cut of meat and the higher the cooking temperature, the more residual heat will be in the meat, and the more the internal temperature will rise during resting, due to carry-over cooking. This means the meat must be removed from the heat at an internal temperature lower than your desired final internal temperature, allowing the residual heat to finish the cooking.
Cassoulet ~ A slow-cooked marriage of white beans and assorted meats such as pork, duck or goose.
Celeriac ~ More commonly known here as celery root.
Charcuterie ~ The French term for delicatessen-style items.
Chasseur Sauce ~ Chasseur is French for hunter. It is a hunter-style brown sauce consisting of mushrooms, shallots, and white wine (sometimes tomatoes and parsley). It is most often served with game and other meats.
Chef de Partie ~ Also known as a "station chef" or "line cook", is in charge of a particular area of production.
Chiffonade ~In culinary terms, a chiffonade describes a way of cutting herbs and lettuces into thin strips or shreds, which look a bit like rags.
Coddle ~ To cook food slowly in water just below the boiling point.
Cold-smoking ~ Curing meat (hams, sausages, bacon, fish) in the smoke of smoldering wood or corncobs at temperatures from 60 to 100 degrees F.
Compote ~ refers to a chilled dish of fresh or dried fruit that has been slowly cooked in sugar syrup, which may also contain alcohol or liqueur and sometimes spices.
Compound butter ~ Also known as finishing butter, flavoring butter, or beurre composé in French, A compound butter is butter that has been flavored by blending softened butter together with various ingredients.
Confiseur ~ The candy cook.
Confit ~ Meat (usually goose, duck or pork) that is slowly cooked in its own fat and preserved with the fat packed around it as a seal.
Consommé ~ Meat or fish stock that has been clarified.
Coquilles St. Jacques ~ Scallops cooked in white wine with a little salt, peppercorn, parsley, bay leaf, chopped shallots, and water. A sauce of fish stock, butter, flour, milk, egg yolks, and cream accompanies them.
Coulis ~ A type of a sauce which derives its body (either entirely or in part), from pureed fruits or vegetables.
Court bouillon ~ It is a French term that means, "short broth." It is used in place of water when boiling various types of food (mostly used for poaching fish or as a base for fish soups). The broth is made of wine, water, herbs, and spices. It usually is also flavored with onions, celery, carrots and cloves.
Crème anglaise ~Rich custard sauce, often used as a topping or plating accompaniment to fruits and pastries.
Crème fraîche ~ Cream that is allowed to set and thicken to a velvety rich texture.
Dauphine ~ Croquettes made by combining potato puree with pastry dough, forming the mixture into balls and then rolling them in bread crumbs and deep-fried.
Deglaze ~ To dissolve the remaining bits of sautéed or roasted food in (a pan or pot) by adding a liquid and heating. The resultant mixture often becomes a base for a sauce to accompany the food cooked in the pan.
Demi-glace ~ A rich brown reduction of meat stock, Madeira or sherry, and other ingredients. Used as a base for many other sauces.
Duxelles ~ Often used as a garnish or to flavor sauces and soups, duxelles is a mixture of finely chopped mushrooms, shallots and herbs cooked in butter until it forms a thick paste.
Emulsion ~ The mixture of two liquids that cannot normally combine smoothly (e.g., oil and water). Mayonnaise and hollandaise are two familiar emulsions.
En croute ~ A food that is wrapped in pastry and baked.
Enophile ~ A person who is knowledgeable about and enjoys wine.
Epicure ~ A person of refined taste who cultivates the knowledge and appreciation of fine food and wine.
Fumet ~ An intense stock made most often from fish or mushrooms, used to add flavor or body to another stock or sauce.
Galette ~ A round, flat cake or tart.
Hollandaise ~ An emulsion of egg yolks, lemon juice and hot melted butter, the smooth, rich sauce is often an accompaniment to vegetable, fish and egg dishes.
Meunière ~ Literally "miller's wife" in French, this cooking technique (used primarily for fish) involves a light coating of flour before sauteing in butter or oil.
Mirepoix ~ A combination of diced carrots, onions, celery and herbs cooked in butter; used to flavor a wide range of dishes.
Mousseline ~ A sauce made airy with the addition of whipped cream or beaten egg whites.
Niçoise ~ Dishes typical of cuisine from the Nice, France, region, where garlic, black olives, anchovies and tomatoes are nearly always part of the mix.
Noisette ~ a) French for hazelnut; b) small, very tender round steak, usually of lamb beef or veal, cut from the rib or loin; c) as in beurre noisette: butter heated until it turns nut brown; used as a finishing touch for many dishes, especially fish.
Paillard ~ A thin slice of meat, grilled or sautéed.
Papillote ~ The term "en papilotte" is used to describe a dish that is cooked (and usually served) in a parcel of greased parchment paper that protects it from the high heat of the oven and retains aroma and flavor.
Pâté ~ Ground meat, fish or vegetables blended with fat and seasonings; can be smooth or chunky, served cold or hot.
Pâte ~ French for dough, paste or batter.
Pot-au-feu ~ Meat and vegetables simmered in water.
Poussin ~ A small, young chicken.
Prix fixe ~ French for fixed price, a complete meal that features a limited number of selections at a preset price.
Quenelle ~ A small, delicate, poached dumpling of meat, fish or vegetables.
Rillettes ~ Meat, usually pork, slowly cooked in seasoned fat and made into a smooth paste, then packed and sealed with a thin layer of fat. Served cold.
Roulade ~ A French term for a thin roll of meat or cake around savory or sweet fillings.
Roux ~ A slow-cooked mix of flour and fat, used to thicken soups and sauces.
Terrine ~ a) kind of pâté made of pieces of meat in a deep dish with straight side; b) an earthenware container, or the dish cooked therein.
Torchon ~ Method of cooking foie gras by which it is placed in a towel (torchon in French) and poached.
Velouté ~ A creamy white, stock-based sauce.
Verjus ~ Sour liquid made from unripe fruit; used to flavor sauces and condiments.